There's nothing worse than getting excited about a recipe and seeing a laundry list of ingredients you don't have on hand - especially when it comes to breakfast! Keep breakfast simple with these sweet and savory breakfasts that all clock in at five ingredients or fewer. Some can be made the night before, others come together right before you're ready to eat, but they're all easy to make and totally delicious.
Study authors think compounds in citrus may sensitize skin to sunlight, but further study needed
We’ve all been there: complaining about being too connected while simultaneously refreshing our inbox, texting a friend, updating our status, and posting our dinner in Instagram (only one more shot, we swear!). Yet somehow unplugging—even for a few days—seems like an impossible feat. Just how difficult is it for us to disconnect? According to a national survey, a remarkable 67 percent of cell owners check their phone for messages, alerts, or calls, even when they don’t notice ringing or vibrating, and 44 percent have slept with their phone next to the bed to make sure they didn’t miss any calls, texts, or updates during the night.
Still, the benefits of unplugging—reduced stress, enhanced creativity, and improved interpersonal connections, to name a few—far outweigh any temporary discomfort. To help you along, we’ve created a seven-day detox plan filled with practical steps (no one’s expecting you to go off the grid here). By taking it one task at a time, you may even find that you’re able to enjoy the present without pausing to record it.
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The primary muscles stressed in this movement are the muscles in the front of your upper arm (brachialis). The secondary muscles stressed are the muscles in your forearm and the front of your shoulder.
Starting Position
Place a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing your body. Stand straight up and down with your knees slightly bent, back straight. Allow your arms to extend down at your sides with your elbows straight.
Movement
Raise the right dumbbell toward the front of your right shoulder while keeping your palms facing in. Only raise the dumbbell up as far as you can without moving your elbow. Contact your bicep hard. Take two to three seconds to lower the dumbbell down to the extended position. Repeat with the left arm, performing the same amount of reps as you alternate each side.
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Robert Bovee Certified Master PPT, RTS, ETS, FTS
As one of the most successful Professional Personal Trainers and Exercise/Fitness Therapists in the United States, Robert continues to remain at the forefront of the industry by providing his clients with a thorough education and the tools to implement that education. By improving his client’s physical health, strength, endurance, cardiovascular fitness and nutritional habits, he is able to motivate them to lead longer, happier and more productive lives. Find out more about Robert and his personal training career and services, here.
The post Hammer Curls appeared first on The NFPT Blog.
We’ve seen enough sad desk lunches in our day to know that it’s hard to pack a meal that’s healthy and delicious. And it gets much harder when we procrastinate to the point where we’re running out the door and grabbing the nearest food in sight.
So we asked the experts—nutritionists, doctors, and trainers—to share their go-to packed lunches. From mason jar salads to smoothies, these dishes are easy to prep (and transport) and chock-full of flavor.
Saint Louis in proud of many things: the Gateway Arch, toasted ravioli, Provel cheese, and especially the highly acclaimed Washington University School of Medicine. So much knowledge and experience is contained within the walls and halls of our great institution; yet how are we supposed to learn in a society that is so suspicious and guarded?
Visiting a friend in the hospital, for example, you’ll notice that signs are posted in the elevators cautioning us against talking about a patient’s case in an effort to protect his privacy. Try ordering an item on Amazon or any other website. You must first log in and then enter your double-secret-confidential password, or else….sorry, access denied.
This seems to be in stark contrast to the realm of social media.
Between Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and the rest, one gets the impression that people feel free to share anything and everything about their lives, sometimes up to the second it is occurring! No secret codes, no hidden agendas….just every minute detail one could possibly imagine.
Sadly, such free-flow sharing is not limited to the computer or cell phone.
In a typical gym, you’ll always find some weightlifter dispensing free advice to a new member, with no certification whatsoever. What the heck, right? It’s as public a forum as Twitter, isn’t it?
If, as parents, you are among the cautious like I am, and have drummed into your daughters’ heads the dangers of over-sharing electronically, you understand my logic here. Taking a stranger’s advice in a gym might turn out to be beneficial; but very often we see injuries emerging from the lack of a spotter, poor form, or misuse of equipment. I have actually gone up to a member and asked what body part she was working on today, since nothing about her movements even remotely hinted at effective training. Rather, it resembled movements that could land her in an orthopedist’s office. Her reply? “I don’t know; that guy over there was doing it so I figured it was good.”
Some gym rats love to share. Others choose to treat their workout techniques as personal, since the professional who designed them tailored the exercises to the client’s specific needs. When starting out at a new fitness center, or choosing to begin a weight training regimen, good judgment is going to be anyone’s best ally. If the center is at all reputable, you as professionals will be visible and out on the gym floor. You are there for a reason: your level of expertise has been deemed worthy of assisting others in a safe, effective manner. All you need to do as someone in the gym is ask. And all you need to do as one of those professionals is maker yourself available.
Now, you get to decide. Too much information shared versus password-protected everything? There is indeed a practical middle ground. Knowledge is power; just always check your sources!
The post Recognizing Reliability appeared first on The NFPT Blog.
Don’t let the heat of the summer interfere with your exercise routine.
Some days it's easy, but other times, keeping up with your healthy lifestyle can feel like a serious struggle - and we'll take whatever healthy inspiration we can get! If you're in need of a push out the door and into the gym, check out the awesome Instagram action that some of our favorite healthy celebrities recently shared. From Hilary Duff showing off her amazing gymnastics skills to Jennifer Lopez laughing during her workout with David Kirsch, these snaps will motivate you to exercise and stay healthy in a fresh, fun way this weekend.
