Don't Turn It On Until You Take It Off (October 29)
Going bare-faced is best, but, if you must, skip the heavy foundation and try a tinted moisturizer instead. But keep in mind that if your skin gets irritated it can lead to acne and aggravated skin conditions, which could invoke heavier makeup use outside of the gym.
Brown Rice is Fight Rice! (October 23)
Eating brown rice is kinda like eating potatoes with the skin on. Just like spuds, there’s the white, fluffy part on the inside and the brown, earthy layer on the outside. And just like the nutrient rich skin of a potato, the outer layer of rice - the bran and the germ - is where so much nutrition lies.
Pump Up Your Iron (October 14)
Iron exists in your bloodstream as oxygen-transporting Hemoglobin. Iron also receives and stores oxygen inside muscle tissue. If your blood is deficient in iron you’re going to be having a short training day accompanied by a long recovery.
Probiotics are for Pros (and Amateurs) (October 1)
As a woman involved in intense fight training, you’re constantly taxing your immune system. For females, consuming yogurt regularly could mean boosting your T-cell count by as much as 25%.
Pasta is Fight Fuel! (September 17)
You need carbs for energy, and pasta, with its complex carbohydrates, provides significant sustained energy and helps you regulate blood sugar levels. If it’s a gym day you’ll especially want a good supply of carbs like pasta for fuel as well as for recovery.
Cherry Juice is Radical (September 9)
Athletes reportedly can enjoy as much as a 10% improvement in recovery time by drinking the tart stuff after their workout. And there's also evidence showing that drinking tart cherry juice is helpful for managing pain in a way not unlike some over-the-counter pain killers.
Popcorn, the Perfect Snack! (September 2)
Popcorn is pretty unique as a snack as it is 100% unprocessed whole grain. You know that doctors and nutritionists love to tout the greatness of whole grains. They may not know exactly what makes whole grains so great, but they are, and popcorn is a great whole grain.
Sleep, The Other Kind of Fuel (August 20)
Sleep is a critical component for your overall well-being, physically and mentally. As a fighter, you need it to repair post-workout tissue damage, but you'll also enjoy a more efficient metabolism, better hormone balance, and acuter (sure, that’s a word) mental sharpness.
Chocolate Milk is MUSCLE Milk (August 13)
Your muscles break down after exercise and the tissues need to rebuild and the stores of glycogen energy need to refill so you’re ready for more activity. Research concludes that chocolate milk does a better job of rebuilding and refueling than carbohydrate-only sports drinks because of the combination of carbs and protein.
Hydration for Health and Performance (August 6)
Dehydration will ultimately lead to fatigue because your body will actually need to work harder to deliver oxygen to your brain and perform other crucial tasks. By staying hydrated you will stay energized and feel more alert.
Watermelon, the Fleshy Superfruit (July 30)
Munching on watermelon’s sublimely sweet flesh after your workout also helps you restore glycogen to muscle tissue. This is a way of saying that eating watermelon after exercise helps you recover faster and replenish muscles with ready-to-go energy.
The Sweet Science of Bruising (July 23)
Pierce Egan, coined the phrase "The Sweet Science of Bruising!" in his 1812 bound volume of boxing articles, Boxiana; or Sketches of Ancient and Modern Pugilism. The phrase lives on today as the simple descriptive, "The Sweet Science".
Boxing - Any Connection to Breast Cancer? (July 16)
The American Cancer Society specifically states “…the fact is that falls, bruises, broken bones, or other such injuries have not been linked to cancer…” The ACS points out that sometimes existing cancer may be detected while a patient is being treated for an injury, but no actual link can be established that the injury caused the disease.
Honey - Natural Energy Booster (July 7)
Honey is a great natural source of complex carbohydrates, which provide both immediate and sustained energy. Honey contains equal parts organic fructose and glucose that do not need to be digested and therefore can be quickly absorbed into the bloodstream, offering a quick boost of energy when needed.
Coffee – Workout Booster? (June 16)
Enjoying some coffee before you hit the gym may help reduce muscle soreness substantially. Research suggests that caffeine is able to block chemicals in the body that cause soreness and may, in fact, reduce aches and pain overall.
Make a Fist, Get Blissed (June 11)
Imagine taking your fist and punching a big leather bag with it. You're combining multiple techniques - making a fist, hitting an object, and breathing deeply and rhythmically - now that's stress relief!! In fact, performing a repetitive activity when you are stressed may actually teach your body intuitively how to relax the muscles.
Add Green Fruit to Your Diet (June 5)
Avocados are a good source of antioxidants, which can counteract aging effects, boost the immune system, benefit the nervous system, battle bad breath and soothe the stomach. Avocados are especially good for your heart, liver, skin and overall health.
