America's Addiction

Hello dear readers!  

I hope you are all doing well on this lovely Tuesday morning (almost afternoon).  For many of us, I would hazard to say almost all Americans - we have a serious addiction.  An addiction that often causes iritability, sleeplessness (or worse sleep!), headaches, and the list goes on.  An addiction, to sugar.  Why?  Practically all of the foods you consume today have sugar in them.  If its not added natural sugar, then its refined sugar.  If its not refined sugar, its fake sugar.  Either way you slice it - its sugar, and its addicitve.  Highly addictive.   For most of us, this picture rings true however, whether you realize it or not, is another story. 


 Fun Fact: Today, an average American consumes 2-3 pounds of sugar each week. While at the end of the 19th century (1887-1890), the average American consumed only 5 lbs. per year.

    


Check out the pictures below.  Even drinks that claim "natural" sugar, or make "healthy" claims, have sugar.  More then you probably thought.    How about this thought: do NOTHING different to your diet and exercise habit but add only ONE glass of apple juice every day.  In one year, you will gain 10lbs.





      
   
   


Enjoy your Tuesday everyone!


 Stay tuned. 

Sneaky Ways to Burn Calories

Hello dear readers,

Look at how faithful I'm being!  Two posts in a row!  Told you I'd be back.

I thought you all would be interested in this... how do we burn calories, without really "working out?"

Here are 8 "sneaky" ways...

1. Don't sit still! If you're a nervous leg bouncer or pencil tapper, you're in luck. On average, fidgeting can burn between 300-350 extra calories per day, though that number will vary widely depending on your fave form of fidgeting. (For example: pacing will burn more calories than table drumming.)

2. Laugh...a lot! According to a Vanderbilt University Medical Center study, "Ten to 15 minutes of laughter could increase energy expenditure by 10 to 40 calories per day, which could translate into about four pounds a year."

3. Spice it up! Research shows that chili peppers can boost your metabolic rate, causing the body to burn 50 more calories a day.

4. Chomp away! Chewing gum burns roughly 11 calories an hour. Make sure you use sugarless to avoid added calories and cavities. Extra credit for walking at the same time.

5. Clean up! Don't groan at your to-do list, thank it: light housework like dusting and laundry burns 170 calories per hour. Tackle bigger chores like washing the car or cleaning the gutters and up your burn to 204 calories per hour.


6. Shop 'til you drop! Roaming the aisles and swiping the credit card is more taxing than you think. The typical grocery shopping trip incinerates 156 calories per hour. Up that burn even more by parking far away from the store, carrying your groceries to the car yourself, and multiple trips to bring them inside. Just don't ruin that burn by filling your cart with junk.


7. Drink up! According to Men's Health, drinking eight pints of ice water a day will cause your body to expend 123 calories of heat to warm that water to body temperature. When it comes to water, the colder, the better.

8. Just dance! Just 20 minutes of dancing can burn 100 calories. If you don't have the smoothest of moves, just turn down the shades, crank up the tunes and go nuts!


*Calories burnt are based on a 150lb woman

Stay tuned.

Obesity - making your fuel efficiency go down.

Hello dear readers!

So amongst blogging about fun ways to help you stay fit and healthy, I've also decided to take a look at the newest obesity, health, and fitness news.  I'll read the article, summarize it, and add a few thoughts.

This article definitely caught my attention.  They made the claim that the more obese you are, the more your fuel efficiency decreases.  A pretty bold claim if you ask me.

"Allstate Corp.’s The Allstate Blog says obese Americans are hurting the fuel efficiency of vehicles, contributing to more than 1 billion gallons of fuel wasted each year."


Did you catch that?  1 BILLION GALLONS OF FUEL WASTE.  

That, is intense.  

Or check this out...

"In 2000, the airline industry said it used 350 million more gallons of fuel than it did in 1990 just to haul the additional weight Americans gained during the decade, Centers for Disease Control researchers say"

Wow.  That's all I'm sayin...wow!

Stay tuned.

Dear Readers: My Apologies

I will write soon - hopefully today, maybe tomorrow.

Life has just gotten a little too chaotic, but I miss writing dearly.

I will come back to you very, very soon.

Promise.

Until later,

Samantha