Healthy Revelations Blog

Healthy Living: Joining a Gym- Things to Know Before Signing Up

February 25, 2021 by Suzanne Costa Leave a Comment

When making the decision to join a gym, one may find themselves with more questions than answers.

Fitness experts suggest the following pieces of advice that may help you when it comes time to choose the right gym for your needs:

Location, location location. Location is one key aspect in deciding what gym may work best for you. Chances are that if your gym isn’t close to your home or workplace, then it will become a hardship to you to try and get to the gym on a regular basis. Plus, there is always the benefit of saving gas money if you choose a gym that is relatively close to your home or office.

Research the gym. Find out important details about each gym that you are considering starting your membership with. How much does it cost? What services do they offer that are included in your membership fees? Are lockers an additional cost? Is there a discount for seniors or students? By asking the right questions you will find out everything you need to know about the gym before you hand over any money.

Hours. Knowing the hours that the gym is open is a very important. If you would prefer to do your workout before work, then the gym you choose needs to be open prior to your work hours. If you would like to work out after work, the gym needs to be open later at night. Choosing the right time to go to the gym is important, as is whether the gym is extremely busy at that time. If you are constantly waiting around to use equipment because the gym is overcrowded at certain times, you may want to choose a different gym that is more accommodating or has more equipment.
Comfort in the gym. When you enter the gym, do you feel comfortable with the way it is set up, the cleanliness of the gym and the way the other members act towards one another? If you are going to be spending your hard-earned money, then you need to feel comfortable in the gym. Cleanliness is also important and will let you know how the owners take care of the gym.

In the News: Innocent Ways you are Hurting your Heart

February 18, 2021 by Suzanne Costa Leave a Comment

With February being Heart Health Month, we bring you this feature that highlights the innocent things that you may be doing daily that can be hurting your heart (among other parts of your body) and how to fix it!

How you cross your legs… Sitting with your legs crossed at the knees increases your blood pressure. According to studies, leg crossing increased systolic blood pressure nearly 7% and diastolic by 2%. Studies say that you should avoid crossing your legs for long periods of time, like 10 to 15 minutes, and get up every half hour or so to walk around and get the circulation moving.

How you stand… If you are a person who frequently locks their knees when standing, you are no longer efficiently using the muscles that surround the joint. Therefore, forces to the joint are increased. Causing this additional stress to you knee joints isn’t helping your heart at all.

How you sleep… If you are a stomach sleeper, this puts your neck in a titled-back position, leading to pain or numbness in your upper extremities. Nerves are also affected when people sleep on their stomach. To avoid the pain, numbness and affect to the nervous system, people should avoid sleeping on their stomach.

How you wear your belt… It sounds strange, we know, but the tighter your belt the more pressure you put on your intra-abdominal area, which can result in acid reflux. Acid reflux could include a bitter taste in your mouth, burning or pain the upper chest and stomach, a chronic cough or even difficulty swallowing. Doctors say that your belt shouldn’t be any tighter than your waistband. You should be able to inhale and exhale comfortably.

Fitness for All: Winter Workouts

February 14, 2021 by Suzanne Costa Leave a Comment

Even though it may seem like winter may never be over, soon enough in just a few short weeks it will be. But before you gear up for spring and getting back outdoors to take in nature and get some exercise, here are some winter workouts that you need to make time for before the spring flowers bloom.

Take a spin class. These intense indoor cycling classes can burn hundreds of calories and keep your bones strong.
Put your swimsuit on and hit up the local indoor pool. Once spring and summer roll around no one wants to be swimming indoors, but on those cold winter days, nothing feels better than taking some laps in a warm swimming pool.
Hit the wall and find somewhere with an indoor rock-climbing wall. This non-traditional cardio exercise not only exercises your body, but also your brain. It can also burn up to 650 calories an hour!

Ice skating isn’t just for kids, figure skaters or hockey players. Visit your local indoor ice rink (or outdoor ice rink if you have one close by) and tone your legs, core and butt while having fun and stabilizing muscles that assist with balance and coordination.
Try a boot camp workout. Inspired by military training, these “booty-busting” classes are gaining in popularity all over the country and combine strength training moves with high-intensity cardio for a full body workout.
Put on your boxing gloves and pretend you are Rocky! Most gyms or community centers offer basic classes in boxing and because this is such a multi-faceting workout, you will notice that you are toning up more than bulking up the more you try it.
Tai chi is another good winter workout to try when the winter blues have got you down. Tai chi is a low-impact exercise with its roots in ancient China. Tai chi helps balance yin and yang, improves cardiovascular health, reduce stress and anxiety, and improve balance.

