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    • movement
    • people
    • contact
  • +attire
  • +culture
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  • +music
  • +sport
  • +technology
  • +wellness
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    • special collections
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Let's talk wellness...                                                                                            ...you, me, TODOS.

Flexbility 101 for men

The most overlooked concept in an exercise workout for men is an important one, flexibility. Building muscle is necessary for shape and definition and stretching supplements that action. Other than the relieving tense muscles, stretching helps in increasing range of motion and stability. Incoporate daily strecthing and you will feel and see the difference. Click for stretching exercises. +February 2012 
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Flexibility 101 for women

It's the details that make a difference in the shape of one's body. From details of diet to details of stretching, anything can make a difference in striving for positive change. Flexibility in a workout program procudes great results because stretching actually helps give muscle shape. To find a 101 workout on stretching for women's health, click on the picture to the right. +February 2012 
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Brown Fat - A Fat That Can Make You Thin

Restricting food intake and maintaining a consistent workout regimen requires so much discipline, energy, not to mention time. Wouldn’t it be a dream come true to lose weight without putting any effort? Well, recent scientific research has found that this dream might be possible because of brown fat.

What is brown fat, and how is it different from “regular” fat? There are two types of fat cells: white fat cells and brown fat cells. White fat is the unwanted fat that we try to shed when we see it in excess. While it is the undesirable fat that makes our jeans from last year too difficult to put on, it does play important roles in our bodies. It is a metabolic organ that stores energy, cushions and protects our organs, acts as a thermal insulator, and contains important hormone receptors and enzymatic machinery, etc. Brown fat, on the other hand, dissipates chemical energy from fatty acids and sugars into heat. Yes, you understood correctly -- while white fat stores energy, brown fat burns energy!!!

What makes brown fat, brown? Brown fat gets its colour because it is unusually rich in mitochondria. Most mitochondria generate energy from the food we eat. We have lots of them in our muscles. Said that, mitochondria in brown fat differ from those in muscle cells. This is because muscle cell mitochondria break up organic molecules from the food we eat through a process of coupling reactions that convert it to ATP -- our bodies’ fuel. Brown fat mitochondria are uncoupled from ATP production through the action of a specific uncoupling protein called UCP1. UCP1 induces proton leak across the inner mitochondrial membrane, generating heat instead of converting it into ATP. In short, brown fat mitochondria “waste” energy by releasing it as heat.

Until recently, it was believed that only rodents, hibernating animals and human infants had brown fat. Babies are born with a small amount of brown fat at the back of their neck and kidneys, which was thought to disappear by the third week after birth. In the past decade, however, scientists have discovered the presence of brown fat in adult humans and an evident relationship between brown fat and energy expenditure. Lean adults have been found to have more genes that express brown fat, while obese patients have little to none. In 2009, several studies exploring the presence, distribution and activity of brown fat in both lean and obese subjects were published. These studies found that brown fat activity increases in cold temperatures and is negatively correlated with BMI and age.

The finding that brown fat activity is present in adult humans is of direct relevance to fighting the obesity epidemic. Molecular studies to understand the precise mechanism of action and genetic expression of brown fat are underway. In the last several years, several models illustrating this have been proposed. Dr. Patrick Seale and Dr. Bruce Spiegalman from Harvard University discovered that brown fat cells originate from pre-differentiated muscle cells. And last year, Dr. Fawaz Haj, professor at University of California, Davis, made an important discovery marking the link between the regulation of insulin signalling and brown fat cells through an enzyme called protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B).  Of note, PTP1B is a physiological regulator of glucose homeostasis and adiposity and is a drug target for the treatment of obesity and diabetes.  

Understanding the regulation of brown fat expression has brought us one step closer to counteracting obesity and diabetes through genetic therapy or therapeutic drugs that induce brown fat expression. Further research is yet to be done on the possibility of inducing brown fat expression in humans. Long-term studies aimed at observing the lifespan of transplanted or drug-induced brown fat cells need to be performed to see whether inducing brown fat differentiation in adult humans would have long term weight loss effects.  In addition, optimal conditions to achieve clinically acceptable and therapeutically positive results from transplantation of engineered brown fat need to be defined. Answers to these unsolved mysteries about brown fat will lead us to novel therapeutic methods to combat obesity. 
+Mitra Jamshidian for TODOSLifestyle. +September 2012
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View References


1.  Cannon B., and Nedergaard J. "Developmental biology: Neither fat nor flesh". 2008. Nature. 454: 947-948
 
2.  Cypess, A M. "Identification and Importance of Brown Adipose Tissue in Adult Humans". 2009. The New England Journal of Medicine. 360 (15): 1509.
 
