Always Leave The Table A Little Bit Hungry

Eat less, live longer: that’s what the general consensus seems to be.
And it’s true since in today’s world we tend to eat too much and, according to almost all the latest researches, people who restrict their diet and eat fewer calories (of course, based on their gender, body size and activity level) may add a few years to their life. If not, they are probably likely to suffer less health issues during their lifetime.

Hurray For Chocolate!

We have praised the benefits of dark chocolate and cacao nibs already in two different posts but hear this out: a brand new research published yesterday in the BMJ (British medical journal) concludes that the consumption of chocolate is linked to better heart health.
We can actually say it: “Hurray for chocolate!"

A Mathematical Model Proves That In Order To Lose Weight You Should Change The Metabolism

We’ve already discussed this several times: in order to lose weight you should reprogram your metabolism as it’s not sufficient to just lower your calorie intake (the notorious equation 3500 calories = 1 pound of fat is not enough)
On this topic a brand new study has been published today online in the August 27, 2011 issue of The Lancet medical journal and, what’s cool about it, is that it just add more proof to our beliefs.
Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have created a mathematical model together with an online weight simulation tool, that predicts what happens when people of varying weights, diets and exercise habits try to change their weight.
The findings challenge the commonly held belief that eating 3,500 fewer calories, or burning them off exercising, will always result in a pound of weight loss.
Instead, the researchers' computer simulations indicate that this assumption overestimates weight loss because it fails to account for how metabolism changes. The computer simulations show how these metabolic changes can significantly differ among people.

Book Review: Nutrition Periodization for Athletes

Time for another book review, this time we’re talking about “Nutrition Periodization for Athletes: Taking Traditional Sports Nutrition to the Next Level” by 2008 Olympic Dietitian Bob Seebohar published by Bull Publishing Company.
This is the kind of reading we love here @TheIronYou, as it underscores all the things we believe in.
If you’re looking for something to read that eventually will help you with your training (and life) well, this is the book for you.

Sleep More And You’ll Improve Athletic Performance

We already that you need to sleep anywhere between 6 and 8 hours per night in order to stay healthy but, apparently, that’s not it. A recent study shows that the so-called sleep extension might be a crucial factor for athletes.
Among the benefits are increased athletic performance, faster reaction time, improved vigor, minor fatigue and better mood.
The research was conducted on collegiate basketball players at Stanford University and the outcomes are pretty astonishing.
Let’s dig more into this!

Not All Eggs Are The Same

Eggs are the breakfast choice in the majority of Americans household. However, their consumption has long been the subject of controversy especially because of their high cholesterol content.
Many people (including myself) ditch the yolk and use only the egg white as it’s a prime source of proteins. But let’s face it, egg whites have little taste and certainly they’re not as good as the yolk.
So here comes the question: can whole eggs be healthy or are they a high-cholesterol trap?
According to a recent research the answer lies on what the hen eats.

Drink Too Much? Probably You Have Poor Eating Habits Too

Ok, I’ll admit it, the title of this post is a bit harsh, however my aim is just to get your attention on the fact that drinking too much and having an unbalanced diet are the two factors that contribute to the most health problems in today’s world.
Already several studies have found numerous links between amounts of alcohol consumed and bad eating habits in adults.
A new study conducted in Spain, yet to be published, has showed that binge drinking, heavy drinking and also drinking alcohol at mealtimes is most of the times associated with poor food regimen…
Let’s discover more!

Beetroot Juice: A Natural Way To Improve Sport Performance

Winning margins in triathlon races are pretty tight, especially in big events such as, for instance, the San Francisco “Escape from Alcatraz” tri that has over 2000 participants every year. A 10 second margin can make a whole difference in terms of overall results (if you’re curious about it take a look at the video at the end of this post!).
Thus, when every second does matter athletes tend to do everything to gain a competitive advantage. Think for instance at using aerodynamic carbon fiber bikes or to the very latest supplement in sport nutrition.
A recent research has discovered that one of the most powerful performance enhancer is a natural one: beetroot juice!
Yes, beetroot juice…pretty cool right?

One More Reason To Eat Broccoli

Today I’m gonna give you one more reason to eat broccoli. If you read this blog, I’m expecting you to eat at least a serving of broccoli per day, if not, well you might want reconsider your eating habits and get on board with this miracle food.
A team of researchers from University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) have found that a chemical in broccoli (and other cruciferous vegetables) may help restore the human body’s immune system, which declines with age.

Exercising Can Help You Quit Smoking

A recent study conducted by a team of researchers from the Miriam Hospital’s Centers for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine in Providence, RI has discovered that resistance training, or weight lifting, can do more than just build muscle: it may also help smokers kick the habit once and for all. Not bad, right?
So, if you’re trying to quit smoking and struggling to do so: hit the gym!

