What are Push Ups? We should all know what push ups are as we have been doing them for years. I remember way back in elementary school during gym class we were first taught how to do push ups. This may possibly be one of the most underrated exercises ever. This is a phenomenal exercise to build up the chest. Maybe people don’t realize the impact because they are not using weights but that is certainly not the case. Set a target with these, and hit that target daily or even every other day and you are certain to build your chest along with your triceps.

Read more: http://knetbooksblog.com/2012/09/14/your-weekly-exercisepush-ups/#ixzz26SmyEJhO

Applesauce is easy to use, not to mention, extremely good for you.

It’s healthy and tastes good—although some people dislike the texture.

Besides just plain eating it, which I used to do almost everyday when my parents packed it in my lunch, there are various other uses for the healthy food.

Here are just a few:

Applesauce & Cinnamon Ornaments!

Oh yes! It’s true! With just a little bit of applesauce and cinnamon you can create a sparkly Christmas ornament. It’s easy to do, and looks great on the tree.

Mix ½ applesauce, with ½ cinnamon. Roll on a flat space (keep adding cinnamon if it’s too sticky!). Cut out your shapes—punch a hole for the ribbon and pop into the oven at 200 degrees. Voila!

BBQ Sauce! 

With just a few ingredients you can create a delicious sauce for chicken and more!

While we’re at school, it’s easy to pick up habits that are not so good for our bodies. Leaving our makeup on over night, pulling all nighters, eating nothing but Ramen noodles for a few weeks straight.  But it’s summer now. You can sleep. You can have your mom or your roommates buy healthy food to eat. And you can definitely find time to wash off your make-up before bed. Want to kick your bad habit this summer? Here’s how you can.

Though some makeup companies say their foundation is so light you can wear it to bed, why not take the time to wash it off? It’s ok to forget now and then, but consistently waking up with yesterday’s makeup on is a serious no no. Makeup will clog your pores, which allow us to get rid of irritants and waste—without washing your face at night, the waste will just build up. But foundation is the least of your worries. Leaving eyeliner or mascara on your eyes over night can increase risk for an allergic reaction or constant irritation.  Read more…

These days, time and money is an issue for everyone. As college students, that problem is often multiplied. With a busy class schedule, who has time to go to the gym? Even summer doesn’t give us a break, since we need to make money to prepare for the upcoming college semesters or an internship instead of classes takes over all our free time. Maybe you just don’t feel comfortable working out in the gym. Perhaps you need some extra encouragement, but your friends can’t put in the effort. An online fitness community might be the right choice for you.

Whether you want to lose weight or tone up, there are lots of options online to target your needs on a personal level while you also engage with a community working towards similar goals.  People seek fitness help online more often than ever before. The Pew Internet & American Life Project found 80% of people online are searching for health related issues, with 52% looking specifically for information on exercise  or fitness. Ted Vickey, a PhD researcher studying the connection of social media and exercise at the National University of Ireland, believes social media could change the health industry forever.

“I believe that social media can be one of most important pillars to fighting the global obesity problem,” he said. ““Report after report suggests that the number one reason people don’t exercise is time. Now that technology has given us more time, what if we could create a tool that could persuasively assist a person in finding the time and motivating them to exercise? That would be a great step in the right direction.”

Communities like Blogilates (I personally recommend this as a popster myself), founded by Cassey Ho in 2009, have video workout routines available. Ranging in length fro 10 to 30 minutes, and in targeted zones of the body, you’ll have the opportunity to change your body gradually with a little effort each day. The videos are easy access, posted on YouTube and Ho can be found constantly on Twitter and Facebook, posting workout commands, updates and inspirational quotes to keep you going. The other popsters are also on Facebook often, posting about their success and asking each other questions.

Katy Widrick, another popster, started #FitBlog Twitter chats in 2010. Every week, there’s a new topic, a new discussion leader (usually a health or fitness professional) getting the conversation flowing, and hundreds of participants interacting with one another. If you prefer to blog about your struggles and interact in a more private forum, Roni Noone’s BlogToLose might be the motivator you’ve been searching for. Noone started the platform after she found blogging about her fitness journey in 2005 helped hold her accountable and ultimately got her into shape faster—the community gave her the support she needed and kept her on task with her fitness goals.

Even though this all sounds dandy and fun, you have to be weary of the sites you turn to for help. Anyone online can post about whatever they want to, whether they’re an expert or not. Some people will take it to far, to an extreme of being unhealthy; avoid looking at images of super skinny models as a weight loss goal or blogs focused on thinspiration. Also steer clear of any negative comments. If people come into the online community talking smack about being overweight or unhealthy—especially anonymous comments—you have to keep in mind these people feel good by putting others down.

Ultimately, being online is a balance of the good and the bad. You have to inform yourself and keep on top of the legitimate sources. The best aspect of online fitness is accessibility, time management, and the community, but there’s also some harsh commenting and bad imagery out there. So use your best judgment, put on your sleuthing hat if necessary, and have fun while you get fit.

