Summer Fitness Tips

During the summer, the best time to exercise outside is in the early morning or late evening. Avoid working out in the middle of the day when the temperature is at it's highest. For stretching, breaks and cooling off, choose to find comfort in the shade. Try SmartSole Exercise Insoles to help you burn more calories with every step and turn your everyday footwear into toning shoes. The sun can be very draining and cause heat exhaustion. With the heat, you will perspire more and lose lots of fluid so hydration is key. Drink as much water as you can to help replace the fluids lost in perspiration. If you want to be hydrated but also crave some flavor, drinking flavored water is a great way to go. Coconut water is also an excellent substitution for traditional drinking water. It's a great alternative because not only does it help with hydration, but it also contains potassium, which helps prevent muscle cramping due to exercise.

Foods That Are Good For Your Skin: Part One

Avocados are loaded with skin-beautifying deliciousness. A nice serving of guacamole contains: omega-3 fatty acids, which support strong cell membranes; antioxidant vitamins A and E; B-complex vitamins, lecithin, to protect and strengthen cell walls; and potassium, to support new cell growth. They also host a slew of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds -- including phytosterols, carotenoids, flavonoids, zinc and folate -- that fight free radicals and repair, soothe and renew skin and tissue on a cellular level. FlaxVibrance with flax hull lignans and milled chia seeds is another great source of antioxidants

Blueberries contain some of the highest antioxidant levels of any food, especially when fully ripe, and contain skin-healing, anti-inflammatory properties. The deep, purple-blue color is a reflection of the pigment-rich antioxidant phytonutrients, called anthocynanins, shown to improve the integrity of collagen in skin and inhibit photoaging (sun damage), according to a study in the Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology. A super healthy and delicious breakfast is Greek Yogurt with blueberries and the flax seed and chia seeds blend in FitFlax.

Cruel Shoes: Part Two

You've done bad things to your feet in inappropriate shoes. Your symptoms will vary based on the silliness of the shoes, and the amount of time you subjected your feet to them. It's possible you have foot swelling, or even cuts and scrapes. The higher the heel and skinnier the stiletto, the bigger the ouch factor. Some people may not be able to walk for hours or a full day Solutions to get your feet feeling better fast include yoga toes stretching and foot exercises. The Achilles Tendon and calf muscle becomes tight from high heels, so its important to actively perform stretches. Also, the nature of high heels causes the toes to buckle and contract, and can specifically result in hammer toe. Yoga is an excellent method to stay stretched. SmartToes Toe Stretchers provide relief for hammer toe and bunions and aid plantar fasciitis treatment. Perform simple range-of-motion exercises of the ankles as it keeps the blood flowing within the foot and can help remove excess fluids (swelling) in the lower leg. This is best accomplished by moving the foot up, down, left, right, and in circles.

Get Some Sleep

Losing sleep may make you fat — or at least, fatter than you would otherwise be. In a study by Harvard researchers involving 68,000 middle-aged women followed for 16 years, those who slept five hours or less each night were found to weigh 5.4 pounds more — and were 15 percent more likely to become obese — than the women who slept seven hours nightly.

Between 1960 and 2010, the average night’s sleep for adults in the United States dropped to six and a half hours from more than eight. Some experts predict a continuing decline, thanks to distractions like e-mail, text messaging and online shopping. Habits that ruin sleep include less physical activity, less time spent outdoors, and poor attention to diet. Start each day with a great breakfast and get some exercise. Try greek yogurt and berries with the Flax Seed and Chia Seeds blend in FitFlax, A good night’s sleep is much more than a luxury. Its benefits include improvements in concentration, short-term memory, productivity, mood, sensitivity to pain and immune function. FlaxVibrance with Flax Hull Lignans and Milled Chia Seeds is a super immune booster and a great source of antioxidants.

Getting To The Middle

A study from the department of physical therapy at the University of Illinois reported that sedentary people on a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet lost pounds, but few inches from around their middle. The combination of low carb and a high fat diet should be combined with regular exercise, even if it's just increasing your walking. SmartSole Exercise Insoles help you burn more calories with every step and turn your everyday footwear into toning shoes.

Cruel Shoes

Three common foot problems often associated with high heels and pointy-toe shoes are:

The Bunion: This is a bony prominence on the inside of the foot at the big toe joint and looks like a knob. A bunion forms when the big toe is pushed towards the second toe. A bunion is not the overgrowth of bone, rather the subluxation of the big toe joint over time. When surgery is indicated, it typically involves the breaking and resetting the dislocated bone with a screw(s). The surgeries involves six to eight weeks of recovery.

A Hammer Toe: This is a condition where a toe becomes buckled or crooked. Thick calluses may form on pressure spots. A common surgery, when indicated, involves removing the knuckle of the deformed toe. A wire holding the toe steady protrudes from the tip of the toe for several weeks.

Tight Calf Muscle (Equinus): Long term use of high heels are thought to cause shortening of the Achilles Tendon, resulting in more pressure being placed on the ball of the foot. Many foot surgeons consider this an underlying cause of several foot problems such as bunions, hammer toes, flat feet and others. Stretching may help counteract the problem. When surgeons believe this problem is pathologic, they may recommend lengthening of the Achilles tendon or cutting a muscle in the calf. SmartToes Toe Stretchers provide relief for hammer toe, bunions, yoga toes, as well as plantar fasciitis treatment, and also works to relieve stress to aching joints.

How Long Are Your Telomeres

The UK newspaper, The Independent reported on a blood test that claims it can show how fast you're aging -- information that could potentially predict how long you'll live. The test measures the length of a person's telomeres -- structures on the tips of chromosomes that researchers believe can indicate aging. Age influences the length of telomeres since every time a cell divides, its telomeres are shortened. But genetics also influence telomere length. A $700 test, expected to be on the market In Europe by the end of the year, uses telomere length to give you a 'biological age' -- and this could be years younger, or older, than your actual age. And scientists say the information can provide insight into a person's risk of illness such as heart disease, Alzheimer’s and cancer. FlaxVibrance with Flax Hull Lignans and Milled Chia Seeds is a super immune booster and a great source of antioxidants. Studies have shown that when lignans are present in high amounts in the blood and urine, women have a reduced risk of many chronic diseases including breast cancer and cardiovascular disease.