Three on health

"How Three Minutes of Exercise a Week Could Change Your Life".

Current advice from the NHS suggests that in order to stay healthy, adults should take either 150 minutes — that’s two-and-a-half hours — of ‘moderate’ exercise a week, or 75 minutes of ‘vigorous’ exercise.

But a growing number of studies — from proper scientists, not wacky weirdos — suggest that the benefits of exercise could be achieved in much less time if you go in for very short bursts of very high-intensity exercise.

How short? Well, just one minute, three times a week. Yes, you read that correctly. 

"The Benefits of Occasional Fasting".

It seems counterintuitive, but skipping meals helps you feel more energized, recover better from exercise, blast fat, and retain lean muscle mass, and even protects your body from heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and cognitive decline – which is why NASA is interested in looking at fasting to improve the cognitive functioning of pilots and unmanned-aerial-vehicle operators.

How does skipping meals provide these types of benefits? Because we were once hunters and gatherers who sometimes went days between meals, our bodies were designed to survive in times of feast and famine. Most Americans now live off a constant drip of processed food, which keeps blood sugars elevated and immune systems depressed.

"The Science Behind Coffee and Why it’s Actually Good for Your Health".

Here's why coffee may actually be one of the healthiest beverages on the planet.

Comments

[Joe R.]

I first read about intermittent fasting about a year ago here at the Door. When I want to lose a few pounds, IF is a very comfortable way for me to do it.

[JorgXMcKie]

Oddly enough, when I decided to lose weight a year ago [I've always been able to lose weight when I want to, and it makes my wife crazy], pretty much fell into all three of these.

First,though, I quit eating 'white stuff' -- no white bread [or bread at all, mostly], no sugar [I've never craved sweets anyway], no white flour or pasta, no potatoes [I love potatoes but don't miss them now], no white rice [or any rice much].

I'm not hard core. I may eat one or two of the above a couple of times a month. So far essentially no sugar. The rest sporadically.

However, I also only eat once a day, in the evening [I grew up on a farm and still didn't care for breakfast], I drink around 100 oz of coffee a day, and I ride an exercise bike once a day for about 30 minutes, ending with an all our sprint that tends last, now, about 5 minutes.

Since last early April I've lost over 25% of my body weight [60 pounds], feel fine, and all of my blood work is in the green.

I don't feel hungry except at mealtime in the evening. I'm not tired. I haven't been sick with a cold or the flu the whole time.

Oh, I also do go a whole day [really about 48 hours] a couple of times a month fasting.

It works for me.

[JorgXMcKie]

Oddly enough, when I decided to lose weight a year ago [I've always been able to lose weight when I want to, and it makes my wife crazy], pretty much fell into all three of these.

First,though, I quit eating 'white stuff' -- no white bread [or bread at all, mostly], no sugar [I've never craved sweets anyway], no white flour or pasta, no potatoes [I love potatoes but don't miss them now], no white rice [or any rice much].

I'm not hard core. I may eat one or two of the above a couple of times a month. So far essentially no sugar. The rest sporadically.

However, I also only eat once a day, in the evening [I grew up on a farm and still didn't care for breakfast], I drink around 100 oz of coffee a day, and I ride an exercise bike once a day for about 30 minutes, ending with an all our sprint that tends last, now, about 5 minutes.

Since last early April I've lost over 25% of my body weight [60 pounds], feel fine, and all of my blood work is in the green.

I don't feel hungry except at mealtime in the evening. I'm not tired. I haven't been sick with a cold or the flu the whole time.

Oh, I also do go a whole day [really about 48 hours] a couple of times a month fasting.

It works for me.