If you're just starting a workout routine, doing gazelle-being-chased-by-a-lion sprinting intervals will be just as painful as they sound. Ease into it by doing a brisk walking workout that includes short and slow jogging intervals. This lower-impact workout is not only great if you're a beginner, but those expecting or getting over an injury - or even runners who want to take it easy one day a week - will also love this plan.
This 60-minute workout alternates between walking briskly and jogging slowly, and you'll burn just over 300 calories.
| Time | Speed (mph) |
Calories burned |
RPE* |
|---|---|---|---|
| 00:00-5:00 | 1-3 | ||
| 5:00-7:00 | 2-4 | ||
| 7:00-9:00 | 4-7 | ||
| 9:00-11:00 | 2-4 | ||
| 11:00-13:00 | 4-7 | ||
| 13:00-15:00 | 2-4 | ||
| 15:00-17:00 | 4-7 | ||
| 17:00-19:00 | 2-4 | ||
| 19:00-21:00 | 4-7 | ||
| 21:00-23:00 | 2-4 | ||
| 23:00-25:00 | 4-7 | ||
| 25:00-27:00 | 2-4 | ||
| 27:00-29:00 | 4-7 | ||
| 29:00-31:00 | 2-4 | ||
| 31:00-33:00 | 4-7 | ||
| 33:00-35:00 | 2-4 | ||
| 35:00-37:00 | 4-7 | ||
| 37:00-39:00 | 2-4 | ||
| 39:00-41:00 | 4-7 | ||
| 41:00-43:00 | 2-4 | ||
| 43:00-45:00 | 4-7 | ||
| 45:00-47:00 | 2-4 | ||
| 47:00-49:00 | 4-7 | ||
| 49:00-51:00 | 2-4 | ||
| 51:00-53:00 | 4-7 | ||
| 53:00-55:00 | 2-4 | ||
| 55:00-60:00 | 1-3 |
Total calories burned: 306
Calculations are based on a 130-pound woman
*RPE = Rate of Perceived Exertion
Click here for a photo-free printable version of this workout to take to the gym. If this workout is too easy or too hard, just adjust the speed to fit your level. If you prefer running outside, then use the RPE column to determine how fast you should be going.
Turmeric, the golden-yellow spice that packs a flavorful punch in our favorite Indian curries and adds color to mustard, is having a major moment in the health food world. With claims that it can do everything from control acne to inhibit cancer cell growth to cure depression, it's no wonder that people are rushing to incorporate more of it into their diets.1
"Turmeric is a spice and a medicinal herb that's been used in India for thousands of years," says Melissa Young, M.D., an integrative medicine specialist at the Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic. Today it's found in everything from juices and chips to energy bites and nuts to tons of powders and supplements. But keep reading before you pull out your debit card to buy that shot at your fave juice shop.
Although it's green and leafy out in the wild, you're probably not used to seeing turmeric that way because it's usually harvested for its rhizomes—the knobby stems that grow underground and can send out roots—which are turned into a dried, powdered form.
The active ingredient in turmeric is curcumin (nope, not related to cumin), and although it was isolated from the herb some two centuries ago, it's that compound that scientists are still excited about today.2
In Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine, turmeric is used to relieve arthritis pain, regulate menstruation, and heal wounds. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health also notes that preliminary findings suggest curcumin "may have anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and antioxidant properties."
In recent years, preliminary research suggests curcumin could decrease cholesterol, eliminate some symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, aid the process of healing wounds, treat acne, and improve liver and cardiovascular function. 3 A recent study also found that curcumin may help prevent or relieve certain mood disorders or dementia in older populations.4
However, the National Institutes of Health maintains there's "little reliable evidence" for using turmeric to treat health conditions. While it's been widely studied when it comes to inflammation, osteoarthritis, and treating irritable bowel syndrome symptoms, the NIH cautions that few of these findings come from clinical trials with a randomized human sample.
"I think there is substantive evidence that it helps with inflammation, but we need to be careful when talking about cancer and Alzheimer's," Young says.
Turmeric can be used to help relieve certain symptoms, like inflammation or even the joint pain associated with osteoarthritis, but it's not a cure for serious diseases. Adding it to your diet may make you feel better faster (especially after a tough workout), and consuming it doesn’t have serious downsides for the average person, but don't expect any miracles.
The US Women's National Team includes veterans and newbies alike, but if there's one thing the 23 women have in common, it's that they know how to work hard - and play hard. We love seeing them on the field, but we're also loving the behind-the-scenes Instagrams of their journey to and through Canada.
Skinny-jean-lovers, you might not want to believe this, but the denim style can actually be dangerous for your health. In fact, one woman recently landed in the hospital for four days and was unable to walk from wearing skinny jeans.
The woman had been helping her friend pack and move for several hours and was also squatting for long periods of time. Later in the evening, she tripped and fell because her feet were so numb and swollen. Once she arrived at the hospital, tests showed that there was muscle damage in her calves. "She wore such tight jeans that the muscles in her legs below her knees started to swell," said Dr. Jaydeep Bhatt, a clinical assistant professor of neurology at NYU Langone Medical Center.
The condition, known as compartment syndrome, is a painful swelling of the muscles and can lead to permanent muscle and nerve damage (or, in worst cases, amputation). "In order for you to squat, your muscles have to be closer together, so more muscle in less space," Bhatt said. "It's the perfect storm when you're wearing insanely tight jeans to make bad things happen."
Skinny jeans have often been attributed to compression and can affect the muscles, nerves, or organs. Doctors who treated the woman said had it not been for emergency intervention, the condition would have also damaged her kidneys. Luckily, after four days of rest and IV treatments, the woman was able to walk again.
The warning signs that skinny jeans may be hurting you? Bhatt said numbness and tingling sensations accompanied by weakness is never a good sign. If you've ever experienced these symptoms, it may be time to switch to flares!
