http://popwatch.ew.com/2014/12/29/john-oliver-new-years-eve/

John gives you probably the best reason to do a cleanse 2:30 into his rant on New Year's Eve festivities.

Here is a true story of soldiers at war putting aside their differences and arms to celebrate the peace and joy that the holidays represent. Maybe we can borrow a page, and extend an olive branch to our friends and family members

Here is to your mental health! Put away your grudges for the holidays. Heck, do it for all of 2015 to have serenity.

https://www.facebook.com/RoyAlexanderFitness/posts/820064111365665

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWF2JBb1bvM&sns=em

Merry Christmas!

Here is an example of popular food options along with their caloric impact.

I am posting this to share information and help you become "smarter and aware" when eating out. ( I do not endorse any of these choices.)

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/12/22/upshot/100000003311579.app.html What 2,000 Calories Looks Like

Where does the fat go when you lose it? (Hint: The fat fairy is not involved.) You’ll be surprised where those melted pounds end up when (if?) you can shed them.

If you have pondered this, like I have, the answer may surprise you. http://wapo.st/1uOYpsI

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/6006012?utm_hp_ref=tw

Chai latte may give you more than a lift, it could give you hard to lose love handles!

The end of each year brings out a number of crazy claims in the health and fitness industry.  This year is no different. December is prime time for marketers to entice readers especially since many individuals have renewed focus on goals for 2015.  To help you navigate these treacherous waters and in the spirit of giving, I am going spend the next three weeks helping you debunk or confirm claims that you find wildly floating around the internet.  

Our first "myth buster" topic comes from a faithful blog reader who stumbled upon a post by Well+Good NYC which predicts the top wellness trends for 2015. One of those trends is  definitely NOT advisable if you take medication and can potentially lead you to being "unwell".  That trend is "Activated charcoal... as an accessible new detox tool"

Let's start with why you might want to take activated charcoal and how it works when ingested.  You should only take it if there is an actual need to neutralize a potential toxin. This was activated charcoal's original use when it was first bought to public attention in the 18th century.

How does it work? ( The good)

Activated charcoal is good at trapping chemicals and prevents their absorption. The process is possible because treating or "activating" the charcoal creates pores that help trap toxic chemicals. Activated charcoal is primarily used in the medical community to treat certain poisonings and reduce intestinal gas.

Here are caveats if you feel compelled to follow the Well+Good post and/or buy the activated charcoal products by Shiva Rose (The potentially not good and unwell).

• Avoid using for more than 3-4 days. Prolonged use of activated charcoal may cause nutrition and electrolyte problems.
• Activated charcoal may also cause acute respiratory distress syndrome (lung problems that prevent oxygen intake), airway and lung inflammation, aspiration (breathing in a foreign object or substance), black stools, charcoal deposits in lymph nodes or tumors (in people with cancer), constipation, diarrhea, dizziness, drowsiness, a feeling of fullness in the stomach, headache, nausea, stomach blockage, and vomiting. 

Before you jump into the latest health and fitness trend, do your research and be informed.  

I hope this helps you stay "well and good" into the new year and beyond.  Stay tuned for more myth busters!

How soon before Dr.Oz starts touting potatoes as the new weight loss elixir?

It could happen.  

First a Washington State man lost 21 pounds and had his cholesterol drop 67 points after a 60 days of eating a "potato only" diet.

Then a study out of McGill University puts this out.

Researchers have found a simple potato extract may limit weight gain from a diet which is high in fat and refined carbohydrates. The benefits of the extract are due to its high concentration of polyphenols, a beneficial chemical component that’s also found in fruits and vegetables, said the scientists from McGill University in Canada.

According to this study, which appeared in the journal Molecular Nutrition & Food Research,  potato extracts could be a solution for preventing both obesity and type 2 diabetes.

The daily dose of extract comes from 30 potatoes, but of course we don’t advise anyone to eat 30 potatoes a day,” says Stan Kubow, principal author of the study, “as that would be an enormous number of calories.” Instead, the researchers hope that in future the extract could be available as a dietary supplement or simply as a cooking ingredient.

Clinical trials are absolutely necessary to validate beneficial effects in humans. The tests have been conducted on lab mice.

Right now the team is seeking partners to fund the trials in hopes of patenting the potato extract.

Excepts from Plash.in and this link...

http://www.ktvb.com/story/news/local/2014/06/27/11555091/

Stay cheerful with exercise and meditation.

FitCamp classes is one way to tone down the blues and feel more upbeat.

That time of year is here.  It’s the holidays! …which may also means that the guilt of over-indulgence is rapidly approaching.  Then the story begins. "The holidays bring sugar cookies, stuffing and pumpkin pie, and all this Harry Potter-like magic that compels me to put these holiday foods in my mouth! This magic has banished my sense of reasoning and willpower."

The over-indulgence means that soon it will be time to "make-up" for all the holiday food that has held a hypnotic sway over us for six weeks.

Overwhelmed with guilt, many of us resort to… Cleansing.  Just say NO. Consider this your intervention.  And if you don’t believe me, I borrowed some key points from the WSJ as to why you shouldn't buy into the "Cleansing" hype.

Here is the explanation of juicing by one ex­pert, Linda Lee, di­rec­tor of the Johns Hop­kins In­te­gra-tive Med­i­cine and Di­ges­tive Cen­ter in Mary­land. “The term ‘cleanse’ is a mar­ket­ing tool, and any claims of its ben­e­fits aren't ev­i­dence-based at this time.” Dr. Lee goes on to say that no sci­en­tific stud­ies have proven that a juice diet or food-cleanse re­moves tox­ins from the body.

Wait. Can't you lose weight on a cleanse?  Here is the science behind the "magic.” It's called the "Laxative Effect!” Since you are not eating the juices you drink goes right to the large intestine, where it gets fermented by your gut bacteria, which can result in a laxative effect, that of course can aid in weight loss much like food poisoning could help you lose weight.

Dr.Lee says, “I have a lot of pa­tients who say they feel bet­ter be­cause they are to­tally empty,” and you're prob­a­bly running on fumes. 

And, she adds, af­ter a few days of caloric re­stric­tion, which likely re­sults in de­hy­dra­tion since much of the body’s wa­ter in­take comes from food sources, a per­son prob­a­bly won’t be at op­ti­mal health. You can also be­come nu­tri­ent de­fi­cient.

Dr.Lee's advice echos my advice, stick to a healthy diet and make bet­ter choices, she says, and there will be no need for a star­va­tion cleanse that could cause more harm than good.  I would be more mindful about eating more vegetables and cutting back on sugar and white flour foods.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/do-cleanses-really-work-1418064817

Motivational Monday will have you reaching for your running shoes. Watch this teenage girl battle MS. If you're tight on time watch the first 90 seconds, which takes place here in NYC, then go to the North Carolina state championship at 9:57 and view the remainder.  It will help you appreciate every step you take.

http://espn.go.com/espnw/video/11909407/e60-catching-kayla