Happy exercising, friends!

-Toony Toon

138.1 million bags of coffee were consumed around the world between 2010 and 2011, according to the International Coffee Organization (ICO).  Although there is talk of coffee consumption declining in the 2011/12 consumption year, it can be safely said that Americans are addicted to coffee.  In the United States, 4.11 kg of coffee was consumed per capita in 2010, according to the ICO.

Although recent research has been done to sever the myth that coffee leads to a greater risk of heart disease and cancer, it can lead to caffeinism, more commonly known as a caffeine addiction.  Side-effects of a caffeine addiction include nervous irritability, tremulousness, occasional muscle twitching, sensory disturbances, tachypnea, palpitation, flushing, arrhythmias, diuresis, and gastrointestinal disturbances, according to Holly Pohler’s study Caffeine Intoxication and Addiction found in The Journal for Nurse Practitioners.

There are some health benefits such as a decreased rate of type 2 diabetes, increased liver protection, better mental and physical performance, and protection against colon cancer prevention according to Sharon Palmer’s article Coffee Offers Potential Health Perks in Environmental Nutrition.  It has overall been ruled that there is nothing wrong with having a cup of coffee every so often, although the risk a caffeine addiction is something to stay aware of.

If you are looking to cut back on coffee, try these other energy boosters in the morning:

Stephanie Clarke, R.D., and Willow Jarosh, R.D. worked on behalf of Self.com to create Top 5 Energy-Boosting Foods.  Berries made the top of the list as “one cup of raspberries or blackberries has 8 grams of fiber.  High-fiber foods release sugar into your bloodstream more slowly, so you won’t have peaks and crashes.”

Topping OrganicJar.com’s list is oats as they “contain the energizing and stress-lowering B vitamin family, which helps transform carbs into usable energy,” so experiment filling your morning mug with a high-fiber oatmeal instead of coffee.

Oranges are known to be full of sugar, but are good sources of Potassium, Dietary Fiber and Vitamin C all of which will wake you up before your morning routine.  Other citrus fruits to consider in the morning for a refreshing burst are grapefruit, mandarin, lemon and lime.  Although a great big bite into a lemon would certainly wake you up in the morning, cutting up lemon/lime slices to through in your water could do just the trick.

Other foods that made the cut according to Self.com and OrganicJar.com are nonfat plain Greek yogurt for protein that is a great energizer, bananas for their potassium to help “maintain normal nerve and muscle fuction” (OrganicJar.com), and almonds for their monounsaturated fats which provide fatty acids that keep you focused.

Also, don’t forget to drink water since dehydration will lead to fatigue. Shoot for eight large glasses a day.

-TravelBug

Midterms are approaching and that means it’s time to eat some brain food! The best thing you can do for yourself when you have a test is to stay hydrated. If you teacher allows water in the classroom bring a bottle to sip on when you need a moment to clear your head. If water is too boring for you, add flavor with a crystal light flavor packet; they make multiple flavors and only have 10 calories. If water is not allowed, try to drink as much as you can before a test; just make sure your professor will allow you take a bathroom break if you need one.

Another thing you can do to concentrate is to chew gum. Chewing gum stimulates the brain while maintaining a singular focus.  According to Livestrong.com, “Balanced nutrition plays a part in testing well. The Food Research and Action Center discovered that students who eat a complete instead of partial breakfast work more quickly with fewer math and number errors than those who don’t. Healthy eating also contributes to better performance on vocabulary and visual skills tests.”

The night before your midterm, eat a well-balanced dinner. A brainy dinner needs to include multiple food groups. I normally prepare a meal from: Grains (pasta, corn, bread); Protein (chicken, fish, nuts); Vegetables (carrots, peas, baked potato). Choose foods that you like and that are also healthy for you. If you’re up late cramming and get hungry, try eating a yogurt or some fruit. Lighter foods late at night will give you a boost without sticking to your stomach. If you want, reward yourself after you ace your exam with your favorite dessert!

The day of your midterm, eat a big breakfast. Eating breakfast in the morning helps get your brain and metabolism going. A good healthy breakfast could be a bagel with peanut butter, eggs, or cereal. Adding dried fruits to your cereal is an easy way to balance out your big meal. Make sure to include both carbs and protein. Aim to eat a breakfast around 300 calories; anything larger might upset your stomach and do more harm than good. Along with breakfast, try a cup of coffee. The extra caffeine will give you a morning boost; especially if it’s right before a test. Controlling your caffeine intake is key, as it can be a depressant as well as as stimulant, so stick to orange juice if your exams are later in the day.

Studying for a test will only get you so far. If you aren’t in the right physical or mental state during your Midterms, you’ll do worse than you probably should have. So get some sleep, don’t stay out the night before drinking, and eat some brain food before your big exams!

-Speedy G.

I’m reading Psychology: Modules for Active Learning