Eating Healthy: Spotlight on: Mangoes

February 10, 2021 by Suzanne Costa Leave a Comment

Mangoes are an excellent source of vitamins A and C, and they are also an excellent way to replenish potassium lost through exercise or for those who are constantly “on the go.”

An average-sized mango can even contain up to 40 percent of your daily fiber requirement, thereby being a great way to curb constipation and irregularity.

Mangoes can also help to prevent certain types of cancer and help to lower blood cholesterol levels, too.

Recipe: Jamaican Jerk Chicken Salad

½ cup prepared or purchased honey mustard dressing
1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
4 chicken breast halves without skin, boneless
1 tablespoon Jamaican Jerk seasoning
2 large fresh mangoes
10 to 12 cups mixed greens

Stir together honey mustard dressing and lime zest. Cover and chill dressing while preparing chicken.

Rinse chicken and pat dry; sprinkle with Jerk seasoning. In a large skillet cook the seasoned chicken in hot oil over medium-high heat about 6 minutes on each side until browned and no longer pink. Thinly slice each chicken breast.

Arrange warm chicken and mango atop greens on four plates; drizzle with the honey mustard dressing.

Recipe: Mango Pork

2 medium ripe mangoes
1 pork tenderloin, about ¾ pound
Cooking spray or olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Hot pepper sauce

Put pulp of one mango in food processor or blender. Cut the other mango into small cubes. Trim pork tenderloin and slice into 1-inch thick medallions. Flatten slices lightly with hand. Spray a skillet or medium saucepan with cooking spray or add a small amount of olive oil and heat on medium-high. Brown pork for one minute on each side. Season each side with salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat and cook pork another five minutes to cook through. Remove to plate and add mango to skillet or saucepan. Cook puree about, scraping up brown bits of pork, for about 30 seconds. Add several drops of hot sauce and the mango cubes. Toss cubes in puree while heating through. Spoon sauce over pork and serve with pasta or hot cooked rice.

Colon Health 101: Canola or Corn Oil?

February 6, 2021 by Suzanne Costa Leave a Comment

In a recent animal study, it was found that diets that included canola oil rather than corn oil had less of a chance of growing colon tumors.

One of the reasons that gives canola the edge is the high amount of omega-3 fatty acids, where corn oil is higher in omega-6 fatty acids. In the animals tested, researchers charted the size and number of colon tumors and tested their blood for its fatty acid amount. When comparing animals whose diets contained corn oil verses canola oil, the animals whose diet included canola oil had fewer tumors and much smaller tumors on average.

While researchers will next attempt this same study on humans, researchers and nutritionists alike agree that only good can come from including more omega-3 fatty acids in your diet.

Food for Thought: Detox Your Diet

February 2, 2021 by Suzanne Costa Leave a Comment

Nearly every day we hear about our foods and how they are becoming laced with synthetic ingredients. If you want to avoid these synthetic ingredients you need to learn how to detoxify the foods you are eating and choose healthier foods.

Here are some suggestions to detoxify and eat healthier this year:

Clean Your Produce: Before eating or cooking with any fruits or vegetables be sure to wash them very well. Washing your fruits and veggies eliminates the chemicals and pathogens from your food’s surface and help to eliminate any harmful ingredients. Avoid Cans: Cans are lined with a resin that contains bisphenol-A, a hormone-disrupting chemical. While many companies are working to eliminate these chemicals in their products, in the mean time you can avoid these chemicals by choosing frozen, fresh or dried foods.

Choose Whole Foods: Whole foods are not processed; therefore they have their own natural ingredients. Choose whole grains and look for food items that say “whole” on them … but be sure to check the labels, just to be sure.

Safer Seafood: We are exposed to a number of chemicals when we eat seafood, particularly methylmercury. Do your homework when shopping for seafood and choose seafood that has the lowest chemical and heavy metal amounts. Try choosing fish that are also caught without causing harm to the oceans.

Watch Your Animal Fat Intake: Do you know what’s in your animal fats? They are loaded with synthetic hormones, antibiotics, organochlorine chemicals, and other harmful pesticides. Look for low-fat options when buying your foods and be sure to trim all of the fat off of poultry and meats when you buy them.