BodyForTheAges.org Blog

The holiday season proves to be a challenging chapter of the year.  With over booked schedules, non-stop holiday parties, and pastries at every turn, it’s no wonder people are stressed out and gaining weight!

According to a study published in the US National Library of Medicine, the average weight gained during the holiday season by Americans is 1lb.  Not so bad. However, it is a pound that you will never loose!  After thirty five years of indulging in the holiday junk food-a-thon, it’s no wonder the mid-section tends to grow!  A second study published a year later showed that obese people gain on average 5lbs!  So how do we enjoy the festivities and keep the weight down?

According to an article posted on WebMD, the food choices we make are connected to our emotional state.  Our emotional state has a huge influence on what kind of food we decide to eat and how much.  If a person is exercising daily and feeling strong, he/she is less likely to over eat. Regular exercise keeps the stress down and the weight off!

Review additional suggestions at WebMD about keeping healthy during the holiday seasons here: WebMD

Balance is the key to a healthy lifestyle and healthy eating habits.  At Body for the Ages, we believe in our online Wellness Program which delivers the support and encouragement you need in order to create a healthy balance in your life!  The online Wellness Program offers an individually tailored plan to each unique person.  Pax Beale, founder of Body for the Ages, believes that with proper nutrition, exercise and supplementation, each person has the potential to live their genetic lifespan!

To read more about the Body for the Ages online Wellness program, go to: www.bodyfortheages.org.

Be Well!!

Donnamarie Alesia

Body For the Ages Blogger

After a stressful day, most of us just want to relax, and getting exercise may be the last thing on our list of priorities. However, research is increasingly proving that exercise is just what we need to significantly decrease daily stress and anxiety.

From a Mayo Clinic staff study, “Exercise helps prevent and improve a number of health problems, including high blood pressure, diabetes and arthritis. Research on anxiety, depression and exercise shows that the psychological and physical benefits of exercise can also help reduce anxiety and improve mood.”

How does it work? In a variety of ways:

Chemical: Exercise releases “feel good” chemicals in your brain. You may have heard of the “runner’s high”. Well, it’s not just a ploy to get you to exercise! Physical activity releases endorphins, which deliver a mood lift to your body and mind.

Healthy Choices: Beyond chemical stimulation, exercise most often makes you feel good about your choices. When you’re confident that you’re improving your health, you’ll increase your overall confidence.

Distraction: Exercise can be an opportunity to step away from the worries of the day, and spend time by yourself, focusing on your body, and letting stress take a back seat for a while. That’s a daily prescription we could all use!

Read more of what the Mayo Clinic has to say regarding exercise and anxiety here:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/depression-and-exercise/MH00043

And go here to read about how the Body For The Ages Online Wellness Program can deliver an exercise, health, and wellness program tailored to your specific needs:

www.BodyForTheAgesNonprofit.org

-Melissa Chandler, Body For The Ages Blogger

Eating Your Way to a Lower Blood Pressure

Dr. Maoshing Ni (Dr. Mao), a Yahoo.com health expert for alternative medicine has tips for what to eat (and what not to eat), when it comes to maintaining a healthy blood pressure level.

It just may turn out that your favorite foods are working wonders for your health and wellness, in more ways than you realize. 

Dr. Mao’s cuisine recommendations include fish, cucumbers, and olive oil, for their valuable effects on your circulatory and heart health.

Foods that may raise your blood pressure include salt, refined sugar, and alcohol.  Though it’s okay to enjoy these items in moderation, it’s smart to get in the habit of substituting with spices, honey, and plenty of hydrating beverages, such as sparkling water.

Read more of Dr. Mao’s insights here: http://health.yahoo.com/experts/drmao/19535/10-best-and-worst-foods-for-blood-pressure/

Enjoy your favorites, and try some new recipes, but keep in mind that eating healthy is one of the surest paths to increased health and wellness.

As a Member of the Body For The Ages Online Wellness Program, you’ll receive a personalized nutrition plan, based on your unique lifestyle preferences and dietary needs.

Learn more about your personalized Online Wellness Program here:

www.BodyForTheAgesNonprofit.org

Turning Back the Clock

If you’ve reached middle age and your health habits are less than desirable, don’t give up hope.  Making a change at this stage of life will yield significant results, and set you on your way to an improved quality of life now, and in your senior years.

Dr. Dana King, a University of South Carolina professor of medicine, is part of a research team whose findings indicate that changing lifelong unhealthy habits in middle age may yield you a longer life.

“It’s not too late,” says Dr. King.  “If you make [healthy] changes now, it has a tremendous impact.”

Dr. King and his team colleagues looked at four healthy habits in over 16,000 people between 45 and 64 years of age.  Here are the categories they evaluated: eating five or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day, 2.5 hours or more of exercise per week, a healthy weight level, and not smoking.

Dr. King’s research team found that the people who adhered to the four healthy habits were “40 percent less likely to die and 35 percent less likely to suffer heart problems than those who did not adopt the beneficial habits.”

Read more about the findings here: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Healthday/story?id=5314059&page=1

Body For The Ages is committed to helping you make the health changes necessary for you to enjoy a vastly improved quality of life for years to come. 

By becoming a Body For The Ages Member, and participating in the Body For The Ages Online Wellness Program, you’ll be assigned your own personal coach via the web.  Your personal coach will create a wellness program tailored to your specific needs, and walk you through workouts, nutrition, supplements, and most of all, be a knowledgeable and dependable motivating force, as you reclaim your health.

Visit http://www.bodyfortheages.org/, for details on our Wellness Program, and how to become a Team Body For The Ages Member.  Join now.  Body For The Ages is here to help you turn back the clock.