Are you running properly? - infographic

Some people believe that people are born with a given way of moving which they cannot change much, if at all. These same people say that some people are "designed" from birth to be good athletes or not to be particularly athletic at all.
I happen to believe you can make substantial changes in your body and how you move, no matter what kind of a body you were given at birth. With practice, you can change your running form forever. Keep these technique and training tips in mind during your next run.

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HEALTH BENEFITS OF FENUGREEK

What is Fenugreek?
Fenugreek (also known as Greek Hay and methi), is an herb that is grown in countries across the globe, but the majority is cultivated and consumed in India. It is a member of the bean family and its scientific family name is Fabaceae. There is even evidence that the ancient Egyptians understood the benefits of fenugreek, since fenugreek seeds have been found in tombs, particularly of Tutankhamen.
Fenugreek is interesting, because it can be used for three distinct purposes. The leaves can be dried and used as herbs, the seeds can be ground into a spice, and the plant matter itself can be used as a vegetable, like sprouts and microgreens. This makes fenugreek so important, because there are healthy attributes in all of those plant parts that can boost your health!

Nutritional Facts of Fenugreek
Fenugreek contains a wide variety of beneficial nutrients, including iron, magnesium, manganese, and copper, as well as vitamin B6, protein, and dietary fiber. Fenugreek also contains a number of powerful phytonutrients, including diosgenin which is a compound that has properties similar to estrogen. Other active constituents in fenugreek are alkaloids, lysine and L-tryptophan, as well as steroidal saponins (diosgenin, yamogenin, tigogenin, and neotigogenin).

Health benefits of Fenugreek
Appetite suppressant: Fenugreek complements diet and exercise for weight loss.The natural soluble fiber galactomannan can swell in the stomach and thus suppress appetite by making you feel full. Include fenugreek in your weight loss diet by chewing soaked methi seeds in the morning on an empty stomach. The natural soluble fibre in the fenugreek can swell and fill the stomach thereby suppressing your appetite.

Reduces cholesterol: Research studies show that fenugreek consumption helps to reduce cholesterol level. Fenugreek helps to reduce the level of low density Lipoprotein (LDL) significantly, which can prevent various conditions like atherosclerosis, heart attacks, and strokes. Fenugreek is a rich source of fiber, which scrapes excess cholesterol off of the arteries and blood vessels of the body. By reducing cholesterol content in the bloodstream, you reduce the chances of clots forming or becoming stuck in the vessels.

Reduces cardiovascular risk: Fenugreek seeds contain 25% galactomannan. This is a type of natural soluble fiber which specifically relates to a reduction in cardiovascular disease.

Controls diabetes: Fenugreek helps to alleviate type II diabetes. According to one study, it may also help people with Type I diabetes. Studies done by Indian researchers revealed that fenugreek added to type I diabetic patients’ diets helped to drop urinary sugar level by 54%. Because of the presence of the natural fiber galactomannan, fenugreek slows down the rate at which sugar is absorbed into bloodstream. A certain amino acid (4-hydroxyisoleucine) in fenugreek induces the production of insulin so therefore, 15-20 grams of fenugreek is recommended for controlling blood sugar on a daily basis. By slowly releasing insulin to the body rather than in massive chunks, overall bodily function is improved, and the plunges and peaks of blood sugar won’t be an issue for diabetic patients.

Relief for sore throats: Fenugreek’s soothing mucilage helps to relieve sore throat pain and cough.

Cures acid reflux or heartburn: Fenugreek is said to be an effective heartburn or acid reflux remedy because the mucilage in fenugreek seeds assists in soothing gastrointestinal inflammation, and coating the stomach and intestinal lining.  According to a study published in the journal Phytotherapy Research, a 2-week intake of a fenugreek fiber product taken 30 minutes before two meals /day, by subjects with frequent heartburn, diminished heartburn severity. The researchers found that the effects were similar to that of ranitidine at 75mg, twice a day.

Relieves constipation: Fenugreek adds bulk to the stool due to its high fiber content. This also makes it helpful in treating constipation and diarrhea, while also relieving minor indigestion.

