Greek Yogurt
Brussels Sprouts And Carrots
Roasted Seaweed
A Green Apple With Almond Butter
Half An Avocado
Hard Boiled Eggs
Dried Edamame
Dried Cherries And Roasted Nuts
The newest finding, first reported by Reuters and published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, shows that women who said they drank the most soft drinks in the study had an 83 percent higher risk of ischemic stroke than those who reported drinking the fewest soft drinks.
Earlier this year, a study in the Journal of General Internal Medicine showed a link between drinking a diet soda every day and higher stroke and heart attack risk.
“It makes sense, if [sugar sweetened beverages] increase the risk for obesity, diabetes, insulin resistance, inflammation, then it should, in fact, raise the risk for cardiovascular disease, and that’s what we’re seeing,” Cleveland Clinic’s Adam Bernstein, who was not involved in the study, told Reuters.
The study included 39,786 men and women in Japan between the ages of 40 and 59, who were tracked between 1990 and 2008. They filled out a questionnaire asking them about their soft drink consumption.
By the end of the study period, 453 people had ischemic heart disease and 1,922 people had had a stroke (1,047 of which were ischemic, the other 859 were hemorrhagic).
Researchers found that women who had drank the most soda in the study — Reuters reported that this was nearly a soda a day — had a higher risk of ischemic stroke than those who drank the least soda in the study. However, researchers didn’t find a risk between soda consumption and ischemic heart disease, or hemorrhagic stroke for either men or women.
A previous study from Harvard researchers did find a link between sugary drink consumption and increased coronary heart disease risk, at least for men, ABC News reported.
In that study, which included 43,000 people who were part of the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, coronary heart disease risk was found to be 20 percent higher for the men who drank a daily sugary drink, compared with those who didn’t drink any sugary drinks, according to ABC News.
The findings are important because we as Americans drink a lot of sugary drinks, and it’s necessary to know what the potential ramifications are. After all, a recent Gallup study showed that nearly half of Americans drink a soda every single day.
Riboflavin is one of the most critical vitamins for an athlete, since it can help boost energy levels within the body. Riboflavin can be used in combination with other B vitamins to increase the energy that an athlete has, in order to prevent injuries on the field, and can increase his or her athletic abilities. An athlete that is depleted in riboflavin will feel more lethargic during physical activity, which can decrease his or her coordination, and make him or her more prone to injuries. If an athlete wants to maintain a good level of energy during very strenuous physical activity, then increasing his or her intake of riboflavin will definitely help.
Vitamin C has many antioxidant properties, which means it can help prevent illness by boosting the immune system, and can also relieve inflammation or joint pain. Vitamin C also helps absorb iron and folate, which are also important minerals that an athlete should consume to stay healthy. An athlete that gets proper vitamin C will feel a lot better on the field, since his or her immune system will be working properly, and he or she will feel more refreshed. Vitamin C can also prevent infections, prevent bruises, and can help repair damaged cells or tissues within the body.
Vitamin B-12 is a vitamin that every athlete should consume, since it helps deliver oxygenated blood throughout the body. Vitamin B-12 is responsible for making red blood cells, which can help an athlete prevent injuries, and can also increase his or her energy levels. An athlete that is depleted in vitamin B-12 will likely suffer respiratory problems, have a decreased level of energy, and also have a higher risk of developing serious injuries. Vitamin B-12 can ensure that all of the essential organs within the body are getting adequate oxygenated blood, and that can also help the brain function better.
Vitamin D helps increase bone density. An athlete that consumes vitamin D will have stronger bones, which can help him or her prevent injuries, and it can also help increase muscle strength. An athlete that is involved in weight lifting or similar sports will need a lot of vitamin D, in order to keep his or her bones healthy. Vitamin D can also help an athlete increase his or her coordination, flexibility, and overall athletic performance. If an athlete is depleted in vitamin D, then he or she will likely suffer broken bones, fractures, and have more joint pain associated with physical activity.
BY LAUREN
Good Measure Meals™ is joining us on Friday morning and are offering free body composition analyses (a $30 value) to our boot campers and trainers. The key is you need to be at camp at 5:30a to have it done.
