A Special Friday 5

This week I decided to open up my Friday 5 posts to you beautiful bloggers out there! You all have so much to say…so I thought, why not share your wealth of knowledge with my readers! Thanks so much to those that contributed…this is a real treat! Especially on those topics I am NOT an expert on! These were really awesome, I know you all will enjoy reading them:

5 reasons to Go for a Run

By: Keri from The Blue Eyed Runner

1. Running strengthens your immune system, which keeps you healthy.

And the benefits go beyond fewer colds and runny noses. A strong immune system has the ability to fight off cancer and other life threatening diseases.

2. Running improves mood, and reduces stress levels

Have you ever heard of the runner?s high? Well it does exist! Exercise has been used (in conjunction with anti-depressants and without) to treat depression and anxiety successfully. Exercise has the ability to stimulate new brain cell growth while anti-depressants only have partial ability to grow new cells.

3. Running makes you smarter.

According to The Runner?s Body, ?Repeated physical exertion makes our brains generally better able to learn, function, and adapt by stimulating the growth of new cells, increasing the brain?s fuel efficiency, and stimulating other changes that are very much like the exercise induced changes we are familiar with in other organs, such as the muscles.?

Okay fine. You don?t have to be a runner to reap the rewards of this one, any type of repeated physical exertion will do, but I find this study fascinating!

4. Running strengthens your bones and muscles.

Contrary to what people may tell you, the impact of running actually helps your bones adapt and become stronger over time, and has the ability to prevent the osteoporosis, a disease common in post-menopausal women.

5. Running can help you live longer.

Researchers performed a study and found that the most active participants had a 30% lower risk of death from all causes that compared with those who were least active. The researchers noted that the risk of death from respiratory and cardiovascular and diseases in particular, were much lower in the most active groups.

*Running of course is not the only way to reap some of these fantastic rewards, most forms of vigorous exercise will do. Running just happens to be my favorite way to benefit from them!

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5 Ways to Replace Your Electrolytes

By: Chantal from Eat Dance Live

source

Electrolytes are minerals that are essential to your health. They regulate how and where fluids are distributed throughout your body, so they affect everything from how fast you can heal, recover from a workout, or how much energy you have. Electrolyte balance affects proper hydration levels and your pH, both of which are essential to nerve and muscle function. The main electrolytes in our bodies are expressed through sodium, calcium, potassium, magnesium, and bicarbonate.

After a heavy sweat session, you tend to lose a lot of your electrolytes, especially potassium and sodium. These should obviously replace to keep your energy levels high and thriving. While most people have turned to fancy chemical sports drinks, there are totally natural alternatives to increase your much needed electrolyte count:

1. Coconut Water:

A naturally isotonic and alkaline drink, just one juice box of coconut water has more potassium than a single banana, but also boasts magnesium, calcium, sodium, and phosphorous with no added sugars, no salt, and no unhealthy fats to speak of. So whether you’re a runner, a weight lifter, or a yogi, coconut water is a very portable solution to dehydration and electrolyte balance!

2. Ginger:

Conveniently, ginger can both be made into a tea, a home-made sports drink (like ginger juice), or thrown into just about any dish. High in potassium, magnesium, copper, and manganese, it’s also conveniently anti-inflammatory, a HUGE advantage after a good workout. Plus, you don’t have to use very much of it for it to have powerful effects!

3. Homemade Citrus-ade:

Depending on your mood, you can mix water, orange/lemon/lime juice, a pinch of sea salt, and a squeeze of your healthy sweetener of choice (raw honey, dates, maple syrup, etc.) into a blender and shake it up. The combination has all the sodium, potassium, and calcium you need to keep you going.

4. Bananas:

There’s a reason most athletes keep bananas around themselves at all times! Because potassium is one of the first things you lose wen you sweat, bananas are one of the number one sources of potassium, so they make a great post-workout snack!

6. Spinach:

We know it already, spinach is one of the healthiest leafy greens out there. A huge range of phytonutrients aside, they pack quite the magnesium, calcium, potassium punch. So listen to Popeye!

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5 Ingredient Recipe

Gnocchi with Romano-Rosemary Butter sauce

by: Charlie from Sweet Salty Spicy

Ingredients:

1 package gnocchi
1/4 cup Earth Balance buttery spread, or other butter-flavored non-hydrogenated margarine
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp rosemary, grounded (A mortar and pestle works well)
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese, or use Parmesan (Non-dairy options: nutritional yeast or Vegan Parmesan Cheese)

Directions: Cook gnocchi according to package directions (boiling method). Heat a skillet over medium-low heat, add Earth Balance and melt. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add rosemary + salt and pepper to taste and stir for 30 seconds. Add Romano and stir to distribute. Add gnocchi, toss and serve.

Serves 2

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Five ways to a stylish throughout your pregnancy

by: Erica from Fashion Meets Food

Thanks, Erica–I especially need this topic

No matter if your skin is glowing or your stretch marks are growing, pregnancy brings on a whole new style challenge.

1. Choose snug clothes over bulky items.

You want to emphasize your features that are not expanding so go for skinnier pants, snug-sleeved tops and knits that stretch to your form:

2. You put on a form-fitting top excited to show off your newfound bump, but hold up there?s a bump on your bump?

This is where Miss Oops Popper Stoppers will save you. It?s a paper-thin material with adhesive backing that you place on your bellybutton. This will stop your bellybutton from popping through your garments.

3. Feminine empire-waist shirts are always a classic look:

(shirt from www.macys.com)

4. Wrap jersey dresses as well as long maxi dresses accent pregnant bodies.

Channel Nicole Richie:

(dress from www.nordstrom.com)

5. When you are not loving your body remember dark colors are slimming.

Choose pants, skirts, dresses and top in classic hues such as black, brown, dark gray and navy.

(shirt from www.forever21.com)

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5 Websites To Visit when you need to Laugh

by Tiffany from Simply Shaka

source

1. Awkward Family Photos

3. Overheard in the Office

4. People of WalMart -

5. The Onion