So We Consume Too Much Salt, Eh?

"Quick, throw some salt over your left shoulder!"


http://yourlife.usatoday.com/fitness-food/diet-nutrition/story/2011-10-20/CDC-Americans-consume-too-much-sodium/50844370/1

In an article published in the USA Today, The Center for Disease Control discusses salt in the American Diet. Whats bad with consuming too much salt is that it can increase the risk of high blood pressure which can cause heart disease and stroke. According to the CDC, people aged two and up should limit themselves to less than 2,300 mg of sodium per day. Additionally, the sodium comes form places other than your own salt shaker. Around 75 percent of sodium is added to commercial foods during processing and preparation. Therefore, for Americans to consume less sodium, they need to be aware of the types of food they're eating. People need to eat more natural, fresh foods that contain little sodium. It is also important for young athletes to eat less sodium to prevent getting high blood pressure at a young age.

Are Barefoot Shoes Good for You?

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/30/are-barefoot-shoes-really-better/?scp=1&sq=barefoot%20running&st=cse


So I'm sure most of you have heard of these new running shoes that look like some sort of glove for your feet. And I bet a lot of you have wondered whats the deal with these things. Well, this article from the New York Times explains why more and more people are starting to run in these shoes. The idea is that these lightweight shoes are made to mimic barefoot running. In the article, a study conducted by The American Counsel on Exercise and researchers from the University of Wisconsin is examined with the intent to find out the health benefits of the popular shoe.

The study had a group of young women try out the shoes three times a week and then come in to have their running form analyzed. The results showed that those who used proper form when running with the new shoes experienced lower impact forces in their feet and legs. Those who ran with the wrong technique experienced twice as much stress than with regular shoes. The key to running with these type of shoes is to land on your forefoot instead of your heel. Most people who run land on their heel first which causes much more of an impact shock up the whole lower body and back. While forefoot running, or running on the balls of your feet, allows the lower leg, and arch of the foot to absorb most of the impact forces. Overall, the study shows that barefoot running shoes can help prevent many common injuries associated with heel strike running if used properly. Runners that are looking to try these should start out slow by walking at first to get used to them before moving on to running.