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Archives for category: fitness
If you see me running like everything hurts, it’s because … well, what can I say.
Hey, at least I got up to run!
Condición Física – Si viniera embotellada y lista para tomar, todos tendrían buena figura y mucha salud. Pero no viene embotellada, así que levántate y a sudar.
Don’t Skimp on Sleep
No more scraping by on four or five hours. For top performance, shoot for seven to eight (or, in my case, nine) every night. To support the recovery that happens overnight, I drink chaga tea before I turn in, which kick-starts the anti-inflammation process. And since overheating in bed frequently leads to restless sleep, I use a ChiliPad, which slips underneath the sheets and drops to a temperature as low as 55 degrees to keep me cool.
Fuel Your Body
Simple whole foods have powered our bodies for generations. You can’t game the system with meal replacements, fake ingredients, or fad diets. Start to think about food as a fuel source and you’ll see real results. It’s tempting to make nutrition feel restrictive. But rather than count calories or macros in a meal, I simply avoid most processed foods and focus on the distance between its origin and my plate. If the distance is short, I’m OK with eating it.
Sweat the Small Stuff
You don’t need to make peak performance your full-time job like I have, but you should think of it as an all-day mentality that goes far beyond the gym. It requires near constant attention and a holistic approach to health. I spend about 40 hours per week training. People think they have no time, but I’ll crank out squats while dinner cooks or hop on my foam roller while watching TV. I’ll even flow through a few mini breathing sets when I have to work from a desk.
Challenge Your Weaknesses
My asymmetries have always plagued me and are largely a result of surfing for so many years with the same lead leg. That’s partly why I started paddleboarding—to develop strength on the other side of my body. Don’t shy away from the things you’re worst at. Focus on mobility if you lack range of motion. Incorporate endurance efforts if you’re a natural power athlete. This rule also applies to areas like mindfulness and nutrition. Add a ten-minute meditation to your weight-room routine, or put more veggies on your plate if you’re a chronic carbo-loader. Without a well-rounded approach to health, you’ll always be limited by your greatest weakness.
Find Your Crew
One of your biggest assets is the company you keep. I’m at my best when I’m around people who value health and performance the same way I do. We experiment with workouts, debate recovery methods, and share our go-to health podcasts and books. If you can take the time to listen to and learn from that group, you’ll find that it challenges you to improve.
Click here to read the original article in Outside Magazine
Ever since I had my first biology class, back in 3rd grade, I’ve been thaught that brain cells do not regenerate. I’ve always thought that we are all born with certain number of neurons, and you gradually lose them as you grow old, but that no new cells are born after we are. They said we could accelerate the rate at which they die, depending on our lifestyle, but there was no way to get the number back up to the original.
Well, apparently they were wrong. Sandrine Thuret presents some findings that suggest the hippocampus, a brain structure that controls memory and emotions, can generate 700 new neurons per day. According to her, learning new things, exercise and sex (yes!) can increase the formation of new brain cells. On the contrary, sleep depravation and stress can decrease the creation of new brain cells. Alcohol consumption also decreases the production of new cells, but there is hope in red wine, as resveratrol, found in red wine, can promote the survival of the new cells. Food and nutrition also play a big role in this process.
So if you think, like I do, that you haven’t been good to your tenants from upstairs, pay attention to Sandrine. Here I leave you with the transcriptioin of Sandrine’s presentation at TED. To watch her presentation click on the image of Sandrine just below.
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(click here to watch Sandrine Thuret on TED)
Can we, as adults, grow new nerve cells? There’s still some confusion about that question, as this is a fairly new field of research. For example, I was talking to one of my colleagues, Robert, who is an oncologist, and he was telling me, “Sandrine, this is puzzling. Some of my patients that have been told they are cured of their cancer still develop symptoms of depression.” And I responded to him, “Well, from my point of view that makes sense. The drug you give to your patients that stops the cancer cells multiplying also stops the newborn neurons being generated in their brain.” And then Robert looked at me like I was crazy and said, “But Sandrine, these are adult patients — adults do not grow new nerve cells.” And much to his surprise, I said, “Well actually, we do.” And this is a phenomenon that we call neurogenesis.
