Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Photo by Radu Florin on Unsplash According to data presented in Barcelona at the European Society of Endocrinology annual meeting, higher levels of belly fat are associated with lower vitamin D levels in obese individuals. The study reports that vitamin D levels are lower in …
Photo by Charisse Kenion on Unsplash Two new studies show that dark chocolate reduces stress and inflammation, while improving memory, immunity, and mood. Let’s get snackin’! Lee S. Berk, DrPH, associate dean of research affairs, School of Allied Health Professions and a researcher in psychoneuroimmunology …
Rhodiola is a plant that grows in the northern-colder parts of Europe. It has been used for centuries to help cope with the cold winters in Norway, Sweden, and Iceland and was used by the Vikings to improve stamina, reduce symptoms of stress, improve fatigue, and help fight off infections. It is currently the best selling supplement in Norway where people use it to improve energy.
The word adaptogen in herbal medicine refers to an herb or plant extract that helps the body adapt to stress and fatigue, while promoting or restoring normal physiological (bodily) functioning. Rhodiola is just such an herb. It’s the root of the Rhodiola plant which contains the highest concentration of Rosavins and Salidroside that has the greatest impact on restoring or supporting wellness.
Rhodiola increases your energy and helps you handle stress, while improving your mood and reducing mental fatigue. It promotes a soothing, calming effect, while steadily improving a sense of wellbeing. This herb also supports endurance so you can achieve more with exercise or for sports performance. Rhodiola may also support healthy immune system function over the winter and during times of prolonged stress.
Stress is an unfortunate fact of life. Everyone experiences stress to some degree, but many of us are under very high amounts of stress on a daily basis. This excessive level of stress that so many people currently experience is not normal – it contributes to emotional overload, behavioral changes, and physical manifestations throughout the body. Poor quality of sleep, muscle tension, headaches, overeating or not eating enough, alcohol and drug abuse, and increased risk of infections and illness are just some unpleasant results of stress when it is not properly managed.
Researchers at the Medical University of Vienna tested the effects of Rhodiola rosea root extract on 118 burnt out people between the ages of 30 to 60. It was a 12 week study and the participants were given 400mg a day of Rhodiola every day. Improvements were measurable within the first week and over the study there was a good level of improvement in fatigue, emotional exhaustion, lack of joy, loss of zest for life, and depersonalization where everything seems flat, empty, and uninteresting. Compliance was high and the herb was very safe. The multicenter study is published in the journal Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment.
Photo by Jacob Townsend on Unsplash A good nights sleep is the key to all things healthy; everything from your focus to your digestion is impacted by your sleep routine. With our busy schedules, its hard to get the rest that helps us feel refreshed, …
Photo by Natalie Collins on Unsplash It’s common to think that bones are hard, lifeless parts of your body. But it’s actually the opposite – your bones are living and growing tissue. As both men and women age and reach peak bone mass, the balance …
For those who have decided to begin their journey on the road to better health, running can seem intimidating. However, in honor of National Running Day, it is important to understand just how beneficial running can be for your body.
Though the act of running is seemingly very easy (all you need are good running sneakers, some space and a little motivation), it is proven that running is the best exercise for the body. In a study performed by the Medical College of Wisconsin and the VA Medical Center, the treadmill (when used at a high exertion level) burned an average high of 865 calories in an hour. The stair-stepper averaged a 746 calorie burn, the rower burned 739 calories and a stationary bike averaged 604 burned calories. This is because as you run, your legs squeeze blood towards your heart and your heart pumps that blood back into your body. The faster you run, the harder your body has to work to keep up, resulting in high exertion and burning of calories.
For those who are concerned running will injure their knees, think again! A National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey found that obese women had nearly four times the risk of knee osteoarthritis than non-obese women; for men, it was five times the risk. This is mainly because, according to Women’s Health Magazine, running bolsters your cartilage by increasing oxygen flow and flushing out toxins and by strengthening the ligaments around your joints.
Running is used by many frequent runners to help relieve stress, as well. The University Of Georgia Department Of Exercise induced anxiety on subjects by giving them caffeine pills and then testing their physiological and mood symptoms after either resting for an hour or exercising for that hour. The exercise was three times more effective at reducing anxiety. Running has also been used by mental health experts to treat depression and addictions.
In a recent study performed by the British Journal of Cancer, it was discovered that the most active people were 24 percent less likely to develop colon cancer than those who were less active. In another study by the National Cancer Institute, women of a normal weight who reported high levels of activity have about a 30 percent lower risk of developing breast cancer compared to women who reported little to no activity. So, it has been proven that running can help even reduce your risk of developing cancer.