These are the top health articles I find around the web that I think are cutting edge, cool, and just plain awesome.

It amazes me how the gut bacteria and in the case of one of these articles your mouth bacteria can determine your body composition… However exercise alone can help… so if all else fails… get your exercise in! 

Nutrition / Diet

Mouth bacteria linked to obesity By: Vickie Isabella Westen

Amount of oral lactic acid bacteria could influence your propensity to gain weight… this is interesting for me because of how much your gut is involved… your mouth is the first part of digestion…HMMM

Exercise

Exercise alone alters our gut microbiota By Honor Whiteman

It is well established — and perhaps unsurprising — that what we eat affects the microbes that live in our intestine, collectively known as the gut microbiota. According to two new studies, however, exercise has the same effect.

Nutritional Supplements

Increased Protein Requirements in Female Athletes after Variable-Intensity Exercise

Women need more protein than men post workout! This is awesome… 

Fitness Tech

Best Wearable Tech, Smartwatches, Activity Trackers And Fitness Gadgets by Lee Bell 

As technology becomes smaller, smarter and integrated into everything, wearing it has become a social standard. Whether it’s smartwatches, fitness trackers or even apparel, the tech you can wear to keep tabs on your fitness levels is more popular than ever. But with so many fitness gadgets on the market, it’s hard to separate the good from the not-so-good. This article helps you do that.

Guys these are what I think are the best health and fitness gifts for Christmas this year! From food prep to exercise to self care…most of these I have used and love, the others I will hopefully get. Please enjoy 🙂

LIGHT THERAPY LAMP

I HATE the darkness of winter Depression or feelings of gloom in the winter time is often referred to as SAD (seasonal affective disorder) I am sure I suffer from this… however…I love this light. It helps my mood a ton! I swear it works… At first I thought these lights were for your skin for vitamin d or something… however it is actually for your eyes… It is crazy you should check it out and it makes an awesome gift!

TOE SPACERS

These are awesome for your feet! They are perfect to put on after a long day in shoes. There are many benefits to using these.  For those of you that only have 2 feet, this package comes with two different sizes so you can have one and your significant other can have one.

FLIP BELT

If you like to use your phone for music while you workout and you don’t have pockets, this is a must! My wife loves hers… I however like cracks in my screen from my phone falling out of my pocket… maybe I should get one?

CORDLESS JUMP-ROPE

This is perfect for those that want to jump rope but have low ceilings at home, or just can’t jump rope like me!

WORD LOCK

This is perfect for those who can’t remember their combinations for their locker… It is so much easier to remember a word… just don’t do swear words… I learned that the hard way!

TRIGGER POINT FOAM ROLLER

I recommend foam rolling or Self Myofascial Release to most if not to all of my clients… Trigger points are super interesting and foam rolling is a great way to reduce pain and increase flexibility and function. This roller is pretty knobby and allows you to really “dig in” to those muscle knots…

THERACANE

I have 4 of these at my house… They are incredible to help with those muscle knots in your back and neck that cause you super misery! The process of this is very similar to the foam roller… it is releasing trigger points.  Sometimes if I workout too hard and I throw my neck out, I can put this on a trigger point and actually feel the muscle twitching and relaxing! This is a great gift for those who have chronic muscle knots or pain in their back or neck.

INSTA POT

If you haven’t jumped on the pressure cooker bandwagon… buy this for your significant other and make sure YOU use it! This is a must for quick food prep… you can cook food super fast… boil easy peel eggs and use it as a rice cooker!

BLENDTEC BLENDER

Last year we jumped on the Blendtec bandwagon and haven’t looked back… My fav thing to use this for is to make low carb ice cream! If you want a good blender… this is it… it can blend pretty much anything!

BOSU BALL

Bosu burpees are awesome! So are the hundred other exercises you can do… and if you don’t like using this… my kid loves jumping on it like a trampoline… maybe yours would to.

BODYLASTICS

These are not your ordinary exercise bands… these are anti-snap and they are super easy to use to increase your resistance and connect to a door (connector is included) you can do hundreds of exercises with these and they fold up into a small sack you could travel with… This is a great gift for those who workout at home, travel, or are interested in starting some resistance type exercises.

VERSA GRIPS

Have you ever done an exercise for a certain muscle group but instead of working that muscle your forearms are what tires out? These solve that!