Now Robert is not a neuroscientist, and when he went to medical school he was not taught what we know now — that the adult brain can generate new nerve cells. So Robert, you know, being the good doctor that he is, wanted to come to my lab to understand the topic a little bit better. And I took him for a tour of one of the most exciting parts of the brain when it comes to neurogenesis — and this is the hippocampus. So this is this gray structure in the center of the brain. And what we’ve known already for very long, is that this is important for learning, memory, mood and emotion. However, what we have learned more recently is that this is one of the unique structures of the adult brain where new neurons can be generated. And if we slice through the hippocampus and zoom in, what you actually see here in blue is a newborn neuron in an adult mouse brain. So when it comes to the human brain — my colleague Jonas Frisén from the Karolinska Institutet, has estimated that we produce 700 new neurons per day in the hippocampus. You might think this is not much, compared to the billions of neurons we have. But by the time we turn 50, we will have all exchanged the neurons we were born with in that structure with adult-born neurons.
So why are these new neurons important and what are their functions? First, we know that they’re important for learning and memory. And in the lab we have shown that if we block the ability of the adult brain to produce new neurons in the hippocampus, then we block certain memory abilities. And this is especially new and true for spatial recognition — so like, how you navigate your way in the city.
We are still learning a lot, and neurons are not only important for memory capacity, but also for the quality of the memory. And they will have been helpful to add time to our memory and they will help differentiate very similar memories, like: how do you find your bike that you park at the station every day in the same area, but in a slightly different position?
And more interesting to my colleague Robert is the research we have been doing on neurogenesis and depression. So in an animal model of depression, we have seen that we have a lower level of neurogenesis. And if we give antidepressants, then we increase the production of these newborn neurons, and we decrease the symptoms of depression, establishing a clear link between neurogenesis and depression. But moreover, if you just block neurogenesis, then you block the efficacy of the antidepressant. So by then, Robert had understood that very likely his patients were suffering from depression even after being cured of their cancer, because the cancer drug had stopped newborn neurons from being generated. And it will take time to generate new neurons that reach normal functions.
So, collectively, now we think we have enough evidence to say that neurogenesis is a target of choice if we want to improve memory formation or mood, or even prevent the decline associated with aging, or associated with stress.
So the next question is: can we control neurogenesis? The answer is yes. And we are now going to do a little quiz. I’m going to give you a set of behaviors and activities, and you tell me if you think they will increase neurogenesis or if they will decrease neurogenesis. Are we ready? OK, let’s go.
So what about learning? Increasing? Yes. Learning will increase the production of these new neurons.
How about stress? Yes, stress will decrease the production of new neurons in the hippocampus.
How about sleep deprivation? Indeed, it will decrease neurogenesis.
How about sex? Oh, wow!
(Laughter)
Yes, you are right, it will increase the production of new neurons. However, it’s all about balance here. We don’t want to fall in a situation —
(Laughter)
about too much sex leading to sleep deprivation.
(Laughter)
How about getting older? So the neurogenesis rate will decrease as we get older, but it is still occurring.
And then finally, how about running? I will let you judge that one by yourself.
So this is one of the first studies that was carried out by one of my mentors, Rusty Gage from the Salk Institute, showing that the environment can have an impact on the production of new neurons. And here you see a section of the hippocampus of a mouse that had no running wheel in its cage. And the little black dots you see are actually newborn neurons-to-be. And now, you see a section of the hippocampus of a mouse that had a running wheel in its cage. So you see the massive increase of the black dots representing the new neurons-to-be.
