Source: http://greatist.com/grow/what-is-metabolically-healthy-obesity?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=feed_http–greatistcom-

The message that obesity is unhealthy is drilled into our heads. We see reports on the news, watch shows like The Biggest Loser, scrutinize celebrities as they struggle with gains and losses, and the resounding message is this: “Drop the weight. Being fat is no good.”

But what if it’s not that simple? What if obese isn’t a catch-all equal to “unhealthy?”

In fact, recent research sheds light on a subgroup of obesity, called metabolically healthy obesity (MHO), in which obese individuals do not show an increased risk for negative health issues often associated with obesity, such as metabolic syndrome or cardiovascular disease.1 As researchers work to better understand MHO, one thing is clear: Obesity is a nuanced condition with a diverse set of possible outcomes.

The Need-to-Know

MHO is generally described as an obesity phenotype: physical characteristics in a person that result from interactions between environment, lifestyle, and genetics.1 But researchers aren’t in agreement over the exact definition, which makes MHO complicated to study. One study using body mass index (BMI) found the prevalence of MHO in obese individuals ranged from six to 36 percent (depending on how you define it).

Age and body-fat distributio…

Source: http://greatist.com/eat/changing-definition-of-healthy?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=feed_http–greatistcom-

With all the wellness philosophies out there today, it’s safe to say healthy is in the eye of the beholder. While a hearty turkey chili may be the epitome of health for you, it doesn’t even come close to virtuous for a vegan.

Although the boundaries of what’s considered healthy may be blurred for the American public, they’re far more black-and-white for the government agencies that manage our food supply.

Take, for example, the newly released 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines, developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture. They call for Americans to follow a “healthy eating pattern,” which includes an appropriate amount of calories, nutrient-dense foods, and limited amounts of added sugars, saturated fats, and sodium.

Fair enough. Yet the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provides an even stricter definition of “healthy,” along with a long list of regulations regarding food labels. According to the FDA, a food may be labeled as such if it meets the following requirements:

low in total fat (three grams or less per serving) low in saturated fat (one gram or less per serving) limited amounts of sodium and cholesterol provides at least 10 percent of the daily value of one or more of the following nutrients: vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, calcium, protein, and fiber

(There’s an exception for fish and meat, which can have up to five grams of fat and two grams of saturated fat …

Source: http://www.sonima.com/food/polenta-recipe/

In the slowing season of winter, I want comfort, ease, simplicity, and stability. I want my food to be warm and nourishing. I want bowls of vegetables and grains that, by virtue of their own inner brightness, lend me back some of the light lost in the season’s darker skies. I want real food, whole food, calming food. ShareTweetPlusPin

This polenta recipe is exactly that—a quick, simple meal that will fill you up, warm you with a kick of garlic and red chili flakes, and strengthen you with the super powers of mineral rich dark leafy greens, whole grains, and Greek yogurt. 

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Serve this bowl any time of day. Particularly lovely accompanied by a fried egg for breakfast or brunch.

The post Polenta and Broccoli Rabe Bowl appeared first on Sonima.

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Source: http://greatist.com/live/why-hangovers-get-worse?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=feed_http–greatistcom-

In college, we’d stay out until 2 a.m. and wake up for an 8 a.m. lecture with hardly a headache. Now, a few drinks the night before plus an early wake-up call is a recipe for cotton-mouthed, head-pounding disaster.

No, you’re not just imagining it: Mornings after are getting worse as you get older. The culprit (besides too much tequila): your slowing metabolism, the source of most age-related tricks and fun.

Breaking It Down

There’s a reason you always felt pretty great in college—biologically, we’re operating at peak capacity, says Constance Scharff, Ph.D., director of addiction research at Cliffside Malibu, a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center in California. We can treat our bodies as less than a temple and bounce back pretty quickly.

But as we get older, our bodies become less and less efficient, Scharff says. Your metabolism plays a big role in working alcohol through your liver, and, based on your DNA and diet, it starts slowing down over time. So while your liver may have been able to clear alcohol’s byproducts out of your system in an hour or two in your early 20s, as you age, it takes more and more time (how long exactly depends on the individual).

The science behind hangovers is still pretty hazy, Scharff says, but it comes down to our mitochondria easing up as we age. Essentially, the fewer “oxidative enzymes” you have (which mitochondria use to get rid of acetaldehyde and acetate, the toxins alcohol deposits in your bloo…

Source: http://greatist.com/live/science-of-boob-sagging?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=feed_http–greatistcom-

To bra or not to bra? It’s an age-old question. For years doctors assumed that bras helped keep our breasts perky, but then a French study argued they actually make the ligaments under our boobs weaker, which in turn makes them saggy. This hilarious video from Stuff Mom Never Told You explains that neither theory is correct.

