Young girls who consume sugary drinks on a regular basis are more likely to begin their menstrual cycle earlier than girls who don’t, found a new study conducted by Harvard Medical School.
The researchers looked at more than 5,500 girls between the ages of 9 and 14 who had not started their menstrual cycles yet. The girls were tracked over a five-year period, with questions about their diets, including the consumption of soda and other sugary drinks. The researchers controlled for other factors that influence the onset of the menstrual cycle such as height, weight, activity levels, food consumption and ethnicity.
Read MoreLooking to strengthen your core without spending hours doing hundreds of sit-ups a day? Go for the burpees instead.
Not only are burpees better at toning and building muscle in your core than sit-ups, they are also big calorie burners.
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One of the biggest challenges in keeping our fitness goals is time. We don’t have the time to workout, is a common excuse. Between kids, work and you know, breathing, sleeping and eating, there’s often little time for anything else.
Of course, we also know by now that committing to regular exercise is significantly important for our health. It adds years to our lives, prevents diseases, makes us look and feel better.
That all sounds terrific, but when are we supposed to do this? According to the New York Times, see if you can make a bit of time in the morning, before you eat to get some exercise in, especially if weight loss is a goal for working out.
“There is some evidence that working out on a completely empty stomach — or, as scientists call this woozy, wee-hours condition, ‘in a fasted state’ — prompts the body to burn more fat and potentially stave off weight gain, compared to exercising at other times,” Gretchen Reynolds wrote in the Times.
Reynolds points to a 2010 study where subjects consumed 30 percent more calories and 50 percent more fat while either exercising after breakfast, no exercise at all, or exercising before breakfast. Of the three groups, only the men who exercised before eating saw no weight gain despite the additional calories. The sedentary group gained about six pounds each and the post-breakfast workout group gained about three pounds.
“Of course, the early-morning exercise prevented weight gain, which is not the same thing as inducing weight loss,” Reynolds writes. “But the results are encouraging for those who hope to shave off a few pounds.”
It’s at least a good way to keep yourself from adding on weight from not doing any exercise. Committing to a fitness program can be more difficult in the midst of a busy day. And for many people, working out later in the day or early evening can make it more difficult to fall asleep. Which makes a pre-breakfast workout sound even more appealing to achieving your fitness and weight loss goals.
Image: adifanset
The Global Opportunity Report, which was released yesterday in Zurich, revealed how businesses are embracing sustainability, despite five major challenges.
The report, launched by DNV GL, UN Global Compact and Monday Morning Global Institute, looks at the challenges: extreme weather, fresh water scarcity, urbanization, non-communicable diseases and extractive fossil fuel activity. The findings are based on more than 6,000 consultations in both the private and public sectors in more than 21 countries. The report aims to make the challenges more approachable and turn them into sustainability opportunities, offering more than 120 solutions for businesses around the world in various sectors.
The report found that younger generations, specifically those under age 30, as well as female leaders, are significantly more optimistic about overcoming the challenges, and have faith in sustainable “green” choices to offer solutions to many of the challenges the planet is currently facing.
“I believe that one of the most interesting findings in the report is how young leaders under 30 years of age, people in emerging economies and also women embrace regulation as a strong tool for sustainable change,” Henrik O. Madsen, Group CEO and President of DNV GL said in a statement. “It is very likely that the decision makers of tomorrow will be found in these groups, and it gives us hope that we can see a stronger collaboration between the private and the public sector in the future.”
“The report findings are encouraging and concerning at the same time,” says Erik Rasmussen, founder of Monday Morning Global Institute. “The strong interest in pursuing sustainable business opportunities in the private sector is very positive. Yet, the governmental sector seems to be more reluctant and not seeing the same opportunities. This is a pity. Governments can play an important role by issuing regulations that support both sustainability and business ventures. Business and governments must share visions and initiatives.”
According to the report’s findings, respondents in China, India and South America have the most confidence in sustainable opportunities, while respondents in Europe were most cautious. “Respondents from China see the greatest potential when assessing whether they can benefit from pursuing the 15 opportunities. China is closely followed by India and South America.”
“Businesses across the planet are not shying away from global risks such as climate change, and increasingly recognize the positive benefits of seizing the related opportunities,” Georg Kell, executive director of UN Global Compact said. “The report confirms that there has been a turning point, where private sectors are now a critical driver of sustainable development with emerging economies in the front seat.”
You can read the full report here.
Image via citirecruitment
A bad diet isn’t the only way to an early grave. A recent study finds inactivity may be even more damaging than being overweight or obese.
The study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, was conducted by University of Cambridge researchers, who found that as many as 676,000 deaths per year in Europe come from inactivity, versus solely weight-related deaths that are about half that number.
The researchers looked at 334,161 Europeans over the course of 12 years, monitoring activity levels and the subjects’ waistlines, noting an increased risk of cardiovascular disease among the most inactive. Diabetes was also rampant, particularly among those who were both obese and inactive.
"The greatest risk [of an early death] was in those classed inactive, and that was consistent in normal weight, overweight and obese people," one of the researchers, Prof Ulf Ekelund told BBC News.
According to Ekelund, decreasing the number of inactive people in Europe by just 7.5 percent would prevent the 676,000 deaths noted earlier.
He recommends simple steps anyone can take to increase their activity levels. "Twenty minutes of physical activity, equivalent to a brisk walk, should be possible for most people to include on their way to or from work, or on lunch breaks, or in the evening instead of watching TV," he told the BBC.
Prof Ekelund noted that reducing obesity is also a very important step in decreasing these mortality rates, but, he said “I do think physical activity needs to be recognised as a very important public health strategy."
Sitting at your desk reading this article? Stand up and stretch a bit, run in place, do some jumping jacks, or pop this article open on a mobile device and read it while walking (just make sure to watch where you’re going). It could save your life. At the very least, it will make it healthier.
Image: H o l l y
Still scared of carbs? Fear not—especially if you’re looking to build muscle mass.
Granted, not all carbs are created equal. That donut will never do you any favors, even if it’s organic, gluten-free, non-GMO and vegan. Just put it down and walk away…or rather, walk towards healthy carbs that can help you build muscle.
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