So activity impacts neurogenesis, but that’s not all. What you eat will have an effect on the production of new neurons in the hippocampus. So here we have a sample of diet — of nutrients that have been shown to have efficacy. And I’m just going to point a few out to you: Calorie restriction of 20 to 30 percent will increase neurogenesis. Intermittent fasting — spacing the time between your meals — will increase neurogenesis. Intake of flavonoids, which are contained in dark chocolate or blueberries, will increase neurogenesis. Omega-3 fatty acids, present in fatty fish, like salmon, will increase the production of these new neurons. Conversely, a diet rich in high saturated fat will have a negative impact on neurogenesis. Ethanol — intake of alcohol — will decrease neurogenesis. However, not everything is lost; resveratrol, which is contained in red wine, has been shown to promote the survival of these new neurons. So next time you are at a dinner party, you might want to reach for this possibly “neurogenesis-neutral” drink.
(Laughter)
And then finally, let me point out the last one — a quirky one. So Japanese groups are fascinated with food textures, and they have shown that actually soft diet impairs neurogenesis, as opposed to food that requires mastication — chewing — or crunchy food.
So all of this data, where we need to look at the cellular level, has been generated using animal models. But this diet has also been given to human participants, and what we could see is that the diet modulates memory and mood in the same direction as it modulates neurogenesis, such as: calorie restriction will improve memory capacity, whereas a high-fat diet will exacerbate symptoms of depression — as opposed to omega-3 fatty acids, which increase neurogenesis, and also help to decrease the symptoms of depression. So we think that the effect of diet on mental health, on memory and mood, is actually mediated by the production of the new neurons in the hippocampus. And it’s not only what you eat, but it’s also the texture of the food, when you eat it and how much of it you eat.
On our side — neuroscientists interested in neurogenesis — we need to understand better the function of these new neurons, and how we can control their survival and their production. We also need to find a way to protect the neurogenesis of Robert’s patients. And on your side — I leave you in charge of your neurogenesis.
Thank you.
(Applause)
Margaret Heffernan: Fantastic research, Sandrine. Now, I told you you changed my life — I now eat a lot of blueberries.
Sandrine Thuret: Very good.
MH: I’m really interested in the running thing. Do I have to run? Or is it really just about aerobic exercise, getting oxygen to the brain? Could it be any kind of vigorous exercise?
ST: So for the moment, we can’t really say if it’s just the running itself, but we think that anything that indeed will increase the production — or moving the blood flow to the brain, should be beneficial.
MH: So I don’t have to get a running wheel in my office?
ST: No, you don’t!
MH: Oh, what a relief! That’s wonderful. Sandrine Thuret, thank you so much.
ST: Thank you, Margaret.
(Applause)
Is there such a thing as TV addiction? According to this article from the Huffington Post there is. And if you are binge watching TV, you could be an addict without even knowing it.
Maybe watching less TV and reading more books could be a good New Year Resolution to jot down your list for 2015, just like the rich and successful do, according to Tom Corley, author of the book Rich Habits, The Daily Success Habits of Wealthy Individuals. Or you could use the time to go out and walk, and get some exercise. Even sleeping is better.
Read the article, make some decisions, change some habits, make your life better.
Half Of All Adult Americans Now Admit To Binge-Watching TV
The Huffington Post | By Damon Beres
We are becoming a nation of blue-faced zombies, hunkered down in front of our screens and watching our stories.
Fifty-percent of adults now identify as binge-viewers, meaning they’re watching multiple episodes of a TV show back-to-back, according to a new study of 1,000 adults with pay TV subscriptions released by accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers. The percentage was even higher for those under 35.
More than half of survey respondents admitted they binged more frequently in 2014 than they did last year, and 60 percent said they string three or more episodes together at least once a month. More than half of millennials say they do so daily or weekly.
Netflix popularized binge watching, a fact the company is proud of, but it’s not just Netflix fueling this trend. The survey notes that an explosion of quality drama on cable, Netflix and other streaming sites is driving more viewership.
Sixty-one percent of those surveyed agreed with the statement, “there are too many shows to watch, and not enough time to watch them.”
