Staying Fit for Free: Does Medicare Cover Gym Memberships?

Staying fit is important to your mental and physical wellbeing, no matter what your age. But, for seniors, neglecting your health and fitness can have even greater risks and consequences. Many health challenges tend to increase as we age. This can be true even if maintain a healthy lifestyle in our younger years.

According to the National Council on Aging, here are some of the scary statistics about senior health risks:

Approximately 80% of older adults have at least one chronic disease
Diabetes affects 23% of older adults
90% of older adults are at risk for developing high blood pressure
Depression impacts 7 million older adults

If you’re a senior, you may be able to take advantage of added benefits through a Medicare supplement plan that can help prevent health problems down the road. But, does Medicare cover gym memberships, weight loss and more?

May022018

Cycling Facts You Should Know

Cycling was first introduced to the public in the 19th century with the advent of draisines and velocipedes. Today, the bike family includes road bikes, cyclocross bikes, mountain bikes, fitness bikes and other types. Much more than a hobby, cycling is an effective way of incorporating an exercise routine into your daily schedule. It has since been more than just a sport – it is a lifestyle for many people. It also goes without saying that cycling has a positive impact on the well being and overall health of the cyclist.

Mar182018

The Health Benefits of Consuming More Soy

Like many topics in nutrition, soy is one that is not well understood, with some sources stating it is great for health, while others recommended you avoid it. In this article, we will take a balanced look at the evidence behind soy so you are in a good position to assess whether including more soy in your diet would be a smart decision.

Health Benefits of Soy

Soy beans, otherwise known as edamame, are part of the legume family, and can be eaten in their natural state or can be processed into other foods such as tofu, miso, tempeh and even soy milk. These foods possess a unique set of nutritional benefits as we will explore in detail below…

Mar172018

More “Wheys” Than One to Supplement Your Training

Sales of protein powder in the USA will reach $7.55 billion dollars by 2020, which is a substantial increase from $47 million dollars in 2016. And with the number of gyms and health clubs continuing to rise, the demand for protein supplements is also expected to continue to grow.

While the demand for protein supplements remains high, there is an increasingly diverse range of products available in the protein supplement range.

Feb212018

3 Benefits to Drinking Lemon Water

Did you know that according to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are at least 2 billion people around the world that are exposed to contaminated drinking water? And did you also know that contaminated water causes 800,000 – 1,000,000 deaths around the world? In case you don’t know, contaminated water doesn’t just cause an upset stomach or diarrhea, it can actually cause some serious and fatal diseases such as cholera, dengue, dysentery, typhoid fevers, and polio. And with how much pollution grows every day, coupled with the chemical wastes coming from factories and plantations, it is estimated that by 2025, half of the world’s population will be living with potentially contaminated water. You can just imagine how exposed you and your family will be to the various diseases brought about by contaminated water. If you don’t want to deal with the eventual threat of contaminated water to you and your family, then it would be a great idea to start drinking lemon water today. Lemon water provides a lot of health benefits to our bodies in addition to having the usual nutrients and minerals found in safe drinking water. Here are the top 3 benefits of drinking lemon water that will surely convince you to start practicing the habit.

Feb062018

5 Tips to Choosing the Best Pillow

Sleeping is an essential part of our day. That is why people put great importance in looking for a good mattress to sleep on, and so it should be in choosing the best pillow to match. Nowadays, there are many different types of pillows to choose from depending on the material used, size, and your preferred sleep position. Some pillows can address snoring problems. You can now look for the best pillows for snoring people who are specially made to cure that problem. Looking for the best pillow that would work for you is not a hard task. But here are five tips to guide you choose the best pillow to achieve that uninterrupted sleep.

Choose the material.

