Spice Up Your Life #3: The Magic Of Chili Pepper

December 10, 2011

Third chapter of the “Spice Up Your Life” saga: it’s chili peppers’ turn.
Chili pepper is a very common spice that find its way into almost all households around the globe. It’s responsible for putting on fire your tongue and maybe even make you shed a tear when you add it to your favorite dishes.
However, if you’re brave enough to use it you will get a lot of health benefits from it.



Spice Up Your Life #2: The Benefits Of Cinnamon

December 8, 2011

Second episode of the “Spice Up Your Life” series: today we’re going to talk about cinnamon and all the health benefits that it brings along.
First of all: do you know what is cinnamon? I used to ignored it an just found out that it’s a small tree that grows in India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Brazil, Egypt and Vietnam.
I also discovered that cinnamon is one of the oldest spices known to humans. To prepare it, the bark of the tree is dried and then rolled into the very well-known cinnamon sticks (also called quills).
Cinnamon can also be dried and ground into powder which is the most common use in American households.
The flavor and aroma comes from a compound in the essential oil of the tree bark called cinnamonaldehyde.


Spice Up Your Life!

December 7, 2011

Do you know that herbs and spices have more disease-fighting antioxidants than most fruits and vegetables? This means that they may help protect against certain chronic conditions, such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.
Most of the evidence exists for cinnamon, chili peppers, turmeric, garlic, oregano, basil, thyme and rosemary.
For instance anti-inflammatory compounds contained in cinnamon have been linked to lower inflammation, as well as reductions in blood glucose concentrations in people with diabetes. We are going to explore some of the most used herbs and spices in the next days for now let's just get a general idea on them.


The Water Trick (aka Are You Hungry Or Just Thirsty?)

November 30, 2011

Especially for those of you out there trying to lose weight, this trick can prove to be really helpful.
It is known that most people mistake low-level thirst for low-level hunger.
Try this: when you’re feeling hungry (and it’s not breakfast, lunch or dinner time), drink a glass of water and only if you’re still hungry after 20 minutes later then maybe it’s time to think about eating. Truth is, half the time you were just thirsty.




Calorie Restriction: Our Future?

November 29, 2011

Already in several posts we have mentioned the concept of calorie restriction but we never went into much detail about it.
In fact, even if I had a general idea, there were still some technicalities about it that I ignored. I mean, when you’re talking about restricting calories, to what extent should you limit your food intake on a daily basis?
We know that you should be careful with what you shovel down your throat and that overeating is never good but what worried me is that there is always a fine line between being healthy and unhealthy: you want to restrict but not missing on necessary and precious nutrients.   
With that idea in mind I did some research and found quite a bit of literature on the topic.


Mustard May Help You Build Lean Muscles

November 21, 2011

If you’re trying to going from fat to fit, or from fit to even better fit you might want consider adding mustard to your diet. A recent research from the Human Health Institute, FBNS at North Carolina University in Kannapolis, N.C. has found that a compound called homobrassinolide (found in plants like mustard) helps proteins synthesis in muscles cells and this leads to increases in lean body mass, muscle mass and physical performance.


Mustard seeds

X-Factor's LeRoy Bell: Looking 30 at 60

November 17, 2011

I don’t know whether you watch X-Factor, as for me, I never did until last night. But one of my roommates was watching it and I joined him.
All of a sudden a contestant named LeRoy Bell took the stage and started his performance: great voice and pretty fly look. While watching him I thought to myself that this dude must have been in his late 30s, early 40s tops. But then it came out that Mr. LeRoyBell is actually 60...no joke he’s 60 years old.
I was speechless, at the most, because I never ever saw in my life somebody looking that good at 60 (the pictures below will give you an idea!)
Since at TheIronYou we take inspiration from others I couldn’t resist digging into this TV reality show contestant and discover what’s his recipe for eternal youth.



What Is Gymnorexia?

