Why Diet Pills Don't Work

Many people are looking for the fast way to lose weight, and who can blame them? We are all busy people with too much to do in a day and eating well AND exercising doesn't make balancing all our priorities any easier. A lot of people go on fad diets, or some other ridiculous method to lose those unwanted pounds, and while they are all unhealthy, they are not as harmful as diet pills.

Considering there are many kinds of diet pills, I will be focusing on one specific type that is misleading because it does in fact show results very quickly, but will not lead to constant maintenance of the lower body weight. These are stimulant pills. According to Drugs.com, this pill will cause your blood pressure to rise, insomnia, and quicken your heart rate. This is due to the drug, or drugs like, phentermine. 

The drug does a good job in speeding up metabolism as well. This increased heart rate and metabolism do wonders for losing weight. The increased heart rate specifically burns the water weight that you have, which will make you lose a pound or two, but that kind of weight will end up coming back. Another thing the increased heart rate can cause is cardiovascular problems, including heart attacks, according to prevention.com The problem with this kind of drug is that overuse can easily lead to dehydration. There Another problem is the increase in the metabolism will cause you to gain more weight when you are off the pill because your body becomes reliant on the pill, according to drugs.com.

So next time you think about buying that "insanely effective" diet pill, consider what it may be doing to your body before you take it. Always make sure you do your research on it, because it's better to be aware than be skinny.

Benefits of Hiit

HIIT, or High Intensity Interval Training, is a quick alternative to traditional steady state cardio work outs. It consists of short bursts where you give all you have followed by short rest periods and goes in a cycle for typically about 30 minutes.

This workout is incredibly effective at burning fat as it pushes you to go your hardest and gives you only a small amount of rest time. According to the American College for Sports Medicine, there are many other benefits to it to, which include improvement in cardiovascular health, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels. 

The reason you should pick this as your next excersize is because this workout enables you to keep burning calories even after you are done working out! The ACSM states that the two hour period after you get done doing HIIT training is when the body is recovering from the workout and due to the intensity of HIIT the recovery requires more energy. This leads to more calories being burned, and more weight falling off. To top it off, you don't lose muscle mass when performing HIIT training. This gives some an options if they want to lose fat, but not the muscle they have.

While steady state cardio has been a staple in fitness for a long time, the benefits of HIIT training continue to stack up and this option can be exactly what some people are looking for. It gives you more improvement in your health, and can help you lose any unwanted fat. As a bonus, it will take less time than regular cardio, which I think everyone can get on board with. Want to know more about HIIT training? Visit the American College of Sports Medicine informational webpage to get more details on starting your workout! https://www.acsm.org/docs/brochures/high-intensity-interval-training.pdf

Helping the Bees in Winter

 Bees, for an insect so small they have a huge impact on our society, and we need to do what we can to protect them. Even during the winter. According to Dominique Mosbergen a reporter at The Huffington Post, over 65 percent of our plant species depend on bees for pollination. Bees are said to be responsible for one out of three bites of food we eat.
Mosbergen also states in her article that "U.S. beekeepers have lost more than 42 percent of their honeybee colonies since 2015." This is the second highest lost rate that beekeepers have had in nine years.
Bee experts however have many ways that everyone can do to lend a helping hand to bees. Even though some bees hibernate in the winter, there are still actions that you can take in the wintertime.

Plan your spring garden!

Its always a good idea to get a head start on planning your garden for the spring, keep the bees in mind. Plant brightly colored flowers, and if available choose plants native to where you live. Crocus and wild lilac are great in the spring! Visit The Honeybee Conservancy website to find out more details on how to plant the perfect garden for the bees!

No pesticides or chemicals! 

These chemicals can be toxic to the bees. Only use these methods if it is completely necessary. Do not apply chemicals when wildflowers are in bloom. Target the problem area instead of using an aerial application. Do not spray when it is windy, or when you are near water.

Buy Locally! 

Although it is important to buy everything locally. Honey is best to buy local because commercial beekeepers are not as humane. According to Mosbergen Commercial beekeepers may use chemicals on the bee hives and feed their bees high fructose corn syrup.