3.  Himms-Hagen, Jean. "Does Brown Adipose Tissue (BAT) Have a Role in the Physiology or Treatment of Human Obesity?" 2001. Reviews in Endocrine & Metabolic Disorders. 2 (4): 395-401.
 
4.  Kajimura S., Seale P., Cooper M.P., Ruas J.L., Chin S., et al. "Regulation of the brown and white fat gene programs through a PRDM16/CtBP transcriptional complex". 2008. Genes and Development. 22 (10): 1397-1409.  
5.  Krauss S, CY Zhang, and BB Lowell. "The mitochondrial uncoupling-protein homologues". 2005. Nature Reviews. Molecular Cell Biology. 6 (3): 248-61.
 
6.   P Seale, Kajimura S, K Kubota, E Lunsford, JV Frangioni, SP Gygi, and BM Spiegelman. "Initiation of myoblast to brown fat switch by a PRDM16-C/EBP-beta transcriptional complex". 2009. Nature. 460 (7259): 1154-8.
 
7.  Matsuo K, A Bettaieb, N Nagata, I Matsuo, H Keilhack, and FG Haj. "Regulation of brown fat adipogenesis by protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B." 2001. PloS One. 6 (1).
 
8.  Sell H, Y Deshaies, and D Richard. "The brown adipocyte: update on its metabolic role". The International Journal of Biochemistry & Cell Biology. 2004. 36 (11): 2098-104.
 
9.  van Marken Lichtenbelt WD, JW Vanhommerig, NM Smulders, JM Drossaerts, GJ Kemerink, ND Bouvy, P Schrauwen, and GJ Teule. "Cold-activated brown adipose tissue in healthy men". 2009, The New England Journal of Medicine. 360 (15): 1500-8.


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Spring Onion To The Rescue!

As hard as we try, there are still foods we consume daily that are damaging to our health. As a scientist, I am not immune to always making the best, healthiest decisions about what food I consume and even though I know red meat is one of my guilty pleasures in life.

Today I consume red meat in moderation as it is my primary source of iron. Some of the present iron turn into iron radical species in our cells and can be equally as damaging as any other free radical in our body.

It has consciously been bothering me, the free iron radicals which roam around in my body as result of the red meat I eat and therefore I have been trying to incorporate in my diet nutrients to tackle them. In general we all fit in lots of antioxidants in our daily meals. But, I am looking for a specific one that could scavenge the iron radicals, and reduce the damage they cause to my cells. I hope to have them with my favourite red meat dish, Filet Mignon.  

Today, I was observing my chef friend, making a delicious dinner, using spring onion to accompany the juicy chicken that was slowly cooking. That made me think how much I use green onions with meat and made me happy that a top quality chef as my friend is, was doing the same. This further triggered my enthusiasm and I searched to identify the healthiness of spring onions in order to see if besides the inspiring taste, it could possibly be hiding a “health” secret.


Guess what!!!! Not only did I find how uniquely healthy spring onions, but I also found out they turn out to be my solution to iron radicals which pester my body. 


Yes, one of the most effective scavengers of free iron radicals in our body is SPRING ONION. Studies show that not only in comparison to vegetables of the same class, spring onion has magnificent antioxidant activity; they have further proved that spring onion has a miraculous scavenger power for iron free species.
I could not have been happier, since I tend to cook most of my meats with spring onions. Have you tried it? I know most people try onions. But spring onions make a great difference to the flavor of cooked meats and salads, in comparison to plain onions. The study also shows that even the leaves have the antioxidant activity, so you can use the whole thing, including the greens. Next time you are about to have a meal think of me and add it. It also adds to the presentation of your meal just buy sprinkling an amount once finished cooking. As they say most of the taste arises from the way we present it. The shape and color of spring onion goes great with meats.


