Veggie Blog

The old version of this post, “7 Tips for Fitness Women,” was a list that opened by asking whether you would like to be an effective fitness woman. The tips were sensible, but the text was hard to follow. This rewrite keeps the seven ideas, checks them against the national guidelines and explains each one more clearly.

1. Does the program fit you?

Every woman is different, and a program that suits one person may be wrong for another. The old post advises consulting a qualified trainer to be sure that the plan will not hurt you. If you have a medical condition, are pregnant or have not been active, check with your health care provider first. MedlinePlus says the same: check with your provider before you start, especially if you have trouble moving or balancing or worry that exercise might not be safe.

2. Are your goals realistic?

Changing your shape in a month is not realistic, and the old post warned that false hopes lead to frustration and injury. Think about what blocks you in daily life, such as time or energy, then set goals and timelines you can meet. The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans give a starting target: 150 to 300 minutes of moderate aerobic activity a week, plus muscle-strengthening activities on two or more days.

3. Which exercises give the most return?

The old post suggests building muscle with multi-joint exercises, such as squats, rows and presses, and with weights, and says more muscle means you burn more calories. Muscle-strengthening exercise is recommended for all adults, and multi-joint moves save time because they train several muscle groups at once. Extra muscle does raise the calories you burn at rest, but only a little (this is general physiology, not a figure from the sources above), so treat strength training as a way to get stronger and healthier, not a fast route to weight loss. If you are unsure how to do an exercise, ask a trainer to show you. Our guide to full-body workouts shows how to train in two or three sessions a week.

4. Are you making the work harder over time?

Repeating the same exercises with the same weight will give less and less. MedlinePlus’s exercise basics advise building up slowly and challenging yourself by lifting slightly heavier weights, adding minutes or increasing your pace. The old post suggested keeping a daily log so you can see how far you have come, which also helps confidence. A simple notebook or phone note is enough. Increase gradually to protect your joints.

5. How should you perform each repetition?

The old post recommends sets of around 10 repetitions, with as little momentum as possible. Slow, controlled movement makes the muscles do the work instead of swinging. A good check is to see whether you are swinging the weight to lift it. Ten is a starting point, not a rule. What counts is that the last few repetitions feel challenging and your form stays good. For a deeper look at reps and sets, read muscle myths: what the evidence says about reps and sets.

6. Do you vary your workout?

Changing your exercises, goals or sets every so often keeps the work interesting and prevents boredom, as the old post says. MedlinePlus also recommends mixing up your workouts to keep things interesting and help prevent injuries or burnout. Include aerobic, strength, balance and flexibility work, and read preventing sports injuries for habits that keep you training.

7. How do you stay motivated?

The old post says that people stay motivated when they feel a sense of control and ownership, and that you should be consistent and learn to appreciate your own efforts. That fits MedlinePlus’s advice to show up regularly, even for short sessions. There is no program that is best for everybody; pick one you enjoy and adjust as you go. For health habits beyond exercise, such as screenings and sleep, see women’s health habits that matter.

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As an avid golfer and certified yoga instructor, Katherine Roberts combined her passions to create the incredibly successful Yoga for Golfers program—a unique and integrated educational system providing instruction on how to improve flexibility, range of motion, and concentration on the course. It’s the fastest growing fitness program used by amateur and professional golfers worldwide. Now, in this groundbreaking book, Roberts makes her unique methods available to you.

Based on twenty years of expertise and guaranteed to work for golfers of all ages, handicaps, and fitness levels, Yoga for Golfers connects the mind and body to create a powerful training regimen geared to produce immediate results, including greater flexibility and strength for distance and accuracy off the tee, enhanced breathing awareness for better swing tempo, and improved overall fitness.

Katherine Roberts has twenty years of experience in fitness training, yoga studies, and motivation. Her highly successful Yoga for Golfers program has been featured in numerous magazines and newspapers, including Sports Illustrated, Golf, Golf Digest, and Self. She has appeared on ESPN, Fox Sports, ABC, and CBS and is the host of her own weekly show, “Yoga for Golfers,” on the Golf Channel. She lives in Cave Creek, Arizona.

Book: Yoga for Golfers by Katherine Roberts
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Ginger is a familiar kitchen spice, and it is also one of the most popular herbal remedies in the world. The old version of this post called ginger a “vitamin,” said it can heal athlete’s foot and eliminate menstrual cramps completely, and claimed that it is one of the best vitamins around. Ginger is not a vitamin, and those claims are not supported. Here is what is known, and how to buy and store the fresh root.

What is ginger?

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) says ginger is native to the warm parts of Asia and is now grown in parts of South America, Africa and the Middle East. What we call the root is its rhizome, an underground stem, which is used in food and for health purposes. The old post said that it is a stem and not a root, and that is right. Ginger has been used in folk medicine since ancient times, traditionally for conditions such as asthma, flu, indigestion and stomach discomfort.

Does ginger help with nausea?

