Mixed Bites

Diet and Longevity

Food, Health

May 182014

I was in Barnes and Noble recently and wandered into the cookbook section, since cooling is a passion of mine. I was struck by the number of cookbooks aimed at very specific dietary restrictions: gluten-free, paleo, vegetarian, and more. And, indeed, you don’t have to look far to see that nutrition, like hem-lengths, goes through fads. We seem to be in a low-carb fad at the moment, at least if the number of people I meet who claim to be following a paleo diet is any indicator. Never mind that paleo man died pretty young and that following a true [...]

Resveratrol and Common Sense

Food, Health

May 132014

One of the items in my Facebook feed this morning was a post from a friend saying she was giving up chocolate because she’d just learned that resveratrol was no good for her. Intrigued, I did a little googling. Sure enough, I immediately found lots of reporting on this topic. Resveratrol May Not Be The Elixir In Red Wine And Chocolate (NPR) Resveratrol in the diet is no help at all (LA Times) Resveratrol in Red Wine Not Such a Health-Booster? (WebMD) Each source duly reported that a new study revealed no correlation between resveratrol and increased longevity or reduced [...]

20 Jumps, 50 Jumping Jacks

Fitness, Health

May 132014

Sound easy, doesn’t it? Three rounds of 20 long jumps (feet together, jump as far as possible) 50 jumping jacks I found this online, as a Crossfit WOD that can be done at home. It was surprisingly tough. I like it. Try it and see what you think.

Resistant Starch

Food, Gluten Free, Health

May 092014

I’ve been reading about the benefits of resistant starch from several sources, here, here, and here. It’s been credited with helping improve gut flora, improving insulin sensitivity, reducing triglycerides, and reducing the risk of colon cancer. Increased butyrate production is the scientific explanation (description here, for those interested in knowing the “why”)> These are good things. But. Resistant starch is found primarily in green bananas, beans, raw oats, and potatoes/pasta that has been cooked and cooled. None of these are things that I currently incorporate in my diet with any regularity. Then I read about potato starch and tapioca starch, [...]

9Round

Fitness

May 072014

I tried 9Round for the first time last week. It’s billed as “30 minutes of kickbox fitness.” From the website: 9Round is a specialized fitness center dedicated to serving clients who want a unique, fun, and proven workout that guarantees results. 9Round offers traditional “old school” boxing and kickboxing fitness programs that incorporate functional, interval, cardiovascular, and circuit training regimens. The programs consist of a proprietary system of 9 challenging workout stations developed by a professional fighter. 9Round delivers total body results in a quick and convenient 30 minute workout with no class times and a trainer with you every [...]

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