Spring onions and meat happen to taste great together. Many foods that taste good together happen to have complementary health affects, which I will write more about later. Stay Tuned!
 +Soodeh Nezam for TODOSLifestyle. +July 2012

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 And the winner is ….Pomegranate Juice! 

These days Antioxidant is the trendy label for drinks and juices in the café and smoothie bars. It is of great value how much everyone is becoming aware of free radicals and their damage in the body and the power of antioxidants to combat the damage. This fact has created a great marketing slogan for food companies making fruit juices. We come a cross phrases such as “contains super antioxidants “ everywhere, SO how do we decide which claim is true? Scientists have put these claims to test! They compared common consumed juices such as grape juice, berry juices (blueberry, strawberry, blackberry), apple juice, orange juice, and pomegranate juice, acai juice,  and even ice tea to test and compared them in not only one aspect but four aspects that would make these fruits the most potent antioxidant. After an intense competition of all these fruit juices, pomegranate juice won in antioxidant potency by at least 20% in every four category of competition!! This is of remarkable importance, as we see the antioxidant label on every drink these days! During all my years living in the U.S, I have not seen the consumption of pomegranate to a great degree. Even now in Sheffield, United kingdom, I do not see many people eat them. I often hear how people think it is too much of a hassle to eat pomegranate and get the juice out! As Persians, pomegranates are considered our main fruit, especially during the winter. We use the pomegranate paste in our delicious dish, Fesenjoon, and eat pomegranate or its juice on daily basis. Pomegranate has amazing effects on the skin, such as keeping it hydrated during cold season. I often hear from my non-Persian friends that Persian women tend to age gracefully. I have been thinking about that and one of the big factors in the diet of Persian women is pomegranate! Not only they eat and drink it a lot, they cook with it. They also have been using the crunched seeds as facemasks for many years now. Only in recent years, Hollywood dermatologists have revealed their secret dietary regiment they advise to celebrities for a glowing skin, which is pomegranate!! I am going to show you how you can make your own pomegranate juice in a very easy and cost effective way, so you have the juice with the highest antioxidant potency, the most trendy one, in your diet! Holding the pomegranate in your hand, press on the seeds with your thumbs. This way you are squeezing the juice out of the seeds, do it all over the pomegranate. When the pomegranate feels soft all over, make a small whole in it with a knife and squeeze the juice out in a glass. TADA! Just like that you have your pure pomegranate juice. To crunch your thirst in this fabulous summer, just add a couple of lime drops in it. There you have it, your perfect, super antioxidant juice! +Soodeh Nezam for TODOSLifestyle +May 2012
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A smoker's new best friend

Antioxidant supplements are essential at helping delay ageing of cells in our body. Most importantly they can prevent complications such as cancers. Over the past years, it has been proven that antioxidants are beneficial to smokers as they interact with the nasty effects of cigarette smoking. Vitamin E, which is known to be skin’s best friend and helpful to almost everyone, did not present good effects in smokers.
After years of research and trialing, finally good news for smokers has broke out. A certain antioxidant that is actually proven to be effective against complications caused by smoking. These are the natural kind of antioxidants, the ones that are found in natural food sources, rather than the synthetic kind, that are bottled up and sold in pharmacies.
Amongst all these natural fruits and foods the primary source of antioxidants our little green friend, the kiwi, is proven to be the most and most antioxidant-packed and effective with smokers. The antioxidant dosage is relatively small, therefore, you only need to eat 3 of them a day to get the optimum effect in your body, the very same body you damage with cell by cell with every drag from your cigarette. After learning all the benefits of kiwi, I am even adding it to my diet, even though I am not a smoker. But, I figured 3 kiwi a day is a very fun and cost effective way of getting my antioxidants, instead of taking supplements! I add it to whatever I am eating! From my cereal for breakfast in the morning, to my salad for dinner at night. The fascinating thing about kiwi is its flavor and how it goes well with everything! You can easily add kiwi to your morning smoothies, as the taste of kiwi goes so well with any other fruits, like strawberries or bananas. When you visit your frozen yogurt place, kiwi could be one of the toppings to make your yogurt more delicious and healthy. As you slice apples in the morning and pack it for snacks, add some slices of kiwi to it. Still if you forget any of these, there is always the “Naked” kiwi smoothie you can pick up and have in the lecture. I am still routing to see a fruit in your hand in place of a cigarette, but till then, don’t forget your new best friend, the KIWI!!! This may not affect you directly but it could help out someone you love. +Soodeh Nezam for TODOSLifestyle +May 2012
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Whole Wheat or Bust!

