Sugar – sucrose – is a carbohydrate that is present naturally in fruits and vegetables. All plants use a natural process called photosynthesis to turn sunlight into the nourishment they need for growth. Of all known plants, sugar is most highly concentrated in sugar beets and sugar cane. Sugar is simply separated from the beet …
Monthly Archives: December 2014
Gluten: Trend or Truth
Gluten-free diets are all the rage right now, but how much do people really understand about what amounts to a major lifestyle change?
World of Sugar
People all around the world eat sugar as part of a healthy, nutritious and balanced diet. Many people worry that eating sugar may be bad for their health. Their concern is unnecessary as extensive research has not been able to link the consumption of sugars to any chronic disease except dental caries (tooth decay). And …
All About Gluten
Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, barley, triticale and oats. In some people, eating or drinking anything containing gluten can cause different types of undesirable reactions. The most extreme of these is the auto-immune condition known as coeliac disease. Some other types of reactions are known as non-coeliac gluten sensitivity, gluten sensitivity, or …
Christmas Calories
Overindulging is something we are all guilty of at Christmas. But did you know there are around 6,000 calories lurking in the average Christmas Day feast, putting us at risk of gaining almost half a stone by the New Year. From potatoes roasted in goose fat to celebratory glasses of champagne, it is easy to …
Exercise Outdoors
Think hitting the gym is hard? It’s even tougher when beautiful summer weather beckons you to ditch the four walls and stale air of the indoors for the sun and breeze outside. Stop ignoring your instincts! Nature is a perfect training ground.
Take a Stand
About Sitting * The American Medical Association (AMA) agrees that sitting for extended periods of time can be bad for personal health. Their policy recommends organizations offer sitting alternatives, including standing desks. * Excessive sitting impacts our body’s metabolic system: “Today, our bodies are breaking down from obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, depression and …
Burning Xmas Calories
Most people would expect to indulge a little over Christmas, but it might be surprising to hear the average person could have eaten a staggering 6,000 calories yesterday – nearly three times the recommended intake. And festive revellers have been warned, they may not realise the Olympic lengths they need to go to compensate for …
The New Superfoods
Superfoods are foods — mostly plant-based but also some fish and dairy — thought to be nutritionally dense and thus good for one’s health. The term has no set scientific meaning, however, and any list of “top” superfoods is purely subjective. Superfoods are healthful, for the most part, aside from possible contamination, added sugars or …
Get Core Strong
Your core consists of dozens of muscles that perform multiple tasks, including holding you upright and protecting your vital organs. Our core has three-dimensional depth and functional movement in all three planes of motion. Many of the muscles are hidden beneath the exterior musculature people typically train. The deeper muscles include the transverse abdominals, multifidus, …