Thursday, June 29, 2017
What the Heck Is a Swole-mate—and Why Do You Need One In Your Life?
If you use social media, you’ve probably seen the hashtag “#swolemate” floating around. If you thought it was just another trending hashtag to show off your gym skills (and the fact you’re in a relationship), you’re partially right—it’s definitely a trend, but not a baseless one. Believe it or not, working out with a partner actually has some benefits that go beyond building your digital reputation.
So, what is a swole-mate?
A #swolemate is just a trendy name for a gym buddy. It’s usually a romantic couple, hence the play on “soulmate” (swole is slang for being super muscular).
Why do you need one?
Most importantly, it motivates you to work out in the first place because you have someone holding you accountable. You’d rather binge watch the latest season of The Bachelorette? Too bad, you have a swole-mate date.
And it’s not just the fact that nobody likes to be stood up—researchers at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland found that exercisers who went to the gym with a partner exercised more frequently than those who went solo, especially if that partner was emotionally supportive.
“I’m a naturally competitive person so when I work out with my husband, I push myself to go the extra mile. Encouragement and support from your partner increases your chance of reaching a fitness goal and pushing yourself farther than you may have by yourself,” says Denise Locsin, a fitness trainer in California who created the exercise program Yokebar.
You’ll exercise longer and harder
A study in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine found that female cyclers who worked out alongside a virtual gym buddy rode a stationary bike roughly nine minutes longer than those who peddled alone, and about 11 minutes longer when they thought they and their virtual friend were working together as a team. Yet another cycling study found that college students who biked alongside someone who loved exercising worked out harder than those who rode beside an exercise hater.
You’ll build healthier habits (together)
You’re more likely to succeed in adopting healthy habits if your partner adopts them, too. British scientists analyzed the daily habits of nearly 4,000 couples over the age of 50 and found that people were better able to make positive lifestyle changes if their loved one did as well, specifically when it came to getting active or losing weight—67 percent of men and 66 percent of women were able to become physically active when both did it, compared to just 26 percent and 24 percent, respectively, when only one person did.
Another small study in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships discovered that men had healthier eating and exercise habits when their girlfriend or wife also did, compared to couples with mismatched health values. And women who didn’t consider themselves as healthy as their partner were influenced by their man’s positive eating habits and able to eat healthier themselves.
How will this work if one of you is fitter than the other?
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No, you don’t both need to be able to deadlift 300 pounds for a swole-mateship to work. It’s all about the exercise routine, and a high intensity interval training workout (HIIT) is one of your best bets. “Those exercises are all ones you can do with any partner, regardless of fitness levels,” says William Suggs, a personal trainer and sports nutritionist in New York City. Do an Internet search for HIIT routines and see which work best for you. (But never work out when you’re tired.)
Weightlifting isn’t off the table altogether, you just have to be on the same page and incorporate it at the right time. (Don’t make these weight-lifting mistakes.) Suggs suggests doing HIIT workouts outside so you can get a solid fitness base before adding weights to the mix. “If you’re lifting free weights together, the goals need be synonymous and you need to know if you can handle spotting someone bench pressing a heavier weight,” says Suggs. “You should both be serious about hitting your fitness goals.” Plan out which muscles you’ll be working, which moves you’ll do, and then each use the poundage appropriate for you, he says.
Swole-mating isn’t for everyone
Working out as a couple can improve your physicality and emotional bond, but only if your relationship is strong and you’re in tune with each other’s quirks, behaviors, and reactions. “Most of the romantic fights I’ve seen have been exacerbated by personalities. One person might be too bossy or get offended too easily. Or a guy will get mad if his girl makes a joke or encourages him because they take it as criticism,” says Suggs.
One way to ensure your relationship doesn’t end at the gym, he says, is to make sure you can handle the mental and physical exertion without letting emotions get in the way; another is to know your partners’ physical and emotional limitations or sensitivities. “It’s important to know how you interact in stressful situations and that will dictate how you do workout-wise. You’ve got to have patience across the board, and pride and ego need to be thrown out the door,” says Suggs.
