Useful Information on Training for a 5K?

Article on Training for a 5K--->American Council on Exercise - 5K

I was just reading an article from the American Council on Exercise on training for a 5K and it gives reasonable advice on how to properly train. Three main points that I found the most interesting included: setting attainable goals, taking your time, and maintaing safety, nutrition, and hydration.

1) Set Attainable Goals: It's important not to overload or perform more than you can handle because you don't want to risk any injury or burnout.

2) Taking Your Time: Based on a 5 week program, you should wak/run for about 25 minutes at least 4 days a week. Also, adding a variety of cardio activities every other day can build your cardio fitness. Maintaining cardio exercise can reduce the risk of heart disease, improve weight control, and prevent hypertension.

3) Maintaining safety, nutrition, and hydration: This is a very important aspect of any training because it keeps you safe and healthy so your stamina and physical fitness can imporve without the risk of injury. Proper running shoes are obviously needed and finding a rubber track to run on are better for your legs and feet. If you don't have access to a rubber track, running on dirt or asphalt is better than concrete. Furthermore, I always knew keeping well hydrated before, during, and after an exercise was needed, but I didn't realize eating a small carbohydrate snack an hour and a half before the exercise was suggested. Personally, I try not to eat before or even drink while jogging because I am so worried about getting cramps. However, I think with moderation, I should be fine. Each body reacts differently when starting a new training program, but it is very important to never run on a empty stomach.

Is Green Tea Really THAT Healthy for You?

Link----> Green tea information from mayo clinic <----Link

While I was studying abroad in China, I quickly learned how important tea was to almost everyone. At WSU, I'm used to seeing students with water bottles or coffee, but at Capital Normal University, every student had a clear container of boiling water with tea leaves. Since the water was not clean enough to drink from the faucet, boiling water machines were found in every academic and residential building at the school, which made it convenient for everyone to make a cup of tea before and after classes. At first, I had never seen so many people use real tea leaves for their tea, since I was accustomed to tea bags back home, but I quickly adapted to their customs and bought tea leaves from the grocery store to make my own tea.

So is green tea really as healthy as it's believed to be? In terms of to lower high cholesterol, more tests need to be done to prove that it could have an impact. I've also heard green tea was used for weight loss maintenance, but study results on using green tea capsules have been mixed. Furthermore, the belief that green tea can lower your stress level isn't true according to Mayoclinic, since it has shown to have no effect on hypertension or to even increase it (due to caffeine).

Chickpeas !

I've always liked hummus, but I recently started eating whole chickpeas, or garbanzo beans. I started reading about the nutritional value of chickpeas and found out they're pretty healthy. They're full of zinc, folate, and protein and a healthy substitute for meat. Meat is usually high in fat and cholesterol anyways, so I don't mind the switch-up.