fun health facts

i love reading magazines that give me little tidbits of information that i can easily digest. women's health, self, and shape magazine are some of my favorites because they are focused on nutrition, fitness, and overall health. below i've compiled some of the best tips i've read recently. i'm going to try to make this a regular posting because i know how much i love these fun facts and i'm hoping you do, too.

*antioxidants: in a study, people who took a multivitamin with antioxidants for three weeks were able to pedal a bike at the same pace with less effort than those who took a placebo. antioxidants protect muscle proteins from free-radical damage that can lead to fatigue, says angela mastaloudis, Ph.D., an antioxidant specialist. you can get your daily dose from just two cups of fruit and two and a half cups of veggies. (source: women's health, nov 2010)

[fresh blueberries are loaded with antioxidants]

*26: percentage increase in risk of dementia later in life for women who exercised at least once a week at age 30 versus those who didn't exercise at all. (source: women's health, nov 2010)

 *we're being green: in a year, a class of 20 cycling bikes pumps out enough energy to light 72 homes for a month. (source: women's health, nov 2010)

*just 10: just 10 minutes of moderate exercise dials up your metabolism for an hour or longer, reports the journal Science Translational Medicine. 

*stanols: compounds in plants that decrease the body's ability to absorb LDL cholesterol (the bad kind).  the american heart association suggests getting two grams per day. since its hard to get that much from produce alone, try foods that are fortified with them (certain brands of oj, margarine, and yogurt.)

[certain yogurt brands contain stanols]

all facts are from the november 2010 issue of women's health.