Eyes

I found this infographic and it is extremely interesting!  It’s also worth mentioning to take care of your eyes and make sure to keep current on your annual eye exams!  

Have a WONDERFUL weekend!

Soda

I know, I know………  Nobody wants to hear someone lecture about sodas.  I completely understand!  But I ran across this article from The Daniel Plan and thought it was worth passing on.  Especially after seeing these startling statistics:

• The average American consumes 44 gallons of soda every year.
• Calories from sugary beverages have increased by 60% in children ages 6 to 11 in the last 10 years.
• 9 out of 10 children in the United States regularly consume at least one soda per day.
• On any given day, half of all Americans are going to consume at least 1 soda.
• The average child is consuming 500 cans of soda annually.  

So here are 15 Reasons to Give Up Soda!

1. The Sugar – A single can of Coca-Cola has almost 10 teaspoons of added sugar. Think of a stack of 10 sugar cubes or 10 packets of sugar. Just one can. And something super-sized? Do the math.
2. Artificial Sweeteners  – Diet sodas contain artificial sweeteners which confuse our bodies, are linked to weight gain and increased risk for metabolic syndrome and diabetes.
3. Damaging to Our Guts – We have trillions of beneficial bacteria in our guts that effect everything from digestive health to brain health. Keeping them healthy is paramount to being healthy. A 2014 study revealed that certain gut bacteria may induce metabolic changes following exposure to artificial sweeteners.
4. Increased Risk for Diabetes – “People who consume sugary drinks regularly—1 to 2 cans a day or more—have a 26% greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes than people who rarely have such drinks” reports the Harvard School of Public Health.
5. Weight Gain and Obesity – The sugar in soda causes weight gain around the midsection. The more sugary drinks consumed per day, the more overall calories we eat later in the day, leading to weight gain and obesity. The body doesn’t register liquid calories, but our waistlines do.
6. Devoid of Nutrition – One 12 ounce can of Coca-Cola has 140 calories with zero nutritional value. And drinking diet soda is no better. In fact, they can be worse in other ways. Soda is basically just water and liquid candy.
7. Bisphenol-A – Most aluminum cans are lined with a chemical called bisphenol A (BPA), which disrupts hormones and is linked to diabetes, infertility, obesity and some cancers.
8. High Fructose Corn Syrup – Soda often contains high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), an industrial food product and marker of highly processed foods that has shown to be contaminated with mercury.
9. Phosphoric Acid  – Colas contain phosphoric acid. It’s an acidifying agent that give colas their tangy flavor. Too much may lead to heart problems, kidney problems, muscle loss, and bone loss.
10. Caffeine – Makes you feel peppy and gives you a lift, but too much caffeine is really unhealthy not to mention addictive. Many people experience headaches from withdrawal when quitting soda.
11. Caramel Coloring – It’s what gives colas their brown color. Innocent sounding caramel coloring is created with potential cancer-causing chemicals like 4-methylimidazole (4-MI)
12. Tooth Decay – Soda causes tooth decay because of excess sugar consumption. In fact, LiveScience says “many popular diet and sugared sodas are nearly as corrosive to dental enamel as battery acid.”
13. Loss of Bone Density – Particularly a problem for women as we age, due to the phosphoric acid in soda.
14. GMO Ingredients – Sodas may contain ingredients that are genetically modified (GMO or GE), which you can’t tell by the label. GMO’s are linked in animal studies to organ damage, digestive problems, immune system disorders, accelerated aging, and infertility.
15. An Expensive Habit – Americans spend nearly $65 billion dollars a year on the fizzy, sugary, chemically colored and artificially flavored beverage.

So what do you think?  Think you may cut back on sodas?  Your body would LOVE it!  It’s just waiting for you to drink more water! J Have a great weekend!

Lacrosse Ball

Are you wondering what I could possibly have to say about a lacrosse ball?  Well it actually has nothing to do with lacrosse and everything to do with your muscles.  Many of us suffer from tight muscles, muscle spasms, muscular asymmetry, poor posture, over working muscles, etc……  You get the idea.  We’re talking about muscle pain!  And if we all had the money and time we could get a massage therapist to work out these problem areas as they develop.  But since we may not have that luxury, we can use the next best thing.  A lacrosse ball.  Lacrosse balls are made of rubber and are very dense.  They are perfect to work on myofascial release.  This is where you try to release the tension built up in your muscles (more specifically the connective tissue of the muscle called the fascia) that causes the pain and inflammation.  You apply steady, constant pressure to the muscle and down the length of the muscle.  There are lots of products and tools that can be used (foam rollers, myofascial release balls, etc.), but a lacrosse ball works just as good!  AND it’s cheap!  J     

It’s pretty simple to do.  Apply the ball to the problem area and use body weight to apply slow, steady pressure.  Hold where you feel the tightness.  Make tiny adjustments as your work out the area.  Here are some ideas! 

 

 

 

  

I almost always have my lacrosse ball with me.  I use it mainly on my back.  It has made the biggest difference!  I can usually work through an issue in a day instead of letting it drag out for days or weeks!  Let me know if you want to hear more about it!  I’d love to help! 

 

Have a WONDERFUL weekend!