I have conflicting feelings about summer in New York. On the one hand, I find that New Yorkers appear happier, energized and more health-focused during the timespan of May to August. I don't have statistics for that; I'm just innately sensitive to my environment and moonlight as a professional people-watcher. New Yorkers are inspired to exercise more regularly (gold medal to the gentleman who recently started running 50 laps around my block every morning) and make better dietary choices, in obvious dread of bathing suit season. For some, summer is definitely motivating and provides reason to get back on track after a long winter — but others live in fear of one too many lobster rolls, hamburgers or bottles of Corona. It's scary out there, guys! As dramatic as that sounds, these fears are not unfounded. With the influx of summer getaways, weddings, graduation parties, BBQs (let's throw in Sunday afternoons, for fun), even the most disciplined person would have difficulty staying afloat. Summer feels like a perpetual vacation — which is a fabulous and much- needed break from our real lives — however, eating like we are on a constant vacation will only make us feel lethargic and elicit a less than stellar impact on our waistlines.

So let's get down to business. It's very easy to fall off the wagon while inundated with all of these food-focused events. But as I've said before, the key to life and food is balance and moderation, so no need to run for the hills at the sight of the guacamole bowl. Speaking of guacamole, if you are at a BBQ or other event where appetizers or snacks are served prior to the main meal, use a small plate to help guide appropriate portion sizes. Place appetizers on a plate and sit down to enjoy them, instead of picking and grazing all afternoon. This is where most people get into trouble, as they are unaware of how many calories they are consuming by mindlessly munching on appetizers. The chips and mini hotdogs add up!

Obviously don't restrict yourself from these goodies, but it's important to put these food items on a plate and sit down. Trust me, you will consume many fewer calories this way than if you try to dodge the plate situation and pick all afternoon. No one likes a double dipper anyways. It is also crucial to avoid arriving at an event in a state of utter starvation (my mom taught me this piece of advice years ago and it always stuck with me- thanks mom!) I get it, you want to save your appetite for all the delicious food coming your way, but let me tell you, this is a lose- lose situation. Here's why — if you arrive ravenous to a party, you will likely go overboard on appetizers, consuming an excess of calories and ruining your appetite for the main attraction. If you have a small snack prior, you will feel satisfied and be able to focus your sights on more important elements, like socializing, as opposed to the chip bowl. On that note, alcohol also absorbs faster on an empty stomach and that's not a good look on anyone. So err on the side of caution and have a small, protein- rich snack before leaving the house–you'll thank me later.

Although I do believe that the scale is beneficial for weight management, it is important to recognize that if you gain a few pounds after a weekend vacation or wedding circuit, this number is not a permanent fixture. Do yourselves a favor next time and don't hop on the scale the day after a big party or trip — your body needs time to adjust and normalize appropriately. We all fluctuate so the scale shouldn't dictate how you think of yourself or squash your good feelings from the previous weekend. Pick yourself up and keep moving forward. A few days of clean and mindful eating will push that number right back down. So moral of the story — whether you pride yourself on strong self- discipline or not, summer is hard for all of us. The temptation is overwhelming and all of the traveling on weekends makes it difficult to establish a solid routine. But New Yorkers are always up for a challenge. Don't allow yourself to get caught in the pitfalls of your summer social calendar. Think for yourself, always come prepared and most importantly, enjoy spending time with family and friends — and if all else fails, take comfort in the fact that Labor Day will arrive before you know it.

- Huffington Post

Want to improve your career prospects? Running is the answer. Research carried out at Rhode Island College found that exercise such as running boosts creativity and concentration by increasing brain activity for up to two hours after a workout. This means going out for a run in the morning really is the perfect start to the working day. A similar study into people in training for the New York Marathon found the planning and dedication required for running improve people’s ability to effectively set goals, organise their time, and stay disciplined. 

Cure insomnia 

If you have trouble getting enough sleep at night, running could be the solution you have been looking for. A study from Northwestern Medicine found that regular running can lessen and eventually cure insomnia. As well as helping people fall asleep faster, running also improves both length and quality of sleep. As you’d expect this is partly due to the tiring effects of running, but it also serves to relax muscles after the post-endorphin boost and helps to create more efficient energy levels amongst regular runners.

Alleviate depression 

A review carried out at Harvard University concluded that cardiovascular exercise such as running can improve the mood of those with mild or moderate depression. This is because of the endorphins that are released when running, commonly referred to as the ‘runner’s high’. Even in cases of severe depression, exercise can be used as a training method to gradually alleviate the severity of the depression. This could even replace the need for the use of antidepressant drugs in cases where people respond particularly well to running. 

