The American Academy of Pediatrics recently addressed the topic of “Energy” (ie, Red Bull, Monster, etc) and “Sports” (such as Gatorade, Powerade, etc) drinks for children and adolescents. Their advice? Generally speaking, water is the best choice. Sports drinks may occasionally be appropriate for those engaged in prolonged, vigorous physical activity, but only at those times. Energy drinks are never appropriate for children or adolescents, said Dr. Schneider and Dr. Benjamin. They contain stimulants not found in sports drinks that have been linked to a number of harmful health effects in children, including effects on the developing neurologic and cardiovascular systems. Bottom line? Avoid “Energy” drinks entirely, and reach for a Sports drink only when correlated with very high activity … MORE→

The NY Times (May 26th, 2011) reported that the shift in the labor force since 1960 is closely correlated to the obesity epidemic in the US. Jobs requiring moderate physical activity, which made up 50% of the labor market in 1960, now account for just 20%. This translates to 120-140 calories/day, obviously a considerable figure over time. For those in a position considered sedentary, individuals must now take personal responsibility for this differential, either through their leisure choices or in their food selection.

Eating more fish is a smart move for your heart, right? Well – yes and no. In a study reported in Circulation: Heart Failure (American Heart Association Journal), it was found that the risk of developing heart failure was lower for those who ate baked or broiled fish. However, eating FRIED fish one or more times per week was associated with a 48 percent higher risk of heart failure compared to those who ate fried fish infrequently. So make it a priority to include more fish in your diet (especially dark fish such as salmon), but be sure to stay away from the fried version!

It’s an undeniable fact when it comes to training intensity: Iron really does sharpen iron. This morning I got out with a buddy of mine – Terry Nugent – for a series of three back-to-back 10 mile time trials (cycling) with about 6 minutes of recovery between each. To say we both pushed ourselves far harder when out there together compared to what would have happened solo would be a significant understatement. If you’re looking to step up your the intensity (and results!) in your fitness pursuits, connect with like-minded friend and release the jet fuel!

A University of Missouri researcher has found that eating a healthy breakfast, especially one high in (healthy) protein, increases satiety, reduces hunger throughout the day and can be a simple strategy for improving appetite control and preventing overeating. The researchers decided to target ‘breakfast-skipping’ teens for two reasons, Leidy said. First, breakfast skipping has been strongly associated with unhealthy snacking, overeating (especially at night), weight gain and obesity. Second, approximately 60 percent of adolescents skip breakfast on a daily basis. The higher protein (healthy protein, such as waffles with protein powder) breakfast led to even greater changes in appetite, satiety and reward-driven eating behavior compared to the normal protein breakfast.

For those of you who already follow us on Facebook, you’re well aware of the regular health and wellness discounts posted on the site. If you’re not yet connected with us on your Facebook page, just click the “LIKE” button down toward the bottom right side of this page and you’ll be all set to see regular features, including special discounts we’ve arranged for our members. And by the way, we don’t receive any remuneration from any of the companies who’s discounts we post. They are simply organizations we respect and we’re helping spread the word, knowing it’s one more thing we can do to help change the world… one employee at a time!

In an interview I heard this morning with Bob Seebohar (www.fuel4mance.com), he had a fantastically simple but powerful tip worth sharing that applies to everyone and not just hard core athletes. The tip was that as you approach each meal, ask “Where’s my (high quality source of) protein? and Where’s my color (fruits, veggies)?” He’s not against carbohydrates, except maybe the empty, simple sugar-dense options. There is power in simplicity, and this simple tip – if applied to each meal, and even each snack – will clearly make a difference for us all.

The generic guideline around sleep has historically been to aim for 8 hours. Now a significant research recently covered in the NY Times Magazine backs up that data. Those who had eight hours of sleep hardly had any attention lapses and no cognitive declines over the 14 days of the study. Those in the four- and six-hour groups had P.V.T. results that declined steadily with almost each passing day. Though the four-hour subjects performed far worse, the six-hour group also consistently fell off-task. By the sixth day, 25 percent of the six-hour group was falling asleep at the computer. By the end of two weeks, the six-hour sleepers were as impaired as those who, in another Dinges study, had been … MORE→

One of our long-time partners, The Children’s Hospital of Denver, was once again recognized by US as one of the top children’s hospitals in the country (#5 nationally among children’s hospitals and the only Colorado hospital to make the US News Honor roll). The Children’s Hospital of Denver currently has over 2,300 of their employees actively participating in the Wellness Nation personalized wellness program. We absolutely consider ourselves extremely blessed to have been selected as their ongoing partner in creating a personalized approach to helping each individual employee become their best self as they serve the children of Colorado. Keep up the great work TCH!!