Another benefit of buying local honey is you can develop an immunity to local pollen. Goodbye allergies!



You can always do your part to help the bee's by donating to the National American Pollinator Protection Campaign. 

You Name It!

What better way to prepare for Thanksgiving than naming off foods and dancing?

Dance challenges are nothing new to social media, but this Thanksgiving the "U Name It Challenge" took the sites by storm.

Singer, Chris Brown began the craze when he uploaded a video of him dancing to a remixed version of a Pastor Shirley Caesar Sunday sermon. 

Chris Brown's #UNAMEITCHALLENGE

 

The singer captioned his video #UNAMEITCHALLENGE and the challenge went viral.

"I got beans, greens, potatoes, tomatoes, lamb, ham, hogs, maws.....You name it!" Shirley Caesar's voice-over a musical track. 

Family Sings You Name It Challenge

With the mention of so many foods, the fun-filled challenge came just in time for the Thanksgiving festivities. Celebrities, families, and fans alike showed off their creativity and dance skills while bragging on their grandma's cooking. 

Shirley Caesar says no twerking while doing 'U Name It Challenge'

Pastor Shirley Caesar spoke on the viral challenge that featured a part of her sermon.  

According to NBC News, Caesar told TMZ, "I'm really excited about everything that's going on," she said. "When you look and see all the gyrations and especially the women. I can even put up with the dancing but all of the shaking and the twerking and all of that. I just want everybody to know that I am a gospel singer, I am a born again believer, I'm a pastor, and I don't even want anything to bring a reflection on what I stand for."

As the week of Thanksgiving ends, the challenge dies down and social media awaits the next viral trend. 

Happy Healthy Holidays

It's that time of year again. With family gatherings and Christmas parties approaching fast, soon it will be time to start baking and menu planning. Pies, cookies, dips, eggnog and "mystery" fruitcake are just a few of the items on the holiday menu and if your trying to lose weight or keep those extra holiday pounds off, this season could pose a problem. Katherine Brooking MS, RD from Cooking Light lists some helpful "do's" and "don'ts" that can help keep Christmas dinner under control. 


First up on the list of healthy "do's" are sweet potatoes. Full of vitamin C, fiber, potassium, antioxidants and beta-carotene, this potato tastes just as good as it is healthy. Cranberries are another healthy holiday choice as they are packed with potassium, fiber and antibacterial properties.

Cocoa, our favorite holiday drink, makes it onto the list of healthy choices thanks to dark chocolate's antioxidant flavonoids which help lower systolic blood pressure (about 30g is the recommended daily serving of dark chocolate). Turkey, high in protein and low in calories, and green beans, full of iron, manganese, folate and vitamins to name a few, also make Brooking's list of healthy choices.

Then there are those holiday treats that are definitely not as healthy as they are tasty. Eggnog, rich in calories and saturated fat, comes first on Brooking's menu of "don'ts" followed by the ever-present calorie-loaded dips. Instead, Brooking suggests dipping into salsa or hummus with veggies. Creamy soups and mashed potatoes come next due to their tendency to be carry saturated fats and calories. However, by cutting out the pasteurized whole milk and butter we tend to overuse when preparing these dishes. Lasts on the menu of "don'ts" is pecan pie. One slice of this pie is loaded with sugar and over 500 calories.

So when it comes to planning your holiday menu or filling your plate at the countless upcoming Christmas parties, steer clear of those calorie and sugary treats. Choosing healthier alternatives like a sweet potato dish or roasted green beans is the best gift you can give your body this holiday season.

Ice Cream Happiness

Do you love ice cream?

If you answered yes, then Elle Magazine might have great news for you. Yoshihiko Koga, whom is a professor at Tokyo's Kyorin University has been working on a new study. This new study is that  eating ice cream for breakfast will improve your mental performance. Professor Koga has been having volunteers carry out clinical trials in which the volunteers have to eat ice cream right after waking up. Once they have eaten the ice cream they then have get on a computer and attempt a few mental exercises.