“They are binge-viewing just to keep up,” Matt Lieberman, director of PwC’s entertainment, media and communications practice, told The Huffington Post in an emailed statement.
Binge watchers are also big proponents of the second-screen: Sixty-two percent of the people surveyed use their mobile phones while they’re watching TV.
Viewers are also turning to multiple outlets just to access the shows they want, according to Lieberman. If you want to power through “The Good Wife,” for instance, you might need a Hulu Plus subscription because it’s not available on Netflix. If you’re looking for “Orange is the New Black,” on the other hand, you need Netflix. In other words, people are willing to pay extra to access as many shows as possible, even if they’re overwhelmed by the choices.
“We heard stories of consumers filling up their DVRs with their favorite series and also starting/stopping online subscription services just to get to their favorite content,” Lieberman said.
Responses to PwC’s recent survey indicate that more and more cable subscribers are also signing up for Netflix subscriptions.
As Netflix subscriptions rise — the service saw a 20 percent increase in paid U.S. subscriptions this year — pay TV’s subscriptions are falling. PwC notes that there was a 6 percent drop in cable subscriptions in 2014 for those under the age of 35. Middle-aged folks, 35-49 years-old, didn’t cut the cord, though. And there was about a 1 percent uptick in subscriptions for those between 50 and 59 years old.
Though they’re not rapidly cutting the cord now, respondents to the PwC survey indicated they’re interested in jumping ship down the line: Only 42 percent expect that they’ll have cable TV service in 10 years.
The future of cable according to the PwC survey.
Se acaba el 2014, y con esto llega el momento de que hagas tus propósitos para el 2015. Mientras revisas tus propósitos incumplidos que hiciste hace un año y los vuelves a copiar en tu nueva lista, no olvides agregar éste como #1: Mejorar mi salud física, emocional y espiritual.
Solo que ésta vez, ahora sí, tómate 15 minutos y cúmplelo.
Sí, solo bastan 15 minutos al día, divididos en tres secciones de 5 minutos cada una, para que mejores tu salud, tu estado de ánimo, y tu productividad. ¿No tienes tiempo? Esas son excusas. Todos tenemos 15 minutos. Ve menos TV, no leas el periódico, báñate en menos tiempo (y ahorra agua), pero no dejes de hacer esto:
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5 minutos de Meditación.
No te preocupes por la técnica. No busques libros ni información en internet. Mantenlo sencillo. Busca un lugar aislado y silencioso. Siéntante cómodamente. Cierra tus ojos. Trata de poner tu mente en blanco, y concéntrate solo en tu respiración. Cuando inevitablemente tu mente empiece a distraerte de éste sencillo ejercicio con pensamientos de tu vida cotidiana (dígase problemas), trata de calmarla y de ponerla en blanco, y vuelve a escuchar tu respiración.
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5 minutos de Tabata.
Tabata es una técnica Japonesa de ejercitarte al máximo en poco tiempo. Consiste en 8 períodos de ejercicio intenso de 20 segundos, con 10 segundos de descanso absoluto entre ellos. Cualquier ejercicio es bueno: Sentadillas, Lagartijas, Abdominales, Palomas, Trotar en el mismo lugar, Brincos. Con 4 minutos de ejercicios explosivos será suficiente para que hagas circular el torrente sanguíneo que oxigena tu cuerpo, y te quedará un minuto completo para recuperarte antes del siguiente bloque.
Ve éstos sencillos videos para que te des algunas ideas:
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5 minutos de Gratitud.
5 minutos de Gratitud. Asegúrate de tener papel y lápiz. Escribe 3 cosas por las que das gracias hoy y anótalas en tu Diario de la Gratitud. Está comprobado que las personas que practican la gratitud (sí, la gratitud es un ejercicio que se practica) son más felices. Si de casualidad llegas a anotar el nombre de alguna persona en tu lista de hoy, no olvides hacérselo saber.