November 12, 2011

Some people are addicted to drugs, others to cigarettes, others to alcohol, others to sugars as for myself I guess that my addiction is exercising.
I can’t deny it, I have an addiction and I’ll admit it. Everyday I have to sweat it out by either running, swimming, biking, practicing yoga, hitting the gym...but I have to do something. If I don’t I just feel miserable: I need my daily dose of endorphins and that’s final!
I always thought that among all the dependecies a person can possibly have mine was probably the best one.
Actually I thought it was not even worth of calling it addiction (a word with an underlying negative meaning) but more of a good habit.
I was happy about this until I found out that there is quite some literature on this “addiction”...to the point that lately it has also been officially labeled as “‘gymnorexia” or “exerciseorexia” or “exercise bulimia”.
And some doctors started warning about the serious damages people can do themselves  through developing a compulsion to workout excess.
In the UK, at Berkshire’s Huntercombe Hospital, people addicted to exercise are treated as strong as any associated with drink or drugs.
I personally think that this might be little bit too much so it's best to find out more!


Olive Oil: Do You Really Know Me?

November 6, 2011

In the last two decades olive oil has made its way into almost every household in the U.S. (not to mention in Europe) not only has a condiment for salads but in a lot of recipes: sauces, cakes, breads, pies, etc...
And that’s really good news as olive oil is one of the building blocks of any healthy diets. Why? Because it’s a primary source of what are usually referred to as good fats.
So let’s discover more about it!


Fight With The Gods: The Immortals' Workout

October 30, 2011

On 11/11/11 “The Immortals” will be released on theaters worldwide. I have personally high expectations since the producers are the same of the “300” (movie that I absolutely loved) also I’ve been fond of ancient Greek mythology since I was a little kid and, in particular, of the myth of Perseus hence I can’t wait to see it!


Working Out And Dieting According To A Calvin Klein Model

October 26, 2011

I'm not sure whether the name Garrett Neff rings any bells to you, probably not. But you might remember him as the face of Calvin Klein fragrance “Body” or in Trussardi S/S 10 campaign or in last summer H&M campaign or in this fall Express campaign or or or or, the list could continue endlessly as Garrett is one of the most successful male models of his generation.
I had the chance of briefly meeting him before a show, and he’s a very nice down to earth dude, absolutely grounded and not at all full of himself.



What To Do After A Bikram Yoga Class

October 23, 2011

When you hear your teacher saying “Namaste” to the class you now that you have made it: the 90 minutes in Bikram’s “torture chamber” are over.
You have twisted your body in all possible ways, locked your knee, kick your butt big time, and sweat tons. Now it’s time to give yourself a well deserved reward for all this effort but before that you wanna make sure to take care of your body.
Why? Because after every intense workout you should spend some time focusing on your body before going back to your daily routine. And this is even more true when you’re dealing with Bikram Yoga...



Why A Lot Things That Taste Bad Are Good For You

October 12, 2011

I bet you always had the suspicion that there was some correlation between bad tasting food and its health benefits.
As far as I’m concerned every time I make myself a green juice I get more than a mere suspicion: it has to be good for me otherwise why all the pain of drinking this gross tasting stuff?
And what about broccoli? I eat them everyday and I’m accustomed to the taste but I cannot say that I find them to be the better tasting food on the planet. But as they are one of the most healthy food on the planet I just go for it thinking that it’s totally worth to sacrifice the taste for the health.
Not to mention Brussel Sprouts...my food nightmare.
So the suspicion that there must be a correlation between bad taste and healthy benefits of food grew in me to a point of almost certainty.
And, I WAS RIGHT ALL ALONG! In fact, a recent study conducted by a team of researches of the University of Washington confirmed that since the phytonutrients (that have been long associated with cancer prevention and other health benefits) have a bitter, acid or astringent taste the food industry has worked over the decades to remove them.





Taylor Kitsch Five Rules Of Leaness

October 2, 2011

Today we are talking about the the five golden rules of “leaness” according to Canadian actor and model Taylor Kitsch.
Taylor has modeled for Diesel and Abercrombie & Fitch, he portrayed Gambit in the X-Men franchise spinoff “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” and football player Tim Riggins in the NBC series “Friday Night Lights”.
In 2012 he will be portraying John Carter in science fiction action adventure film “John Carter”, the heroic protagonist of Edgar Rice Burroughs' 11-volume Barsoom series.
But that’s not it. Taylor is also a certified nutritionist and personal trainer.
So you might have figured out by now that Talyor Kitsch is not a novice when it comes to training, health and well-being.

