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You know it’s important to include vegetables in your diet regularly, but most days it’s much easier said than done.

On a good day, some green beans or broccoli might end up on your plate at dinner, but other than that your meals are lacking in the veggie department and you’re not sure where to start when it comes to upping your intake.

Why eat more veggies? Put simply, by eating more vegetables you’ll increase your intake of both unsaturated fats and fiber, nutrients that support better overall health and even weight loss. Plus, whole foods like vegetables and fruits are nutrient-dense, meaning they provide our bodies with the vitamins and minerals needed to function optimally. These nutrients also play a role in reducing your risk for chronic diseases.

Essentially, eating more veggies is one of the best ways to establish and maintain good health and also a healthy weight.

Below, two dietitians share easy-to-follow tips to help you learn how to include more flavorful, fun vegetables at every meal of the day.

I feel a special affinity for the giant tortoises of the Galapagos. Like me, they are large and slow. Unlike me they are green, a hue I only achieve when I've had too much to eat or drink. They also live a very long time, well over 100 years on the average. Maybe that's the trade-off -- move slowly, live long. I can only hope.

I met the tortoises, plus a bunch of other animals, many unique to the islands, on a recent land-based, multi-sport adventure run by Adventure Life, my hosts on this trip. Unlike the more familiar and popular ship-based tour, this trip was active, very active. If we weren't hiking, we were kayaking. If not kayaking, then biking. Plus lots of snorkeling. To borrow a metaphor from Woody Allen, my wife and I — ages 69 and 72, respectively — believe that like the sharks of the Galapagos, we would die if we ever stopped moving.

#travel #adventure #animals

Have you ever stopped to think about how the foods you eat might affect your brain? Many of us know that certain fats provide heart health benefits or that protein is important for building and maintaining muscle mass, but the benefits that our brains acquire from eating nutritious foods aren’t discussed as frequently.

Have you ever stopped to think about how the foods you eat might affect your brain?

Many of us know that certain fats provide heart health benefits or that protein is important for building and maintaining muscle mass, but the benefits that our brains acquire from eating nutritious foods aren’t discussed as frequently.

Knowing what types of foods will help support and protect your brain is actually pretty important, though — and especially when it comes to being proactive about preventing depression, Alzheimer’s disease and even cancer.

See the best foods for brain health.

#food #health #diet #nutrition #healthy eating

Sure, coastal beaches and tropical islands may be what first come to mind when thinking of summer vacation destinations.

But when it comes to outdoor recreation and even beachside relaxation, America’s lake towns have just as much, if not more, to offer.

Ask almost anyone who’s been and they’ll tell you Australia is easily one of the most thrilling and adventurous countries in the world.

From opportunities to see and interact with some of the world’s most unique and fascinating species (both on land and at sea) and backcountry beach camping, to big wave surfing and everglade kayaking, this wild and expansive continent truly has no shortage of exciting expeditions to choose from.

Top Vacation Spots for Fitness Fanatics

No matter what type of destination you’re itching to visit, and no matter what your favorite way to work out is, you can easily combine your passion for both exploration and exercise at one of these top fitness-focused vacation spots.

#fitness #travel #fitblr

10 Ways Exercise Makes You Happy

Isn’t it funny that we often think of exercise as a burden?

It makes us feel good, yet it’s still so hard to choose the gym over something like Netflix. And if necessary, many of us could come up with a million and one excuses for why we don’t have even just a little bit of time to work up a daily sweat.

But what if we had a better understanding of how exercise makes us happy? And not just during and directly after the fact, but the lasting effects that permeate into all areas of our lives.

Maybe a close look at the bigger picture could help us see the deed in a more positive light. Maybe we could look at it not as a chore, but something to look forward to and even enjoy.

It goes way beyond endorphins, losing weight, and looking good. It’s about creating the one thing that almost everyone in this world is after, a happy life.

Here’s how exercise can help your pursuit.

#exercise #fitness #fitblr #happiness #health #wellness

Expert Tips for Beating the Winter Blues

“When the ‘winter blues’ hit, what we notice is often low energy and motivation, feeling down, and frequently, also a pull to isolate. Often, that can actually make the mood worse,” says Simone Hoermann, Ph.D., a private–practice Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Adjunct Assistant Professor at Columbia University.

“It can be helpful to be mindful of that tendency to want to hide out and stay away from it all, and to acknowledge it, and then to try to act opposite to that pull. Instead of isolating, trying to connect with family, loved ones, and friends.”

If cloudy winter days and chilly temperatures have led you to feel slightly sad, melancholy, and un-energetic, try lifting your spirits and improving your mood by incorporating the following tips and tricks into your daily routine.

