Texas A&M research shows standing desks lead to improved BMI
(COLLEGE STATION, Texas) — Texas A&M researchers have shown, for the first time, evidence that standing desks in classrooms can slow the increase in elementary school children’s body mass index (BMI)—a key indicator of obesity—by an average of 5.24 percentile points. The research was published today in the American Journal of Public Health.
“Research around the world has shown that standing desks are positive for the teachers in terms of classroom management and student engagement, as well as positive for the children for their health, cognitive functioning and academic achievement,” said Mark Benden, PhD, CPE, an associate professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at the Texas A&M School of Public Health and an author of the study. “It’s literally a win-win, and now we have hard data that shows it is beneficial for weight control.”
Twenty-four classrooms at three elementary schools (eight in each of the three schools) in College Station, Texas, participated in the study. At each school, four classrooms were outfitted with stand-biased desks (which allow students to sit on a stool or stand at will) and four classrooms in each school acted as a control and utilized standard classroom desks. The researchers followed the same students—193 in all—from the beginning of third grade to the end of fourth grade.
The researchers found that the students who had the stand-biased desks for both years averaged a three percent drop in BMI while those in traditional desks showed the two percent increase typically associated with getting older. However, even those who spent just one year in classrooms with stand-biased desks had lower mean BMIs than those students in traditional seated classrooms for their third and fourth grade years. In addition, there weren’t major differences between boys and girls, or between students of different races, suggesting that this intervention works across demographic groups.
“Classrooms with stand-biased desks are part of what we call an Activity Permissive Learning Environment (APLE), which means that teachers don’t tell children to ‘sit down,’ or ‘sit still’ during class,” Benden said. “Instead, these types of desks encourage the students to move instead of being forced to sit in poorly fitting, hard plastic chairs for six or seven hours of their day.”
Previous studies from Benden’s lab have shown that children who stand burn 15 percent more calories, on average, than those who sit in class, but this is the first study showing, over two years, that BMI decreases over time (versus controls) when using a stand-biased desk.
“It is challenging to just measure weight loss with children,” Benden said, “because children are supposed to be gaining weight as they get older and taller.”
At the beginning of this study, which was funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), roughly 79 percent of the students were of normal weight category, 12 percent were overweight and nine percent were obese, according to height and weight measurements made by the researchers. These are better numbers than nationally, where 14.9 percent of children were overweight and 16.9 percent were obese in 2012. The fact that the students who started at a healthy weight benefited from stand-biased desks as much as they did might indicate that these desks help students who aren’t overweight maintain their BMI, while at the same time help those who start out overweight or obese get to a healthier weight.
These desks, designed by Benden and his team, are called stand-biased, not “standing” because they do include a tall stool the students can perch on if they so choose. They also include a footrest, a vital feature because it allows children to get their lower backs out of tension and reduce leg fatigue to stand more comfortably over time. These United States-patented desk designs are now licensed to Stand2Learn, which has commercialized the products through translational research focused on moving university studies to publicly available solutions.
Many parents feed their children as if they are adults. The truth is, however, that organs and body systems mature at different times, which means nutrition needs at different ages vary.
In her new book, “Building a Healthy Child,” naturopathic doctor Melina Roberts outlines a revolutionary nutritional program that aims to change the way parents introduce foods to their children -- significantly improving the health of the future generation.
“If we introduce foods based on these key concepts, we can avoid common childhood illnesses like allergies, eczema and asthma, and also form the foundation of long-term health,” Roberts said.
I was lucky enough to receive a copy of her book. Although I do not have children I have many clients who do so I thought it would be a great opportunity for me to learn and be able to give better advice to my parenting clients. Most parents want whats best for their children and there are a lot of misconceptions out there. This book is great for learning that up and I would recommend it to any mom or dad out there looking to raise a healthy baby.
She covers a wide variety of topics including: First foods, problem foods, solid food introduction, supplements, remedies, liver and toxins and even includes healthy recipes for different ages. So grab a copy and get reading so that you can have a healthy baby!
Melina Roberts, N.D., is a naturopathic doctor and founder of Advanced Naturopathic Medical Centre in Calgary, Canada. She is a graduate of University of Waterloo and the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, and is a leading authority in the field of naturopathic medicine. She currently resides in Calgary with her husband and daughter. For more information, visit http://advancednaturopathic.com.