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Si ordenamos bien nuestro tiempo todos podemos encontrar 15 minutos al día. Tú también. Cuida tu cuerpo, cuida tu mente, cuida tu alma, y el 2015 será tu mejor año hasta hoy.
How Exercise Changes Your Brain To Be Better At Basically Everything
Recent studies have revealed more complex and nuanced ways in which exercise activates and affects the brain.
By Jane Porter
The brain is fundamentally a lazy piece of meat, according to neuroscientist Gregory Berns. But take the body attached to it on a brisk walk or jog and suddenly your meat-brain is lighting up like a Lite-Brite.”The more streamlined and compact your white matter is, the faster and more efficiently your brain functions,” Christopher Bergland writes in Psychology Today. “The real enemy is sedentarism. … Just a little bit of movement every day helps preserve the integrity of your brain’s white matter.”
What exactly is going on in there?
“When we exercise, blood pressure and blood flow increase everywhere in the body, including the brain,” Justin Rhodes, associate professor of psychology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign writes in Scientific American. “More blood means more energy and oxygen, which makes our brain perform better.”
Research has long shown that the hippocampus, a squishy seahorse-shaped region found on both sides of the brain that’s essential for learning and forming memories, becomes highly activated during exercise. But recent studies have revealed new, more complex and nuanced ways in which exercise activates and affects the brain.
Beefing up your brain’s information highway
Gray matter, the meaty, wrinkly stuff we often think of when we conjure images of the brain, is really only half the story when it comes to understanding what’s going on up there. Recent research from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign examining both children and older adults shows that the brain’s white matter–the network of nerve fibers that connect and transmit brain signals from one part of the brain to another–becomes more fibrous and compact with physical exercise.
“The more streamlined and compact your white matter is, the faster and more efficiently your brain functions,” Christopher Bergland writes in Psychology Today. “The real enemy is sedentarism. … Just a little bit of movement every day helps preserve the integrity of your brain’s white matter.”
Connecting your head and your heart–literally
We know exercise is good for cardiovascular health, but new research has also shown that a healthy heart has effects on your brain functioning as well–and exercise plays an important role in that connection. The aorta, the main artery in the body that distributes oxygenated blood to our entire system, including the brain, is where the body’s arteries begin to stiffen as we get older, according to researcher Claudine Gauthier.
A recent study done by Gauthier and a team of researchers at the University of Montreal, found that older adults who exercised more and whose aortas were in better condition performed better on cognitive tests. “The preservation of vessel elasticity may be one of the mechanisms that enables exercise to slow cognitive aging,” according to Gauthier. The lesson here: A healthy heart makes a healthy mind.
The connection between muscle activity and brain health
During exercise, our muscles produce a protein called PGC-1alpha. Recent research has shown this protein helps break down kynurenine, a substance in the bloodstream that accumulates as a result of stress, according to the New York Times‘s Gretchen Reynolds.
Given that exercise boosts the body’s production of PGC-1alpha, which breaks down depression-causing kynurenine, researchers concluded that “you reduce the risk of getting depression when you exercise,” as Maria Lindskog, one of the neuroscientists involved in the study, put it.
It only takes 20 minutes
We were born to move, yet sitting sedentary for hours at a time is an unfortunate by-product of our screen-obsessed culture. A big question when it comes to exercise is how long and often one needs to do it in order to reap the benefits. According to Reynolds, who’s written a whole book on the topic, it only takes 20 minutes, particularly if you haven’t been all that active to begin with. “The first 20 minutes of moving around, if someone has been really sedentary, provide most of the health benefits,” according to Reynolds. “You get prolonged life, reduced disease risk–all of those things come in in the first 20 minutes of being active.”
It’s not about using exercise as a way to lose weight–it’s about becoming more fit and maintaining a health heart and mind. “If someone starts an exercise program and improves his fitness, even if he doesn’t lose an ounce, he will generally have a longer life and a much healthier life,” says Reynolds.
Click here to read the original article from Fast Company Magazine.
El Zen de la Salud 