Did You Know . . . .

Posted Apr 25 2011, 3:00 am

. . . that a raw potato has more vitamin C than an orange?  The heat from cooking kills the vitamin C.  One of my favorite snacks as a kid was raw potato with a smidge of salt.  Try it sometime.  Yum!

. . . that one of the best ways for cold germs to enter your body is through your ear canal?  It’s like my mama always preached, “Cover your ears!”  Especially on cold, windy days.  What have you got to lose, except maybe a nasty head cold?

. . . that if you feel thirsty, you’re almost a third dehydrated?  Drink water (that’s plain H-2-O) throughout the day to keep healthy.

. . .that you burn more body fat when it’s cold?  Shivering activates “brown fat” which is about 1% of your total body fat.  “Brown fat” is located at the back of the neck and around the kidneys.  Activating this “brown fat” helps the body burn calories while at rest.  So turn those thermostats down in the winter months.  It’ll not only help conserve energy, it’ll burn an extra calorie or two.

. . . that the best time to work out, metabolically speaking, is between the hours of 5pm and 8 pm?  Our bodies’ metabolisms naturally slow down around 5pm, in anticipation to going to sleep.  If you hit the gym after work, you’ll have a longer post-workout caloric burn and will probably sleep better. 

. . . that drinking green tea is a great way to relieve stress?  Green tea is full of antioxidants which can soothe and allow “cooler” heads to prevail. 

. . . that walking is the best exercise?  It’s low-impact, but still weight bearing which helps ward off osteoporosis.  Walking might not be as glamorous as running, but who actually won the race between the tortoise and the hare?

. . . that you can gain weight, but still lose a dress size?  It’s true.  With a consistent regiment of weight lifting, you gain muscle mass – which is heavier than body fat – and your muscle mass, along with “brown fat” then helps your body burn “white fat.”  So lift your way to a smaller dress size. 

. . . that if you’ve got any questions or have a topic you’d like to discuss, email me:  lynda@lyndabailey.net.  Have a great week!

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