Minute 1: Is this the ultimate brain food?
When you hear the term “brain food,” do you think of salmon, tuna, or other options high in omega 3s? Is coffee your key to mental mastery? Or do you go straight to the source, like Indiana Jones? Those are all good options (well, maybe not the last one), but for feeding your brain, there is a new food du jour: “I’m a Psychiatrist, and This Is the One Food You Should Be Eating More of To Boost Your Brain Health.” The recommended food is eggs and the idea behind this claim is simple. Everything that goes into making a brain cell is contained in an egg. It’s got protein, iron, zinc, selenium, and more -- the perfect nutritional blend to promote neurogenesis. One mineral in particular, Choline, makes eggs especially useful, as this is the building block of many kinds of cell membranes. Take a look at the “16Foods That Are High in Choline” for some other great options. Healthline includes the incredible edible food on this list: “11 Best Foods to Boost Your Brain and Memory.” Now we know eggs are great for your brain, but what about cholesterol? Do they contain too much fat? This post should put your worries to rest: “Cracking The Egg Myths.” Now that we’ve got the science covered, let's get into the fun stuff with “30+ Best Egg Recipes.” Whether it's breakfast, snacktime, or dinner, the article has got you covered with options for every meal. #Egghead
Minute 2: Should you be tracking every run?
Be honest. Have you ever postponed a run because your watch wasn’t charged? Or because you didn’t want to lug a phone with you? Have you ever blown off an opportunity for a vigorous walk because you had no way to measure your steps? Modern trackers make it easy to go overboard logging your workouts. If you answered yes to any of the questions above, then you might want to read “Why it could be a good idea to ditch your running watch.” Of course, GPS watches and fitness-based social media platforms can be an excellent motivational tool when used the right way. They present the opportunity for obsessive behavior to manifest, however. If you become too reliant on measuring data to understand your progress, you’re likely ignoring your body’s natural signals, and that can lower the quality of your workouts and increase your risk of injury. There are a lot of benefits to leaving your watch behind. Take a look at “Running by feel: 5 life-changing benefits of running without a watch.” Without adhering to a timeframe, you’re freed up to explore new routes as much as you’d like. That keeps running interesting, and having fun is key to keeping yourself motivated. You may find more satisfaction in the work you put in when you tune out the noise of other runners and their times. Make your runs less about competition, and more about paying attention to the feeling of completing your exercise goals. #OffTheGrid
Minute 3: Rethinking our understanding of running injuries
We hope all our readers have enjoyed an injury-free year of training so far. Unfortunately, that's probably not the case for about half of you, according to current statistics on the matter. Running injuries are even more common among experienced competitive runners, according to: “What We Think We Know About What Causes Running Injuries Might Be Wrong.” We often look to factors like training volume, intensity, and frequency to gauge injury risk, but those criteria may be too narrow, according to a new study. Researchers say the problem is too complex to be understood by looking at only a few variables. Sources of stress like sleep loss play a role as well, and it's the combination of multiple factors that lead to injury. The problem is, there are so many variables, it's almost impossible to study or draw conclusions that can accurately predict one’s injury risk. We may not understand the causes, but at least we know of some great ways to treat an injury. Perhaps the most effective, easily available method is foam rolling: “Three Ways to Use a Foam Roller More Effectively to Treat Running Injuries.” By applying pressure to muscles and connective tissue, you can break up scar tissue and stimulate your body’s repair mechanisms to get yourself back to 100%. #FoamRole
Minute 4: Eat and exercise with your future in mind for a satisfying life
As we just discussed, about half of all runners sustain an injury that knocks them off their feet for at least a week per year. Other than those “final straw” workouts, when was the last time you didn’t feel better an hour after a run than you did an hour before the run. It’s not rocket surgery: eating healthy and exercising makes you feel good. While we may know that instinctively, it’s nice to see some science backing it up: “Work Out and Eat Well to Improve Your Happiness, Says New Study.” For this particular study, “eating well” was defined as regularly eating fruit and vegetables. That, combined with exercise, resulted in a significant increase in happiness. Researchers noted the importance of self control and delayed gratification when it comes to following these habits. Those who focus on the state of their future selves are more inclined to eat and exercise well, so developing self control is very beneficial. For some helpful tips, check out these “17 Self-Discipline Exercises to Build Your Self Control Muscle.” The article references a classic Stanford University study in which children were asked to choose between eating a marshmallow right away, or holding off 15 minutes and receiving 2 marshmallows. The participants were then periodically surveyed, and it was found that those who were able to wait for the 2 snacks had noticeably better life outcomes, according to SAT scores, education level, BMI, and other factors. #WaitWaitDon’tFeedMe
Minute 5: Quick Intervals
As the weather changes from warm to cool to cold this time of year, we are prepared for challenges like runny noses, chapped lips and dry skin. We did not know, however, that temperature variations may cause headaches as well. Our bodies are sensitive to changes in barometric pressure, so if you find yourself experiencing migraines on a day that’s particularly hot or cold, that may be why. Read about it in “Why You Get Headaches When The Weather Changes.”
Bread suffers from a poor reputation among nutrition-conscious athletes. It's often seen as overly carby, nutritionally-sparse food that you’re better off without. Especially if it's processed white bread or a non-whole grain option. Are any breads good for you, though? If your goal is weight loss, there’s one option that’s a cut above the competition: Rye. Why? Well, the main reason is that it’s high fiber content. Read more in “Science reveals the best type of bread you should eat for weight loss.”
We understand that you may be sick of masks, but hear us out. Altitude masks may be the next big thing. They’re used by pros around the world to get the same red blood cell boost that comes from high elevation training. That means a higher VO2 max and lactic acid threshold. For more info on these masks and other tricks of the trade, check out: “How to altitude train without going to Flagstaff.”
Minute 6: Daily Inspiration
Calves are a common problem area for runners, especially when you’re taking on a higher training volume than normal. It’s not uncommon for them to be the epicenter of your post-run soreness. If you find yourself struggling with this issue, you should watch the video below to learn what you can do to minimize calf soreness, like limiting your hill work, getting adequate rest days, and picking the proper shoes. Of course, you should be aware that sometimes calf or Achilles pain can be a more serious injury, as accomplished mountain runner Tayte Pollmann found out when he was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his foot: “My life in a boot: Are you in denial about an injury?”