Food is loaded with natural ingredients that will help reduce inflammation and keep you healthy. These natural ingredients can help address what might be causing inflammation and pain in the first place. Keeping your diet natural can help increase mobility. By adding in natural health supplements like Genuine Health FAST pain relief+, your body won’t quit unless you do.
Ginger
Ginger fights pain and inflammation on two different fronts. It can stop inflammation before it ever starts by inhibiting the formation of inflammatory compounds in your body, and it has anti-inflammatory effects that can help reverse the inflammation process once it starts.
Pineapple
Pineapples are a super-rich source of vitamin C, which helps fight the free radical damage that contributes to the joint pain and disability that can accompany osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Salmon and Sardines
It’s the high concentration of anti-inflammatory omega-3 essential fatty acids that make cold-water fatty fish like salmon and sardines effective pain-fighting foods. Omega-3s may reduce risk of inflammatory-related chronic diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, and arthritis.
Garlic
Garlic is one of the oldest cultivated plants. We’ve been growing it for over 5,000 years! Garlic is rich in sulfur-containing compounds that give it its distinctive smell, but also its health benefits. These sulfur-containing compounds help protect you against both inflammation and oxidative stress.
Avocado
Yes, the avocado is fatty, but it is mostly monounsaturated (healthy) fats. And remember, it’s not fat that makes you fat. Sugar does. Avocado is a perfectly balanced food! it’s got healthy fat, fibre and protein! Avocados even have a special type of fats (phytosterols) that provide important anti-inflammatory benefits to our body systems.
The important thing to remember is that not all natural supplements are created equally. Ever heard of natural eggshell membrane? Sometimes referred to as NEM? Only Genuine Health products carry Biovaflex, a form of NEM.
What is BiovaFlex? - It is a natural health ingredient found in egg membrane that includes collagen, elastin, desmosine, isodesmosine, glucosamine and chondroitin. In a nutshell, it improves cartilage strength and elasticity helping to joints to be more mobile without pain.
For mild joint pain, FAST joint care+ includes all that you need and of course contains Biovaflex. For more severe pain and osteoarthiris, Genuine Health has fast arthritis relief+ which also contains Avovida (from avocados) and Bromelain (from pineapple) which are proven to increase that joint space while the BiovaFlex builds the cartilage back. They also have fast pain relief+ which is a great alternative to everyday pain medication and works in as little as two hours for headaches and cramps. All using whole food based ingredients!
FAST joint care+ provides effective relief from joint pain and inflammation – naturally. Made with the patented and proven ingredient Biovaflex® natural eggshell membrane, its formula provides the fastest, most effective way to improve mobility and range of motion due to osteoarthritis joint pain and joint stiffness.
Benefits:
· Fast, natural pain relief that works in 5 days
· Increases mobility and range of motion with noticeable reduction in inflammatory markers like C Reactive protein
· Helps build joint cartilage, while improving long-term joint health
· 1 veggie capsule per day
FAST pain relief+
FAST pain relief+ is the latest all-natural, clinical strength supplement to help relieve acute pain, such as headaches, back pain, muscle aches and chronic flare-ups. Made with the unique combination of Biovaflex® natural eggshell membrane, Devil's Claw (a natural anti-inflammatory ingredient), and White Willow Bark (nature’s Aspirin), FAST pain relief+ gives you the fastest, most targeted and effective way to manage your pain.
Benefits:
· Fast, natural pain relief that works in 2 hours
· Targets acute pain and can prevent chronic flare-ups
· Non-drowsy with no negative side effects reported
· 3 veggie capsules per day
If you guys are tuned into the Olympics like I am you must be feeling motivated to get your health and fitness not track! You don’t need to head to Rio for a taste of Gold this summer. Zespri® Green and SunGold Kiwifruit are a refreshing and nutritious snack that will keep you on top of your game.
I was lucky enough to find an amazing box full of kiwi at my door step this week! Nothing screams refreshing like fresh Gold Zespri kiwifruit! I was excited because my box came with a little kiwi scoop that makes eating them a whole lot easier! They even gave me a nice apron to wear will I cut up the delicious green fruit.
kiwi
Did you know:
With just one serving of Kiwi there are over 20 vital nutrients and boasting more vitamin C than an orange, kiwifruit plays an important role in boosting your performance and maximizing recovery during athletic activity.