Dec282017

5 Ways Pilates Can Help Your Health and Wellness

After the holidays, it is quite typical for people to make New Year’s resolutions. Often, these resolutions consist of eating better, weight loss, and working out regularly. You can expect your local gym to be packed with those who are making an effort to slim down after packing on the typical holiday calories. If you are interested in finding a way to maintain your fitness routine without having to deal with an overcrowded gym, you should consider checking out Atlanta Pilates. This article will highlight some of the ways that Pilates can help your health and wellness.

Dec272017

4 Reasons Why You Should Take Care of Your Teeth

Taking care of your teeth is very important and many do not realize how much it affects their overall health and wellness. When you don’t take care of your mouth by brushing and flossing regularly, plaque and grime can get stuck to your teeth and cause health problems. Your teeth are critical to your health as they help you break down foods so that you can digest them. In addition, having healthy teeth is also a sign that you are taking care of other aspects of your body as well. If you still are not convinced that you should take care of your teeth, this article will identify some of the most important reasons to do so.

Avoid gum disease. The longer you go without having your mouth properly cared for, the more likely you are to experience gum disease. Gum disease is when your gums get inflamed and bleed easily when you brush or floss your teeth. To avoid gum disease, floss regularly. If you notice that your gums are bleeding, continue to floss daily for a couple of weeks and you will notice that your gums will get healthier and bleed less over time.

Prevent tooth decay. Bacteria build up that is allowed to sit in your mouth comfortably for long periods of time will prove to be detrimental to your health and wellbeing. The longer that the bacteria sits in your mouth, the more likely you are to find that your teeth are breaking down due to the decay that is occurring. The area that is most prone to bacteria build up is between your teeth and at the gum line. Flossing can help you prevent this from happening.

Save money. If saving money is important to you, it is critical that you attend your annual teeth cleaning appointments and that you also brush and floss daily. Doing so can help you prevent cavities, bacteria build up, tooth decay, and gum disease. In addition, by caring for your teeth, you are preventing bigger problems from festering in your mouth which can end up being costly.

Helps to reduce health issues. Did you know that missing teeth can be a sign that your health is in trouble? Many do not realize that not taking care of your teeth can lead to other health problems such as but not limited to arthritis, diabetes, oral cancer, and dementia. All of these health problems can severely limit the longevity of your life when it could have easily been prevented by caring for your teeth properly.

There are many reasons as to why people fail to care for their teeth. To learn more about teeth cleaning and other services, be sure to check out stansell dentistry.

May052014

Natural Supplements

The following post is sponsored by FitFluential LLC on behalf of NOW Foods.

I get a lot of questions daily about supplements. We’ll refer to supplements as anything other than the normal food or drink you consume daily. That includes all of those pills and powders you see in the stores; it makes breaking this topic down a lot easier.

Now obviously in an ideal world, you can just eat and drink what you want everyday and you’ll be healthy, but it doesn’t always work like that. People have food allergies, conditions that affect their diets, fitness related goals, and are just plain picky! My father hates olives. I don’t like bad eggplant. It’s a tough world we live in and we are all faced with lots of challenges.

No matter what situation you are in it is important to realize there are ways to help yourself. When we are discussing health and wellness, supplements are obviously one of the most popular subjects in our society. Whether you are taking a multivitamin for overall health, iron to recover from internal bleeding, or whey protein to grow big and strong like your favorite bodybuilders, there are plenty of choices.

Supplements help me stay in good form! (This pic was after a huge Mexican meal)

Personally, I have tried everything legal in the fitness industry. As an elite athlete, I was drug tested regularly and couldn’t even have elevated levels of caffeine in my body! I’ve tried supplements that provided zero results that made me sick, that cost a lot of money, and that tasted disgusting. On the other hand, I’ve tried supplements that had all of the opposite effects and if you want to ask about some specific to my or your needs, feel free to comment on this post. Otherwise, listen to what I have to say about NOW Sports and their products.

Right now, I’m going to touch on five of their products that I have in my cabinets in the kitchen. Keep in mind, NOW Sports is a family-owned company that has been providing high quality goods for almost a half of a century. Thus, as you can imagine, they have hundreds and thousands of different products. However, I’m a 25 year-old male and these are what I have at home. (A lot of these will work for both genders!)

