Here’s a recap of the best health and fitness articles I’ve read over the past week.
THIS Plant is an Effective Diuretic, Can Help with Joint Problems, …
This is what I love about plants. There are just so many benefits, many of which aren’t commonly known. That’s quite alright though, as long as we’re eating them, right? Eat as many different types of fruits and veggies as you can and you’ll heal your body.
Jessica back squat 150 kg – YouTube
I’m amazed by this feat of strength. This fit and beautiful woman can squat much more weight than I can. I suppose that’s not saying much, but wow, I’m impressed. She’s doing 330 pounds! The most I’ve ever squatted is 300 lbs. I haven’t tried a 1-rep max though.
How Quickly Do You Lose Muscle Strength When You Sit Around?
The study mentioned in this article claims that muscle atrophy can begin in periods as short as two days or less. Use those muscles or you’re gonna lose ’em. That doesn’t mean losing muscles is going to be permanent though, say for example after a debilitating injury that keeps you out of the gym. You can always earn your muscle back with time.
How to Tape Ankles for Athletes
I hope I never have to use this info, but it’s an excellent tutorial. The video is super-helpful.
How to check your skin for skin cancer
Here are some great tips from the American Academy of Dermatology on self-diagnosing skin cancer. One in five Americans are diagnosed with skin cancer, so do your due diligence and check yourself for warning signs to catch it early.
Busting common myths about the flu vaccine
I found this one interesting and timely because a group of us were talking about flu shots at work. The first and last myths here were actually mentioned in our conversation and I guess my coworkers were wrong about it.
6 Reasons Why Vegans (and Doctors) Are Wrong About Animal Protein
I’m posting this only because I think the author is totally ignorant about what he’s talking about. I think it’s completely irresponsible for Kiefer to flaunt his degrees and credentials to convince people that what he says is true, then judge Dr. Joel Fuhrman’s health based on the way he looks. Appearance is not always an indicator of health. What if Dr. Fuhrman doesn’t want big muscles? That’s not everyone’s goal in life, you know? And while the studies might suggest that vegans and vegetarians don’t get the nutrients they need, that may or may not be true depending on the wide variety of factors. I guess Kiefer doesn’t know about these things called supplements. I get vegan b12. I get EPA and DHA from algae sources. I get nutrients from chlorella and spirulina. It’s all natural, from the earth and healthy. And if you’re judging health based on looks, I’m bigger than Fuhrman and I’m bigger now than when I was eating meat. But that’s not because of my vegan diet. It’s because of the hard work that I do in the gym and because I know what I’m putting into my body.
Did you know that apples can prevent your potatoes from sprouting? And that storing root vegetables right-side up can keep them fresher longer? There are some other really cool tips here too.
Why Pressure Cookers Are Awesome – MDRN KTCHN – YouTube
Ok, I’ve always been a little bit afraid of pressure cookers, but after watching this I’m not so scared anymore. I kinda want one, but I’d have to find a bunch of recipes that sound good so that I get enough use out of it.
The Deload Week: What It Is, How to Do it, and Why It Might Help You Get Stronger
I love the example Mark uses in this article about healing the body. If someone cuts their finger when slicing a tomato, they don’t use that finger anymore because they know it’ll take longer to heal, yet for some reason people don’t understand that the same healing process needs to be applied to the body after workouts too. This article provides some great instruction on de-loading. I think I’m going to try taking a scheduled de-load week every six weeks moving forward.