Yoshihiko Koga is a psycho-physiology expert, this is the study of the relationship between the body and the mind. His research focuses on how certain meals and scents have an effect on stress. You can learn more about his career here.



The studies that Professor Koga has conducted claim that those who had not consumed ice cream had slower reaction times than those that did. Those who had ate ice cream were faster and were better at information processing. Though Katie O'Malley of Elle says that "surely freezing-cold ice cream first thing in the morning is just as shocking to the system as a cold shower." I know I am certainly more awake after a cold shower, skeptics of Koga's study had the same claim. Professor Koga tried this same experiment with cold water and although there was an increase in alertness and an increase in mental performance, it was not as obvious as the effects of ice cream.

While this new study definitely seems delicious, ice cream for breakfast everyday is probably not the healthiest choice. But everyone once in awhile can't hurt, right? Any excuse to eat ice cream, I know I certainly won't argue. Next time you have a test or a big day at work maybe try a bowl of ice cream! 

Time to Warm-Up!

With Thanksgiving over and Christmas just around the corner, the temperature is finally beginning to drop while the panic of the holiday and finals week is only rising. During this season of the year, we get stressed, distracted and tired, making it all too tempting to skip the exercise our body needs. "I don't have the time" or pushing exercise off until "tomorrow" are excuses all of us, myself included, have used. Luckily, there's a way to schedule in exercise this holiday season, and it only takes 10 to 20 minutes 3 to 5 times a week. It's called burst training and according to Dr. Axe, it's an easy, safe and efficient way to lose weight and burn fat.

Because of these reasons, burst training or HIIT (high intensity interval training) has been growing in popularity. In the words of Dr.Axe, HIIT "involves exercising at 90-100 percent of your maximum heart rate for 30-60 seconds followed by 30-60 seconds of lower intensity exercise or resting."

One of the great aspects of burst training is how accessible it is. Many of the exercises don't require equipment, so it's not neccessary to have a gym membership. All you need is some open space. Seems simple enough, but what kind of exercises are part of burst training? Dr. Axe gives a few examples such as running in place, jumping jacks and jumping rope. Squat pulses and high jumps are also good burst exercises.


These are only a few burst training exercises. Some exercises that I find work well for burst training are burpees, jumping squats, push ups and bicycle abs. Exercises like these are a great way to get your heart rate up and burn fat. Here's one of Dr. Axe's burst training videos!

The Host with the Most: Thanksgiving Edition

Hosting this years Thanksgiving feast and feeling overwhelmed with all the cooking that has to be done? Thanksgiving is a time for people to get together and enjoy great food, but it takes a lot of work and sometimes a lot of stress to make the dinner perfect. Thankfully, Reader's Digest, has tips and tricks to make this years Thanksgiving stress-free.

If this is your first time cooking Thanksgiving dinner, keep it simple! Stay with the basics, Turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and cranberry sauce. Stick with what you know! Make the dishes you are comfortable making, don't try a new recipe on Thanksgiving. If you do want to try a new recipe, try a test run of the dish a couple of days before.

The key to a smooth dinner is not being afraid to ask for help. This does not have to be a one man show. You can also make dinner a potluck, have everyone can bring their favorite dish. Have people come over early to help, or people can stay later to help out cleaning dishes. I know one of my favorite things to do at Thanksgiving was to help out in the kitchen as much as I could. You can pass down your favorite recipes to the children in your family, have them help you make them.

When picking out a turkey, allow about a pound per person. Buy your turkey a few days before dinner and allow it to start thawing in your refrigerator. Visit the USDA website to find out the proper way to thaw, cook, and store your turkey. Use a thermometer when cooking your turkey! I personally have had the pop up thermometers on my turkey be faulty more times than not. It is always a smart idea to have a meat thermometer in your turkey to ensure it is cooked long enough but won't be overcooked.


I have been helping my Mom cook Thanksgiving dinner since I have been able to stand. Cooking has always been a passion of mine. Now that I am older I am in charge of making the turkey and all the devious sides. Using all of these tips I was able to get though Thanksgiving with ease. 

