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7 Health Benefits of Having Sex

FitSugar — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 05:50:00 -0700

There are only so many hours in the day for getting physical. Skipping the gym for a little romp isn't something you should do every day, but when you do choose getting sweaty in bed over the exercise bike, you're still burning calories and benefiting your health.

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10 Surprising Health Benefits of Sex

FitSugar — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 03:00:00 -0800

I'm sure you can agree that after a romp in the sheets, you always feel happier and more relaxed. Aside from those emotional benefits, check out WebMD's list of 10 health benefits of sex.

Relieves Stress: The calming effect of sex has a positive impact on your blood pressure.
Boosts Immunity: Did you know that having sex once or twice a week has been shown to increase the levels of the antibody immunoglobulin A (IgA). This is responsible for helping you fight against infections such as colds.
Burns Calories: A half hour of sex burns 85 calories. That beats going to the gym, huh?
Improves Cardiovascular Health: For guys, having sex two or more times a week reduces their risk of a fatal heart attack.
Boosts Self-Esteem: Having sex makes people feel better about themselves. If a person already has a good self-esteem, having sex raises it even more.

Want to see the rest? Then read more.

Improves Intimacy: When you have sex, the level of the love hormone in your body known as oxytocin increases. This hormone has been linked with the need to nurture, bond, and be generous.
Reduces Pain: With the heightened level of oxytocin, endorphins are released which help relieve pain from headaches, arthritis, and also PMS symptoms.
Reduces Prostate Cancer Risk: Guys who have frequent ejaculations (five or more a week) when they're in the 20s reduce their future risk of prostate cancer by one third.
Strengthens Pelvic Floor Muscles: When women perform pelvic floor exercises known as Kegels during sex, they enjoy more pleasure, but they also reduce their risk for incontinence later in life.
Sex Helps You Sleep Better: Thanks to that oxytocin, aside from relieving pain, it also helps you have a good night's sleep.

With all those reasons, I say go ahead and get physical!

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Health Benefits of Wine: Red vs. White

FitSugar — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 12:00:41 -0700

Have you been wondering, while sipping on your Chardonnay, if white wine offers all the benefits of red? You're in good company, for the New York Times has been wondering this as well.

If you prefer a light Pinot Grigio, you are missing out on many of the antioxidants found in grape skin, like resveratrol, which may help keep you get slim as well as protect your heart. There are less flavonoids, beneficial micro-nutrients found in the skins as well. All that being said, there have been few studies comparing the two. The whites with the highest amounts of flavonoids are made from granache blanc grapes in the Mediterranean regions: Spain, southern France, and Sardinia. Regardless of the shade of wine you prefer, to reap the health benefits of the wine, women should limit their intake of wine to one glass a day.

What are you drinking these days?

5 Reasons to Stop After One Glass of Wine

FitSugar — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 12:00:00 -0700

When drinking red wine, I enjoy my glass knowing I am reaping some health benefits with each sip. As with everything, moderation is key, and drinking more than one glass a day can tip the balance and be detrimental to your health. Here are five reasons to stop after having just one glass of wine.

One glass of wine a day can reduce you risk of having a heart attack, but two glasses of wine a day increases your chance for developing breast cancer.
One glass of wine a day can increase bone strength, but two or more glasses daily can weaken bones. This decrease in bone density can put you at risk for developing osteoporosis.
One glass of red wine a day may help you stay thin, but two or more glasses a day may raise the fats found in your blood.

To see my final two reasons, read more.

Drinking wine in moderation may help improve your ability to create and maintain memories, but two or more glasses, especially when coupled with tobacco use, can hasten the onset of Alzheimer's.
Drinking one glass of wine a day can lower your chances of having a stroke, but drinking more can raise your chances of having one.

If you use the health benefits of wine to justify or rationalize having a glass, stick to the one 4-oz. glass. Moderation is key when it comes to drinking alcohol. A little bit does the trick, but a little more than that can be risky.

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Health Benefits of Sparkling Water

FitSugar — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 12:15:00 -0800

You all know how much I love water. I also really love sparkling water. We call it "bubbly" water at my house, mix it liberally with fruit juice and tell the girls they're drinking spritzers. It sounds so much fancier than watered down juice.

I have been wondering lately if sparkling water is harmful or beneficial, since it is just water with CO2 added to it to make it carbonated. Lucky for me the Times reports that it is not only equally hydrating as flat water but that it can also keep calcium locked in the bones.

So drink up! A little splash of "bubbly" water is good for you. It might even help relieve your upset stomach.

Fit's Tip: You should avoid Club Soda though. It has lots of sodium added to it in an attempt to recreate the taste of homemade seltzer from the good old days.

Reality Check: Working at Starbucks, Just For the Health Care

SavvySugar — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 08:30:52 -0700

Health insurance has become an invaluable benefit - if an accident were to occur and you didn't have coverage, you could be paying off a mountain of medical debt for years to come. A Reuters article highlights just how important insurance is for Americans when considering employment opportunities, and profiles a mother of three in Texas who has taken a part-time job just for the medical benefits.