The green fruit are also power up with potassium. Any professional athlete will tell you an important factor in achieving a successful workout is remaining hydrated. As the intensity of the workout increases, key electrolytes (like potassium) are lost through sweat glands. Two kiwifruit contain anequal amount of potassium as an extra-large banana, and will also improve performance while replenishing lost energy.
Kiwi also help with alkaline balance. Did you know it is essential your gut has the proper pH balance. Foods like kiwifruit, which are heavy in alkaline, allow you to neutralize your stomach’s acidity, which gives you more energy.
Kiwi fruit are also a good source of fibre. Not only does fiber lower cholesterol and help maintain a healthy weight; but a high-fibre diet is a big player in muscle growth, and will provide you with the energy you need to perform at your best. Two kiwifruit contain more fibre than a bowl of bran cereal. Now that's a lot of fibre!
Thanks again Zespri for brightening up my day and refreshing my palate!
Larabar Lemon - Add Zest To Your Life
What's Larabar?
Larabar was founded by Lara Merriken in May of 2000. She believed that food should be fun, enjoyable and good for you. She tinkered with recipes an d made her own Larabar bars. She discovered how natural foods enlivened her mind, body and spirit and wanted to share that with the world.
Trends have changed over the years and Larabar has become even more popular because people are actively seeking out foods that are not derived from artificial flavours, sugar or high sodium while they are still looking for great taste. The Lara bars are also gluten free, non-geo, dairy free, vegan and kosher! Each bar contains no more than 9 ingredients and they are minimally processes and as close to their natural state as possible.
I came home last week and to my surprise there was not 1 but 2 packages at my door. I was lucky enough to receive not only the new special edition flavour of Larabar Lemon, but a sample box of flavours including cashew, peanut butter, apple, coconut cream, peanut butter chocolate chip, cocoa coconut chew, chocolate chip, chocolate brownie and blueberry. On top of the samples I also got my very own lemons and tree! This was a little confusing. There also was a bag of dates, cashews and almonds in the box.
Why were all these things included in my package? Why to make my own bars! Thats how little additive ingredients there are in Larabars that I can literally make my own lemon bar with just a food processor, parchment paper, rolling pin and a knife! How cool is that!
There was a little instruction card telling me to place all of the ingredients provided in a food processor and pulse until blended. Once the dough is formed put it into a disc with my hands and roll out between two pieces of parchment paper to my desired thickness. Then cut off excess edges and slice them into bars!
Thank you Larabar for sending me this amazing package. My lemon tree is now soaking up the sun in my living room window and my boyfriend and I are going to enjoy the delicious bars and our homemade zesty lemon bars!
The lemon is available for a limited time only in local grocery stores and online. To find out more about Larabar visit www.larabar.ca
The folks over at Freeman Formula recently sent this Organic High Frequency Superfood for me to try out. Since super foods and greens are in my prep meal plan this was great for me. This formula is for the health conscience individual that is striving for optimal health according to them. And I couldn't agree more.
This high-frequency superfood is a combination of three of nutrient dense alkaline ingredients. It provides your body with over 96 ready to use powerful nutrients with vitamins, minerals, enzymes, plant proteins, carbohydrates, heart healthy fats, fibre. What a crazy combination! One of my favourite ingredients is chia seeds. Chia leaves you feeling full and is high in satiety. Thats great for me since I am on prep and am constantly feeling hunger. This actually prevents that.
Besides the chia which holds 9 times its weight in water to help with hydration. High Frequency Super Food Formula has 9x Protein of Yogurt 15x Potassium of Bananas 25x iron of spinach and 17x calcium of milk.
According to research the ingredients help improve immune function and are anti-viral, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial functions. They also are known to improve heart function, and circulation.
You can find out more information on their products and the superfood HERE. I really enjoyed the taste in my shakes and even mixed with just water!
Cubic Pharma’s Vitamin D For Indoor Lifestyles
Cubic Pharmaceuticals is a brand from the United Kingdom. They have recently made their Vitamin D supplements available across the United States. I was lucky enough to get sent some to try! I used them every day and felt an increase in my energy and alertness. The line of Cubicole Vitamin D3 came in a variety of strengths. I personally preferred the higher dosage for my active lifestyle. I actually just ran out of them and need more! I made them part of my supplement stack for all of my prep's.