FOOD PREP CONTAINERS/BAG

This is the perfect make your meals and keep them cold for the day bag… perfect for meal prepping 3 meals! This is a must for the person that preps their food each day or works great for people taking left overs the next day

MICROFIBER GYM TOWEL

This is the perfect gift for those sweaters out there… not the sweaters you wear, but the ones that leave their mark on the exercise equipment when they leave (If you know what I mean)

HYDRO FLASK

I love my Hydro Flask in fact mine is a 64 ounce version so I only have to drink 2 of those a day to get all my water in… It is crazy how long it keeps your water and ice cold… I have had it in the hot sun in the car and it keeps ice for 2 days… Make sure you get one with the straw… it’s the best

POWERBLOCK DUMBBELLS

These are the best dumbbells for your home workouts… they can expand up to more weight than normal people can lift and take up hardly any space and are super durable!

PRE OR POST WORKOUT EPSOM RECOVERY SALT

Your workout going to be a beast this week to burn off all that holiday fat? This is the perfect gift for those that get sore or “soreda” sore…

TIGER BALM

I am pretty sure this isn’t made from ground up tigers or tiger blood… however it is great for sore muscles and as a stocking stuffer.

SLANT BOARD CALF STRETCHER

Okay, runners and ladies that are in high heels all day… this stretcher is perfect for your calves…

NUTRITION EXERCISE CONSULTING

The best gift ever! For those that need some more months or those interested in trying out a personal approach to body transformation this is how you do it! If you are interested in Gift Certificates email me at mikebutlerfitness@gmail.com

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Mike

These are the top health articles I find around the web that I think are cutting edge, cool, and just plain awesome.

What are the 5 surprising facts about obesity? Want a bigger brain? Do this exercise… Gluco what??? this fiber supplement can help you lose weight and a cool new VR workout… check it

Nutrition/Diet

Obesity: Five surprising facts By Yella Hewings-Martin PhD

Nobody is born obese. Instead, weight gain has a tendency to sneak up on us…. so this article states… they mention different gene reasons and parental reasons… this is very interesting… read it to find out what the 5 surprising facts are…

Exercise

Exercise increases brain size, new research finds by www.sciencenewsdaily.com

Aerobic exercise can improve memory function and maintain brain health as we age, a new Australian-led study has found. Time to start doing cardio!!!

Nutritional Supplements

THIS supplement could help you lose 2lbs a week when added to your diet plan By EMILY HODGKIN

I take this supplement and like it a lot… read the article to see what it is…

Fitness Technology

Black Box VR Is The World’s First Full-Fitness Virtual Reality Gym Experience.

Check this out…. it looks pretty cool
At Black Box VR, we are creating the world’s first virtual reality gym experience. You’ll step into a Black Box VR boutique gym and immerse yourself in a whole new way to get fit that will make you never want to visit an outdated gym again.
Go inside the black box and come out leaner, stronger, faster, and more fit than ever before.

These are the top health articles I find around the web that I think are cutting edge, cool, and just plain awesome.

Fitness apps for your DOGGIE! 5 ways to have a more productive morning and if you eat this food for breakfast you will feel more full throughout the day… and if you do happen to be running behind… see what the 5 best supplements for runners are! All in this weeks best articles… enJOY

Nutrition/Diet

Eating This Veggie for Breakfast Makes You Feel Fuller, Longer—and Could Aid in Weight Loss by Bryce Gruber

A recent randomized controlled crossover trial out of the University of Minnesota, found that eating mushrooms for breakfast each morning can have a satiating effect that potentially lasts much longer than typical American breakfasts

Exercise

5 Ways to Have a More Productive Morning, According to Science By Paul Schrodt

Yes exercise is one of them… what are the other four you ask? Well read and find out!

Nutritional Supplements

5 trusted supplements for runners by Renee McGregor

Find out what supplements you must or should be taking if you are a runner!

Fitness Technology

Track Your Dog’s Health, Fitness With Waggit Wearable BY STEPHANIE MLOT

This is awesome… a fitness app for your dog! Holy Cow… My dog is so lazy… he needs this… or I do so I can take him for a walk more often

These are the top health articles I find around the web that I think are cutting edge, cool, and just plain awesome.

Inflammation is killing you! How can you lower stress when exercising? What supplements will help you preserve muscle?  And cool new technology to help you not be bored with working out are just some of the things discussed in this weeks articles.