Lastly, never bring outside issues into the gym. “Any other relationship issues can come out in the gym; lots of arguments I see aren’t actually about the exercise,” he says.
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Disney Characters Surprising a Deaf Little Boy in Sign Language Will Melt Your Heart
If you ever went to Disneyland (or World) as a kid, you surely remember how exciting it was when Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and the other characters greeted you. But for this little boy, the moment he met his favorite characters at Disneyland was extra-special.
Olive Crest, a charity in California, provides support and shelter for at-risk children. Every year, Olive Crest sponsors a trip to Disneyland for its foster and adoptive families, and this year, they came up with an idea to give one of the kids a super-sweet surprise.
While meeting Minnie, Mickey, and Pluto, the little boy began to use sign language—and the characters used it back. The boy, whose name is Phoenix, then got a big hug from both Mickey and Minnie. Aww!
Olive Crest posted a video of the amazing moment, which you can watch below. Get your tissues ready, because this will be the most touching thing you see all day. Next, check out this story of another kid who had an unforgettable Disney experience.
Minnie and Mickey are telling Phoenix, “It’s nice to meet you” and “I love you.” Yup, this is Disney magic at its finest! For more information about Olive Crest, visit their website at olivecrest.org. They are also on Facebook and Instagram (@olive.crest). For more inspiration, check out the awesome brand-new water park for kids with disabilities.
Source: mashable.com
from Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2tqtv4V
This Is the Real Reason Dunking Milk in Cookies Tastes So Darn Good
Not even adults can deny that dunking cookies in milk is one of the best treats out there. Whether it’s with the perfect chocolate chip cookie or any other type of cookie Grandma would be proud of, the classic combo is a recipe for happy taste buds and sweet nostalgia.
In fact, eating cookies with milk is scientifically designed to taste good. Whether the first person to ever dip a cookie in milk knew that is another question.
When you dunk a chocolate chip cookie, you change everything about it: the texture, the flavor, right down to the chemical composition. As Matthew Harting, a chemistry professor at American University, explained to Quartz, the secret is a group of chemical additives called emulsifiers.
Here’s how they work. There are some liquids that don’t naturally mix, the most common example being oil and water. An emulsion is when one liquid is chemically forced to disperse within the other. Instead of oil sitting on top of water, drops of oil are suspended throughout the water. The compounds that make this happen are called, you guessed it, emulsifiers. One end of this molecule likes oil and the other end likes water, so they allow two otherwise opposing liquids to happily coexist.
Both chocolate and milk contain emulsifiers. The ones in chocolate let fatty ingredients (oil and cocoa butter) mix with ingredients without fat (water and cocoa powder). They also keep the fat in milk from collecting at the top of your glass.
This delicious magic, aka science, is taken to the next level when chocolate chip cookies are dunked in milk because the emulsifiers from both substances interact on your tongue. Milk calms down the intense sweetness from the chocolate, Harting said, and emulsifiers “help to smooth out the chocolate as you’re eating it,” giving you the perfect creaminess-to-cookie flavor ratio. Otherwise, it could taste too gritty and crunchy.
So the next time you dip a cookie in milk—generating chemical reactions that bring a new cookie creation to life—congratulate yourself. You’re basically the Dr. Frankenstein of food.
from Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2tqhV9T
This Is Why Your Face Turns Red When You Drink Alcohol
But the real reason you look like an Oompa Loompa after happy hour all comes down to science. Basically, the flushed skin is your body’s way of letting you know that it’s not metabolizing alcohol the way it should be. Blood pressure skyrockets when alcohol is consumed, and the liquid is broken down into a compound called acetaldehyde. When your body cannot metabolize the compound during this process, the blood capillaries in your face dilate, resulting in a visibly blotchy face.
The phenomena is officially dubbed as “alcohol flush reaction,” defined as a condition in which an individual develops flushes associated with erythema on the face, neck, shoulders, and in some rare cases, the entire body.
