Exercise: Want more efficient muscles? Eat your spinach, says a new study. According to research published in Cell Metabolism, nitrate, a compound found in vegetables and especially in green leaves, helps healthy people consume less oxygen while exercising. This happens because the nitrate in vegetables mixes with friendly bacteria in the mouth and forms nitric oxide, which in turn helps the cardiovascular system by opening up our blood vessels to lower blood pressure. The study says that, in addition to this benefit, the nitrates make mitochondria – the powerhouses of the cell - more efficient. Interestingly, the researchers say that since the benefits of nitrates depend on friendly bacteria in the mouth, mouthwashes are not good if you want this system to work because they kill good and bad bacteria. Read More…
In the East, physical fitness has a lot to do with the body-mind connection. Legend has it that the origins of martial arts were rooted in Zen Buddhism via the prince-turned-monk Bodhidharma, who traveled from India to China and introduced a form of Buddhism for developing mind and body. The idea was that enlightenment was not a purely spiritual experience – it was a way of life, to be lived in mind and body, “while carrying water and chopping wood.” Train like a monk and incorporate this principle into your own exercise routine, reaping the benefits of an integrated mind, body, and spirit all year long.
Two things to help you: Read More…
Ever worked out and been in serious but not injury-related pain the following day? Spinach can help. Read More…
Exercise: According to a new study, yoga has a greater positive effect on a person’s mood and anxiety level than walking and other forms of exercise. Yoga increases the level of GABA, a chemical in the brain that helps to regulate nerve activity and that is reduced in people with mood and anxiety disorders. The study demonstrates increased GABA levels measured after a session of yoga postures are associated with improved mood and decreased anxiety. The findings establish a new link between yoga, higher levels of GABA in the thalamus, and improvements in mood and anxiety based on psychological assessments. The study was published in the the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. Read More…
There is no workout like an outdoors workout. Sure, you can go to the gym. You can exercise at home. But the benefits of getting outdoors far outweigh any indoors routine, and your mind, body and spirit will all thank you for the extra effort. Read More…
Our alkalinity article was an HLifer favorite, so we thought we’d go a step further and bring you the latest from the expert on the topic: Dr. Robert Young. The author of many research papers and several books, the most noted of which is The pH Miracle (translated into 17 languages and regarded as the bible of alkalinity), Dr. Young is a nutritional microbiologist who has performed live and dry blood analysis on thousands of individuals at his center in California, with astonishing results and revelations about what is healthy for our cells – and what is not.
In this interview, Dr. Young discusses the importance of alkalinity in the body, answers some of our readers’ questions about limes, eggs and sugar, explains why he doesn’t recommend algae, mushrooms or cooked food, gives his take on blood types, and introduces us to a new exercise style called Younga Yoga. Read More…