Improve your joints

No doubt you’ll have heard that the high impact nature of running is bad for your joints, so you’ll be happy to hear the opposite is actually true. Although these injuries are common amongst runners, in the long run runners are in fact less likely to develop osteoarthritis in their joints. Weight loss associated with running is of course a big factor in this. However, running also helps to develop joint and muscle strength, and in the long run this helps to prevent the onset of osteoarthritis.

Improve your sex life 

That’s right – running that extra lap could get your motor running in the bedroom as well. One reason for this sex life improvement the self-confidence developed by regularly running, in terms of both your body image and energy levels. Studies have backed this up. Research carried out by the Endocrine Society found that running can increase the production of testosterone in men, as well as decrease instances of hypogonadism, a condition linked to erectile dysfunction and a lowered sex drive. Libido also increases in men as a result of the weight loss caused by running, as a loss of abdominal fat means more blood is able to flow to the penis.

Slow ageing

There’s no miracle cure for growing older, but running certainly can slow the process down somewhat. Archives of Internal Medicine published a study which showed elderly people who regularly jogged were around half as likely to die prematurely from diseases such as cancer than those who didn’t run. As well as improvements in heart health, those in the study who were regular runners had healthier joints, were less likely to suffer from neurological diseases and infections. The older members of the study were only running for around 80 minutes a week, but this still left them better off than their sedentary counterparts. 

Boost your immune system 

Runners are generally less likely to become ill, suffer from viruses and infections, and take days off work due to illness. This is because of the immune system boosting effects of running. Running clears the lungs of airborne bacteria, halts the growth of bacteria through increased body temperature, and improves the circulation of protective cells throughout the body. However, overtraining can actually have the opposite effect on your immune system, so make sure you’re not overdoing it.

- Yahoo

Q: I've been really good about doing my workouts and eating right, but I'm about to go on vacation with my family. I want to have fun and not be too strict, but I don't want to fall off the wagon completely! What do you recommend?

A: Here's what I suggest — EXERCISE! Even if you overindulge a little, you'll stave off weight gain by exercising daily. Second, I would say that you should eat the foods you want, but in moderation. Have a bite of cheesecake, for example, but don't eat the whole slice.

Be smart about your indulgences too — don't waste your calories. Instead of having a poolside margarita, say, opt for a white-wine spritzer or a light beer. Frozen margaritas have a whopping 700 calories. Think of your calories as an allowance: Save on calories where you can, and spend them on things that are really worth it, like pasta!

- Jillian Michaels

Some low carb diets (such as South Beach) rely on the glycemic index as a way to decide which foods to choose. The glycemic index sounds complicated, but it's just a way of getting an idea of how a food is likely to affect blood sugar. This FAQ tells what factors in a food affect its glycemic index, and why glycemic index might not be the best way to look at the affect of foods on blood sugar.

Answer: Carbohydrate is not all created equal – even with equal amounts of carbohydrate, some foods will cause a higher blood sugar rise than others. The higher the glycemic index (GI), the higher the glucose response in the blood. Many low carb diets take glycemic index and/or glycemic load into account when making diet recommendations, aiming to avoid a large blood sugar rise.

Some factors that affect GI: Processing (puffed cereals have a much higher GI than the grain they came from), ripeness of fruit (unripe bananas can have a GI of 43, where overripe ones have been clocked at 74), protein content (soy beans have a lower GI than other beans), fat content (peanuts have a very low GI), fiber (orange juice has a higher GI than oranges), and how small the particles are (whole grains have a relatively low GI, but grinding them into flour shoots up the GI).

One criticism of the glycemic index is that since it the scale was created on a standard amount of carbohydrate per food (50 grams), it doesn’t give people information about the amount of food they are actually eating. A common example is carrots. Carrots do have a high glycemic index, but to get 50 grams of carbohydrate from carrots, you have to eat 4 cups of chopped carrot.

For this reason, the concept of the glycemic load was created, which takes serving size into account.

- About.com

1. Keep Up Your Routine. One of the best ways to say fit and healthy during the summer holidays is to keep to your routine as much as possible. Be sure to get your rest and shoot for 8 hours sleep. It’s much easier to pass up extra food if you are well rested. Get to the gym or do your workouts regularly. Remember, exercise increases your energy and reduces your cravings!

2. Bring something healthy that you enjoy to the holiday BBQ. It’s hard to be surrounded by our favorite foods and not to overindulge. So bring something to the party that you enjoy eating and that is healthy. Summer has an abundance of fresh, local and organic produce. When it comes to the other foods at the party/picnic take a tiny portion of all that is offered, so you can have a bite of everything. Eat slowly and savor the taste, the color, and the texture of each bite you take. Remind yourself there will be more BBQs and parties all summer long. You don’t have to eat it all at once!

