Healthy Is Happy

Nowadays, youth and beauty has become an obsession in peoples’ everyday lives. From creams, serums, and facials, to plastic surgery and Botox. However, studies have found that the key to looking younger is to take of your health on a simple level. It’s as easy as eating organic as opposed to non-organic foods. There was a study done between men who shopped only at Whole Foods and men who didn’t, and it was proven that the men who shopped only at Whole Foods and ate all organic foods appeared to be aging more slowly than those who had not. Not only does youthfulness come from what you eat, but also depends a  lot on how you feel; people who appear to be happier (including people who have laugh lines) also appear to be younger. Maybe wrinkles aren’t so bad after all!

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/09/30/a-youthful-glow-radiating-from-within/

Many people, especially nowadays, have been more conscious and aware of their health and fitness especially in terms of their weight. Many who are trying to lose weight try everything and anything to shed those extra pounds; things like exercise, eat healthier, eat less, and all those supposedly promising weight loss pills. A lot of the times these methods work, but that does not necessarily mean they succeed in keeping the weight off. Now there is a solution to that! Studies have been done proving that high intensity interval training (HIIT) will do the trick. It was proven that overweight men in their 20s’ or 30s’ appetites lessened after HIIT not only right after their work out, but it also carried over to the next day. So rather than a constant moderate workout, try a HIIT and your appetite, and level of hunger will definitely lessen.

Most individuals struggle to balance a perfect routine that includes both enough exercise and sleep. People have to remember that both of these are equally important and each affects the other. A goodnight night sleep is about 7 hours. This improves the motivation to exercise and have a successful fitness session. Too much of both or too little will not help the situation; instead attempt to eliminate another activity, focus on something else that can be swapped. For example, go to bed 30ninutes earlier. Both activities are important to maintain a healthy lifestyle, make it a priority to include it in your schedule.

William Howard Taft, the United States’ heaviest president (NY Times)

Notoriously known as the fattest president of the US, William Taft struggled with his weight and image. He had to endure the journalists and cartoonists, who had a field day with his unconventional image. Recent findings indicated that his fight against obesity was rather modern. He exercised, had a personal trainer, went on a low carb and low fat diet and even weighed himself daily. He had counsel from many major health gurus of the time. Today, he might have been offered weight loss surgery or diet pills. Unfortunately, professionals still haven’t found the perfect diet that satiates the hunger. Taft often complained about feeling constant pangs of hunger. But he never gave up. He fluctuated from 350 to 255 pounds. When he died, he was 280 pounds. Taft had the kind of medical care that doctors today strive to give their patients.

Most people regard obese people to be generally unhealthy. Fortunately for less then a third of obese adults, this is not the case. This minority is called being “metabolically healthy obese.” Scientist think that the reason that there is a distinction between healthy and non healthy obesity stems to where the fat cells go. In metabolically healthy obese adults, the fat cells are stored behind the skin tissue where as in unhealthy adults, the fat cells are stored behind the skin tissue and into organs such as the liver, tissue, and heart. This sounds like good news for metabolically healthy obese adults but there is no clear evidence that this is or is not the “transition stage.” Most people who are deemed to be healthy obese are of younger age so in a few years that healthy stage may be transitioned to those with high blood pressure and a list of unhealthy problems.

For the picture: The fat cells of an obese person who is metabolically healthy (left) are much smaller than the engorged cells of an obese person with metabolic health problems (right).[Kirsi Pietiläinen]

The New York Times Article “Record Level of Stress Found in College Freshmen”  claims that “The emotional health of college freshmen — who feel buffeted by the recession and stressed by the pressures of high school — has declined to the lowest level s”  Lucky for you Baruch has many ways to improve your health and lifestyle. Currently, Absolute Adrenaline is an undergraduate student club that promotes students into the habit of creating a healthy, fun, and active lifestyle for themselves and those around them. The club plans many outdoor activities that are also adventurous.  If that’s not for you, the fitness center at Baruch is open to all students Monday through Friday from 7am-9pm, 7am-8pm on Fridays and 10am-4pm on the weekends. Baruch also offers Yoga Thursdays where the first ten students get to use a matt.  Many workshops are also available to attend which teach about nutrition, organic food, meditation, and food labeling. Don’t forget there is also a Baruch Student Health Center on 26th Street, which has many medical services to take advantage. It is never too late to take active steps in improving your health!