Let’s get this out of the way: It’s fun to hate slender people. They have it SO darned easy. Oh, to be one of the fortunate born with great metabolism or a hole in their feet. For the rest of us who didn’t win the genetic lottery, life is a constant struggle.
But we say, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. Okay, how do you do that? Read on the find out.
I normally would not write on scientific research. That seems miles away from a blog post about healthy travel. But two major discoveries in medicine I read this week were simply too compelling not to share: For the first time, in two separate studies, researchers have apparently found the causes of Alzheimer’s Disease and Autism. Once there is discovery, there can be a path to a cure. And that is huge.
What a nightmare. It’s bad enough that Equifax, one of the nation’s three largest credit bureaus, was badly hacked. The breach exposed critical data on more than 143 million U.S. consumers. What you may not know is that the Equifax hack could also ruin your next business trip or vacation — or worse.
How? Thieves can not only use your identity to take out new credit cards mortgages, and loans, even file tax returns in your name. By stealing your identity, criminals could also put a black mark on your traveler profile in databases maintained by the FBI, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which oversees both the TSA and U.S. Customs and Border Protection agencies.
It’s inevitable. You absolutely, positively must reach your destination. But a storm, a mechanical failure, or missed connection is turning your flight into a classic travel nightmare. But there’s a way around this: Freebird, a simple mobile solution that lets you skip the line and instantly book a new ticket if you encounter a flight cancellation, significant delay of four hours or more, or a missed connection. Read on to learn more.
What can you do to get those six-pack abs you dream of having? We recommend something safer and more effective than sit-ups: plank exercises. Planks build your core muscles and sculpt your body by utilizing isometric strength. Done properly, planks can also improve your body posture, while strengthening your shoulders, arms, glutes, and hamstring muscles. Read on to find out how.
You have to love the folks at outdoor apparel and equipment manufacturer North Face®. Not only does the company make and market some great products, but they are really dedicated to helping its customers embrace the outdoors. Recently, we came across the North Face Trailhead iPhone app, powered by the wonderful everytrail.com mapping data.
Who doesn't love a good salad? The word is easily associated with "healthy" and for good reason. A salad can be anything you want: sweet, savory, a wonderful combination of what's in season, what's available and whatever you love. But if you take a look at many salads offered at restaurants, they often pack more calories and fat than you can imagine. The culprit: the salad dressing.
For some recipes, the word "yum" doesn't quite do justice to how good they can be. Like this one. Combining watermelon, one of our favorite summer treats, with the juicy complexity of a great heirloom tomato, the creamy salty flavor of good feta cheese and freshly grilled chicken is an absolute culinary je ne sais quois. Best of all, this salad is light as a feather. It's perfect for a summer lunch or dinner, for the rest of the year for that matter. Plus it's brain-dead simple and quick to make. What's not to like?
You read right. Lemon in soup. It's incredible. Lemon can impart a wonderful tightness to many dishes, and this soup will become an instant favorite. This recipe is high in protein, low in calories and fat, and has as much (or little salt) as you prefer. It's light yet filling, a perfect soup for cold or even warm nights.
I just learned about a new health tracking device on Kickstarter called FlyFit...Instead of being a wrist bracelet, the FlyFit attaches to your ankle. This way, it tracks your leg's movement instead of your arm, and works with your iPhone or Android (Kit Kat OS or later) phone. The benefit: by attaching your your ankle, the FlyFit can track running, walking, cycling, stationary biking, swimming as well as your sleep. And it tracks stair climbing too.
This morning, we tried out a breakfast of MetRx high protein buttermilk pancake mix. We came away giving this our thumbs-up. Pancakes and good health don't seem to go together, but the folks at MetRx pulled it off. Each serving contains as much protein as a 3-egg white omlette (12 grams) and is a good source of fiber (3 grams vs. 30 grams of carbs). We added blueberries and raspberries on top, with just a tiny dash of Auntie Lilliko'i Passion Guava syrup for sweetening.
We're always in a hurry. Especially when we're hungry. There was once a time when the most convenient food was the salve for our hunger, even if it meant compromising on stale tasting, high-sodium, fattening foods you could prepare in a minute. But it doesn't have to be that way. You can eat wonderfully healthy vegetables, even seafood steamed in a microwave in less time than it would take to heat up a lousy frozen dinner.
About a year ago, we discovered the Lekue silicone microwave steamer (available at Sur La Table and Amazon). We can't recommend it enough.
Every morning, I awaken at 5 am (if the alarm doesn't get him up, one of our kitties will see to it), splash water on my face and put on my cycling clothes. Heading downstairs to the garage, I put on my cycling shoes, my iPhone, earbuds and iTunes and climb aboard my 34 year old steel bike (a vintage Team Miyata 12-speed my brother raced on for several seasons) attached to an Eclipse cycling trainer. The cranking begins.
It's never too late to reinvent yourself.
One year ago, we weighted 220 lbs. more than we do today. We didn't drink or smoke, and our diet was pretty good. But a look in the mirror or a walk up the stairs told the story: we were overweight and out of shape. We weren't paying enough attention to what we ate, and items like cheese, ice cream and carbs late in the day were the norm. We worked too many late hours and skipped exercise. It all added up.
Something had to change. We are thankful that we did.