Due to genomic differences, 80 percent of East Asians suffer with the syndrome. Most Asians inherit an overactive alcohol dehydrogenase, so they break down acetaldehyde extremely quickly, sometimes up to 100 times faster. Because of this, they don’t experience the typical alcohol “buzz.” Instead, an inactive variant of the liver enzyme ALDH2 causes acetaldehyde to clear from their bloodstream at a slowed pace, instigating a significantly greater buildup of acetaldehyde and Santa-like cheeks.
Although it is less common to see this syndrome in Europeans, Africans, and Mexican-Americans, people of Jewish descent do have a higher than average chance of suffering from it.
The negative aspects of alcohol flush reaction go beyond the aesthetic downside; the defect also abets rapid heartbeat, nausea, headaches, and overall discomfort.
Unfortunately, research from South Korea has shown that among people who sip four or more drinks per week, men with alcohol flush reaction were over twice as likely to develop high blood pressure later in life than guys who didn’t suffer from the defect. This puts those affected at greater risk for heart disease, stroke, and other hypertension-related health issues.
But that doesn’t mean you need to shy away from the camera at every bar outing and happy hour you attend; although there is no cure, there are tactics to indulge yourself and minimize the rosy cheeks.
For starters, don’t start chugging cocktails to try and build up a tolerance with fingers crossed that the redness will eventually subside; unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way. Doctors avidly discourage this strategy as it may actually aggravate the condition.
Instead, limit your alcohol consumption; ideally, men should stick to two standard alcoholic drinks per day and women should adhere to a maximum of one alcoholic drink per day. Binge drinking will drastically overload your body, so stay away from the beer bong at parties.
But the best way to regulate the flush is to eat before or while you drink. A full stomach will protect the stomach lining against excessive alcohol irritation—and could even prevent a hangover. Fatty and carbohydrate-rich foods (pizza, bread, etc.) can stop the alcohol from entering the small intestines too quickly, slowing down the rate of alcohol absorption.
If you’re suffering with alcohol flush reaction, identify your limit and avoid exceeding it as much as possible. That may mean bidding adieu to your favorite drinks, so try this yummy mocktail in the meantime.
from Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2tqhUCR
How It Feels to Live in a Tiny Town Where Everyone Knows Your Name
Finalist for Nicest Place in America: Rock Hall, Maryland
Rock Hall is a top-10 finalist in our Nicest Place in America contest. Vote for your favorite Nicest Place—the winner will be on the cover of the November issue of Reader’s Digest magazine.
No, you’re not in an episode of Black Mirror. You’re in Rock Hall, Maryland, where everyone waves and smiles. Locals call it the “Rock Hall wave,” and it helps give this tiny hamlet its quintessential small-town feel.
Rock Hall is an historical harbor town, with roughly one-quarter of the residents earning their living on the water. Independent commercial fishermen, known as “watermen,” troll for crabs, oysters and more in all kinds of weather.
Although watermen may look tough, they’re just as friendly as everyone else in Rock Hall.
“The watermen have one hand down watching for crabs, and the other hand automatically goes up as you go by,” says McHugh. “It’s an identifying part of Rock Hall friendliness, no matter where you are.”
“It’s a very tight-knit, welcoming community,” says McHugh. “It doesn’t matter if it’s a pickup truck or a Bentley—you just wave.”
“It doesn’t matter if it’s a pickup truck or a Bentley—you just wave.”
At first, this precious local custom confuses people, but soon, even most short-term visitors begin to return the favor.
“Most people wave back,” says Rock Hill Mayor Brian Jones. “It’s really unique, the friendliness. It’s a signature thing in Rock Hall.”
The Dog That Got Her Own Bank Account
Roughly 1,300 friendly people live in this 310-year-old harbor town on the Chesapeake Bay. The town motto says it all: “Nice people live here.” Rock Hall residents welcome visitors and treat their community like family—and everyone is part of the family, even pets.
