Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone! Every Irishman's favorite holiday is upon us today! Did you get pinched for not wearing green? Did you receive your smooches today from your fellow Irish clansmen? I am not Irish (that I know of) so I often forget this holiday even exists until it is thrust upon us through the sea of green everywhere. Hence, I forgot about it until I went to work today without a green shirt on. Haha!
In honor of everybody's favorite beer-drinking holiday, I thought I would let you in on a few health benefits of beer! Surprisingly enough, beer does have A FEW health benefits. Knowing this doesn't mean you need to go out and become a lush either though. Remember every health nut's number one rule of thumb...everything in moderation! I know you Irish folks will probably ignore that today though, so I'll humor you. :-)
1. BEER SLIGHTLY CUTS HEART DISEASE RISK
Alcoholic beverages, including beer, have been shown to slightly boost HDL ("good") cholesterol, lower LDL ("bad") cholesterol, and thin the blood, thereby reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke.
This is true in regards to moderate alcohol consumption which is equal to one 12-oz beer for women and two for men.
2. BEER MAY HELP REDUCE KIDNEY STONES AND BOOST BONE DENSITY
Beer contains hops, and some studies show that the compounds in hops may slow the release of calcium from bones, preventing it from forming stones. Moderate beer drinking has been linked to higher bone densities in women. (Remember....I said MODERATE! wink, wink). \
3. BEER CONTAINS VITAMINS, MINERALS AND......FIBER!
Note I didn't say A LOT of vitamins and minerals. Don't go and pretend your beer is your daily multi-vitamin! A standard 12-oz lager contains just under 1 gram of fiber and a dark beer has just over 1 gram. In general, regular beer contains some B vitamins. A beer also has some calcium, magnesium, and selenium too.
So go ahead and toast St. Patty's Day with a beer tonight! And may the luck of the Irish be with you on your healthy journeys!
Source: Reasons to Reach for a Beer, Cynthia Sass, RD, MPH: (SHAPE Magazine)
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Things Women Are Better At Than Men
I was feeling a little femenism running through the veins today, so I thought I'd give a shout-out to all the ladies out there who can see a little bit of themselves in the following examples. These are some areas where women clearly have the upper hand on men. Men, don't try to argue with these because you know that they're true. We outlive you, so you should already know that. :)
1. WE'RE BETTER EDUCATED
Women now earn approximately 60 percent of all Masters Degrees and have finally caught up to men in earning approximately 50 percent of Doctoral Degrees! More highly educated women are out in the workforce nowadays than ever before!
2. WE HAVE STRONGER IMMUNE SYSTEMS
Estrogen naturally found in our bodies suppresses an enzyme that interferes with our defense system. Does that mean that we'll come up with an estrogen-like immune booster for men in the future? :) Also, because of their strong ties to their family and other relationships, women produce more of the "feel good" hormones like oxytocin and seratonin. These feel good hormones promote lower stress levels which also help the immune system tremendously! Come on men, show us your feelings! We promise we won't tell anyone. (wink, wink)
3. WE'RE MORE LIKELY TO GO SEE A DOCTOR
Women are three times more likely to see a physician on a regular basis and keep tabs on yearly health screenings such as Pap smears, mammograms, blood pressure checks, etc. Because of our being proactive about our health concerns, on average we live longer than men! Yahoo!
4. WOMEN OFTEN EAT HEALTHIER INTO ADULTHOOD
As women age they are more likely to make healthier choices over time as opposed to men. I personally think this has more to do with how women are perceived in our society versus anything else. Women are still shunned for getting older or gaining weight, while men are revered for their looks well into older age regardless if they are 150 pounds or 250 pounds! Maybe being looked at as sex objects is a good thing in some ways. Women are more proactive about eating right, exercising, lowering stress, etc. all because of the pressure to look like we are 40 when we're 75. Ladies, we need to start getting on our men's case a little more about their looks! Maybe then they'll actually get off the couch, go to the gym, and lift more than a beer can in front of the TV!
There you have it. Ways women (healthfully) outshine men. And this is only the start of it. I say it's time for men to bring their naturally competitive nature to the surface more when it comes to their health. You don't want us to continue to make you look bad, do you??
1. WE'RE BETTER EDUCATED
Women now earn approximately 60 percent of all Masters Degrees and have finally caught up to men in earning approximately 50 percent of Doctoral Degrees! More highly educated women are out in the workforce nowadays than ever before!
2. WE HAVE STRONGER IMMUNE SYSTEMS
Estrogen naturally found in our bodies suppresses an enzyme that interferes with our defense system. Does that mean that we'll come up with an estrogen-like immune booster for men in the future? :) Also, because of their strong ties to their family and other relationships, women produce more of the "feel good" hormones like oxytocin and seratonin. These feel good hormones promote lower stress levels which also help the immune system tremendously! Come on men, show us your feelings! We promise we won't tell anyone. (wink, wink)
3. WE'RE MORE LIKELY TO GO SEE A DOCTOR
Women are three times more likely to see a physician on a regular basis and keep tabs on yearly health screenings such as Pap smears, mammograms, blood pressure checks, etc. Because of our being proactive about our health concerns, on average we live longer than men! Yahoo!
4. WOMEN OFTEN EAT HEALTHIER INTO ADULTHOOD
As women age they are more likely to make healthier choices over time as opposed to men. I personally think this has more to do with how women are perceived in our society versus anything else. Women are still shunned for getting older or gaining weight, while men are revered for their looks well into older age regardless if they are 150 pounds or 250 pounds! Maybe being looked at as sex objects is a good thing in some ways. Women are more proactive about eating right, exercising, lowering stress, etc. all because of the pressure to look like we are 40 when we're 75. Ladies, we need to start getting on our men's case a little more about their looks! Maybe then they'll actually get off the couch, go to the gym, and lift more than a beer can in front of the TV!
There you have it. Ways women (healthfully) outshine men. And this is only the start of it. I say it's time for men to bring their naturally competitive nature to the surface more when it comes to their health. You don't want us to continue to make you look bad, do you??
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