Do you want to be happier? According to the authors of a new review article published in Perspectives on Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, pursuing happiness for happiness sake can actually make people feel worse. The tools often suggested for making yourself happy aren’t necessarily bad—like taking time every day to think about things you’re happy about or grateful for, or setting up situations that are likely to make you happy. “But when you’re doing it with the motivation or expectation that these things ought to make you happy, that can lead to disappointment and decreased happiness,” Gruber says. Indeed, psychological scientists have discovered what appears to really increase happiness. “The strongest predictor of happiness … MORE→

Are you stuck in a rut with your exercise routine? Have you looked back over the past several weeks and found that you’re stuck on hold? You’re consistent, but your performance is just so-so. Nothing special. Here’s a tip – take advantage of what exercise physiologists call “Social Facilitation.” By occasionally working out with others, you’ll perform better, and that better performance means higher intensity and of course enhanced outcomes with your own fitness. This may mean getting out for a group ride on the bike, hitting the gym with a couple of buddies, or finding a running group in the area to join once/week. Kick this Social Facilitation technique into play once or twice/week and your plateau will be … MORE→

Wellness Nation was extremely pleased to be recognized as winner of a Gold Star Certificate from the Better Business Bureau Denver/Boulder for 2008-2010. This unique honor recognizes BBB Accredited organizations that have had no complaints over the past 3 years. We are thankful to all of our fantastic partners and participants for their wonderful feedback and look forward to continuing to provide exceptional service in the future.

Here’s a good, solid swim set for the swimmers and triathletes in our midst: 200 Warm-up 5 x 200 at a send-off that provides you with approximately 30 seconds rest in between intervals Easy 50 10 x 100 at send-off that provides 15 seconds rest Easy 50 10 x 50 at send-off that provides 8-10 seconds rest Easy 50 20 x 25 (fast, recovery, fast, recovery, etc) 200 warm-down  

Parents are busy (understatement of the year?), and time for exercise can be tough. But what if instead of those trips to/from practice being the limiter, they were seen as the opportunity? What if, instead of saying “I can’t exercise because I’ve got to take Johnny to soccer practice,” it became “What a great chance to exercise when I take Johnny to soccer practice!” Obviously this wouldn’t always make sense, but would it sometimes? I consistently see parents at the pool, the track, the park or the gym sitting and watching practice (or reading a book). Perfect setting to get in a jog, swim or even a walk (and set a great example for the kids), with no additional time … MORE→

We were pleased to have our CEO featured in the latest issue of News-line. If interested, you can access the article here.

The Mayo Clinic recently provided their Top 10 Tips for better health. Among the list was eating fruits and veggies, taking a daily walk, including fiber in your diet, volunteering, enjoying a pet, having an attitude of gratitude, regular stretching and strengthening and being optimistic. What would you add to the list? Here’s a link to the article if you’d like to read additional details. Link :: http://tinyurl.com/42dbo3y

A study of older married couples that gives new meaning to the matrimonial adage “for better or worse” finds that spouses have a much greater impact on their partner’s health than previously known. The study, published in the current issue of the American Psychological Association’s journal Health Psychology, finds strong associations between the physical and emotional health of older married couples – and provides important new information on the psychological toll of physical limitations in old age. Researchers from the University of British Columbia and Pennsylvania State University tracked the emotional and physical histories of more than 1,700 older couples over a 15-year period, using data from a major U.S. survey. Participants ranged in age from 76 to 90 and … MORE→

Staying up late every night and sleeping in is a habit that could put you at risk for gaining weight. People who go to bed late and sleep late eat more calories in the evening, more fast food, fewer fruits and vegetables and weigh more than people who go to sleep earlier and wake up earlier, according to a new Northwestern Medicine study. Late sleepers consumed 248 more calories a day, twice as much fast food and half as many fruits and vegetables as those with earlier sleep times, according to the study. They also drank more full-calorie sodas. The late sleepers consumed the extra calories during dinner and later in the evening when everyone else was asleep. They also … MORE→

Brad Mueli, CEO of the Denver Rescue Mission (one of our valued clients!), doesn’t just “talk” about health and wellness, he’s living it. This June he’ll be riding 475 miles across the state of Kansas to help raise money to help the less fortunate across the front range. If you’d like to support his efforts or would just like to learn more about the positive impact the Denver Rescue Mission has on so many lives, here’s the link to check it out: www.DenverRescueMission.org/bike Go get ’em!

A study in the May 1 issue of the journal Sleep describes how changes in sleep that occur over a five-year period in late middle age affect cognitive function in later life. The findings suggest that women and men who begin sleeping more or less than 6 to 8 hours per night are subject to an accelerated cognitive decline that is equivalent to four to seven years of aging. A change to a shorter sleep duration was associated with lower scores at follow-up on three of the six cognitive tests, with reasoning, vocabulary and global cognitive status all being affected adversely. “The main result to come out of our study was that adverse changes in sleep duration appear to be … MORE→

This is crazy! A few days after Cheyenne Regional announced their BIG weight loss results, the City of Thornton made a similar announcement. With a smaller group, they revealed similar outcomes, dropping almost 570 pounds in their most recent contest! Congratulations to everyone who participated in this latest contest. Way to go City of Thornton!!!

Last week we highlighted the incredible benefits to starting your day off with a homemade smoothie. Great response, with the one primary question centering around whether there’s any way to save money on this healthy treat. Absolutely! Here are a few suggestions: First, watch for deals and make good use of your freezer. For example, I just picked up 2 1/2 lbs of bananas from the “about to go rotten” shelf for 85 cents (yes, total). As soon as I got home, I peeled them and dropped them into my designated zip-lock freezer bag. Bananas make up a consistent part of my smoothies, so this was a huge bargain (about 10 cents/banana). Do the same with any expiring fruit (they’re … MORE→