A new study followed soda and diet soda drinkers and startlingly the diet soda drinks experienced a 70% increase (!!!) in waist circumference.  Crazy!  Maybe it’s the false sense of sweets, or maybe the cheating that follows after having the “good” soda or the lack of drinking healthy options like water and low fat/skim milk.  Crazy numbers, though, eh?

“Getting Canadians off their butts and physically active for 15 minutes each day would eliminate obesity in about one million adults, while adopting a healthy diet could add another 362,000 to that number, a new report concludes.” The Toronto Star, Health Zone

“As of next summer in the U.S., products that have a sun protection factor below 15 and don’t protect against skin cancer and early skin aging will have to have a warning label: “This product has been shown only to help prevent sunburn, not skin cancer or early skin aging.”

Healthzone, The Toronto Star

What does a good sunscreen have?

• Daily SPF of 15
• Broad sprectrum (block UVA and UVB rays)
• Use 1tbsp
• Apply before putting on your clothes, get ears, scalp, feet and tops of knees
•  Contain avobenzone, ecamsule (Mexoryl), titanium dioxide, or zinc  oxide
• Reapplied every 2 hours, after sweating or going in water

I feel like I’m constantly hungry despite eating what I think is a lot and every 3 hours.  I make sure to avoid grabbing a bag of chips (don’t have any in the house and rarely buy them at work) and have snacks I like.  My favs include Red Delicious apples, cottage cheese, popcorn, salad and my new protein shake concoction.  I just got a Magic Bullet Express and I whip up this: fill half with ice cubs, 1/4 water (or milk but I slim my drink), 2 scoops chocolate protein powder, teaspoon of instant coffee, handful of fresh/frozen blueberries or berry mix and half a banana…whiz until smooth.

Here is a list from iVillage of food that stave off hunger.

Processed foods can seem cheap but work out the cost per meal and the cost to your health, and good food isn’t that expensive.  My fave foods are eggs, oatmeal, brocolli and apples.  I use my crock pot with cheap cuts of meat and through in some potatos and carrots.  I buy lots of frozen berries when they are on sale.

Men’s Health worked out what are the cheap healthy foods compared to their processed counterparts.  Click here!

The list includes:

• Eggs
• Lentils
• Canola oil
• Bananas
• Frozen blueberries
• Cauliflower
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Pork loin chops
• Top sirloin
• Chicken leg
• Farmed catfish

I ran my second 5K on the weekend and I ran the whole thing (stopped 3 times to catch breath for a few seconds) and shaved 10min off my time!  I was so happy.  My cousin and I didn’t get much sleep the night before and we hadn’t been training religously so we were surprised.  We’re doing more 5K this year, and aiming for a 10K next year!

Apparently the food pyramid is confusing, so the US is thinking of following in the UK’s footsteps with the food plate.  I’m all for improvements but I’m not sure that confusion is the reason why a large portion of the US do not eat properly.  For me it’s because a McDonald’s is dangerously close and cheap(ish)….

I am running my first 5K of the year on Sunday.  I have to admit that I haven’t been training for it a lot.  When I moved at the end of March I was running 3 or 4 times a week, but then the nice weather came and I did bootcamps, Insanity and biking by the water.  So I have improved my cardio, but running on your feet is quite different then being on a bike or interval training.

MSN.com offers combo training workouts here.  The idea is to incorporate into one workout the goals of 2 workouts…for instance, if you want to work on your race pace and increase your distance MSN offers a workout to work towards both goals.  Also the change up is nice.

And if you are a beginner runner, or returning to running after illness or a injury, read this on how to avoid the early pitfalls of running!  Helpful.  Second week is harder than first….

Anyone else try the Insanity workouts? This is my favourite home dvd workout.  I changed daily, constantly challenges you and gets results.  I am 2 weeks in.  It starts off with a Fit Test, then a schedule of workouts, which are tough but short enough to fit into your day, in the privacy of your home.  No equipment needed!  I tried PX90 but didn’t have a chin up bar or somewhere to secure a fitness band to.  I just did the Fit Test at the 2 week mark and am impressed with how much improvement I have!

I should note that I haven’t been true to the schedule, I do what I can when I can, and also bike and do bootcamps.  That said, I still improved!

Type 2 Diabetes is a lifestyle disease and used to be called adult onset diabetes.  However younger and younger people are developing it.  It’s a killer and can be managed, even prevented if the early onset symptoms are detected.

Click here to see what the signs are and if you show any!