About Health

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Meet the Every Day Heroes

Meet the Every Day Heroes

Today, Men’s Health launches a new online series called “Every Day Heroes,” where we feature a different inspiring man every day for the entire month of October. We’ve spent many weeks putting together our list of Heroes—some of them Men’s Health readers—and we can’t wait to show you their stories, videos, and more.

So what makes an Every Day Hero? We wanted to find regular guys doing extraordinary things to help others, like the football coach who started shedding pounds because he wanted to serve as a role model for his young players, or the prison-bound drug dealer who used his second chance at life to organize food drives for homeless people.

You’ll meet college students who scale buildings to raise money and awareness for clean water access, and comedians who travel the country performing crazy, random acts of kindness. (And that’s just this week.)

First up: Adam Scully-Power, the man who ran 163 straight miles (without sleeping!) to honor the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings. Click here to read Scully-Power’s story, then check back every morning on the front page of MensHealth.com to meet that day’s Hero.

And if you know an Every Day Hero you’d like to see featured, tell us! Tweet at @MensHealthMag using the hash tag #everydayheroes, leave links on our Facebook wall, and send tips to InspiringMen@Rodale.com.

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Wednesdayâ€™s Workout| The Podium Effect Workout

Wednesdayâ€™s Workout| The Podium Effect Workout

I’m sure you have all heard of Lucy Mecklenburgh’s health and fitness plan; Results With Lucy, however there is a new girl on the block… Louise Hazel. You may or may not of heard of Louise, but I’m sure you will have seen her. Louise is an Olympic Hepthathlete turned personal trainer.

Much like Lucy’s Health and Fitness plan, Louise has created her own workouts and nutrition guide for those who need the extra push or support to live a healthier life or to g et fitter. Her programme; The Podium Effect is a continuous 60 day fitness and nutritional plan based online, that allows you to stream workout videos and download nutritional plans in order to achieve dramatic weight-loss results in the comfort of your own home.

Now much like Results with Lucy, The Podium Effect is not free and costs £9.99 a month; which is in fact cheaper than Results with Lucy, and not too pricey at all compared to a gym membership. However Louise has uploaded three short workouts to her Youtube channel to give you an idea of the type of workouts you receive in her programme and the effort she expects from you to gain the results she promises. The Workouts are the 2 Minute Abs Workout, The 1 Minute Arm Workout and the 2 Minute Glute Workout. Now I thought about just sharing the videos with you so you can gain a free workout, however I found that they moved far too q uickly to be able to get a effective workout, so I have created some mini circuits based on the moves shown in the video. This way to can gain a good, effective, short workout and have the video to show you how to do the move.

The Podium Effect 2 Minute Abs Workout – Video

The Podium Effect 1 Minute Arm Workout – Video

The Podium Effect 2 Minute Glute Workout – Video

I love circuits like this, as they as fast and effective! How about you? Do you enjoy short circuits you can do at home? Would you give Louise’s workout ago? Let me know if you try these workouts.

Be sure to check out Natalie’s wonderful blog; The Blonde Ethos - full of beauty, fitness and fashion. If you enjoy my blog you will LOVE hers!

Easy to Boost Your Memory with Rosemary

Easy to Boost Your Memory with Rosemary

Breathe in Rosemary. It is an herbal plant. In healing the smell of Rosemary may increase your memory and improve alertness. Scent of rosemary also available. It is also use as odor ingredient in cooking.

Boost Memory with Rosemary

The Bad Habit That Can Screw Up Your Surgery

The Bad Habit That Can Screw Up Your Surgery

Another reason to ditch cigarettes: Smoking increases your risk of post-op complications, say researchers at the University of Rochester.

In the study, smokers were 30 percent more likely to have difficulties from elective surgeries for both colon cancer and inflammatory bowel disease.

Why? “Nicotine causes your blood vessels to constrict and carbon monoxide reduces the amount of oxygen sent to your tissues. Together, this keeps oxygenated blood from flowing to healing tissues, which increases the risk of sepsis or infection,” says study author Fergal Fleming, M.D.

The nasty habit actually increases your risk of complications in most other surgeries, too (beyond the ones looked at in the study). The silver lining: “6 to 8 weeks smoke-free is enough to reduce lung-related complications up to three-fold,” Dr. Fleming says. But know that the longer you’re clean, the lower your risk that long-term side effects of smoking—cardiovascular disease and permanent lung damage—develop into something more serious post-surgery, like pneumonia or heart attack.

To go cold turkey, find support: “Patients are more likely to succeed in quitting if they join smoking cessation programs—which have also been shown to reduce post-op complications by 40 percent,” says Dr. Fleming. Consider finding one online: People who share struggles on social media are more successful at kicking the habit than those who seek support offline, according to new research from the University of Georgia.

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Are You a Safe Shopper?

Are You a Safe Shopper?

