Chick Lit Plus by Samantha March

Latest Youtube Videos

Can Exercise Cause Headaches?
Updates

Can Exercise Cause Headaches?

Do you experience frequent headaches, even migraines, during a workout? If so, you are not alone. According to research from the National Headache Foundation, approximately 45 million people in US suffer from chronic headaches and migraines, and 70% of those feel pain when exercising. Fitness magazine ran an article in their March volume about the link between exercise and headaches, and some of the triggers I read about surprised me. Keep reading to see all the triggers and how you can prevent the pain.
Trigger: Improper Breathing. While doing intense activity, it is not smart to hold your breath. This will rapidly increase blood pressure, being a cause for a sudden headache. You need to remember to keep breathing throughout any exercise, especially those with high intensity such as sprinting.
Trigger: Sudden Sprinting. This can also include not warming up before a workout. Going from sitting to all out running or another form of cardio can be detrimental to the body. Making sure to warm up and fully stretch before working out to help your body adjust to the increased blood flow.
Trigger: Your Food Choices. If I know I am going to be doing an intense workout, I will try to eat a banana before heading off to the gym. But I learned that if you are prone to having migraines, this can actually be worse for you. Amino acids found in soy, citrus fruits, bananas, yogurt, and nuts can bring on the headaches. Fitness suggests drinking a protein shake or munching on whole crackers about 30 minutes before your workout.
Trigger: Dehydration. Too little water in the body can ‘lower pressure inside the arteries that supply blood to the lining around the brain,’ so aim to drink about 8 ounces of water an hour before your workout. Also, if you exercise for 30 minutes, it is wise to take a break and drink another 8 ounces to ward off any pain.
Trigger: Poor Posture. Fitness reports that 75% of tension headaches stem from muscle strain in the neck, because of poor posture during common exercises such as crunches. The suggestion to help get over bad posture? Yoga. Research has shown that after 3 months of yoga, the frequency and intensity of migraines can be greatly reduced. I know yoga is one of my favorite activities, because even after a workout I feel my posture has improved and I have more awareness of my body.

Practice these moves if you often get exercise headaches while working out, and check out Fitness Magazine for more healthy fitness tips!

March 19, 2010
2 Comments
Healthy Recipe: Egg White Muffin Melt
Chick Lit Plus

Healthy Recipe: Egg White Muffin Melt

I woke up early this morning to try to fit in a hearty breakfast, something other than my usual bowl of Fruit Loops. So I woke up, strolled in my kitchen, and stared at my fridge. Then in my cupboards. Then back in the fridge in case I missed something the first time. But no, there was nothing in my kitchen that was going to turn itself into a yummy, healthy morning meal. Bummed, I settled by making myself some toast on whole wheat bread. Mmmm.
Luckily, I found some recipes that seem simple enough for me to complete, and still healthy and fulfilling to keep me going until lunch. One of my favorites is an Egg-White Muffin Melt. Even sounds simple, doesn’t it? The ingredients are easy and the time to cook it wouldn’t take long in the mornings. Check it out courtesy of Fitness Magazine online:
Ingredients
3 egg whites
Whole-grain English muffin
1/2 cup spinach
1 slice reduced-fat cheddar cheese
1 slice tomato
Make It
Scramble 3 egg whites. Cover half of a whole-grain English muffin with 1/2 cup spinach and the other half with 1 slice reduced-fat cheddar cheese; toast until cheese is melted. Add egg and 1 slice tomato.

March 9, 2010
Leave a comment
Is Running in the Cold Harmful?
Updates

Is Running in the Cold Harmful?

One question that often arises in the cold winter weather is the safety of running in the frigid temperatures. I noticed that when I run outside or even just walk outside when the temperature dips below freezing that my lungs start to almost burn and it can become pretty painful. But a post on FitnessMagazine.com can bring relief to runners- there is no danger when running outdoors. The burning sensation may be irritable, but is simply because the air you are breathing in is colder than the air in your lungs. The lungs begin to work to try to make that air coming in warmer, which can cause rapid water loss, therefore making you feel that burn. While there is no danger, you can try to wear a scarf around your nose and mouth to sidestep any irritation.

February 16, 2010
Leave a comment
Will Water Clear Your Skin?
Chick Lit Plus

Will Water Clear Your Skin?