Prevents colon cancer: Fenugreek possesses anti-carcinogenic potential. The steroid diosgenin in Fenugreek has been specifically linked to colon cancer prevention. Furthermore, the various non-starch polysaccharides like saponins, hemicellulose, mucilage, tannin, and pectin, lower cholesterol levels and inhibit bile salts from being reabsorbed by the colon. This can bind to the toxins and protect the colon’s mucus membrane, which can reduce colorectal cancer and other conditions that can negatively affect the colon.

Good for kidney trouble: Traditional Chinese medicine recommends fenugreek for patients suffering from various kidney conditions.

Useful for skin infection: It can be used for treating boils, eczema, abscess etc.

Increases milk production: India’s traditional ayurvedic physicians prescribe fenugreek to nursing mothers. This benefit is attributed to the presence of diosgenin in fenugreek. This can help increase the amount of milk that is produced by the breasts, and the magnesium and vitamin content of fenugreek also help the milk’s quality to keep your infant healthy.

Reduces menstrual discomfort: Fenugreek is considered as a potent substance that eases the process of menstruation and relieves the associated symptoms. It is an emmenagogue, which means that it can open up obstructed menses to make the most feminine of processes work smoothly and comfortably.

Minimizes symptoms of menopause: Fenugreek contains the chemicals diosgenin and estrogenic isoflavones, which are similar to the female sex hormone, estrogen. Loss of estrogen causes menopausal symptoms. So, eating fenugreek helps to reduce menopausal symptoms like mood swings, depression, cramps, and abnormal hunger pangs. Fenugreek helps to monitor a number of other hormones as well, keeping many other bodily processes in line as well.

Other benefits: Fenugreek helps in battling free radicals due to its antioxidant capacity. It is also good at improving the body’s overall metabolism and health. Irritated skin conditions can even be soothed by the external application of fenugreek. Furthermore, fenugreek is used for fevers and muscle aches.

Side effects of Fenugreek While Fenugreek is generally considered to be safe when used moderately, there have been reports of a few minor side-effects. Nausea is one common side effect, while other people have reported gastrointestinal discomfort (diarrhea and/or gas). Also, when using this herb topically on the skin, it is important to watch out for skin irritations and rashes.
Fenugreek use during pregnancy is not recommended, since it has the potential to induce labor. If you are pregnant and wish to take it, you should do so only after consultation with your doctor.
If you are currently taking any oral medications, you should always use this herb at least 2 hours before or after these drugs. This is important since Fenugreek fiber has the potential to interfere with the absorption of oral medications due to its mucilaginous fiber (which gives it a moist and sticky texture).

How to buy Fenugreek: Fenugreek is often available in capsules, seed, and powder form at many health food stores or online. You may also be able to find packaged Fenugreek herbal tea bags.

Sources: http://www.medindia.net/, http://health.india.com, http://www.homeremediesweb.com/, http://www.organicfacts.net/

WHY FROZEN VEGETABLES ARE FRESHER THAN FRESH

Frozen fruit and vegetables can be healthier, with higher levels of vitamins and cancer fighting antioxidants, than leafy ‘fresh’ produce.

Two independent studies found more beneficial nutrients in everything from frozen broccoli florets and carrots to blueberries. In two out of three cases frozen fruit and vegetables scored better on antioxidant-type compounds – including Vitamin C, polyphenols, anthocyanins, lutein and beta-carotene. Consumption of these anti-oxidant compounds is considered beneficial in preventing cancer and supporting the working of the body, brain, skin and eyes.

The somewhat counterintuitive findings stem from the fact that fresh produce gradually loses nutrients as it passes through the supply chain. Although fresh apples, pears, and blueberries are marketed as “just-picked” products straight from harvest, most have spent several weeks in storage. In addition, a substantial amount of fresh fruit and vegetables will continue to degrade in the consumers’ refrigerators.
Conversely, frozen foods retain most of their antioxidants and vitamins, as they are chilled almost immediately upon harvest.

Two teams, one from Leatherhead Food Research and another from the University of Chester, carried out 40 tests to measure nutrient levels in produce which had been sitting in a fridge for three days versus the frozen equivalent.

