Wear Sunscreen!

[Editorial Note:  We know this topic isn't really related to weight loss or diet.  However, it is a health issue, and we feel it deserves some attention.]

You’ve heard it before: Wear sunscreen, wear protective clothing, stay out of the sun in the afternoon.

But you must not be heeding those warnings, because a recent study reported in a HealthDay article  found that people are actually getting more sunburns now than they did in the past.

Skin cancer is the most common occurring cancer in the U.S.  One of the best things you can do for your health is follow the basic guidelines for skin protection:

Wear sunscreen!  Choose one with SPF 15 or higher (SPF 30 is best).  Apply it to skin about 20 minutes before you go outside, since sweat may make lotions adhere less to your skin.  Most people don’t use enough sunscreen.  You should use a shot glass of lotion for your entire body.  Remember to do your nose and the tips of your ears, too.  Reapply every two hours (more often if you’re sweating or swimming).

Wear protective clothing!  Sunhats, sunglasses with UV protection, and light clothing all offer some protection against the sun.  You can purchase clothes specially made with UV protection built into the fabric.  Look also for RitDye’s Sunguard treatment, which you can add to your regular laundry to increase the sun protection strength of your summer garments.

Avoid the sun!  Late morning and afternoon are the times when the sun’s rays tend to be strongest.  If you’re going to be outside, try to do it in the morning hours or early evening.  For those times when you’re outside around noon, do your best to remain in shaded spots (such as under trees or umbrellas).

Get a checkup!  Make regular appointments with your dermatologist for a skin check.  The doctor will inspect your body for any moles or spots that appear suspicious.  Do the same type of inspection at home (have a loved one check the body parts you can’t clearly see).  If you see anything suspicious or out of the ordinary, contact your dermatologist immediately.

Happy Memorial Day!

We’re taking our first vacation here at RefrigeratorRaid.com!  We’ll be returning on May 29, 2007.  Have a healthy and happy Memorial Day weekend!

Happy Memorial Day!

We’re taking our first vacation here at RefrigeratorRaid.com!  We’ll be returning on May 29, 2007.  Have a healthy and happy Memorial Day weekend!

Get Fit At Work

For many folks, a desk job usually contributes to a spreading midsection.  But workers who use the new "vertical workstation" desk may find themselves fitter than ever, according to a recent Reuters article.

The "vertical workstation," designed by the Mayo Clinic, is a treadmill and desk combination that allows folks to walk while working instead of sitting in a chair.  So you can type, surf the Internet and check your email while simultaneously exercising!  Over time, walking while working could add up to significant weight loss.

However, it’s possible your boss isn’t quite ready to see employees trotting on treadmills in the office.  But there are still plenty of exercises you can do at work, such as…

Stretches:  Flexibility is a key component of fitness, and it will help prevent injuries from exercise.  Almost all basic stretches can be done in a very small space.  Check out this video of simple flexibility exercises:

Bodyweight Exercises: If you can close your office door for a little privacy, you might want to try some basic bodyweight exercises.  Examples include push-ups, stomach crunches, squats, lunges and back extensions.  Here’s a video of some bodyweight exercises:

A Circuit:  A circuit combines both strength training and cardio, which allows you to get a full workout in a very short period of time.  Here’s an example of a circuit with bodyweight exercises:

Ask RefrigeratorRaid.com a question!

Which burns more calories–running or swimming?  Do you have to sweat to get a good workout?  Does yoga count as weight bearing exercise?  Is "ground turkey" just as healthy as "ground turkey breast"?

If you have a question about diet, fitness, or weight loss, submit it directly to us by email.

We’ll occasionally feature a question–and the answer–on RefrigeratorRaid.com.

And if we don’t immediately know the answer, we’ll research it until we do!

Even Skinny People Can Be Fat

Think that slender girl on the subway or at your office is active and healthy?  It’s possible, but it’s also possible that she has more fat than you realize!

According to a recent WebMD.com article, a study found that even women of normal weight may be considered "obese" because of their high body fat percentage.  Indeed, these "normal-weight obese" people experience the same health problems as obviously obese folks, including high levels of inflammatory chemicals that have been linked to problems like heart disease.

The take-home message:  Obesity–and its health-related issues–has less to do with your size and weight, and more to do with your body composition.

Health experts recommend that we strive to decrease our body fat percentage and increase our lean muscle mass.  So how do we do that?  By sticking with the basics:

A clean diet: A clean diet that’s rich in whole grains, vegetables and fruits–and low in unhealthy fats and excess sugar–will help you lose fat.  Losing weight is basically a matter of calories in versus calories out.  Educate yourself about a proper, healthy diet by reading quality articles at websites like WebMD.com and here at RefrigeratorRaid.com.

Aerobic exercise:  To improve your cardiovascular health–and burn calories–you need to participate in some type of aerobic exercise.  In general, plan to get your heart pumping with moderate exercise for at least 30 minutes on most days of the week.  After you’ve adjusted to the activity, you may want to add more time or occasionally increase the intensity of your workouts to maximize calorie burn.

Strength training:  Lifting weights or doing other types of resistance training will help build muscle.  Moreover, it will also burn calories and raise your resting metabolism–both of which will lead to fat loss.  Every exercise plan should include moderate amounts of strength training.  At the very least, try to target each part of your body at least once per week.

That’s it!  Follow those three simple guidelines, and you’ll decrease your body fat and increase your lean muscle mass–no matter what your weight or size!

Health Tidbits

•    The Food Pyramid is coming to your local supermarket.  Link 

•    Extra pounds increase risk of death from prostate cancer.  Link 

•    Beverage companies pay for all those studies about "healthy" drinks.  Link 

•    Adding milk to your tea blocks the health benefits.  Link 

•    The more TV your kids watch, the more likely it is that they’ll get fat.  Link 

•    Folate may help prevent Alzheimer’s disease.  Link 

•    Pre-teen years most dangerous for weight gain in girls.  Link 

New Year’s Resolutions

Are any of these goals on your New Year’s Resolutions List?

•    Lose weight
•    Eat healthy
•    Exercise more

Most people make some type of health-related resolution on January 1.  But are you really ready to meet those goals?

A recent MSNBC.com article examined the 4 major steps needed to lose weight for the New Year.  Interestingly, only step #4 was "Eat right and exercise more."  Steps 1 through 3 focused on mental and emotional preparation.

This article serves as a great reminder: If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

Here’s a simple way to stay on track:

Purchase a planner.  The type that shows one week or day at a time is best, since you’ll need plenty of space to write things down.

Pick a planning day. Perhaps it will be on Sunday, after the kids are in bed and you have the upcoming week’s schedule available.  Maybe Monday morning–after the kids are in school–you can carve out some planning time.

Plan your diet. Go through your planner and write down what you intend to eat each day during the week.  Plan every meal–even making a note about what time you plan to eat, too.

Plan your exercise.  On your planning pages, note what exercises you plan to do each day.  Schedule workouts just as you would any other appointment, like a doctor’s visit.

Journal throughout the week.  Each day, jot down the meals you actually eat, as well as the workouts you complete.  You’ll be able to see an instant comparison between what you planned and what you actually did.

Don’t get discouraged if you stray from your plan every once in a while!  Maybe you had an unexpected meal, or you had to skip a workout.  No one is perfect.  But by planning your diet and exercise program, you’ll be much more likely to stick to your plan most of the time.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Warm wishes to all for a very merry Christmas and a holiday of peace, joy and love!

New Feature

If you’re interested in tracking my personal fitness journey–which includes posts about my diet and exercise routine–check out "My Personal Fitness Blog."  There’s now a link to it in the About Me category in the left column.