3. Limit Your Alcohol. Save the alcohol until after you’ve eaten something with protein (nuts, turkey, cheese). All that sugar on an empty stomach will just spike your blood sugar levels. When your levels plummet, you’ll end up ravenous! Alcohol also quells our inhibitions (it’s harder to say no to yourself) and that often leads us to mindlessly snacking on chips and dip ending up consuming larger quantities than planned. Remember to drink water between alcoholic drinks as both the alcohol and the heat are dehydrating. Try mixing a bit of seltzer with a small amount of fruit juice for a refreshing and satisfying drink. Staying hydrated will help you with any potential residual affects the next morning, and will also help you sleep better that night.

4. Emotional Connections to Food. Any holiday or special occasion that includes food can be infused with emotional connections that we may not even recognize. For example, every 4th of July your family may have a tradition of serving ice cream. The memory of that cake can be a strong emotional food connection. Consuming sugar releases serotonin, the “feel good” hormone. So when we reach for the cookies, brownies and such, we may be striving to feel happier in the moment. But if we are conscious of the connection between sweets, serotonin, and feeling better, we can help ourselves feel better by naturally increasing our serotonin levels in healthier ways, such as going for a walk in nature and having a laugh with a friend. Go for the fresh veggies first. Fresh veggies can tame a sugar craving! Then, if you want to taste more, go for a small portion of your favorite sweets. The trick is to delight your taste buds without overloading on sugar.

5. Starvation Before an Important Meal May Backfire. Some people decide to starve themselves in preparation for a big meal or party. If you arrive starving, it will be just that much harder to keep yourself from eating everything in sight. Why sign up for disappointment and self-judgment? If you eat some protein at breakfast and then a light lunch with protein before the party, you will be much less likely to overindulge. Make a plan in advance of the party such as starting with veggies and salad with a burger, no bun and a small sweet for dessert. Setting a goal in advance of the party will help you stick to the plan. Another option is to enlist a friend for support.

Regardless of the celebration, remember to focus on the people you are with and the conversation flowing around you. Take a moment to be thankful and appreciative of all the abundance in your life. All these things “feed” us, and when we are nourished this way, food and drink fade in importance, rather than being in the spotlight. When we are successful at putting our attention on the good things in life, the law of attraction draws even more to us.

An estimated one in four women experience knee pain on a daily basis, and women are also more prone to knee injuries than men, earlier research has shown. Given that data, researchers at the Loyola University Medical Center sought to explain this increased risk. After analyzing the jumps of several athletes, they determined that the leaping positions of female athletes increased their odds of injuries, particularly tears of the ACL, one of four major knee ligaments.

“Women tend to land with the knees straighter and feet rotated inwards, compared to men who tend to land with more of a bend in the knee and the feet rotated slightly outward,” says Dr. Patrick McCulloch, an orthopedic surgeon with the Methodist Center for Sports Medicine in Houston who was involved in the research. “This puts the knee in a better position to absorb shock.”

When these same experts put female athletes through a six week training program designed to recalibrate their jumping technique, those women reduced the likelihood of ACL injury by up to 50%. 

That program included plenty of exercises to strengthen the muscles around the knees, which is one vital part of reducing injury risk, Dr McCulloch says. “A training program which (among other things) focuses on landing with good technique and learning to develop and recruit the hamstrings can create the muscle memory that stays with the athlete going forward,” he advises.  

Unfortunately, some of the factors that put us at increased risk of knee injury—smaller ligaments than men, and different hormones—can't be changed. But exercises to strengthen the quads, hips, and glutes can all help eliminate pain and keep knees safe from future injury. “When the surrounding muscles are strong, they take pressure off the joints, which allows for greater activity with fewer aches and pains,” says Jordan D. Metzl, MD, sports medicine physician at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City.

Exercises like squats and lunges are must-dos (see how to master them with How To Get A Better Butt and 9 Exercises You're Doing Wrong). If you hate squats, use a resistance band and focus on these 3 knee-saving exercises instead.

And be smart about your fitness routine. While we love plyometric exercises, like jump squats, they're not a good idea for anyone with degenerative conditions or arthritis, Dr. McCulloch says. Instead, he recommends a low-impact fitness program. 

-Prevention 

Previously, weight-loss experts have said you should focus on your diet first and then concentrate on exercise; but the study, which appears in this month’s Annals of Behavioral Medicine, said focusing on both right up front is the way to go.

However, study author Abby King, a professor of health research and policy and of medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine, said “if you need to start with one, consider starting with physical activity first.”

King and her team looked at published studies in which more than one change was made to health habits – and the results were conflicting. She also noticed researchers hadn’t really looked at what happens when people attempted to change more than one habit at a time. That’s what made her decide to start her own investigation.