Overall, frozen foods tended to exhibit higher levels of antioxidants and vitamins, with products like frozen carrots exceeding the “fresh” value by up to 300%.
“Unlike frozen, some fresh produce concentrations of antioxidant compounds exhibited a decrease during refrigerated storage to levels below those observed in the corresponding frozen produce,” said study author, Graham Bonwick, of the University of Chester. “The effects were most noticeable in soft fruits.”

That said, it wasn’t always a clear win for frozen versus fresh produce … for example:

• Frozen sprouts scored higher on all nutrient measures.
• Frozen spinach beat fresh spinach in some but not all nutrient tests.
• Frozen raspberries and peas were about equal to their fresh counterparts.
• Frozen cauliflower and baby sweetcorn showed no major advantages over fresh.
• Frozen blueberries and green beans had much higher levels of vitamin C and polyphenols.
• Frozen carrots had more vitamin C, more polyphenols, three times more lutein, and twice as much beta-carotene.
• Frozen broccoli had more vitamin C and lutein and four times more beta-carotene, while fresh broccoli had more polyphenols.

The findings demonstrate that eating newly picked produce is the healthiest option, however frozen can be almost as good and is often better that items sold as ‘fresh’.

Leatherhead’s Dr Rachel Burch, said: "We must disregard the mistaken opinion that ‘fresh’ food is always better for us than frozen food. These results demonstrate that frozen can be nutritionally comparable to ‘fresh’ produce."

What's your experience? Do you agree with these findings?

Sources: http://www.dailymail.co.uk , http://www.medicaldaily.com/

Eat spinach or eggs for faster reflexes - study shows

If there are two things most, if not all, mothers tell their kids to eat, it’s their greens and breakfast. They encouraged these for good reasons too, as both are healthy for growing kids and adolescents. But now, a new study shows that eating spinach and eggs, which are both high in the amino acid tyrosine, can boost a person’s reflexes. The amino acid is a precursor in the production of norepinephrine and dopamine, both of which increase energy, alertness, and improve mood when together. With that in mind, researchers from the University of Leiden and the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands wanted to see how well it improved reflexes.

The study
They created a situation in which test candidates had to interrupt a repetitive activity at a given instant. The researchers tested this using a stopping task: the participants were told to look carefully at a computer screen. Whenever a green arrow appeared, they had to press a button as quickly as possible. At the same time they had to make sure the button they chose matched the direction of the arrow. If a red arrow appeared on the screen, the candidates had to keep their hands off the keyboard altogether.
The participants had two sessions in the test lab. On one occasion they were given orange to drink that contained tyrosine, and on the other occasion the orange juice contained a placebo. The tests showed that the candidates performed better on the stopping task if they had drunk the juice with tyrosine.

Benefits
The positive effect of tyrosine on our reaction speed can have benefits for road safety. For example, if a queue suddenly forms, fast reflexes can prevent an accident. But there are many more examples. Colzato: 'Tyrosine food supplements and tyrosine-rich food are a healthy and inexpensive way of improving our intellectual capabilities. This makes them preferable to Ritalin and Modafinil, products that students often reach for to improve their academic performance. Tyrosine is safe and doesn't need a doctor's prescription.'

What is tyrosine?
Tyrosine isn’t only found in spinach and eggs either, although it’s possible to make a great breakfast with both, and they’re both good for the body. It can also be found in soy, cottage cheese, chicken, turkey, peanuts, avocados, and bananas, among other foods.
Anyone who doesn't eat enough of these foodstuffs produces too little dopamine, which can lead to depression and apathy.






Start your day with a tyrosine-rich breakfast

Scrambled eggs with spinach & parmesan  recipe

Servings: 1

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs
• 3 cups baby spinach
• 1-2 tablespoons grated Parmesan 
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• crushed red pepper flakes
• freshly ground black pepper
• kosher salt

Directions
Whisk 2 large eggs in a small bowl; season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper and set aside. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 3 cups baby spinach and cook, tossing, until wilted, about 1 minute. Add eggs; cook, stirring occasionally, until just set, about 1 minute. Stir in 1-2 tablespoons grated Parmesan. Sprinkle with crushed red pepper flakes.