“Vitamin D is well known for helping your body in a variety of ways... For example, it helps the body absorb calcium and phosphorus as well as support heart health.”
What I like the most is that all of the Cubic Pharmaceutical supplements are lactose, gluten, gelatin preservative, salt, and yeast free. It is also great for vegetarians and is Halal. Non of their products havebeen tested on animals.
Joy McCarthy is a certified Holistic Nutritionist and founder of the hugely popular healthy living blog www.joyoushealth.com . She is the author of the Canadian bestselling book Joyous Health: eat and Live well Without Dieting. Her second book, Joyous Detox, comes out in December 2016.
I recently was sent a copy of the salad guide from Joy. And since I am a figure athlete and I am in prep for a November show I have found it very useful in changing up my greens daily. The guide has beautiful pictures and the directions are easy to follow!
Get your free copy of Joy McCarthy's latest ebook, the 7-Day Sensational Salad Guide. It features seven all-new, exclusive recipes chock-full of superfoods, plant-based nutrition and all-around goodness! Something I know you probably appreciate.
CYREX ARRAY 2 PROVIDES CANADIAN CLINICIANS CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY FOR ACCURATE
ASSESSMENT AND MONITORING OF INTESTINAL BARRIER FUNCTION
Cyrex Laboratories, a clinical laboratory specializing in functional immunology and autoimmunity, offers Array 2, an intestinal antigenic permeability screen. The Array 2 is the most advanced test on the market to accurately measure intestinal permeability or “leaky gut” as well as assess systemic Lipopolysaccharides (LPS)—a byproduct of bacteria. The Array 2 is unique among clinical testing in its ability to identify the route of damage occurring in the intestinal barrier.
Knowing the pathway of degeneration helps the practitioner narrow his/her focus in identifying the triggers causing damage and choose the most effective gut healing protocol for the patient. Dr. David Perlmutter, a renowned neurologist and leader in preventative medicine who recently released the New York Times Best Seller Brain Maker, said, “I consider the Cyrex Array 2 to be the most effective laboratory study available for evaluating gut permeability.”
Array 2 is recommended for patients who have food sensitivities, abnormal immune cell count and function, or who present multiple symptoms suggestive of autoimmune disorders, such as chronic fatigue, joint pain, skin issues and/or cognitive impairment. Because of the significant correlation between the gut and brain barriers, Array 2 can also be used in combination with Cyrex’s Array 20, a potent tool for assessing permeability of the blood brain barrier.
"With gastrointestinal barrier integrity being a causal mechanism for so many autoimmune and metabolic diseases, there has never been a more important time for those practicing to quantify what is being observed clinically,” says Dr. Randall Gates, D.C, D.A.C.N.B. and Board Certified Chiropractic Neurologist and Dr. Martin Rutherford, D.C., C.F.M.P and Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner. “Simply, the Cyrex Array 2 allows us as practitioners to ascertain and demonstrate to patients the problem at hand.”
Physicians and other licensed healthcare professionals, as well as patients, interested in learning more about Array 2, 20 or any of the Cyrex Arrays that are part of the Cyrex System, are encouraged to visit www.joincyrex.com for additional information.
About Cyrex Laboratories
Cyrex is a clinical immunology laboratory specializing in functional immunology and autoimmunity. Cyrex offers multi-tissue antibody testing for the early detection and monitoring of today’s complex autoimmune conditions. Cyrex develops innovative testing arrays through continuous collaboration with leading experts in medical research and clinical practice. Cyrex technology is built on four pillars of excellence, including the antigen purification system, optimized antigen concentration, antigen-specific validation and parallel testing technology. Cyrex is a CLIA licensed laboratory based in Phoenix, Arizona and holds a Medical Device Establishment License in Canada.
Sleep Like A Champion - Sleep Tips For Athletes
Sleep is so important! I never realized just how important it was until I started taking my fitness and health more seriously in University as an athlete and then when I started working full time as a personal trainer (5 am wakeup). Then I realized just how awesome naps are during the day. Thank you so much @casper for letting me try your very comfortable mattress and catch up on some of those precious ZZZ’s in your #snoozeroom in Toronto yesterday. And thank you for helping me learn more about just how to get the sleep I need. Look out for this traveling sleep room around Toronto for the next few weeks.
The following are some great tips from the folks at Casper on how to sleep like a champion - Sleep tips for athletes.
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