Good Measure Meals™ makes it easy to eat healthy and enjoy gourmet food every day. Calories and nutrients are balanced daily to ensure consistency. No short cuts by balancing by the week or month. All of their menus incorporate the guidelines of the American Heart Association, the American Diabetes Association and the American Dietetic Association.
That is just the beginning. The Good Measure Meals™ culinary dietitian works closely with the chefs to ensure the meals taste great. They incorporate fresh produce and USDA inspected meats and never add preservatives. Creative recipes developed by the team ensure variety and the right balance of nutrients. They update the menus twice each year in order to feature seasonal favorites in the Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter menus.
Good Measure Meals™ offers 4 menus. All are on a 5 week rotation, ensuring lots of variety, and adhere to a healthy balance of 22–25% protein, 27–30% healthy fat and 45–48% consistent health promoting carbohydrates. All of the meal plans are:
And the best part yet? BC4C participants receive 10% OFF all orders from Good Measure Meals™.
Learn more about the meal plan options →
A purchase from Good Measure Meals™ is an investment in your health and the health of others. Following socially responsible business practices, Good Measure Meals™ operates as a social enterprise business unit of Atlanta nonprofit Open Hand. 100% of their profits go directly back to support Open Hand’s services to the community: an invaluable service which has helped thousands of people improve their quality of life through better nutrition. For more information about Open Hand, please visit their web site →
PHOTO CREDIT: Good Measure Meals™
How are you feeling at the start of week two? Share our thoughts by clicking “Comments” above this post!
From Active.com
Tough first week hard chargers! Raise a glass to BC4C!
A 2009 study from the University of Miami found that the more people exercise, the more they drink—with the most active women consuming the highest amounts every month. It’s a peculiar phenomenon that has had scientists scratching their heads since 1990, when research first pinpointed the alcohol-exercise connection. But they expected that, at some point, the script would be flipped—that the biggest boozers would exercise less. Never happened.
Instead, this landmark 2009 analysis of more than 230,000 men and women revealed that, on average, drinkers of both genders and all ages (not just wild twentysomethings) were 10 percent more likely to engage in vigorous exercise like running. Heavy drinkers exercised 10 minutes more each week than moderate drinkers and 20 minutes more than abstainers. An extra bender actually increased the number of minutes of total and vigorous exercise the men and women did that week.
“There’s this misconception that heavy drinkers are exercise-averse couch potatoes,” explains study author Michael T. French, Ph.D., a professor of health economics at the University of Miami. “That may be true in some cases, but that’s certainly not what we’ve found.”
This trend seems particularly pronounced in women—especially active, educated women, who, according to recent research from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, are drinking more than ever. In part, progress may be the root of this evil: With growing numbers of women in the workplace and other male-dominated arenas, it has become increasingly socially acceptable for women to go out and belly up to the bar alongside their male counterparts—and to overdo it.
Working Out to Work it Off
One simple theory scientists have to support the drinking-exercise connection is the morning-after phenomenon. In this case, the party girl who downs a few appletinis (and maybe some mozzarella sticks) feels the need to repent for those calories by banging out five or six miles the next morning.
“Women who consume alcohol could simply be exercising more to burn it off and avoid weight gain,” says French. “Likewise, they may drink more simply because they can, as they know they’re burning calories, so they’re less worried about the weight gain.”
But exercising to atone for the sins of the night before doesn’t explain why someone would chase a spin class with a round of drinks, which also happens with staggering frequency. This, researchers say, could be the product of a “work hard, play hard” personality type. “There are people who are sensation seekers,” says Ana M. Abrantes, Ph.D., an assistant professor at Brown University’s Alpert Medical School. “They engage in activities that produce intense sensations and can be quickly bored by things that don’t produce those feelings.”
For others, it might be a matter of blowing off stress. Which may be why some women offset their tension with a boot-camp class, or by getting loaded, or both. “Exercising stimulates the release of serotonin, which is your natural antidepressant, as well as dopamine, which is the primary neurotransmitter in your brain’s reward center. It makes us feel good,” says brain chemistry researcher J. David Glass, Ph.D., a professor at Kent State University. Alcohol has a similar effect—hence, the buzz you get soothes your worries (if only temporarily).
Check out six of the best post-race beers →
