Archive for January, 2012

Another Reason to Take the Stairs

Wednesday, January 11th, 2012

Time! More time in the day for you!

Yes, of course we all know taking the stairs is healthier than the elevator. But there is another reason: you’ll save time.

According to a new study by a group of Saskatchewan hospital doctors, it takes twice as long – 37.5 seconds – to get to a designated floor by elevator versus the stairs.

The difference was almost entirely due to the time spent waiting for the elevator to arrive, said co-author Dr. Thomas Wilson, a professor in the college of medicine at the University of Saskatchewan.

Overall, taking the stairs over the elevator saved about 15 minutes each day – about a three per cent time savings in a typical eight-hour work day.

“You could probably do something more useful with that time than wait for an elevator to come,” Wilson said.

The study appears in this week’s issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Read more: news article here. Now, this is not a peer reviewed article. But it is a good point.

Here at Motiv, we never take the elevator at work.  Of course, we are only on one floor…

The Science of Weight Loss

Monday, January 9th, 2012

Is undecided. But a very popular topic.

Books like Good Calorie, Bad Calorie by Gary Taubes (and his more reputable critics) have made the science of weight loss best sellers. Which is good, since the more we know, the better. But there is still lot to learn.

In the New York Times Tara Parker-Pope writes a good summary article on the challenges of weight loss and the science behind it. The article is  here.  She has a good summary:

So where does that leave a person who wants to lose a sizable amount of weight? Weight-loss scientists say they believe that once more people understand the genetic and biological challenges of keeping weight off, doctors and patients will approach weight loss more realistically and more compassionately. At the very least, the science may compel people who are already overweight to work harder to make sure they don’t put on additional pounds.

Educate yourself on the science of weight loss. Work smart in 2012 to lose that weight and keep it off.

Junk Free Jan

Thursday, January 5th, 2012

Want to be healthier and probably even lose weight this January?

Try this: Junk Free Jan (seriously, they have a website with good info)

Eliminate from your diet:

1) Gluten

2) Vegetable or Seed Oils

3) Sugar

Let us know if you decide to do this. Perhaps we can post a Motiv team of folks trying this.

Want more info? Here’s an example from the FAQs on the Junk Free Jan website:

What’s the deal with gluten?

Gluten is a potent digestive toxin that wheat produces in its seeds to protect them from consumption by insects, fungus, and other animals. Not surprisingly it is not particularly good for you.

A small portion of all people are celiacs – about 1% – although many have this condition and are undiagnosed. For them gluten is literally a life and death situation. If a celiac’s eats any gluten it causes a severe immune reaction that, over time, destroys the digestive tract. Many of these people are already on gluten-free diets.
It is estimated that roughly 30% of all people have a bad reaction to gluten, but are not celiacs. This can manifest itself in many ways – poor digestion, obesity, auto-immune disease, and heart disease to name a few.
There’s a good chance you suffer from gluten intolerance of some kind and don’t know it. Chances are you’ve been eating wheat your whole life. There’s really no way of knowing if being gluten-free will make a positive difference without eliminating it from your diet.
Give it a try. You might be surprised how much better you feel.
 
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