Why You Should Travel To Mexico

There has been many things said about traveling to Mexico. Whether it is safe or not, or if it's really worth it. Coming from someone who was born and raised there, I can tell you that there is absolutely nothing to worry about. With the site of beautiful cities, beaches, deserts, forests and more, trust me when I tell you that the last thing you will think about is crime.

I've traveled to many different countries and continents, and though I might sound biased, nothing beats the food and culture Mexico has to offer. The streets of its cities are filled with colors, the museums resemble the culture we have and the beaches, oh the beaches, they are the most beautiful beaches you will ever see (or at least one of the most beautiful beaches you will ever see).

If you're a city person, you must go to Mexico City. I was born and raised in this city and through out the years I lived there, I experienced nothing but happiness. On top of it being Mexico's capital, it is the city with the most museums in the world. Just in this city, there are museums, cathedrals, pyramids, and the only castle in North America to house actual sovereigns. You definitely don't want to miss seeing any of these when you visit Mexico.

If you are looking to escape the city for a few days or more, Mexico has you covered. With 450 beaches, you will more than likely find your ideal one. If not, let me suggest some that have been absolutely memorable to me:

Los Cabos, Baja California Sur

#1. Los Cabos. Seriously, why would you not want to be here any time of the year? Los Cabos will give you that relaxing vacation you were looking for your whole life.

Cozumel

#2. Cozumel. A beach with one of the clearest, bluest water. This beach/island is also great for scuba diving.

Cancun, Quintana Roo 

#3. Cancun. Though I am not a big fan of going to beaches that are super touristic, I do enjoy going to Cancun for fun activities like surfing. This beach is one of those places where if you think you know it, you probably don't. Every time you go, you find out that there are many more things to see and do and new experiences to live.







There are many things that aren't covered in the media about this beautiful country. We usually see the bad side of Mexico, but in reality that side is very minuscule compared to the beauty and greatness my country holds. Visit Mexico and I promise you won't regret it.




To read tips about traveling to Mexico and additional places to visit and additional things to do, go read Nomadic Matt 's blog for an easy and fun travel guide.

The Answer to Stress

Whether you're struggling to finish that term paper in time or hurrying to complete a project at work, stress affects everyone in practically every situation. For many people, instead of bringing "holiday cheer" the upcoming season will only bring even more stress and worry. Luckily, Reader's Digest offers some helpful advice on how to combat work-related stress, what the World Health Organization has termed "the health epidemic of the 21st century."

The journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise recently published a study that showed those with higher cardiovascular risks reported more stress than those who were in better physical shape. The study even showed different stress levels depending on the participants' level of fitness. When we feel stressed, it's difficult to be motivated to exercise, but that's just when we need it the most according to Professor Markus Gerber of the University of Basel, where the research study was performed. So when the stress starts piling up, schedule in an opportunity for some physical exercise.

The CDC encourages us to exercise in some form for at least two and a half hours per week. Though this might seem like a big chunk of time out of the calendar, it's easier to start by breaking up exercise into smaller segments throughout the day. Dr. Axe gives some great workout plans that are only 10 to 12 minutes long.

Stress is a major issue in our culture today. By setting time aside in our day for physical exercise, we can help reduce its affect on our lives as well as increase our overall health. Finding a type of physical activity that interests you like yoga,walking, running or a quick game of basketball is a good first step in the right direction. In my experience, starting with an activity that you like doing helps encourage you to try more challenging exercises which will ultimately build muscles and your resistance to everyday stress.

What to Eat Before and After a Workout

Feeling guilty, we'll hit the gym after eating that Big Mac and fries, or power through our workout with the thought of that doughnut waiting for us afterwards. Though our taste buds might thank us for the treat, our body won't. Exercise and a healthy diet go hand-in-hand when it comes to staying fit and losing weight. Nora Tobin from Shape Magazine points out that eating the right foods before and after exercising is essential for us to get the most out of our workout.

