Juicing Is The Path To Health

Warmer weather is just around the corner and many of us are evaluating our diets and looking to make healthy changes. Who are we kidding? We are looking to lose some of those winter pounds that piled on over the last few months so that we will be swimsuit ready!

Juicing and juice detox diets are all over the news and in all the magazines. Everyone is crazy for juicing! I don't care for drinking green stuff but figured I would do my research before deciding to get on the juicing bandwagon. I prefer a great glass of fresh squeezed orange juice but could be convinced to try a juicing diet or cleanse if it would really help me lose weight. The problem has been finding experts that all agree it is great for you.

Proponents of juicing say that the benefits of juicing are that it reduces the risk of cancer, boosts your immune system and can help in weight loss. It is also a great way to get all of your vitamins and minerals during the day. Sounds great, right? Consider the opposing viewpoint.

Opponents say that juicing is not all it is cracked up to be. When you remove the skin from the fruit or vegetable, you are removing the vitamins and other nutrients that is in the skin and the juicer also removes the pulp, which contains lots of fiber. Additionally, opponents point out that if you are juicing all of your fruit, the one thing that stays are the calories. One has to be careful with too much fruit because it can be high in calories, especially if you are juicing three times a day. To cut the calories, juice experts counter that you can add in a few vegetables in with the fruit to cut the number of calories.

Whether you are a proponent or an opponent of juicing, I imagine the health benefits are found somewhere in between the two. While juicing can be a great way to get some of the vitamins and minerals, especially if you dislike fruits or vegetables, it cannot be a prolonged diet. Maybe for short periods of time, juicing can be a great way to limit your intake while still getting some vitamins and minerals. As a busy mom, I can definitely see juicing once in a while for my young kids (who really don't like vegetables) and hiding them in a 'fruit smoothie.' In my book, a few vitamins and minerals in the form of a 'fruit smoothie' (which has hidden vegetables in it) is better than none at all!

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Benefits of running

Benefits of running

          While there is the potential for injury in running, there are many benefits. Some of these benefits include potential weight loss, improved cardiovascular and respiratory health (reducing the risk of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases), improved cardiovascular fitness, reduced total blood cholesterol, strengthening of bones, possible strengthening of the immune system and an improved self-esteem and emotional state. Running, like all forms of regular exercise, can effectively slow or reverse  the effects of aging.

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Running can assist people in losing weight, staying in shape and improving body composition. Running increases your metabolism. Different speeds and distances are appropriate for different individual health and fitness levels. For new runners, it takes time to get into shape. The key is consistency and a slow increase in speed and distance. While running, it is best to pay attention to how one's body feels. If a runner is gasping for breath or feels exhausted while running, it may be beneficial to slow down or try a shorter distance for a few weeks. If a runner feels that the pace or distance is no longer challenging, then the runner may want to speed up or run farther.

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Running can also have psychological benefits, as many participants in the sport report feeling an elated, euphoric state, often referred to as a "runner's high". Running is frequently recommended as therapy for people with clinical depression and people coping with addiction. A possible benefit may be the enjoyment of nature and scenery, which also improves psychological well-being.

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Squat (exercise)

Squat (exercise)

In strength training, the squat is a compound, full body exercise that trains primarily the muscles of the thighs, hips and buttocks, quads, hamstrings, as well as strengthening the bones, ligaments and insertion of the tendons throughout the lower body. Squats are considered a vital exercise for increasing the strength and size of the legs and buttocks, as well as developing core strength. Isometrically, the lower back, the upper back, the abdominals, the trunk muscles, the costal muscles, and the shoulders and arms are all essential to the exercise and thus are trained when squatting with the proper form. Squats are one of the three lifts in the strength sport of power lifting, together with dead lifts and bench press.

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The movement begins from a standing position. Weights are often used, either in the hand or as a bar braced across the trapezius muscle or rear deltoid muscle in the upper back. The movement is initiated by moving the hips back and bending the knees and hips to lower the torso and accompanying weight, then returning to the upright position.

Form:

Squats can be performed to varying depths. The competition standard is for the crease of the hip (top surface of the leg at the hip joint) to fall below the top of the knee; this is colloquially known as "parallel" depth. Confusingly, many other definitions for "parallel" depth abound, none of which represent the standard in organized powerlifting. From shallowest to deepest, these other standards are: bottom of hamstring parallel to the ground; the hip joint itself below the top of the knee, or femur parallel to the floor; and the top of the upper thigh (i.e., top of the quadriceps) below the top of the knee.

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Squatting below parallel qualifies a squat as deep while squatting above it qualifies as shallow. Some authorities caution against deep squats; though the forces on the ACL and PCL decrease at high flexion, compressive forces on the menisci and articular cartilages in the knee peak at these same high angles. This makes the relative safety of deep versus shallow squats difficult to determine.

As the body gradually descends, the hips and knees undergo flexion, the ankle dorsiflexes and muscles around the joint contract eccentrically, reaching maximal contraction at the bottom of the movement while slowing and reversing descent. The muscles around the hips provide the power out of the bottom. If the knees slide forward or cave in then tension is taken from the hamstrings, hindering power on the ascent. Returning to vertical contracts the muscles concentrically, and the hips and knees undergo extension while the ankle plantarflexes. In a weight bearing squat, the heels should always maintain contact with the floor throughout the movement. Weight shifting forward on to the toes, and off the heels creates unnecessary stress on the knee joint. This added stress may lead to inflammation or other overuse injuries.

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