As a lover of carbonated drinks, I have been trying to cut back my consumption of soda and other juices that aren’t the best for my health. My solution? Bringing a water bottle with me to work and drinking water throughout my 8 hour work day. I also bought a Brita water filter for my house, because my tap water does not taste good at all and I now can drink healthier, better tasting water instead of sugary juices at home. I was so proud of myself switching to a healthier alternative, and I even heard that drinking lots of water would help improve my skin. I got even more excited after hearing this, and upped my drinking level from about 3 full water bottles to five full water bottles during my work day.

Sad to say, I got an email from FitnessMagazine.com filled with fun pointers and facts today, and one of their little facts mentioned that drinking water (no matter how much or how little) will improve your skin. Darn. Water is still good for your overall health, but will not help hydrate and improve skin. What will help? Apply a lotion or moisturizer to your face right after you get out of the shower. That will help trap the moisture and you will begin to see improved results.

January 29, 2010
Leave a comment
Best & Worst Vending Machine Snacks
Chick Lit Plus

Best & Worst Vending Machine Snacks

I just signed up for a health program though my work called Live Healthy Iowa. I have teammates from my work area and we motivate one another to work out and eat healthy. I think this program is great not only because it is focusing on getting healthier, but the online tools and resources we are able to utilize are a fabulous perk! We can monitor our weight, measurements, workout activities, food and more. I also get a daily fitness tip in my email each morning, and got a free 1 year subscription to Fitness Magazine! Alright, I’ll quit bragging now and fill you in on the real reason for this article. I was browsing on the Live Healthy Iowa website and saw an article on the best and worse vending machine snacks. To my complete sadness, all of my favorite snacks topped the ‘worst’ list. Here is the list according to Live Healthy:

The Worst:
1. Drake’s Apple Fruit Pie
440 calories, 27g fat, 7g sat fat, 8g trans fat
The Bottom Line: Nutritional nightmare

2. Austin Cheese Crackers with Cheddar Cheese
210 calories, 10g fat, 2g sat fat, 4g trans fat
The Bottom Line: A trans fat fest

3. Pop-Tarts Frosted Strawberry
420 calories, 10g fat, 2.5g sat fat, 40g sugar
The Bottom Line: For sharing only
4. Doritos
250 calories, 13g fat, 2.5g sat fat, 2g fiber
The Bottom Line: “Nacho” best option
5. Skittles
250 calories, 2.5g fat, 2.5g sat fat
The Bottom Line: More calories and fat than Twizzlers
6. Cheez-It Baked Snack Crackers (27)
160 calories, 8g fat, 2g sat fat
The Bottom Line: No fiber, no protein
7. Ruffles Original
160 calories, 10g fat, 3g sat fat
The Bottom Line: Nothing but empty calories

8. Cheetos Crunchy
160 calories, 10g fat, 1.5g sat fat
The Bottom Line: Not great, but could be worse
9. Twix
280 calories, 14g fat, 11g sat fat
The Bottom Line: More “bad” fat than a Snickers
10. 3 Musketeers
260 calories, 8g fat, 5g sat fat, 40g sugar
The Bottom Line: Lower fat, but still candy

The Best:
1. Planters Sunflower Kernels (1/4 cup)
160 calories, 14g fat, 1.5g sat fat, 4g fiber
The Bottom Line: Full of healthy fats

Second Best
2. Baked! Lays Original
210 calories, 3g fat, 0g sat fat, 4g fiber
The Bottom Line: Surprisingly fiber-full

Other Smart Snacks
3. Sun Chips Original
140 calories, 6g fat, 1g sat fat, 2g fiber
The Bottom Line: Made of whole grains
4. Snyder’s of Hanover Mini Pretzels (20)
110 calories, 0g fat, 0g sat fat
The Bottom Line: Naturally fat-free
5. Smartfood Reduced-Fat Popcorn
120 calories, 5g fat, 1g sat fat, 2g fiber
The Bottom Line: Low fat, and has fiber!
6. Peanut M&M’s
250 calories, 13g fat, 5g sat fat, 2g fiber
The Bottom Line: Just don’t go nuts

7. Fig Newtons
190 calories, 0g fat, 0g sat fat, 2g fiber
The Bottom Line: It’s fruit!
8. Nature Valley Granola Bar, Oats & Honey
180 calories, 6g fat, 0.5g sat fat, 2g fiber
The Bottom Line: Beats hunger
9. Planters Honey Roasted Peanuts (39)
160 calories, 13g fat, 1.5g sat fat, 6g protein
The Bottom Line: High in protein
10. Quaker Chewy Low-Fat Granola Bar, Chocolate Chunk
110 calories, 2g fat, 0.5g sat fat, 1g fiber
The Bottom Line: Guilt-free chocolate

January 22, 2010
1 Comment