Nutrition facts per serving:  Calories (kcal) 270, Fat (g) 17, Saturated Fat (g) 6, Cholesterol (mg) 440, Carbohydrates (g) 10, Dietary Fiber (g) 3, Total Sugars (g) 0, Protein (g) 18, Sodium (mg) 910

Sources: http://medicalxpress.com/news/, http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases, http://www.medicaldaily.com/, http://www.bonappetit.com/

To boost your immune system go for blueberries and red grapes

For the past decade, nutrition scientists have known that certain whole foods that are consumed in their natural and unprocessed forms promote vibrant health by stimulating the innate immune response system, while virtually all refined foods and hydrogenated fats promote disease. Extensive research studies have determined that protective compounds that protect plants from disease can have a similar effect when eaten by humans.

The study
A new study has found that chemicals in red grapes and blueberries may boost your body’s immune system. Researchers from Oregon State University looked at the impact of 446 different chemicals on the human immune system.
The findings showed that two compounds, resveratrol found in red grapes and pterostilbene found in blueberries, when combined with vitamin D, could boost the body’s ability to fend off illness.


Compounds in blueberries and red grapes worked in synergy with vitamin D
Resveratrol has been the subject of dozens of studies for a range of possible benefits, from improving cardiovascular health to fighting cancer and reducing inflammation.
"Out of a study of hundreds of compounds, just these two popped right out," said lead researcher Adrian Gombart. "Their synergy with vitamin D ... was significant and intriguing. It's a pretty interesting interaction." Resveratrol and pterostilbene are known as stilbenoids.

These compounds worked in synergy with vitamin D and had a significant impact in raising the expression of the human cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide, or CAMP gene, that is involved in immune function, the researchers explained.

Resveratrol and pterostilbene are compounds produced by plants to fight infections, and in human biology appear to affect some of the signaling pathways that allow vitamin D to do its job, researchers said. It appears that combining these compounds with vitamin D has considerably more biological impact than any of them would separately.

Bottom line
Continued research could lead to a better understanding of how diet and nutrition affect immune function, and possibly lead to the development of therapeutically useful natural compounds that could boost the innate immune response, the researchers said in their report.
If you are a health-minded person, think about eating three to five servings of red grapes and blueberries each week to boost immune health and fight immune-deficient disease proliferation.



Need some ideas? Here's a good one to start your day...

Fruity green tea smoothie recipe

Servings: 2; Total Time: 15 mins - Prep Time: 10 mins - Cook Time:  5 mins

Ingredients

1 peach, cut up
1 apple, cut up
1 cup frozen grapes (red seedless)
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 1/2 cups frozen strawberries
1 cup green tea (hot)
 

Directions
Brew Green tea in boiling water, steep for 3-5 minutes. Remove tea bags and place all the fruit in the blender and pour in the hot tea. Blend until smooth.

Nutrition facts per serving (261 g): Calories 261.3; Calories from Fat 6; Total Fat 0.7g; Saturated Fat 0.0g; Cholesterol 0.0mg; Sugars 53.9 g; Sodium 6.7mg; Total Carbohydrate 69.0g; Dietary Fiber 9.1g; Sugars 53.9 g; Protein 2.3g


Sources: http://oregonstate.edu/ua/, http://www.naturalnews.com/, http://www.sciencenewsline.com/, http://www.medicaldaily.com/, http://www.food.com/recipe/

WHAT'S YOUR WORKOUT PERSONALITY?

It's hard to categorize any one person, but when it comes to exercise, there are some defining personality traits that could affect your workouts and your ability to stick to a routine.
By identifying your fitness personality, you can create an exercise program that suits your rhythms and interests, which comprise who you are. Working with your personality, rather than against it, can help you find a fitness approach that can become an integral part of your life.
Maybe getting fit is a brand-new goal for you. Consider your overall orientation to life and relationships — do you like consistency or change? Time alone to think or lots of conversation with friends? Are you geared toward goals, or do you prefer to relax and see what unfolds? Do you like to get up early and get your obligations out of the way, or are you more spontaneous, tackling tasks as the spirit moves you during the day?

Take our short quiz (write down your answer for each of the eight questions) to see what type of exerciser you are--and how you can use your fitness personality to your advantage!