That is why his five rule of leaness (that he unveiled in an interview to MensHealth) totally make sense and if you manage to follow them well you might end up in an A&F campaign or in a major blockbuster movie...





The Tale Of Prosciutto Crudo San Daniele

September 26, 2011

Today we're talking about Prosciutto Crudo San Daniele, one of the most famous raw hams in the world. The name itself denotes its origin: San Daniele in Friuli (North-East of Italy).
Prosciutto Crudo San Daniele is produced with traditional methods dating back to the Celts period.
It’s a completely natural food, free from additives and preservatives, made with sea salt and pork coming exclusively from 100% Italian organic meat.





Running: 4 Simple Steps To Good Form

September 20, 2011

I borrowed this image from www.goodformrunningaz.com
I think it’s just genius and explains perfectly how to achieve good form in running.
Everybody can run but only few are good runners. I run everyday and see hundreds of runners but only few good ones. So read this carefully and become a better runner!





Tomato Paste: Better Than Botox?

September 18, 2011

My 4 years old niece Irene is, unlike other kids, not crazy about sugary or junk foods; instead she loves eating bulgur, quinoa and/or brown rice mixed with a ton of tomato paste.
I was a little bit concerned that a kid was eating all that tomato paste so I did some research and discover some amazing things about it. So yes, the 4 years old kid was right all along...
In particular, high consumption of tomato paste has been found - according to a recent research - to improve skin health, thanks to its high concentration of lycopene.




Be Ready For The Runway

September 16, 2011

Yesterday was the last day of NYC Fashion Week, today the fashion crowd moved to London, then it will be Milan turn and finally the curtains will close in Paris. A whole month of fashion, probably more than you can actually chew. But don’t worry I’m not gonna talk about fashion here, there are hundreds of thousands of blogs that will cover every inch of the shows.
What I want to discuss with you is how models get themselves ready to step on the runways. Because let me tell you, nothing happens by chance, and models put a lot of effort and sacrifice in order to look perfect.
And I’m sure that there are some tips you could use to your own benefit. I mean, we encounter endless situations in our life where we want and need to at look at our best: there’s nothing bad about that.
Whatever the reasons to look perfect here are several “secrets” that models use in order to enhance definition, make their skin glowing and look sharp.
We’re sure that if you follow them you’ll be ready to rock you own runway.



Michael Kors ss2012 @NYFW

Michael Pollan's 7 Rules For Eating

September 5, 2011

Have you ever heard of Mr. Michael Pollan? If not you should better get on board because he’s one individual capable of changing the way you think about food.
Michael Pollan is an American author, journalist, activist, and, last but not least, a professor of journalism at the University of California, Berkeley. He’s been described as a liberal foodie intellectual but what’s most relevant about him it’s his knowledge about food and, moreover, the food industry.
For the past twenty-five years, he has been writing books and articles about the places where nature and culture intersect: on our plates, in our farms and gardens, and in the built environment. He has wrote some pretty relevant stuff, including one of my favorite books of all time The Omnivore’s Dilemma that I will soon review here on TIY.
Pollan strongly believes that Americans suffer a national eating disorder: the unhealthy obsession with healthy living. "The French paradox is that they have better heart health than we do despite being a cheese-eating, wine-swilling, fois-gras-gobbling people," Pollan said. "The American paradox is we are a people who worry unreasonably about dietary health yet have the worst diet in the world."
In various parts of the world, Pollan noted, necessity has forced human beings to adapt to all kinds of diets.
"The Masai subsist on cattle blood and meat and milk and little else. Native Americans subsist on beans and maize. And the Inuit in Greenland subsist on whale blubber and a little bit of lichen," he said. "The irony is, the one diet we have invented for ourselves -- the Western diet -- is the one that makes us sick."
Increasing rates of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease in the U.S. can be traced to our unhealthy diet. So how do we change?





Hurray For Chocolate!

August 30, 2011

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!"