This is the use with the best support. NCCIH says research shows that ginger may be helpful for nausea and vomiting associated with pregnancy, but most studies of ginger for motion sickness have not shown it to be helpful. It is uncertain whether ginger helps with nausea after chemotherapy or surgery. Most studies tested dietary supplements and not foods such as ginger ale or ginger tea. The old post praised flat ginger ale and crackers for an upset stomach, but I found no solid evidence for that. Read the NCCIH page on ginger.

What about pain and cramps?

NCCIH says research suggests that ginger supplements might help reduce the severity of menstrual cramps, and might help symptoms of knee osteoarthritis, although much of that research has been of poor quality. Ginger applied to the skin has not been shown to help knee osteoarthritis. That is far from the old claims that it relieves rheumatoid arthritis, eliminates cramps completely, or prevents ailments from colds to athlete’s foot. I found no reliable evidence for those.

Is ginger safe?

NCCIH says ginger has been used safely in many research studies, but it can cause side effects such as abdominal discomfort, heartburn, diarrhea, and mouth and throat irritation when taken by mouth. If you take any medicine, talk with your health care provider before using ginger or any herbal product, because some herbs and medicines interact in harmful ways. Ginger supplements during pregnancy may be safe, but you should consult your provider first, and little is known about safety while breastfeeding. Like other supplements, ginger products are not approved by the FDA before they are sold. For general rules, see our guide to choosing and using supplements wisely. Our post on vitamin supplements for vegetarians explains how to think about herbal and vitamin products.

How do you buy and store fresh ginger?

According to Iowa State University Extension, whether young or mature, the rhizome should be firm and have light brown skin. Ginger harvested in the fall is called mature ginger, and it has a tougher skin and is more pungent and fibrous. Fresh, unpeeled ginger keeps on the counter for one to two weeks, but it is better kept in an airtight bag in the refrigerator’s crisper drawer, where it stays fresh for four to six weeks. Throw it away if you see mold, softness or an off smell. You can freeze it for longer storage. The old post’s tip about weight, that it should feel heavy for its size, is common advice but I could not confirm it.

How can you cook with it?

Ginger is used in sweet and savory dishes. Grate it into stir-fries, soups and curries, steep slices in hot water for a tea, or bake it into cookies and breads. Our recipe collection of high-protein vegetarian meals includes a red lentil curry and a tempeh stir-fry that use fresh ginger. Treat ginger as a flavor and food first. If you want to take it as a supplement for a health reason, talk to your doctor. Learn more about storage in the Iowa State University Extension guide.

Which is the best skin care product?

There is really no such thing as the best skin care product. There simply cannot be one “best skin care product”, because skin care products work differently for different people (based partly on skin type). A product that is the best skin care product for one person might end up being the worst for another. So a more logical question would be “What is the best skin care product for my type of skin?”. However, even this is not completely logical. We tend to divide people into 4 groups based on their skin type, i.e. dry skin, oily skin, normal skin and sensitive skin. This classification is too broad to settle the question of the best skin care product. “The best skin care product for dry skin” or “the best skin care product for oily skin” are better statements than just “the best skin care product”. But that is all they are: better, and still not accurate.

So it comes down to rephrasing the question as “What is the best skin care product for me?”. Yes, this is the question that you should be asking, and unfortunately there is no easy answer. Finding the best skin care product for yourself will take some effort on your part.

First of all, you need to understand how skin care products work. This is simple. You can think of every skin care product as being made of 2 types of ingredients: active and inactive. The active ingredients are the ones that actually work on your skin. The inactive ones help deliver the active ingredients to your skin. Both kinds of ingredients need to suit your skin for the product to be effective (and to become the best skin care product for you).

Besides the ingredients, the way you use your skin care products is equally important, perhaps even more so. If you do not know how to apply skin care products, you might forever be hunting for the best skin care product when it has already passed through your hands. It is also important to decide how often to apply a product. Environmental factors such as temperature, humidity and pollution also affect which skin care product is best for you. Here are a few rules to make sure your best skin care product really is the best for you:
* Cleanse your skin before applying that skin care product.
* Use a make-up remover instead of plain soap and water to clean your face before going to bed.
* Active ingredients can work less well when applied on top of other products, e.g. over a moisturiser. So apply the treatment product first, and then a little moisturiser if needed.
* Apply the product to clean, slightly damp skin.
* You will probably have to try a few products before you arrive at the one that is best for you.
* Do not exfoliate too often or too hard.
* Adjust your skin care routine to the seasons (winter, summer etc.), to changes in your environment and to changes in your skin.

Note that the best skin care product cannot be found overnight. Only through trial (and awareness) can you find the best skin care product for you.

Yoga and the Path of the Urban Mystic brings classical teachings alive and helps us move our rewarding experience of yoga beyond the mat and meditation cushion and into the whole of life.

For modern yogis feeling challenged in our efforts to remain deeply spiritual, contemplative, and centered amid the stresses and complications of urban life, this book serves as both inspiration and guide. Darren Main’s fresh, down-to-earth approach to the time-tested practice and philosophy of yoga shows us the way to apply the ancient wisdom of India to every moment and every breath so that even our busiest days can be powerful and mystical adventures, filled with all the wonder and magic that was once reserved for those living as monks and nuns. Yoga for the twenty-first century, this is the fulfilling and joyful path of the urban mystic.
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