For years, Rock Hall resident Benny Gerlock drove a big rig on long hauls and brought his beloved dog Holly along for the ride. Gerlock died in a trucking accident in Dallas in 2013, but Holly, a Chesapeake Bay retriever, survived. When Gerlock’s Rock Hall friends heard the news, they knew they had to bring Holly back from Dallas. Kelley Reuwer, Gerlock’s neighbor, had promised to take care of Holly if anything ever happened to the trucker, and she planned to keep that promise.
Two of Gerlock’s best friends wanted to make the trip, but there was the matter of food, gas and lodging to contend with. Luckily, people in Rock Hall wanted to help.
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“I went to the local bank—there’s only one bank in town—and found out that people were wanting to donate for Holly and didn’t know what to do, so they said to open a bank account and start socking money into it,” Reuwer says. “It’s a small town, so rumor got out that Holly got a bank account. We called it ‘Help for Holly.’
Town residents anonymously donated more than $3,000 so that Gerlock’s friends could make the 2,800-mile round-trip drive to bring Holly home.
“They took Benny’s truck, so when they put Holly in the truck, she’d have some sense of Benny being there,” Jones says.
Town officials and fire department were waiting with flashing engine lights and a “Welcome Home” sign to meet the rescue party upon Holly’s return.
“We had a big impromptu celebration,” Reuwer says. “She was so happy to get home and see familiar faces—she was overjoyed. There were a lot of tears that night.”
Holly has won a place in everyone’s heart. She’s become the town mascot, and this year, she’ll ride in the Fourth of July parade.
Looking Out for Their Own
“If I see her lights on after midnight, I call her up right away to make sure everything’s OK,” Donegan says. “Her son, who lives in Virginia Beach, tells everyone she’s living in assisted living, since our entire town assists with her living.”
Love for your neighbor is everywhere you look in Rock Hall. When a young boy in town needed cancer treatment, everyone put red cancer-awareness bows on their mailboxes and doors, then sent donations to the family to help cover the cost of his care. When a local house painter contractor died of a heart attack, leaving his wife and children without a provider, everyone in town hired from his company, knowing the money would go back to his family.
“Anything that happens in Rock Hall, the community rallies together,” Jones says. “Everyone supports each other during a time of need.”
Each June, when athletes descend on Rock Hall for an annual triathlon. residents far and wide scurry to help.
They volunteer with directing traffic, providing water stations,” Jones says. “If the course goes past their houses, there are local people with garden hoses to cool them off. It’s cool to see the engagement of the local people.”
Rock Hall is a top-10 finalist in our Nicest Place in America contest! Vote for your favorite Nicest Place—the winner will be on the cover of the November issue of Reader’s Digest magazine!
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Yes, Getting Dirty Can Act as a Natural Antidepressant—Here’s Why
The hygiene hypothesis has been bandied about for ages. In a nutshell, it suggests that we are too clean, which is why we get sick. Early childhood is the time when we should be exposed to all sorts of germs that will educate our immune system. When this doesn’t occur (because of our overly sanitized environments), the immune system doesn’t learn to recognize friend from foe and then tends to overreact to perceived threats, upping our risk for many ailments, from allergies to depression.
“Kids who play in the sandbox are exposed to a wide variety of germs, which in turn programs their young immune systems,” explains Nigma Talib, ND, a naturopathic doctor with clinics in London and New York, and the author of Younger Skin Starts in the Gut: 4-Week Program to Identify and Eliminate Your Skin-Aging Triggers – Gluten, Wine, Dairy, and Sugar.
Enter the microbiome—the name given to the microbe (bacteria) population living in our guts. Science is increasingly uncovering its powerful role in influencing immune function and chemical signaling in the brain, to the point that it’s been dubbed “the second brain.” “When you are anxious, your stomach may act up, and this is because we have more serotonin receptors in the gut than in the brain,” Dr. Talib explains. (Serotonin is the same feel-good brain chemical that is targeted by antidepressants such as Prozac). “When the bacteria in your gut is out of whack, serotonin receptors don’t function as well.”