Notice impulse items in your shopping cart? Blame a jam-packed store. Crowded environments affect your purchasing decisions, finds new research from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

In the study, people in cramped quarters chose to gamble money 50 percent less often than those who had room to breathe. Researchers also found that shopping in a full, crowded store may also make you more inclined to buy safety-oriented items like alarm systems, smoke detectors, and first-aid kits.

Why do crowds make you fear for your money and well-being? When people are in your personal space, you enter a defensive evolutionary state where you want to avoid risks and protect yourself, says study author Robin Tanner, Ph.D.

So that means when you feel threatened, you’re more attracted to items advertised to prevent harm rather than provide perks. Thus, toothpaste that prevents cavities is more appealing to a claustrophobic customer than a brand that whitens teeth.

Now, you might not buy an anti-balding shampoo when you’ve got a full head of hair, but the study is another fascinating example of how your shopping decisions aren’t always in your hands. Learn how to avoid these other sneaky retail tactics.

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The Weird Reason Youâ€™re Nervous

The Weird Reason Youâ€™re Nervous

Well, this stinks: Some scents could screw up your mood, says a new study from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Researchers found that when people were induced to feel anxious, and then exposed to a normally neutral smell, their nerves were exasperated.

What’s going on? The areas of your brain that register emotion and smell are typically separated. But if you’re experiencing a certain emotion—like anxiety— you’re more likely to perceive a neutral scent as negative. And it’s a cycle: Your emotions can control how you perceive smell, and in turn affect your mood, says study coauthor Wen Li, Ph.D.

What scents evoke anxiety is completely individual, but this phenomenon may explain why your ex-girlfriend’s perfume can give you sweaty palms. Or, if your boss fired you over lunch, you could feel queasy walking into a deli.

To avoid it, you have to be aware of the connection first. But besides eliminating the source (which sometimes just isn’t an option), send a different sort of message to your brain by simply smiling. Research from the University of Kansas shows that faking a grin—even if you’re anxious—can be enough to trick your body into actually feeling happier.

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Monday, September 30, 2013

Share the love| Meet my September Sponsors

Share the love| Meet my September Sponsors

What a month! I have been rushed off my feet at my new job and with moving house, so blogging has been a bit more of a struggle as has my health and fitness, but I’m looking forward to settling back into a routine and getting on top of things!. Anyways enough about me, how about the lovely girls that have been sitting on my side bar for the past month. This month I held a competition to win the spots on my side bar and could not of been more happy with the winners my randomizer chose. As always they are a real mix with their own personalities shining through their writing, so lets hear why you should go check out their blogs.

“Hello! My Blog SuperFoodBabe is all about me - I’m a life-loving gal with a passion for health, fitness and fashion. Please take some time to explore my blog which promotes healthy superfoods and is packed with enticing recipes to try. I am vegetarian therefore everything on the blog will always be meatless, I also love wellness and recently kicked off a 30 day mediation challenge. So head on over to get all the latest nutrition know-how and quick fitness tips. Enjoy!”

BLOG| TWITTER| BLOGLOVIN| FAC EBOOK

“I'd describe my blog as a bit of everything (so long as it's pretty or edible!) From baking recipes and book reviews, to my thoughts on high-street beauty products and challenges, such as 21 before 21, my Spending Ban and Get Fit in 12 Weeks; my blog is an insight into my life - the good, the bad and the downright ugly.

I set up my blog in February but it wasn't until May that I got serious. I love blogging as it's a wonderful outlet for my thoughts every aspect of my life; it's somewhere that I can develop my passion for writing, without being judged, and meet new people. I value and appreciate everyone who reads my blog as it means the world to me.

I hope to continue writing my blog - and to see it grow; not just in numbers, but in terms of quality - and I'd love to see it become an even bigger part of my life than it already is.”

BLOG| TWITTER| BLOGLOVIN

“Hey everyone, I am Megan from emmiegee.blogspot.co.uk. Firstly, I would like to say a huge thank you to Cat, this advertising has really helped my little blog! Anyway, emmiegee is a fairly new beauty, fashion and lifetyle blog. I post a lot about my growing make up stash, outfits I wear and, thanks to my health kick, lots of recipes and healthy tips. I used to spend many an hour trawling through blogs and playing youtube videos, so it just seemed like natural progression that I should start my own. I am still trying to find my feet really but would love you to visit, you can also follow me on twitter @emmiegeeblog

Bye for now, hope to see you soon! xxx”

BLOG| TWITTER| BLOGLOVIN

“Celebrity Smiles LED Teeth Whitening are specialists in instant teeth whitening procedures. Their treatments are revolutionary and have been tried and tested across the globe. They are proud to have a long line of happy customers who have recommended us to their friends and families. Treatment only takes 1 hour and results are instant!
Special Offer!! Book now for only £99 Normally £249”

WEBSITE| FACEBOOK

Be sure to give them all a read, I guarantee that you won’t regret it! If you are interested in being featured on my side bar then visit my advertising page for all the details.