Benefits of Running: Why You Should Start Now

It’s the first Wednesday of June and the US is celebrating National Running Day. So to honour this and the life-changing exercise (that most likely made me a healthier person), here are some of the benefits of running that I hope will convince a lot of you to start a commitment to it.

1. Strengthens your lungs

When you run, the muscle cells you’re using need more oxygen and nutrients in order to sustain your movement. This makes your heart compensate by beating faster and harder. Your lungs, on the other hand, increase its capacity to keep up with the oxygen demands of your cells by increasing blood flow, gas exchange and number of capillaries used in your lung tissues.

2. Is good for your heart

Running is a kind of cardio and even though it stresses your heart (to beat faster and harder), it’s the good kind of stress that eventually makes it stronger. According to a study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, running for even just 10 minutes a day can drastically reduce your risk of dying from a cardiovascular disease. So when you keep a habit of running, your heart eventually does not need to work as hard as before. 

3. Prevents disease

A study in 2014 from the National Journal of Cancer found out that running beats walking in fighting off breast cancer. Although both running and walking can potentially reduce the risk of cancer, they have confirmed that running may be more effective in the fight. It can also reduce the risk of having a stroke and heart attack. How? Running, along with other forms of exercise, strengthen the heart and help arteries maintain their elasticity.

Doctors often recommend running for people in the early stages of diabetes, osteoporosis and high blood pressure.

4. Helps in losing or maintaining weight

Running is one of the most successful ways of shedding those extra pounds. It is the second most effective in terms of burning calories. And they found out that there is a direct correlation to the amount of fats that are being burned off to the time of your run. Meaning the longer you run, the more fats are degraded by your body.

5. Boosts memory

Believe it or not, running actually helps in boosting your memory. How? Regular exercise increases the blood flow to the brain which also means an increase of oxygen and nutrients for your brain cells. These events can adversely affect brain function. Also, regular exercise has been proven to beat age-related mental decline such as in your working memory.

6. Makes you happier

Ever heard of runners high? Well, they’re real. Scientists found out that when we run, our brain releases two feel-good chemicals: endorphins and endocannabinoids. Endorphins are proven to relieve pain and induce the feeling of euphoria or great pleasure. Endocannabinoids have effects that are quite similar to the compounds found in cannabis. Some mental health experts also use running to help treat clinical depression and some psychological disorders (like alcohol and drug addiction).

What to Eat (and Drink) for a Radiant Looking Skin

Ever want a beautiful and young looking skin but don’t want to spend too much for beauty pills? Well, I have scoured the internet and found foods (and a drink) that can make it easier to have a radiant-looking skin without spending too much. All of these are easily acquired and some are even part of our everyday meal and we just don’t notice them. So here they are:

EGGS

When I was in college, my breakfast wasn’t complete without a sunny side up or scrambled egg. What’s in it? Basically  all the essential proteins that our body needs. But of these, two are vital for our skin: choline and lutein.

Choline is needed for the build-up of our cell membranes and regulates B vitamins needed to produce other proteins, collagen and elastin, that are needed for firm, smooth skin. Lutein, along with another protein zeaxanthin, is an antioxidant that protects our skin from the damage of UV rays that can cause wrinkling and sometimes even cancer.

BROWN RICE

One secret to a young looking skin is keeping it moisturized. Don’t want the hassle of applying moisturizer for the day? Then just include brown rice in your meal. It is loaded with lipid molecules called ceramides that maintain skin moisture. These molecules are incorporated in the outer layer of our skin and help in maintaining it well hydrated.

TOMATOES

Ever wonder what gives tomatoes their color? Carotenoids are plant pigments which are responsible for yellow, orange and red colors in fruits and vegetables. In tomatoes is one carotenoid called Lycopene. This Lycopene has been proven to lower the hormones that promote acne development, for a clear and smooth skin, and is also an antioxidant

 If you are not quite the fan of fresh tomatoes in your plate, then we suggest you consume other tomato-based foods such as sauces (in pastas and pizzas, yum!) and tomato juice. Nutritionists recommend that we include these in our diets for 3-5 times a week.

FISH AND OTHER SEAFOOD

Fact: not all fats are bad for you. Ever heard of omega-3 fatty acids? They’re one of the good cops in fatty acids world. They have been proven to lower the bad fats in our body and fight off the risk for heart diseases. As for our skin, however, a study found out that it can slow down wrinkling or skin ageing by delaying the production of certain bad chemicals. Not only this, they can also combat acne which is acne sufferers are recommended to consume four to five serving of oily fish per week.

GREEN TEA

Not only does a warm cup of green tea gives you a kick start for the day, it is also proven to be packed with antioxidants! Like the tomatoes and seafood, green tea also fights acne development by lowering a hormone called Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) which is responsible for acne-production.

WHOLE GRAINS

One thing that comes to mind when I hear whole grain is the word ‘fiber’. Yes, it’s proven that these foods are high in fiber and significantly important in reducing belly fat. Another major benefit that we can acquire them is a radiant-looking skin. Niacin in whole grains fight inflammatory agents in our body which can lead to reducing the redness in pimples and acne.

Pastas and bread from whole grains contain high amounts of antioxidants (same amount with vegetables) which reduce free radicals that damage our cells.