The Down and Dirty Depression Cure?
A 2007 study in Neuroscience found that when mice were injected with a bacteria found in dirt, Mycobacterium vaccae, it activated a particular group of brain neurons that produce serotonin—just like an antidepressant does.
“There is pretty strong evidence that microbes are involved in depression,” adds B. Brett Finlay, PhD, a professor of microbiology at the University of British Columbia and author of Let Them Eat Dirt.
In fact, one study found that a single course of antibiotics boosts the risk of depression by around 25 percent, and the more antibiotics a person takes, the greater this risk becomes. That’s because antibiotics kill bacteria, and it’s possible that the very action that renders them effective against infection disrupts gut bacteria and increases depression risk. The findings appear in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.
“There is more and more supporting evidence that the gut-brain axis works both ways and can affect depression and anxiety,” Dr. Finlay says.
It’s true that there are many different factors that can lead to depression. “This is one potential mechanism,” says Emeran A. Mayer, MD, PhD , a gastroenterologist and neuroscientist at the University of California-Los Angeles and author of The Mind-Gut Connection. “If you grow up in an environment where you are exposed to a lot of environmental microbes, it is protective against a lot of chronic disease… possibly depression for a subset of people.”
But as tempting as it sounds from a health perspective, you should not go scoop dirt out of the yard and eat it. “You can catch a lot of bacteria and parasites that are not healthy if you eat dirt,” Dr. Talib says. There may be a role for probiotics, a.k.a “good” bacteria, however. “Probiotics do keep the bad guys in check,” she says. “Eating a wide variety of superfoods such as vegetables and fermented foods such as sauerkraut and pickles can reset the balance.”
Unfortunately, Finlay says, while “there may be a day when research identifies microbes with specific functions and we can say that these gut bugs lead to depression and these don’t,” at this point there aren’t even one or even two specific probiotic strains that we can say will definitively reduce depression risk.
Until then, we can say definitively that diet—including these foods that fight depression also affects microbes, and exercise is known to boost mood, so those are good ways to ward off the blues—no rolling in the dirt required.
from Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2tr9nPH
Here’s Why Queen Elizabeth Celebrates Two Birthdays Every Year
Like many British monarchs before her, the Queen likes to commemorate the occasion on two separate days—once on the actual anniversary of the day she was born (April 21) and again on a Saturday in June (dubbed as the “official celebration”). The reason is rather simple and owes its origins to the timeless dilemma of fickle British weather.
The established tradition dates back to 1748 with King George II, who was born in November. The Royals (as expected) like to dabble in opulent outdoor festivities for hordes of people, so the frosty chill was rather inconvenient. Because he didn’t want to put his subjects at risk of catching colds, his birthday celebration was merged with the annual Trooping the Colour parade. Prior to that, it was strictly a military event in which regiments would display their flags or “colors” so that soldiers could familiarize themselves.
This concept became a habit that still prospers to this day; British sovereigns are all granted the option of inheriting an “official” birthday. The spring day of April 21 was deemed too chilly for Queen Elizabeth’s sumptuous bash, so they decided to adhere to a safer (and warmer) June alternative. Although the date is technically associated with the Trooping the Colour in the U.K., commonwealth nations around the world mandate its recognition as a public holiday.
As for the Saturday element, the royals decided to set the date so that more members of the public could enjoy the jubilee without having to worry about their conflicting work schedules. This was a change from the Thursdays that were previously established during the earlier part of her reign.
The Queen usually spends her actual birthday privately, but the day is certainly not what we would call a clandestine occasion. The anniversary is still commemorated with a round of gun salutes at noon: a 41-gun salute in Hyde Park, a 21-gun salute in Windsor Great Park, and a 62-gun salute at the Tower of London. (Clearly, the Queen’s fashion statements are not the only conspicuous things about her lifestyle).
from Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2up0jba
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