I like my workouts to take place:
A) In my home, or wherever and whenever I can get them in
B) In a high-energy atmosphere with other exercisers
C) In a calm, relaxing environment
D) Wherever suits my mood that particular day
E) On the field or court
F) Wherever I can best challenge myself

Which of the following workouts sounds like the most fun to you?
A) Walking during my lunch break, or doing a DVD at home
B) Zumba
C) A Pilates-yoga fusion class
D) A crazy obstacle course
E) A game of pick-up basketball
F) A really difficult boot camp or circuit workout

If you could have any of the following for FREE, what would you choose?
A) A home gym
B) A 10-class pass to my favorite group fitness class
C) A new high-end yoga mat
D) A session of rock climbing
E) Tennis lessons
F) A one-on-one session with Jillian Michaels

How would you describe your ideal workout experience?
A) Convenient
B) Social
C) Present
D) Fun
E) Competitive
F) Challenging

What song lyric best describes your workouts?
A) "Taking care of business and working overtime." - Bachman–Turner Overdrive
B) "I get by with a little help from my friends." - The Beatles
C) "Who can say where the road goes, where the day flows." - Enya
D) "It's not about winning, it's about fun." - Spongebob Squarepants
E) "Put me in, coach. I'm ready to play!" - John Forgerty
F) "Harder, better, faster, stronger." - Kanye West

What fitness goal would you most like to accomplish?
A) Completing a workout DVD system --such as "Insanity" or "P90X"
B) Setting up a regular running group
C) Holding crow pose for more than a minute
D) Climbing a mountain in another country
E) Winning a basketball tournament
F) Completing an Ironman or marathon

What motivates you to work out?
A) Knowing it gives me the energy to cross things off of my to-do list
B) Having workout buddies to exercise with
C) Finding my inner calm
D) Trying new things and having a good time
E) Winning
F) Pushing myself to my limits

How do you plan your workout schedule?
A) I work out whenever I can squeeze it in
B) I plan my workouts around my social calendar
C) I work out during the time of day when I feel the most centered
D) I don't schedule my workouts--I do them when I feel like it
E) I work out when the court or field is available
F) I work out when my energy is at its highest

Calculate your score (total number of As, Bs, Cs, Ds, Es, and Fs)

Mostly A's
Multitasking Mover - Pros: whether at home or on your lunch break, you make the effort to squeeze exercise into your busy life, which is commendable--and no easy task!
Cons: by always doing two things at once (walking while on the phone or doing a quick home workout in between chores), you're prone to stress and never get a moment to relax.
How to make the most of it: while you should keep parking farther away from the store and doing lunges on your lunch break, look at your life and see if there are unnecessary things you're doing. Set aside 10-minute chunks of time just for you to relax and fit more focused exercise in. And to really please the Multitasker in you, choose to incorporate moves into your workout that combine multiple muscle groups at once, like squats with bicep curls or a lunges with a lateral raise.

Mostly B's
Social Sweater -  Pros: you are most motivated to move when there are others moving right along with you. Bringing your friends along (or making new friends) during exercise helps you stay motivated and accountable, and makes fitness fun for you!
Cons: as a social butterfly, you might spend more time chatting, and less time sweating. It can also become easy to count on others too much; it's important to find intrinsic motivation as well so that when your friend bails on your morning run, you're still able to fire yourself up to do it solo. Plus, if your friends are less motivated than you, it can be difficult to stay focused and on task.
How to make the most of it: keep moving with your friends! However, if you love working out with a buddy, but know deep down that you could be pushing yourself harder without their company, step outside the box! Schedule a few good sweat sessions by yourself during the week in addition to your group workouts.

Mostly C's
Mindful Master - Pros: you are highly committed and focused during your workouts. For you, exercise is like a moving meditation where you work out your mind as much as your body!
Cons: because you're so mindful, sometimes you're too aware of your body's response to exercise and may not push yourself hard enough. You may confuse any burn or challenge in your muscles with pain. Also, you may favor yoga and Pilates and miss out on other more intense forms of exercise that would round out your workout routine.
How to make the most of it: tuning into that mind-body connection is a powerful way to find peace and reduce stress while staying fit. While yoga, Pilates and meditation are most known for this because they focus so much on the breath, open your eyes to running, barre workouts and lifting weights. All of the latter require extreme focus and control, and will add more variability to your workouts.