King’s focus was on people who said they didn’t have enough time to think about changing their diet and exercise at the same time. She thought if she could find it worked for that group, then it could work for any group.

Researchers recruited 200 people over the age of 45 who were not regularly exercising or eating healthy for the study. The participants were randomly assigned to one of four groups, and all of them were coached over the telephone for one year.

One coach helped the group make changes to both diet and exercise – at the same time. A second coach tackled diet first, then exercise. A third coach encouraged the group to worry about exercise first and their diet later.

The fourth group was a control group – so they didn’t concentrate on diet or exercise, but rather how to manage stress.

All the groups had to maintain the U.S. guidelines of eating five to nine servings of fruit and vegetables per day, making sure calories from saturated fats were less than 10 percent of their total intake, and exercise for at least 150 minutes per week of moderate activity.

The most successful group was the one who changed their diet and exercise at the same time, despite having a busy lifestyle. The group who concentrated on fitness first found the next-best results.

King said she thought coaching over the phone played a key role, since the study’s participants were already so busy. Telephone sessions did not last more than 40 minutes at a time, and sometimes they lasted only 10 minutes.

King’s study was funded by grants, which were provided through the National Institute on Aging and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.

- Fox News

Most of the time, bloating is caused by seemingly benign actions. Maybe you drank out of a straw earlier that day. Maybe you ate your lunch a little too quickly. Maybe you munched on just a bit too much raw broccoli for a snack. Kristi King, a registered dietitian at Texas Children's Hospital and a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, explains that bloating itself is more of a feeling — that pressure in the lower part, and sometimes upper part, of the abdomen — while the actual sensation of a "swollen" belly is called abdominal distention.

Bloating is most often a result of gas or increased salt intake. When it's the latter, the culprit is eating too many sodium-heavy foods, which leads you to retain water, King explains. But bloating can also be triggered by excess gas, which is caused when particular foods you eat sit in your stomach or aren't digested properly. The bacteria that live in the gut hone in on the sugars in those foods, breaking them down and producing gas, which can lead to bloat.

To beat bloat, King suggests several easy tips. For starters, quit smoking. Bloat can occur when you suck in the excess air as smoke is inhaled from the cigarette. In the same vein, eating more slowly could also help; when a person eats rapidly, he or she takes in more air with each bite — and that air gets trapped in the stomach and has to come out some way. Ditto with drinking through a straw; it leads to more air being trapped inside your stomach. Taking probiotics to maintain a good balance of good gut bacteria could also help relieve abdominal discomfort (though King recommends talking to your doctor about this approach), as might drinking water, since it helps to move the digestion process along. Exercise is another way to beat bloat.

"The gut is the second brain of the body; it's going to react to any kind of stress and anxiety that the body might be experiencing," King tells HuffPost. "Exercise can help to increase blood flow to various parts of the body, including the gut, so exercising on a regular basis — 30 to 60 minutes every day — might help with reducing bloating as well."

If you find yourself frequently experiencing abdominal discomfort, it could be a good idea to keep a food diary to track what you eat and how those foods make you feel, she says. And in general, certain foods are more bloat-inducing than others. Some of the more common culprits include:

Cruciferous vegetables. Greens like broccoli, brussels sprouts and cabbage contain sulfur and a carbohydrate called raffinose, both of which are hard for the body to break down. Cooking helps to break these compounds down, though, so while it's certainly healthy to eat your greens, cooking these particular vegetables first could help to reduce bloating. Baked beans are another bloat culprit.

Dairy. Dairy doesn't cause bloating for everyone, but many people have some kind of lactose intolerance, which is when the body doesn't have the necessary enzyme to break down the lactose sugar. "Because they don't have that enzyme, it can cause increased gassiness because that sugar is not broken down," King says. "So dairy products, if you're lactose intolerant, may cause increased bloating." It's a similar case for people who have a gluten intolerance; some people's bodies are unable to break down gluten, which is found in many grains, including wheat and barley, which can also lead to bloat.

Fatty foods. Eating a really rich, heavy, fatty meal can lead to bloating because fats are the last thing to leave the stomach. "Any type of fat takes longer to digest than carbohydrates or protein," King says.

Junk food. Because many junk foods are high in fat and sugar, this double whammy can lead to bloat. "What actually happens with the sugar is, one, you're fueling the bacteria in your gut to start eating those sugars that are being digested, so they may produce more gas," King says. "But sugar also empties from the stomach very quickly … It's one of the first things that goes into the intestines, which can cause cramping." She says this could explain why after eating a sugary pastry or a cup of soda, you may feel extra gassy and experience cramping sensations.

- Huffington Post