Ever want to add healthy and delicious meals your lifestyle? Well luckily for you there's Whole Wheat or Bust (WWB), a blog dedicated to introducing you to simple healthy and delicious meal ideas such as the ones show below in the pics below, yup those are Whole Wheat Belgian Waffles and they're amazing, just what you need to start the day off. Along with inspiring meal ideas and recipes you can also find workout programs that are as good as the food. There's even surprising and useful posts such as "My Eastern Medicine Cabinet" and also a favorite topic of everyone "Why Does Everyone eat crap?". All in all Whole Wheat or Bust is a place where you can find authentic and genuine advice on how to make the most delicious yet healthiest food you've ever made. Click here or any of the pics below to start getting inspired and of course learn that amazing Whole Wheat Belgian Waffle recipe! More to come here with WWB, stay tuned #Wholewheatorbust. +JG:PG for TODOSLifestyle +April 2012.  
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Be Coo Coo for Coconuts

Recently there have been articles written about the benefits of a coconut and we must say it’s pretty exciting news! One of our favorite benefits is how coconut oil is able to speed up the metabolism. We are nearing the end of February and some of us are still holding strong to our New Year’s resolutions. Here’s how it works: “Coconut oil contains medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) unlike other fats, are digested and used differently. They do not circulate in the bloodstream like other fats, but are sent directly to the liver where they are immediately converted into energy, just like a carbohydrate” (FabFitFun.com). Now you can use coconut oil as an healthy cooking alternative. (Click below for more applications at FabFitFun.com) +JC for TODOSLifestyle +February 2012.
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Nike+ FuelBand is always on

The Nike+ FuelBand is a fancy watch with an accelerometer built in. You simply set a goal of calories burn and the FuelBand tracks your progress lighting up from red to green. When you hit green you've hit your goal for the day. You can keep track of calories burned to even steps taken. Below is an short film featuring Nike Athletes Hope Solo, Paul Rodriguez and Ndamukong Suh as they track their daily activities. +February 2012
 
Would you exercise more with Nike+ fuelband? show/hide


Start simple and add delicious taste

A philosophy to keep in mind when preparing your food is that the more ingredients or number of steps you need to prepare your meal, the fresher the food will be and the better it will taste. Try this philosophy with your morning bowl of cereal. Forget the over-priced Special K or the mundane Raisin Bran. Start simple with unsweetened, unflavored Corn Flakes and add fruit, sugar, and spices as desired. A favorite of ours is original Corn Flakes, banana, and cinnamon. Maybe yours is raisins and almonds. Experiment and find your favorite!  (Click below for nutritional facts) +January 2012

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What is your favorite cereal? show/hide


5 exercises to implement into your workout

Get strong, get toned, get to where you want to be. Add these 5 exercises to your workout routine and build the lean muscle you need: 
1. Lying Chest Press 2. Dips 3. Burpee to shoulder press 4. Squat Arm Curls 5. Side crunch to burpee. 
Make yourself          . +January 2012
 
Which is your favorite exercise? show/hide


Learn your plate, learn its weight

Imagine a place where you can find out how many calories are in your plate, how beneficial the calories will be if you put them to work with exercise, and how long you should plan to meet your health goals. The place is called SuperTracker. An initiative fronted by the United States Department of Agriculture to help people understand their food, their fitness, and their health. Click below for the SuperTracker website and get started on that healthy knowledge and action this year. +January 2012 (contributed by IV) 
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What is a healthy plate for you? show/hide


An extremely practical kitchen appliance

You want to toast bread before dinner? Melt cheese on the bread? Or want to broil only a small piece of chicken? It is extremely convenient to have a multi-purpose toaster oven that can quickly start-up and provide a lot of options. Don't underestimate the taste of sandwiches, with toasted bread, grilled vegetables, or warm food in general. The Hamilton Beach 22708 Toastation product can be found at Amazon.com by clicking below. +January 2012
 
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What kitchen appliances are useful to you? show/hide