Genetic traits like skin elasticity, tissue density, and breast size are the real culprits for ptosis (a.k.a. boob sagging). Even if you’re one of the lucky ones, gravity will get to all of us eventually. And factors like pregnancy, obesity, and smoking can affect your sag no matter what genes your momma gave you.

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tinybuddha/~3/y1KLVjw5U1s/

“Holding on is believing that there’s only a past; letting go is knowing that there’s a future.” ~Daphne Rose Kingma

Growing up, we’re told to follow our heart and make our dreams come true. Granted, there are some naysayers who tell us we won’t ever be able to make it happen and maybe it would be better to think of an alternative. But the people who love us and want us to find happiness, they believe in us and encourage us to follow our dreams.

I have amazing parents, friends, and family who always believed in me, who always said anything is possible—and I believe them.

When I decided, in my late teens, that I wanted to be an actor, my parents were behind me 100 percent. They were a little startled at my choice since I had always been so shy, but they supported me all the way.

All the way to drama school, all the way to moving to London to be in the thick of it, all the way through my twenties while I followed my heart and did bits and pieces of acting here and there.

All the way to New York to train further, all the way through profit-share productions, short movies, touring open air Shakespeare, local repertory theatre, and all the way to the television roles I started booking.

It was a tough journey, but fin…

Source: http://greatist.com/move/barre-workout?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=feed_http–greatistcom-

Our chances of twirling alongside Misty Copeland onstage? Low. But our chances of nailing this totally accessible barre workout from Grokker? High.

You don’t have to be a ballerina—or have taken any dance classes—to get a great workout from this week’s video. All you’ll need is a chair with a high back and some light handweights (water bottles will also work), which are optional at one point in the workout. For 20 minutes, you’ll do a variety of stretches, plies, and lunge variations, then move to the floor for abs and glute work.

The warm-up and cool-down are included, so whenever you’re ready, press play to start.

Interested in more short and effective at-home workouts? We have thousands waiting for you on Grokker, the one-stop shop online resource for wellness. Join Grokker today and get 14 days of FREE unlimited at-home workout classes.

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Source: http://www.fannetasticfood.com/2016/01/21/the-winter-shape-up-is-coming/

Hello my friends! Before I get into my food + fitness highlights from the past few days, I wanted to share some exciting news: the annual “Winter Shape Up” that I co-host with personal trainer Gina of The Fitnessista is launching on Monday!

As you know, we’ve co-hosted this fun and free challenge on our blogs for the past few years now. You’ll get 4 weeks worth of daily workouts (from Gina) and 4 weekly meal plans (from me) to inspire you to kick off your new year on a healthy note! You guys know I’m not about anything extreme, and this is no exception – it’s not a diet or a weight loss plan, just a fun way to encourage each other to get or stay active and eat healthy in a sustainable, balanced way.

Want to joi…

Source: http://greatist.com/live/instagram-star-body-positive-post?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=feed_http–greatistcom-

Scrolling through Instagram—with all of the food porn and gym selfies—is enough to make us feel not so great about ourselves. (Our smoothie bowls never look that pretty, and we’re basically a puddle of sweat after working out). That’s why this Instagram from Fit Body Guide trainer Anna Victoria is so refreshing.

Yes, real people—even super fit ones—have stomach rolls when they sit down. It’s just the way bodies are built! We could all use more of this honesty on our Instagram feeds. See the full post, including her awesome body-positive message, below:

There are two reasons I want to share this with you ladies: One reason is because I want you to know having skin fold over on your stomach when you sit or to have “rolls” is not anything to hate or be ashamed of.

The other reason is because while I say this, there have been times where if I ever found myself in front of a mirror where I am sitting and I see my stomach, I automatically think “ew!” because this is what society has conditioned me to think.

Your stomach does not have to be perfectly flat to be healthy, your stomach does not have to be perfectly flat for you to love yourself, and your stomach does not have to be perfectly flat to be confident and beautiful and an all around amazing person.

As a society, we shouldn’t let physical characteristics set the standard for whether we deserve to love ourselves or not. Everyone deserves to love themselves, however …

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tinybuddha/~3/WwpzVt30MkQ/

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” ~Mark Twain

It occurred to me one day, while staring at my computer at work, that I have always been uncomfortable with the idea of having uncertainty in any area of my life.

I plan my schedule rigidly, including what social/extracurricular activities I’m going to do over the next week. I take very few risks, and when I do take one, I vow to never do it again. You could say I live life very safely and am a “stick to the rules” kind of person.

At this moment, I am feeling anxiety from thinking about all the things I have no control over.

I am about to finish graduate school with a doctorate in biology and I have no idea what I’ll be doing next. Will I actually submit my thesis by the March deadline? What will the peer review process be like for my publication—will it require me to delay my graduation?

This can even go further into my personal life. Where will I be living next? Who will I be with? Will I get married within the next five years? Will I be happy where I am?

As I sit here and think of these…