Don’t Believe the Hype, Saturated is Not Good for You
Saturated fat is a major contributor to heart disease, and heart disease is the leading cause of death in America. There are too many “wellness experts,” and "sports coaches," who promote the idea that the science has been wrong, and that saturated fat does not cause heart disease. Saturated fat comes from animal fat and from tropical oils like…
Tags: Fitness
"Glute Amnesia." Yes, it is a Real Thing.
I don’t think it is too far of a stretch to say that your gluteal muscles, or your “butt muscles” are probably the most important group of muscles you have. They are responsible for keeping us moving well and with strength, and they are very important for stabilizing not just your back but your whole body. We spend way too much time on our glutes…
Tags: Fitness
Why the Term “Everything in Moderation,” is a Bad Idea.
I want to share a fantastic blog post by Shannon Harvey from “The Whole Health Life.” The statement, “everything in moderation” comes up a lot in my practice. The term “moderation” is hard to define and it means different things to different people. For example, The World Health Organization recently released a report calling processed meats like…
Tags: Fitness
High Levels of Exercise Protect Cellular Aging by Up to 9 Years
The evidence just keeps coming, exercise helps to slow the aging process. A study just published in the medical journal, Preventative Health, showed that high levels of exercise can slow the aging process of our cells by 9 years compared to sedentary people. High levels of exercise in this study is described as jogging for 30 minutes per day five…
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"Embrace" The Documentary
Currently, 80 percent of women in the U.S. are dissatisfied with their appearance. And more than 10 million are suffering from eating disorders. We are a “thin at all costs” culture and at the same time, the U.S. has the highest rates of obesity and eating disorders in the world. Embrace is a documentary (See the trailer here) that explores the pervasive…
Tags: Fitness, Inspiration
Text Neck
Text neck is the term used to describe the neck pain and headaches you feel from looking down at your cell phone, tablet, too frequently and for too long. A recent study shows that 79% of the population between the ages 18 and 44 have their cell phones with them almost all the time—It is especially concerning because young, growing children could…
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What the World’s Best Biomechanics Professor Wishes People Knew About The Real Causes of Low Back Pain
If you read my post last week about my Top 12 Favorite web sites, blogs etc, you know that I included Dr. Stuart McGill’s web site. He is a huge influencer for me and for many other fitness professionals. Dr. McGill has been a Professor of Spine Biomechanics for the past 30 years at the University of Waterloo, Canada, where he has a laboratory and…
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My Top 12 List of Favorite Health and Fitness Blogs, Podcasts, and Websites
I love to learn new things and one of the many great things about being in health and fitness is that there are always lots of new things to learn about! Podcasts have become a real favorite way for me to keep up with things because you can listen as you cook, walk or commute. I was asked to share some of my favorite food blogs, websites and podcasts…
Tags: Fitness, Inspiration, Recipes
What We Can Learn About Core Training From a Famous Spanish Architect.
When I was in Barcelona last year I was exposed to the amazing work of the famous architect Antoni Gaudi. There are no straight lines in his magnificent buildings, but instead lots of arches and curves. Gaudi was inspired by nature, and he observed that there are no truly straight lines in nature, that the most stable structures have arches and diagonal…
Tags: Fitness
Two Favorite Upper Back Mobility Exercises
Keeping your upper back moving well is important for good posture and pain free neck, shoulders and low back. Unlike our lower back (lumbar spine), our thoracic spine or upper back is designed to extend and to rotate and when the upper back gets stiff, the lower back and the neck compensate causing pain. Why does the upper back lose mobility or…
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