One rinse, two times the taste

Good ingredients are vital for any delicious meal. The better the ingredients, the cleaner they are, the better they will taste. Nevermind what is written on salad packaging. When it comes to preparing your food, it is not wise to skip steps. Take for example this salad spinner. It will help you rinse vegetables quickly and efficiently. Its worth the investment, its worth the cleanliness and taste. Check out this selection at Bed, Bath, and Beyond (click below). +January 2012
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Do you make sure to wash vegetables? show/hide


Protect yours eyes, look good doing it

Protecting your eyes from UV light has never been as necessary as it is today. Now just because you're protecting your eyes doesn't mean you should have to compromise style. Sunglasses should compliment to your look and are to be worn on sunny days, don't be the person sporting them at night or indoors, it's just silly. It is good to have a few pairs of sunglasses. Take a look at these from Voi Jeans. They come with a case meaning they are a solid pair of shades and you'll look good wearing them. Click the picture below to buy from ASOS for yourself or for someone you care about this season. +December 2011
 
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Are your sunglasses fashionable or practical? show/hide


Simplify your soap dispenser

Washing your hands is important to good health and aesthetics make a noticeable difference. Then what better way to wash your hands than with this touch-free soap dispenser by Simplehuman. You simply put your hand below the dispenser it senses and automatically pours the perfect amount of soap. It's like a blast from the future. It features a contemporary simplistic design with chrome accents and shiny finishes. Makes for a great gift or unique addition to your home. Click below to take a look at it and it is available at Bed, Bath & Beyond. +December 2011

 
Do you prefer hand soap or hand sanitizer? show/hide


With yogurt, it turns out plain and simple is the best

The Mediterranean cuisine is considered some of the most delicious and healthy of all because the simplicity of the recipes exemplifies the quality of the ingredients. FAGE yogurt is exactly that. This strained yogurt, which originates from Greece, tastes so good that it is now available in many specialty and natural food stores across Europe and the US. FAGE yogurt comes in various types of fat content, with 0%, 2%, or Total. Combine FAGE with honey to make a healthy, refreshing desert or with lemon to make a yogurt dressing. Try it today. No regrets. Just deliciousness. (Click below for FAGE recipes and find where to buy). +December 2011
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What do you add to Greek yogurt? show/hide


A fun & healthy grocery shopping experience

Trader Joe's is not your ordinary grocery store. They are a grocer that carries unique and sometimes quirky items that you simply cannot find anywhere else. They regularly come out with new exciting items to keep things interesting every time you walk in. In addition Trader Joe's also carries a variety of organic products. You cannot buy everything you need at Trader Joe's but you can surely enjoy from a great selection of quality foods from all over the globe. The place just has a certain charm about it that everyone raves about, from it's small size to it's cheerful employees. Trader Joe's is a great place to buy groceries at competitive prices and for a healthy lifestyle (click on the picture above for the store locations). +November 2011
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What is your favorite item when grocery shopping? show/hide


Protect your hands, lift better

These are the Nike Structured Training Gloves, they feature a secure wrist strap for a proper fit. They feature various engineered Dri-fit fabrics for fit, durability, and performance with quality stitching patterns. Take it to the next level with your workouts with these exceptionally engineered training gloves by Nike (click below to buy at Dick's). +November 2011
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How do workout gloves help you? show/hide


A pull-up a day goes a long way

Develop a strong back with the most convenient pull-up bar out there. It's called the Iron Gym Xtreme by Pro Fit. From wide pullups to work your lateral muscles to tight pulls to work your biceps, the Iron Gym is a way to develop your upper body every time you step into your room. The bar can also be placed on the floor to do wide pushups for your chest, dips for triceps, and against the door for abs. A great investment for yourself and your body. (Click on the picture for a link to buy the Iron Gym from Target.com). +October 2011
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How often do you do pull-ups? show/hide


Now make the best tasting shakes ever

Either it be a chocolate milk or a flavored protein shake, now you can enjoy the most delicious shakes ever. For some, it might be after a workout as a well deserved reward for the time put in at the gym. For others, it might be as a mid-day snack of chocolate or any flavor with milk or even a cold Nescafe coffee. With this stirring appliance, you can make shakes and iced instant coffees the way they are meant to taste. This is the Hamilton Beach Drinkmaster. It comes in a stylish chrome finish and is simple to clean and store (click below for more info at hamiltonbeach.com). +October 2011
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