New study finds a sedentary lifestyle could double the risk for premature death

We can all easily come up with plenty of excuses not to exercise, but perhaps one of the best reasons to make sure that you incorporate some movement (even just a small amount) into your day on a regular basis has been outlined in a new study, which found that not exercising is likely more detrimental to your health than being obese.

Strength training builds more than just muscle

Because of the way “meatheads” and “gym bros” are portrayed in popular culture, weight lifting and even gym culture in general seems pretty intimidating, especially to newcomers who are unfamiliar with the environment.

Yes, the gym, and especially the weight section, can be an intimidating place, but the benefits that you can gain from strength training by way of lifting weights, are way too incredible to pass up just because you’re worried about what a group of “muscle-y” gym members might think.

In fact, if you pay a visit to the weight section of your gym you’ll most likely find yourself among a diverse group of members. Yes, there will be some "bulky" guys lifting heavy weights, but you’ll probably also encounter other men and women of all different shapes, sizes, and abilities.

And if you join them by deciding to begin a regular weight lifting program, you’ll begin to reap countless health benefits such as reduced body fat, a decreased risk for heart disease, and decreased blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Plus, what many people don’t realize about lifting weights is that in addition to the physical benefits you’ll gain, it has the ability to expand your life in so many other ways.

Here are just a few of the ways you might see your life improve when you start lifting weights.

chrisburkard

Stoked it’s Friday! Just a few more hours to cruise through ‘til the weekend.

www.chrisburkard.com

#ChrisBurkard#ChrisBurkardPhotography #Yosemite #Skate #Cruise #Friday

theactivetimes

Almost there!

#the final countdown #yosemite #national parks

Mountaineer Alan Arnette is attempting to summit the highest mountains in the world

Mountaineer Alan Arnette of Ft. Collins, Colo., is embarking on a bold project to summit all 14 of the 8000 m mountains in five years. It is unique in two ways: he is 58 years old, and his motivation is to raise $1 million to find a cure for Alzheimer's, the disease that took his mother and two aunts.

Device opens up new applications for wearable tech

German researchers recently created a small shoe-sized device that derives power from the motion of walking.

In the journal Smart Materials and Structures the researchers describe the new technology as “inductive energy harvesters which exploit different characteristics of the human gait.”

#tech #running #gear

Dietitian-Approved Tips for Healthy Meal Planning Made Easy

Have you ever set an intention to eat healthy (whether for the day, for a week or even a whole year) only to find that your objective becomes thwarted when you're presented with more seductive options?

Like when you’re confronted with a doughnut platter at a morning meeting or you’re too hungry to think about anything that involves more effort than a pre-packaged, frozen TV dinner after work.

Situations like these can make it difficult to adopt consistent healthy eating habits, but with a little bit of forward thinking in the form of meal planning you can stick to your good intentions by avoiding them almost entirely.

“Meal planning puts healthy eating at the top of your to-do list,” says Elle Penner MPH, RD, Registered Dietitian and Food & Nutrition Editor at MyFitnessPal and a member of the California Dietetics Association and Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “Putting you back in control of what you eat. By doing it, you commit to at least some home cooking each week, which is healthier and more nutritious than dining on take-out and packaged meals.”

#meal planning #food prep #fitblr #fitness #health #diet #nutrition

Older cyclist’s bodies perform like young adults in new study, further cementing the importance of exercise in aging

#fitness #health #wellness #science

losingweightinthecity

In Defense of the January Joiners

The January Joiners. The Resolutioners. You know who I’m talking about. The newbs at your gym that make it difficult for you to get on a machine or into a class.

theactivetimes

"Fitness has really changed my life, and I want that for everyone else, too. So, be nice to your January Joiners, even if they are a little clueless! Though statistics show they probably won’t stick around much longer, let’s hope that this year is different for them."

#fitblr #gym #exercise #fitness

People all over the world spend tons of money on beauty products to counter the effects of aging. They buy creams, serums, and gadgets in the hope that looking their best will help them to feel their best as well, but creating beauty from the inside out just might be a more effective approach.

One of the best ways to achieve a beautiful, youthful glow is to make sure that you are getting the proper balance of nutrients your body needs to maintain vibrant health, and there are a whole host of superfoods that are particularly rich in vitamins and minerals that can help you achieve luminous skin, lustrous hair, and the unmistakable radiance of someone who is wholesomely nourished.

Here are a few of my favorite anti-aging superfoods and the ways they can help you achieve a beauty that is more than just skin deep.

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