During a workout, our body will burn the same amount of fat whether or not we eat prior to exercising. Sounds like food before exercising isn't that important... but there's a catch. Our body needs fuel to power through a workout. Without food, our body has to draw protein which fuels our exercise from some not so great places: our muscles. By losing muscle mass, we will eventually slow our metabolism, which helps burn off those extra pounds, making it that much harder to lose weight.

Tobin suggests eating foods with a complex carbohydrate and a protein. A banana with almond butter, oatmeal with berries, apples and walnuts, muti-grain crackers and hummus or a sweet potato are some healthy and easy snack ideas before hitting the gym.

After working out, our bodies have used up a lot of glycogen found in our muscles for energy to help us push through our workout. By eating or drinking something that provides carbohydrates and protein, our body can re-stock our muscles with glycogen, repair and build our tired muscles and keep our metabolism burning strong. Refueling our body 30 minutes to an hour after exercising allows our body to work even more effectively.

Salad with roasted chickpeas, steamed or sautéed veggies or multi-grain bread with peanut butter are some great ways of replenishing your body after a hard workout. Tobin also mentions a bean burrito with brown rice, guacamole and salsa, a protein smoothie or a quinoa bowl with nuts and berries as healthy ideas for your body as well.

I can say from personal experience that eating right before and after exercising is so important. You feel more energized and prepared going in to and during a hard workout and rewarding your body afterwards with a healthy snack feels great too! Giving  your body the nourishment it needs before and after a good workout forms good habits and gives your body the care and thanks it deserves.

Inception meets Sherlock

Looking for a good movie to see this holiday weekend? Then look no further than Marvel's new box office hit, Doctor. Strange. In his review, Garrett Godwin says Doctor Strange is the latest "Shining Star in the Marvel Cinematic Universe." Benedict Cumberbatch plays the "Shining Star" Stephen Strange, a know- it-all billionaire surgeon. Godwin points out how similar Dr. Strange is to an Avenger, Tony Stark. (I could not agree more with this comparison.)

Suddenly, Dr. Strange is in a horrible driving accident, that injured one of his most valuable assets, his hands. With no feeling left in his hands, his career as a neurosurgeon is ended. Dr. Strange is determined to fix his hands, no matter what the cost. With almost all hope lost  Dr. Strange travels to meet the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton). With the Ancient One's teachings Dr. Strange becomes Doctor Strange, "keeping New York and the rest of the world safe from threats even the Avengers might not be able to handle," according to Godwin.

I saw this charming movie last weekend, and I was blown away at how amazing the visual effects were in this movie. I can not express enough how beautiful this movie is to watch. It is very apparent the amount of time (not to mention money) that went into making this movie. The best way I  can  describe this movie is Inception meets Sherlock. If that sounds like your kind of movie, go ahead and see it with your family this weekend!

Not convinced? Watch the trailer.

Coffee at its Best

You can have it iced, hot, black, Americano, espresso, cappuccino or add a dozen different flavors of syrup or cream. Perhaps best termed "the cup of Joe of all trades", coffee is brewed into countless flavors and is sipped in practically every culture across the globe. With such great popularity, however, comes many questions and concerns. Is coffee good or bad for us? According to Dr. Eric Jockers, though drinking the popular drink in large amounts poses some risks, the benefits of  coffee are definitely worth considering.

For starters, coffee contains a surprising amount of cancer fighting, anti-inflammatory antioxidants. In fact, the components  found in coffee make it the greatest single source of these cancer fighting substances. Coffee also stimulates brain activity by working with the brain's "pleasure" chemical dopamine and counteracting the "tired" chemical adenosine with caffeine. Coffee promotes thermogenesis (energy put out by the body to perform day to day activities like breathing and eating) and can reduce the risk of heart disease.

Perhaps one of the most interesting benefits of drinking coffee is its ability to lower the risk of depression and Parkinson's disease. Coffee's effective relationship with dopamine and its source of caffeine have shown significant promise in researches and studies looking into these common ailments. Dr. Jockers also mentions that caffeinated coffee is more associated with health benefits than decaffeinated coffee. It's also important to note that regular coffee shows better health benefits than coffee drinks like cappuccinos, mochas etc. These drinks are full of sugars and other unnatural chemicals that are hard for the body to cope with.