1. Men’s Extreme Sports Multi – Made in the USA and GMP Quality Assured, these softgels are reasonably sized and easy to swallow. You take three a day to get your daily source of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and more. Why take a hundred pills when you can take three? It’s cost-effective and makes you feel good. Why? Because you go to sleep knowing that you fueled your body with important nutrients that are sometimes difficult to find in the foods you eat every day. What I really like about this product is the blend of herbal extracts it contains. There is just something natural about herbs that makes you feel so good. This is a must for active men.

2. Certified Organic Whey Protein – How many tubs of whey protein on store shelves have a USDA Organic label on them? Well, this one does and it really is one of the most natural whey proteins in the world. It doesn’t contain any salt, starch, yeast, wheat, gluten, corn, egg, shellfish, preservatives, antibiotics, or rBGH. It is natural and unflavored, thus taking the taste of whatever you decide to mix with it. A serving contains 100 calories, 1 gram of fat, 2 grams of carbs, 19 grams of sugar, and a whole lot of essential amino acids! In all honesty, I have whey protein every day of the week and although it’s not meant to be a meal replacement, it will definitely help you track your consumption of macro-nutrients throughout the day. This is a must for just about anyone!

3. Pea Protein – I am staring at my tub of Vanilla Toffee and what stands out the most is the fact that this product is VEGAN friendly. That means any vegetarian or vegan can eat this without any beef! (Get the pun?) Every serving contains 25 grams of protein derived from non-GMO vegetables. That means your veggies are natural and not treated with all those nasty chemicals! It also means this protein is the way to go if you have allergy issues since it contains no major allergens! This product really has a nice smooth flavor and texture; its mixability is through the roof so you won’t see or feel any clumps. Nothing better than having a nice smooth shake and then choking on an explosion of dry powder! Oh, I forgot to mention, it ALSO has a huge serving of essential amino acids. Anyone can try it but some people need it… you know who you are!

4. L-Carnitine Liquid – At this point, you’re probably like what the heck… is that? You recognize multivitamin, protein, whey, etc. But what is this?!?! L-Carnitine is a non-essential amino acid. Now, before I get too in-depth and scientific for people who haven’t read thousands of pages of textbooks and taken tests on this, I’ll just say that you have to believe me! I will say that L-Carnitine is regarded as a facilitator of good health and energy production. Who doesn’t want more energy? I know I do. Now you can get this naturally from eating red meats, but even for us carnivores there usually isn’t enough and you need to supplement that intake anyways. As for the veggie-loving folk, you definitely need this product. Just take a tablespoon twice a day on an empty stomach and feel the greatness occurring on a cellular level. It goes down smooth!

5. MCT Oil – This final product that comes in an amazing glass bottle that makes you feel like you’re living centuries ago (It’s a good thing!). It is a source of fat! Yes… you heard me right. It’s a source of fat. Now, before I get too emotional, I want to express my opinion that fat has a bad reputation. It is an essential nutrient that does so much more for our body than we know. Again, tens of thousands of pages of reading and life experience… I know! This is a source of saturated fat that comes from coconut and palm kernel oil. Those are high quality oils that provide a high quality saturated fat. So how exactly do these help you? Fats help in bodily functions such as the production of energy and these fats just so happen to require less enzymes to be absorbed. Therefore, you do less work and get more! One to three tablespoons a day, depending on your needs, aid in weight management and healthy bodily functions. And my favorite part… you can use this to replace those cheap oils that contain saturated fat’s evil cousins. Just don’t fry with it, the boiling point is too low!

And there you have it, five amazing products that could find a place in anyone’s home. They are affordable, reliable, natural, effective, sometimes organic, sometimes vegan, and NOW Sports doesn’t bother making annoying packages that claim to make you shredded! They just provide a high-quality product and I respect that! Use any of these to stay Hungry & Fit!