That's right, full-time real estate agent Lisa DeWaal spends the first four hours of her days serving coffee at a Starbucks before heading to her office. DeWaal sought out employment with Starbucks solely for the affordable health insurance the company offers. Private insurance plans are burdensome for most households, and health experts say they've met plenty of people like DeWaal who are motivated to take or stick with a job because of the health benefits.

DeWaal begins her daily Starbucks shifts at 5 a.m, but those early mornings are worth it. The 20-hours a week at serving coffee allows her to rest easier at night because, for $180 a month, her family is insured. She commented, "Health insurance is exactly the reason why I have taken the extra job. It's company health insurance, which is a lot better than a private plan. I would put these extra hours into real estate if I had affordable health insurance."

Health Benefits of Pears

FitSugar — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 09:00:13 -0700

Apples are in season in the Autumn, but pears are too. The soft, sweet, buttery flesh of the pear makes this Fall fruit one of my favorites. Plus there are so many varieties to choose from - Bartlett, Bosc, and Anjou - that they each seem like a different fruit. These juicy gems are pretty healthy for you, too.

Pears are high in fiber. One medium-sized pear contains six grams, so snacking on a pear can help you meet your daily requirement of 25 to 30 grams. They're a delicious way to keep you regular too, which can help prevent colon cancer. A diet high in fiber can also keep your cholesterol levels down, which is good news for your ticker. Getting your fill of fiber from fruit is also linked to a lower risk for breast cancer.
Pears contain a fair amount of vitamins A, C, K, B2, B3, and B6. For expecting or nursing moms, they also contain folate. Pears aren't too shabby in the mineral department either, containing calcium, magnesium, potassium, copper, and manganese. Vitamin C and copper are antioxidant nutrients, so eating pears is good for your immune system, and may help prevent cancer.
Pears also contain boron, which our bodies need in order to retain calcium, so this fruit can also be linked to osteoporosis prevention.

For the other health benefits, read more.

The hydroxycinnamic acid found in pears is also associated with preventing stomach and lung cancer.
It's a hypo-allergenic fruit. That means those with food sensitivities can usually eat pears with no adverse effects.
Eating three or more servings of fruits a day, such as pears, may also lower your risk of age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), the primary cause of vision loss in older adults.
Quercetin is another antioxidant found in the skin of pears. It helps prevent cancer and artery damage that can lead to heart problems. A recent study at Cornell University found it may also protect against Alzheimer’s disease. So don't peel your pears!

Tell me, what's your favorite type of pear?

Quiz: The Juicy Truth

FitSugar — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:30:52 -0800

With juice labels touting their healthy benefits, it's easy to believe we're doing our bodies good with a glass of fruit juice. But just this week, Dr. Jennifer Ashton caught my attention when she stopped by the CBS Early Show to clear up some juicy health myths. Take the quiz and see how juice stacks up to your other beverage choices.

Take the quiz

Many Probiotics Short on Bacteria

FitSugar — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:00:09 -0800

With claims that they improve digestion, bolster immunity, and fight acne, it's no wonder that probiotic supplements are big business. Newsweek reports that sales of these supplements have more than quadrupled in the last 10 years. I will admit, I'm a fan these friendly bacteria found in yogurt and miso, but it's the quality of the supplements that's raising eyebrows.

Many popular probiotic supplements were tested by Consumer Lab, an independent agency that monitors vitamins, herbal remedies, and supplements not regularly tested by the government. The lab's findings are a bit startling. Some of the products contain as little as 13 percent of the amount of "viable bacteria" claimed on the products' labels, although most products do contain one billion organisms - the amount needed to register some health benefits.

When it comes to misleading marketing with these supplements, much of the problem stems from the fact that the term probiotics has no legal definition and can be used loosely by manufactures. Of the supplements tested, ConsumerLab ranked Advocare Probiotic Restore, GNC Nature Brand Best Super Acidophilus, and Jarrow Formulas Jarro-Dophilus as having the highest quality. You can buy a full review from Consumer Lab for $12.

Bone Health Requires Some Specific Exercise

FitSugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:00:36 -0800

Turns out if you want to keep your bones healthy, you'd better start young and be specific about which exercise you choose. The New York Times reveals the findings of a new study which indicates that, contrary to popular belief, "any and all activity" may not benefit your bones.

In fact, as researchers investigate the effect of exercise on bone health, it has become increasingly clear that various kinds of exercise produces varying results on bone conditioning. Until recently, researchers believed that the impact of running, or any similar high-impact exercise, would transform the bone, "deforming" it just slightly. As a result of running, the bone would give slightly to the force of the physical activity, and the bone cells would stretch in response and adapt to the repeated exercise by adding cells and becoming denser. But this is not the case. In actuality, researchers have now found that the bone cells don't stretch; instead, when the bone bends, it "squeezes bone fluid" from one part of the bone "matrix" to another, and it's this extra fluid that causes the cells to add denser bone in response.

The key is that only certain types of exercise produce this kind of bone-bending, and the subsequent response to add dense bone-building. Says Alexander G. Robling, an assistant professor in the department of anatomy and cell biology at Indiana University School of Medicine, "large forces released in a relatively big burst” are crucial to building healthy bones, which is why activities like weight lifting won't help bone-bend or produce stronger, denser bones. But the exercises that will? Running, brisk walking at a fast pace, and surprisingly, repeated jumping.