But as the saying goes, "you can have too much of a good thing", and coffee is not excluded from that wise phrase. Anxiety, irritability, fatigue, addiction and hypertension are some of the risks that result from drinking too much coffee. Each person is different when it comes to coffee's effect, so I would encourage to drink smart. If you find yourself getting headaches when you go without coffee or notice it affecting your blood pressure, it might be a good idea to take a break from it. So din the end, a couple cups of coffee a day, depending on the person, can be a great benefit to your body.  

Is The SlimFast Diet Truly a Good Diet?

We've all seen the commercials and heard the ads. The pounds will fall off by the dozens if you'll only take this pill or drink this smoothie or shake. Many people looking for ways to shed those extra pounds have turned to the SlimFast Diet, but is the diet really as healthy and safe as SlimFast claims? According to Dr. Josh Axe, SlimFast is not all it's cracked up to be.

Instead of eating breakfast and lunch, the diet has you drinking shakes, smoothies or eating bars. Three 100 calorie snacks, provided by SlimFast, are allowed during the day and a 500 calorie meal of your choice is suggested to wrap up the day. However, this plan isn't as effective as it seems. One of the problems with this plan is that your only getting 1,160 calories a day, which is far below the USDA recommended daily calorie count for a sedentary adult. The energy you would need to exercise, as suggested by the plan, is just not in the calorie count.                            
                                      The hard truth about the SlimFast diet is also found on the back of the bottle:

the ingredients. The creamy chocolate shake in particular is loaded with maltodextrin, carrageenan, Canola oil, and artificial flavors which cause more harm than good to our bodies. Ingredients like these should make us think twice about trading whole and healthy food choices for a diet plan that is close to starvation for some people. Dr. Axe gives wholesome diet alternatives and exercise plans that help you lose weight without compromising your body's health. Losing weight is not easy and takes a lot of hard work. But taking short cuts to a "thinner you" is not the way to shed those pounds.

In my experience, there are no short cuts when it comes to losing weight. You have to add both diet and exercise to your lifestyle to see lasting results. Eating healthy and natural foods, fruits and veggies, or even making your own smoothies with healthy natural ingredients is a great way to start. Adding in exercise helps you burn the fat and keep off the weight too. Losing weight isn't always quick, but its benefits and effects are always worth the perseverance.

The New York Times Daily VR Roll Out

With support from Samsung, the New York Times has launched The Daily 360, a daily series of 360-degree videos to further their Virtual Reality content.

Since Google made viewing Virtual Reality content easily view-able with Google Cardboard a couple of years ago, VR has been quickly gaining popularity. All you needed was a smart phone, an app and a Google cardboard kit, available on Amazon for under $15.

Google Cardboard Viewer

As news organizations increasingly compete for viewers, several such as the NY Times, Huffington Post and the Washington Post, have been experimenting with VR offerings to their viewers via their website or custom phone/tablet apps to enhance the experience. 

Organizations like the NY Times will continue to expand the VR content, as it offers journalists the opportunity to cover events and issues in a way that's never been done before.

  

The NY Times has partnered with Samsung providing journalists with Samsung Gear 360 cameras. Samsung could use some positive publicity after their recent Galaxy Note 7's catching on fire right and left! 

These cameras look much simpler than others I've seen. It should be easier for journalists to cover stories, with less setup time.

Dan Edge 12 GoPro camera setup in Guinean jungle village

With organizations like Google, Facebook, Samsung and the NY Times devoting significant resources to VR content development, it looks like much more solid than the 3D TV craze that only lasted a few years.

title

test post

Sports

Welcome to RooMedia Sports

Business

Welcome To RooMedia Business

Education

Welcome to RooMedia Education

Health

Welcome To RooMedia Health

Lifestyle

Welcome to RooMedia Lifestyle

Technology

Welcome to RooMedia Technology

Arts

Welcome to RooMedia Arts

Family

Welcome to RooMedia Family

Science

Welcome to RooMedia Science

Welcome to RooMedia Politics

Welcome to RooMedia  Politics