Nutrition/Diet

Concerned about inflammation? These foods may help. by Carrie Dennett

There’s a lot of talk about inflammation and anti-inflammatory diets — but there’s also a lot of misinformation and confusion surrounding these nutrition buzz words. Many people aren’t quite clear on what inflammation is and why we should be concerned about it. And then there are the plentiful myths about which foods affect inflammation. Here’s what you need to know.

Exercise

Lower Stress With Half The Exercise: Fitness Groups Vs. Working Out Solo by Elana Glowatz

Exercising with a friend might be better for your health than exercising all alone, reducing stress and improving quality of life. New research suggests that group exercise, such as in a fitness class setting, may reduce stress by about a quarter but people who go solo may not see any change at all.

Nutritional Supplements

Nutritional strategies for preserving muscle by Dr Jane Riley

Great info on protein and vitamin D and its benefit for maintaining muscle.

Fitness Technology

Stay Fit This Winter: The Most High Tech Gyms, Exercise Classes And Fitness Innovation Of 2017 by Lee Bell 

Here’s some of the most innovative gyms, exercise classes and fitness equipment that will keep you in shape while out of the cold, but thanks to their use of technology, are unique enough to ensure you’re not bored out of your mind while working out.

These are the top health articles I find around the web that I think are cutting edge, cool, and just plain awesome

Drones that follow you exercising and talk to smart clothing you are wearing… far out! Why do you put deodorant on right before you exercise? Intermittent what… Inflammation what??? Some of the fun this week!

Nutrition/Diet

Intermittent Fasting Boosts Fat Burning and Improves Metabolic Function by www.genengnews.com

Studies in mice by a Canadian research team have shown how intermittent fasting (IF) without any calorie restriction results in animals shedding fat and losing body weight, leads to improved glucose homeostasis, and also protects against metabolic dysfunction. It is important to note this study was done in MICE but that could lead to further studies in humans, and may even work for you.

Exercise

It’s time to stop putting deodorant on before you work out by Miranda Larbi

This is kind of funny but kind of true…you have to read it

Nutritional Supplements

Organ, Blood Vessel, Joint, & Gut Inflammation: The Hidden Threat by Juniper Life

Inflammation is a subject that is increasingly mentioned in medical and health journals – and for good reason. The more researchers learn about it, the more they have come to realize it is the source of a significant amount of the health concerns our society is facing today.

Minor issues like a lack of energy, inability to concentrate, weight gain, aches and pains, headaches, bloating, and acne breakouts to more serious issues like Type II Diabetes, auto-immune disorders, fibromyalgia, heart disease, depression, arthritis, and severe anxiety may be linked to long term, chronic inflammation.

Fitness Technology

What the future holds for fitness technology by Jacqueline Howard, CNN

Swarms of drones follow you while you run, recording video of your workout. Sensors hidden in your T-shirt track your heart rate and how many calories you’re burning. Your sunglasses log your miles and respond when you ask, “How’s my pace?” How cool is that?

These are the top health articles I find around the web that I think are cutting edge, cool, and just plain awesome

Do you know the best diet for an inflamed brain… or how much exercise you need to actually prevent or reduce depression? What about ways to reduce how sore you get after exercise (just had a client tell me they don’t like getting sore… you know who you are) and finally some cool new technology in fabric that will charge your phone while you exercise.

Nutrition/Diet

Keto Diet May Hold Key to Treatments for Brain Inflammation by Gigen Mammoser

Researchers say a biological mechanism of the diet could be used to help treat brain trauma, stroke, and other neurological issues. Could the ketogenic diet be a new resource in the fight against stroke?

Exercise

‘Small Dose’ Exercise Guards Against Depression by Pam Harrison

Exercise isn’t always about body composition in my book… there are other reasons to exercise… cutting back on depression is one of them… but make sure you don’t do too much… according to this article there was no benefit for exercise that lasted more than an hour…

Nutritional Supplements

Cherry juice and other ways to reduce post-exercise soreness by CNN WIRE

Delayed onset muscle soreness from exercise? Learn some ways to reduce it!

Fitness Technology

Fitness future: Smart textiles use body heat to power devices as you exercise by Sarah Berry

Sweet new technology that will be in clothing…. when you work out the clothing will be able to power your smart watch etc…