Mostly D's
Adventurous Exerciser - Pros: you like your workouts to be an experience. Whether you're running a themed race or hanging out at the rock wall with friends, you love integrating fitness with your leisure time.
Cons: fitness tends to a lower priority than living your life to the fullest. Although you enjoy pursuing fitness activities, the fun factor often wins out over exercise intensity. You're also not much of a planner, which means that your exercise sessions may be sporadic.
How to make the most of it: you have an admirable attitude toward fitness--not many people have mastered the kind of balance that you have between fun and exercise! However, make sure that when you do work out, you're pushing yourself to your highest potential. Try signing up for a new self-defense class or join a hiking club to challenge yourself and make fitness even more of a priority on a regular basis.

Mostly E's
Inner Athlete - Pros: you are driven by your love of sports and need to compete. This allows you to push yourself harder than most people.
Cons: if you aren't active in a league or don't have a regular sports buddy to play with, you can go days or weeks without working out. When you try to work out on your own, you can feel lost--and bored.
How to make the most of it: use that competitive drive to your advantage by setting up regular games with a few friends or joining a league that plays at least weekly. Supplement your sports play with one-on-one lessons or sports-specific workouts to help hone your skills. From yoga for athletes to suspension training for golfers, there's a specific workout for you no matter what your sport. Ask a personal trainer at your gym to help you find a workout that's best for you.

Mostly F's
Hardcore Exerciser - Pros: hardcore exercisers are intrinsically motivated to do their best and reach their goals. Whether it's running a marathon, swimming a mile or dead-lifting twice your weight, you can do anything you put your mind to!
Cons: because you are so committed to your fitness and your goals, sometimes you have trouble taking a day off or ignore signs that your body might be in danger of injury or overuse.
How to make the most of it: keep taking on those big ambitious goals, but be sure to work in at least a day (or two!) of recovery each week. Never do two really intense workouts on consecutive days. You don't have to push it to your max every day--in fact, you'll improve your performance by giving your body time to recover. Try swapping a weight-lifting session out for some power yoga, or go for an outdoor hike instead of running sprints. Your body and mind will thank you!

What's Your Fitness Personality?
There is no right or wrong workout personality, and all types of exercisers can learn from each other! What type of fitness personality are you? Tell us in the comments below!





Sources: http://www.sparkpeople.com/, http://life.gaiam.com/article/

Want to cut out junk food? How you pay for your groceries matters.

Who doesn't know that junk food is bad for you? It's empty calories, puts on the pounds and is awfully, terribly, almost impossibly hard to resist. It turns out, though, that you'll buy less junk food if you put away your credit (or debit) card and always pay cash. That's the finding of a Cornell University study in the Journal of Consumer Research.

The study
U.S. researchers analyzed the shopping behavior of 1,000 households over six months and found that the participants' shopping carts contained a larger proportion of impulsive or unhealthy food products when they paid with credit or debit cards rather than cash.
Foods that shoppers perceived as "virtuous" - like vegetables, milk, meat and grains - were more likely to be planned purchases. When shoppers paid for groceries in cash, they were inclined to stick with the virtuous staples and forgo the impulse junk food. Researchers determined that paying with cash was psychologically more painful than paying with plastic.
"Parting with a hundred dollar bill is a very vivid and concrete action," the authors wrote. "However, charging $100 to one's credit or debit card is an abstract and less vivid action." But people with cash were happy to spend their money on foods they thought would improve their well being.

The logic may not be very mysterious, but it's definitely worth being aware of if you want to keep both your spending and your weight in check. When you use cash, you usually have to plan the purchase, estimate how much money you'll need, then go to the ATM to withdraw it, says David Just, an associate professor of behavioral economics at Cornell University, who has studied the use of plastic versus cash in food-purchasing decisions.