Love Your Feet: Types of feet and shoes that suit them

If you’re one to compromise comfort for style, then compromise no more because we have found a way to choose both. But before we go on what are the different types of feet, we should first know the important parts of the shoe to help you choose the perfect fit for you.

The toebox is the area that covers your toes and is one of the important parts since it is a common site for development of blisters and bunions when you have ill-fitted closed shoes.  The vamp is the opening where you slip your feet in, it also includes the part that covers the front of your foot up to the back. The bottom part of the shoe is the sole and it comes in contact with the ground. The heel is where your heel bone rests and improves the balance of the shoes. Thick soles and heels make feet look heavier and are suitable for women with fuller figures.

EGYPTIAN TYPE

 Toes of this type of feet have decreasing length. They usually have broad forefoot and medium sized to narrow heel.

This type of feet is suitable in shoes with medium to wide in width. Tapered toebox are recommended to give space between the first and second toe. But if you want for it to appear slimmer, then go for a pointed toebox and longer vamp.  

ROMAN TYPE

In Roman feet types, the first three toes are similar in length. It is quite similar to the Egyptian type where the forefoot is broad.

Due to the similar length in the first three toes, covered shoes are not recommended for this type. Open-toe shoes are more suitable for the Roman types, giving freedom to move for the cramped first three toes.

Tip: Strappy shoes can hide the broadness of your feet, especially in Egyptian and Roman types.

GREEK TYPE

This type of feet resembles an arrowhead—with the second toe longer than the first. These types are generally long and slender looking.

Pointed shoes that are ill-fitted are a no-no for Greek types. Pointed toebox restricts the toes in this type, causing them to push each other to the sides and can lead to discomfort. A bigger/wider toebox is recommended so as to give space for your toes to move. And since this type has narrow forefoot to heel, it is good to have your feet be held at multiple points (using laces, straps and elastic bands).

6 Simple Habits to Prevent Skin Aging Caused by Sun Damage

Now before you think of going out and having that sexy sun-kissed skin this summer, never forget that too much sun can also be harmful to your health. One of these is damaging your skin and speeding up the process of aging and wrinkle formation. But this doesn’t mean that you have to minimize the fun…so here are some quick and easy tips to protect yourself and slow down skin aging:

1. Always wear sunscreen.

This is probably one of the easiest to do when you’ve decided to stay under the sun. Protect the most vulnerable parts of you—usually the hands and face. Remember to choose a product that has an SPF 15 or greater. As I have mentioned in one of my posts before, the higher, the better and the longer time you’ll be able to have fun without worrying skin damage!

2. Wear sunglasses

This is a simple way to block out some extra UV rays around your eyes, which is one of the places wrinkles first appear. It also has an added benefit of preventing UV rays to cause cataracts and macular degeneration. Choose one that will surely protect you…and make you look cool!

3. Wear a hat with a brim.

                To protect your eyes, it’s between this and the sunglasses (or if you’re a unique type of person, you can have both). Whether it’s a floppy straw on the beach or a fedora while strolling the city, a hat with a brim can protect your face from the damaging sun exposure.

4. Avoid exposing yourself to the sun between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. This is the time when its rays are the strongest.

5. Stay hydrated.

Dehydration is one of the major causes of skin wrinkles. Drinking a lot of water can help your skin to stay moist and elastic…plus the added benefit of making you look younger.

6. Use a moisturiser.

            Never underestimate the power of a simple moisturizer. This can help your skin stay hydrated and replenish the moisture elements in the upper layers of your skin. Most moisturizers nowadays have the added benefit of SPF so it’s twice the protection.

Staying beautifully healthy this summer: 3 Less Known Benefits from Hydration

It’s summer and people’s idea of quenching thirst is sipping a fancy fruit punch or a cold coke under the sun. And while it’s true that these tasty treats are so hard to resist, none of them can compare to the most natural and best thirst-quenching gift of nature—water! But did you know that water has more wonders aside from relieving thirst? Now before you go on buying a can of that coke, here are some not-so-known benefits you’ll get from drinking water:

1. On Metabolism

Trying to lose some few pounds? There’s an easy and thirst-relieving way of doing that: drinking water! A study from the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism found that drinking about 17oz of water can increase your body’s ability to burn fat. Along with increasing your metabolic rate, water also boosts your energy by helping blood transport oxygen and other essential nutrients to your cells.

These benefit, added up to the heat of summer, can surely speed your body up in shedding those extra pounds!

2. For muscle repair

One of the things that trainers recommend on how to recover faster from muscle soreness after a workout is to drink plenty of water. This suggestion has been backed up by a study in the Journal of Athletic Training, which found out that dehydration can increase the severity of delayed onset muscle soreness. Muscle injury after a workout can be repaired by synthesis of proteins in the cells with the help of, of course, water!

3. For younger looking skin

Some say that water is nature’s own beauty cream. They are not wrong. It is proven that deep wrinkles develop when you’re dehydrated. Water is badly needed by our body that when dehydration happens, water is being pulled away from all the organs, including the skin (especially the skin). This damages the skin cells and eventually causes wrinkles resulting to a thin and saggy skin. Drinking a lot of water, therefore, makes the skin cells look plump resulting in a younger looking skin. However, this does not mean that consuming a lot of water is a remedy to an already wrinkled skin. It’s just that proper hydration decreases the chances of developing wrinkles.

Now, still thinking of buying that cold coke?