Did you hear the whoops of joy, the victory rattle of salt-shakers, when it was reported that salt isn’t that bad for us after all? On inspection, however, the findings of the latest study weren’t quite so jubilant: while cutting salt intake moderately did lead to a small reduction in blood pressure, it wasn’t enough to alter the risk of dying or having a stroke. In other words, we’re doomed anyway.
The plethora of dietary advice these days can make you feel as if every modest pleasure comes with a finger-wag attached. Our grandparents’ generation drank like fish, smoked like chimneys, and had bigger things to worry about. We wince with guilt if we eat red meat more than twice a week.
Yet salt is an ancient and honourable pleasure. The Book Full Article…
Salt, Salt Story
If youre interested in fitness, but have never heard of Jack LaLanne, Im doing you a huge favor by introducing you to his name and his legacy.
I doubt any athlete has gone through training without being influenced (most likely unwittingly) by LaLanne. If you use a weight room, you have Jack LaLanne to thank. Before Jack LaLanne, there was no such thing as a fitness club. In fact, when his first health and fitness club opened in 1936, doctors advised people to stay away, calling LaLanne an exercise nut. They feared that weight lifting would cause heart attacks, an idea we think is ridiculous now.
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Jack Lalanne, Lalanne
Previous studies have suggested that the looks of political candidates are a key factor in influencing voters, but now a new Massachusetts Institute of Technology study has detailed which types of citizens are most influenced by candidate appearances.
MIT political scientists found that so-called ‘low-information voters’ — those who watch a lot of TV but who aren’t well versed on policy issues — are most likely to vote for a candidate based on looks alone.
Using data from the 2006 U.S. Senate and governors’ races, the study showed that for every 10-point increase in the advantage a candidate has when rated by voters on his or her looks, there will be a nearly 5 percent increase in the vote for that candidate by the uninformed voters who are most firmly planted on their couches. Yet that sa
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Lessinformed Voters, Voters
Although you might never wear a yellow jersey in the Tour de France, cycling coaches say the only real key to switching up your bike-riding from a Mission Bay meander to a Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge finish is commitment – and a lot of time spent on two wheels.
The first thing you need to do is structure your training programme. “It’s up to the individual rider,” cycle coach Gordon McCauley says, “But if you’re doing the same thing all the time, you’re going to get the same results.” Work out where you need to improve – it might be your speed, the distance you can cover, or your ability to tackle hills – and then develop a programme that has you continually targeting your weak points.
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