Sweet Smell Of Success, Eating Pecans, and The Brain's Appetite Control Center

Nutrition Corner

Could eating pecans help curb obesity and diabetes?

Brain's 'Appetite Control Center' Different in People Who Are Overweight or Living With Obesity

Recipe for The Day

Arugula & Cucumber Salad with Tuna: Spicy baby arugula pairs with crisp Persian cucumbers and celery in this refreshing salad. Italian Castelvetrano olives offer a mild, buttery flavor that doesn't compete with the flavor of the tuna. If you want more punch from your olives, Nicoise olives or Kalamata olives work well too.

Lifestyle & Fitness Focus

Weekend workout: 7 exercises to include in your routine on Saturday and Sunday

• Running or brisk walk: Take advantage of the weekends to go for a brisk walk or running or jogging in your neighbourhood or a nearby park.

• Opt for a sport: Playing a sport is not only fun but also keep your mental and physical health up to the mark. It also brings down your stress levels.

• Jumping jacks: Jumping jacks are a classic and effective cardiovascular exercise that can get your heart rate up and improve your overall endurance.

• Squats: Squats are a fundamental lower body exercise that targets the muscles in the thighs, glutes, and lower back.

• Push-ups: Push-ups are a simple and productive exercise for increasing your strength.

• Planks: Planks are a great full-body exercise that primarily targets your core muscles, but it also engages your arms, shoulders, and legs.

• Crunches: Crunches are an integral core workout that work your entire core while also sculpting the front abdominal muscles.

3 unique ways that schools can prioritise physical and mental health in students

• Engage students with practical workshops and guest speakers: Getting students out of the classroom and involved in practical opportunities to learn about their own health and well-being can be a great way to demonstrate just how beneficial certain activities can be.

• Provide support options for those who need it: It’s not uncommon for children who struggle with mental health problems to feel overwhelmed and alone, especially if difficult feelings arise while at school. Taking a proactive approach to supporting students with initiatives that have been shown to improve mental health is a great way to make these difficult times more manageable.

• Provide mental health support groups: With the rates of mental illness amongst adolescent children continuing to rise, providing group therapy sessions for affected students is a great way to ensure they are getting the help they need.

6 Health and Nutrition Tips That Are Actually Evidence-Based

• Limit sugary drinks: Sugary drinks like sodas, fruit juices, and sweetened teas are the primary source of added sugar in the American diet. Unfortunately, findings from several studies point to sugar-sweetened beverages increasing risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes, even in people who are not carrying excess body fat.

• Eat nuts and seeds: Some people avoid nuts because they are high in fat. However, nuts and seeds are incredibly nutritious. They are packed with protein, fiber, and a variety of vitamins and minerals. Nuts may help you lose weight and reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

• Avoid ultra-processed foods: Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are foods containing ingredients that are significantly modified from their original form. They often contain additives like added sugar, highly refined oil, salt, preservatives, artificial sweeteners, colors, and flavors as well.

• Don’t fear coffee: Despite some controversy over it, coffee is loaded with health benefits. It’s rich in antioxidants, and some studies have linked coffee intake to longevity and a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases, and numerous other illnesses.

• Eat fatty fish: Fish is a great source of high-quality protein and healthy fat. This is particularly true of fatty fish, such as salmon, which is loaded with anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids and various other nutrients.

• Get enough sleep: The importance of getting enough quality sleep cannot be overstated. Poor sleep can drive insulin resistance, can disrupt your appetite hormones, and reduce your physical and mental performance.

Best Ways To Do Push-Ups: 5 Tips For A Great Workout, According To Fitness Experts

Push-ups, if done correctly, can work many key muscle groups quickly. Over time, push-ups can increase your upper body strength, and benefit your core muscles too. Plus, push-ups aren’t as intimidating as they may look.

• Standard Push-ups - As with any exercise, having the proper form is the best way to ensure you’re getting the most out of your push-ups. Keep in mind, push-ups may be hard to complete at first, even with modification. If you cannot complete 10 to 15, start with sets of 5 or less and build from there.

• Push-ups On Your Knees - If you’re a beginner or recovering from an injury, knee push-ups might be best while you’re building strength. Just make sure to grab a towel and place it under your knees for a bit more comfort.

• Wall Push-ups - If you don’t want to get down on the floor, here’s a push-up you can do while standing up. Place hands on a wall shoulder-width apart and at chest level. Step back with both feet to where your heels are off the ground. This is the starting position. Inhale as you bend your elbows and slowly move your upper body toward the wall while keeping your feet flat on the ground. Hold this position for a second or two. Exhale and use your arms to push your body slowly back to your starting position.

• Incline Push-ups - Incline push-ups make the traditional move slightly easier by elevating your hands, which changes the plane you’re moving your body from. This gives you more leverage, and lightens the load that you have to lift each time you physically push your chest up.

• Diamond Push-ups - Diamond push-ups, also known as triangle push-ups, are more difficult. This push-up is done on the floor, with hand placement being the key element– holding your hands together with your thumbs and forefingers touching in a way that creates a diamond-shaped hole where your hands come together.