"But a credit card is there whenever you have the urge for a snack," Just says. Making those cash calculations also forces you to get your brain churning, Just says. "The act of counting gets you thinking, not just about money, but about the long-term effects of the food," he says, and that makes cash-paying consumers more likely to opt for apples over Apple Jacks.
"With cards, you just put the stuff in the basket, walk over and swipe the card. It takes so little thought."

Worried your credit card might be plumping up your other bottom line? Here are five ways to ensure that plastic doesn't derail your diet:

No. 1: Pay for food with cash
"The notion that mode of payment can curb impulsive purchase of unhealthy food products is substantially important," write the authors of the above-mentioned study. "The epidemic increase in obesity suggests that regulating impulsive purchases and consumption of unhealthy food products is a steep challenge for many consumers." Given that many consumers struggle so mightily to make healthy choices, understanding that using plastic increases their vice purchases may help people control impulsive behavior. The authors suggest that there may be a connection between rising obesity and changing modes of payment. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 34% of U.S. adults are obese. And nearly 40% of all purchases in 2006 were paid by credit and debit cards. "The relationship between these trends suggests that self-control is not entirely volitional; it can be facilitated or impeded by seemingly unrelated contextual factors that influence people's visceral feelings."

No. 2: Go cash-only for treats
If you prefer using plastic for your groceries, you could take a hybrid approach: buy only nutritious foods with a card and buy your treats with cash. In a 2009 study led by the Cornell Food and Brand Lab, researchers found that students who paid cash for school lunches, instead of using prepaid debit cards, spent 30% more on healthy items such as low-fat milk, bottled water, fruits and vegetables. Researchers also saw that students made similar healthy food choices when they were given a debit card that could be used only to purchase foods that were good for them, and were given additional cash they could use to buy anything they wanted, Just says.

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Researchers also saw that students made similar healthy food choices when they were given a debit card that could be used only to purchase foods that were good for them, and were given additional cash they could use to buy anything they wanted, Just says.

No. 3: Limit your funds
If you walk into a store with only $50 in your wallet, you'll probably spend less than if you go in carrying a credit card that has a $5,000 limit, experts say. "People who have credit have more money to spend, so they tend to spend more freely," Just says. You could nix the credit card for your food purchases and instead load up a debit card with a set amount each week or month. Then once the money is gone, it's gone. "That's a modern incarnation of the old budget trick where people would take cash out and put it in an envelope," Just says. While this method likely wouldn't be as effective as using cash, it's still a way to trick yourself into staying on track with your purchases, experts say.

No. 4: Make a grocery list and stick to it
If you make a grocery list just so you won't forget anything, it probably won't help you in your resolution to avoid unhealthy foods, Just says. Sure, you'll remember the cabbage you need to make your veggie soup, but you might also grab those cream puffs you definitely don't need. But making a list of nutritious items and deciding ahead of time not to buy anything else probably will help a lot, Just says. "You need to make your decisions before you even walk in the door," says Lisa Galper, a Phoenix psychologist and expert in the psychology of weight loss. That can mean making a grocery list, going over a menu online to decide what to order before you head out for a business lunch or even vowing to order only one pastry before you walk into a doughnut shop, she says.

No. 5: Put a lock on temptation
First it was fast food restaurants. Now vending machines are starting to take credit cards, according to Capital Processing Network. Experts say that consumers need to think ahead about ways to avoid temptation or make it harder for themselves to pull out a card, swipe and munch.
One tactic is to avoid the temptation altogether. For example, Just says that there is a vending machine that takes credit cards right down the hall from his office, so he tried not to walk past it.
Another option? Lock your wallet in your desk drawer, he suggests. Galper recommends locking your purse in your car trunk if driving past fast food restaurants makes you crave a greasy burger. "No one wants to pull into the drive-through, put the car in park, go around to the trunk and get their purse out," Galper says.
For the same reasons that plastic can make it easy for consumers to get into debt, credit and debit cards also can promote unhealthy eating habits, Galper says. "People tend to spend and eat mindlessly, so it's important to be mindful."




Sources: http://www.sciencedaily.com, http://health.usnews.com/health-news/, http://www.binghamton.edu/magazine/, http://www.sfgate.com/health/article/, http://money.msn.com/credit-cards/