Tanning Can Turn Into An Addiction!

A recent study unveiled a quite disturbing truth: the brain of frequent tanners might be similar to those of drug addicts.
Researchers discovered that people who frequently use tanning beds, experience changes in brain activity during their tanning sessions that mimic the patterns of addiction to illegal substances.
The new research is the first to actually peer inside the brains of people as they lay in tanning beds.
What the researchers specifically found was that several parts of the brain that play a role in addiction were activated when the subjects were exposed to UV rays. The findings, which appear in the coming issue of the Journal Addiction Biology, may help explain why some people continue to tan often despite awareness about risks such as skin cancer, premature aging and wrinkles.

The Comeback Of Bodyweight Exercises

Bodyweight exercises are back! Yes, you heard loud and clear, the new trend in fitness is actually a pretty old school one. And that is even more surprising if you think that we are living in an age when technological innovation is impacting pretty hard in the fitness world.
Numbered weight stacks, moveable seats and removable pins are increasingly taking a back seat to a decidedly low-tech sculpting apparatus: your body.

Have You Ever Tried Cacao Nibs?

Taking up again the topic of dark chocolate, I have recently discovered raw cacao nibs and, needless to say it, how ridiculously healthy they are for you. If you can handle their slightly bitter taste, then these little beans are definitely something awesome to incorporate into your daily diet.

Doing Yoga To Be Better At Shooting Hoops

A couple of weeks ago a very interesting article entitled “Picking Up Where They Left Off” by Jorge Castillo was published on the New York Times.
The article is about four former basketball standouts at Cornell University that have integrated yoga practice in their summer workout schedule (which includes skill drills, two-on-two games and weight lifting as often as six days a week) as they prepare for the next season overseas.

Ditch The Pyramid, It's All About The Plate

It’s official, the notorious food pyramid that has been the point of reference of healthy eating for the last two decades has been officially ditched by the Obama administration.
But don’t worry, they have replaced it with a simple, plate-shaped symbol, sliced into wedges each representing one of the basic food groups and it’s half-filled with fruits and veggies.

The Virtues Of Pomegranate Juice

I drink a glass of pomegranate juice every morning with my breakfast, I love its slightly bitter taste, it helps waking me up and gets my metabolism up and running. Pomegranate juice has been praised for its numerous health benefits, that owned it the name of miracle super juice.
Doctors say that one glass of pomegranate juice a day could help thousand live longer...
In fact, researches on pomegranate juice have blossomed in recent years as scientists have discovered that pomegranate juice may be effective in cancer prevention, help lowering cholesterol and blood pressure and slow to fight the deterioration of cartilage in humans.
Nowadays you can find pomegranate juice in almost any shops around the globe. There are several brands you can choose from. You can find pomegranate mixed with other fruit juices for a smoother taste. However, I recommend you go for the straight organic one or, better, make your own with a juicer. It’s a lot of work, as peeling and getting all the seeds it’s hard and time consuming, but man, it tastes sooo good: totally worth it!

Skateboarding: A Rad Workout

Lately the popularity of skateboarding has been soaring as a means of both recreation and exercise. In fact, skateboarding is a great workout: you use almost all your muscle groups to maintain balance hence you burn lots of calories.
Unfortunately, skateboarding is often overlooked as an activity for teenagers but that’s too bad because it can be a very good way to get in shape, drop those few extra pounds, have a lot of fun and, why not, even develop a new hobby.

Why I (Almost) Don't Drink Alcohol

This topic is a very difficult one to talk about because it does generate a lot of controversy. Alcohol, among all “drugs” (and I’m using this word not in its literally sense), is by far the most accepted and established one in modern societies.
I don’t wanna talk about serious illness related to alcohol abuse such as alcoholism, I just want to focus on “regular” drinking here: the glass of red wine at dinner, the pint of beer at the football game, the after-work vodka soda, the tequila shots when you’re out with your buddies, etc.
If you compare drinking to smoking well, there’s no game. Nowadays smokers are labeled as big time addicts, almost everybody knows about the long-term dangers of tobacco and the practice has been banned from restaurants, clubs, bars and lately parks, beaches and even Times Square...
When it comes alcohol, besides the age restriction (21 years old in the U.S. and 18 Europe ) and the public drinking prohibition (almost only the U.S.), there’s essentially no stigma on the “practice” alone.
Actually, drawing from personal experience, let me tell you, it’s almost more difficult not to drink than to drink. Whenever people find out that you’re not drinking well you’re quickly labeled as the “weirdo” or the “healthy freak”. To quote my good friend Karla: “Honey, I don’t know how you do this. You must be from another planet!”
Fortunately I’m not alone and have quite few friends that are with me on this one. But I have no interest in trying to convince that I’m on the right track while the other are the sinners, I just want to point out are the dangers of drinking and then, well, it’s your call.