Bulking Up Skinny Legs, Tricking Your Brain, and Enjoying Salads

Nutrition Corner

Osteoporosis nutrition: 8 amazing nutrients for strong bones

A trick to enjoy eating salads, backed by nutrition science

Recipe for The Day

Easy No-Cook Tomato Sauce With Spaghetti Recipe: Whip out the grater to turn some of the season’s finest produce into a swoon-worthy sauce. The only cooking required: boiling a pot of pasta.

Lifestyle & Fitness Focus

4 habits of people with clear life goals

• They develop routines: Keeps you on track even when you don’t have the motivation. Develops self-discipline. Stops you from overthinking a task. Maximizes your productivity. Optimizes time.

• They automate: Try to automate where possible. Lessening your mental load on menial tasks can help you focus more on your goal-related tasks—which is the same reason for developing routines.

• They adapt: Goals can change. As we grow as people, we might find that our previous needs and desires evolve. So many factors are out of our control. As much as we want to take charge and oversee everything, so many factors are just outside of our control.

• They take time for themselves: Your goals will always be there. As I said, they can change and you can adapt, but it’s something you will always work towards. Rest on your rest days. Use your paid time off. Practice self-care. Celebrate your wins.

6 Ways to Trick Your Brain into Actually Liking Your Workouts

• Reward raffle: This one's fun. Write down five ways you can reward yourself for completing a workout on five different pieces of paper.

• Set micro-goals, win dopamine: A micro-goal (or microstep) is the smallest possible unit of progress. Consider a 2,000-yard swim set. Looking at that workout in its entirety doesn't always sound refreshing. Alternatively, you can set an initial goal of a 200-yard warm-up. That's all you need to focus on. After the warm-up, you only focus on completing 100 yards of a pull buoy drill. That's it. You focus on one small segment (or micro-goal) at a time.

• A picture’s worth a thousand words: Simply thinking about a workout won't get it done for you (although it's an excellent tool when you're sidelined with an injury), but it can motivate you to get moving.

• Tap into your "why": Although you may not have articulated your reason for signing up for that race or training across three disciplines, you most definitely have an underlying motivation for doing this relatively insane thing. The key is to identify it.

• Dopamine jams: If you're feeling a little "bleh" about a training session, pump up the jams, let those dopamine levels rise, and get to it. Since a lot of triathlon training isn't conducive (or safe) when accompanied by music, try listening to music before your workout.

• Do it anyway: Just start! Action creates motivation; not the other way around. Since dopamine runs the show when it comes to motivation, why not figure out a way to boost dopamine first! We can essentially trick our brain into getting into a workout by increasing the very thing that gets us moving in the first place. Ironically, the best way to quickly boost dopamine is with aerobic exercise.

5 Goji Berries Health Benefits

• Goji berries contain carotenoids to promote eye health: These bite-size fruits are high in lutein and zeaxanthin, both of which are carotenoids, which are antioxidant plant pigments that give vegetables and fruits (like goji berries) their vibrant, red-orange color. Specifically, carotenoids fight oxidative stress and inflammation involved in eye damage.

• Goji berries contain fiber for gut health: Fruits in general are some of the best sources of fiber, and goji berries are no exception. According to the USDA, just 5 tablespoons of dried goji berries contain nearly 4 grams of fiber, which is more than what’s found in 1 cup of strawberries. This is great news for your gut, which relies on fiber for bulking up stool and promoting regularity.

• Goji berries are rich in antioxidants like vitamins C and E: If you’re on a mission to eat more antioxidants, goji berries can help you out there. In addition to lutein and zeaxanthin, goji berries offer antioxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin E, and lycopene, just to name a few compounds.

• Goji berries may help manage blood sugar: Although more research is needed, there’s some evidence that goji berries are a food that can help control blood sugar.

• Goji berries have immune-boosting nutrients like vitamin C: Goji berries are high in vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals [with] antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which fight free radicals and strengthen the immune system.

8 Best Workouts To Bulk Up Skinny Legs

• Jumping Jack: Stand with your feet together and arms at your sides. Jump and spread your legs outside shoulder width as you clap your hands overhead. Jump and return your hands and feet to the starting position.

• Seal Jump: Perform jumping jacks but extend your arms out to your sides as you jump your feet out. When you jump back, clap your hands together in front of your body.

• Seated Calf Raise (Toes Out): Use a seated calf raise machine or sit on a bench and rest the balls of your feet on a block or step (and hold dumbbells on your thighs for resistance). Your knees should be bent 90 degrees and your toes turned out about 15 degrees. Allow your heels to drift toward the floor until you feel a stretch in your calves. Now drive the balls of your feet into the platform and raise your heels as high as possible.

• Seated Calf Raise (Toes Neutral): Use a seated calf raise machine or sit on a bench and rest the balls of your feet on a block or step (and hold dumbbells on your thighs for resistance). Your knees should be bent 90 degrees and your toes pointing straight ahead. Allow your heels to drift toward the floor until you feel a stretch in your calves. Now drive the balls of your feet into the platform and raise your heels as high as possible.

• Seated Calf Raise (Toes In): Use a seated calf raise machine or sit on a bench and rest the balls of your feet on a block or step (and hold dumbbells on your thighs for resistance). Your knees should be bent 90 degrees and your toes turned inward 15 degrees. Allow your heels to drift toward the floor until you feel a stretch in your calves. Now drive the balls of your feet into the platform and raise your heels as high as possible.

• Ankle Mobilization: Place your toes on a mat or block so they’re elevated above your heels. Bend one knee, pushing it forward so you feel a stretch in your calf. Draw your leg back. Repeat this motion for the desired number of reps, and then switch legs.

• Single-Leg Calf Raise: Stand on a block or step with one leg. Keep your weight resting on the ball of your foot. Wrap your free foot around the back of the working leg. Allow your body to sink toward the floor and stretch your calf. Hold for one second and then drive the ball of your foot into the surface as you raise your heel up. Hold the top position for two seconds.

• Hole Calf Raise: Stand on a block or step with feet shoulder-width apart and toes turned out. Lower yourself into the bottom position of a squat (called “the hole”). Perform a calf raise, coming up as high as you can on the balls of your feet without extending your hips or legs.