4 Stretches To Keep Your Shoulders In Shape: Keeping your shoulders muscles flexible will help prevent injury!

The shoulder is the body's most complicated joint. It's where the ends of the collarbone, upper arm bone, and shoulder blade meet. It's prone to arthritis (a wearing away of the cartilage between the bones), as well as tears or tendinitis (inflammation) in the rotator cuff — the group of tendons that helps you raise and rotate your arm. Shoulder pain can keep you from being able to raise your arms to get dressed, reach up to a cupboard, or out to a door.

An easy way to stave off shoulder problems is to regularly stretch the muscles that support the joints. "The muscles need to be long and flexible to stay healthy. You're more vulnerable to injury when your shoulder muscles are tight and restricted," explains Clare Safran-Norton, clinical supervisor of rehabilitation services at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital.

How stretching helps: Muscles are a little like cotton fabrics. They may shrink up slightly, but if you pull on the fibers, you can stretch out the fabric again. Stretching your muscles fixes the shortening that occurs with disuse and extends muscles to their full length. The more you stretch the muscles, the longer and more flexible they'll become. That will help increase your range of motion, ward off pain, reduce the risk for injury, and improve your posture.

Types of stretches: The best way to stretch muscles is with long, static (motionless) stretches that last 30 seconds to two minutes, but don't jump right to this step. Warm up the muscles first to get blood and oxygen to them and make them more pliable. You can do this with exercise (take a brisk walk, pumping your arms, or go for a swim). Or you can try a few minutes of dynamic stretching — repeatedly moving a joint through its available range of motion, without holding a position. Just roll your shoulders backward and forward a few times or make windmill motions with your arms (but not too vigorously).

Insider tips: Safran-Norton says that stretches should be gentle and pain-free. "If there's pain, you may be injuring your muscles," she notes. She also warns never to bounce your stretched muscles, which can cause injury and keep you from a productive stretch. "Bouncing sets off a protective mechanism called the stretch reflex. The muscle will recoil so you won't overstretch it. As a result, you'll never get to a true stretch," she says. "A true stretch is sustained, with no bouncing."

Getting started: Try the shoulder stretches we've laid out here. All you need is a doorway or wall. Safran-Norton recommends stretching your shoulders 3 to 7 times per week. "If you're really stiff, stretch daily. If you're already flexible, it's fine to stretch every other day," she says. Avoid stretching for too long or too vigorously: back off quickly if you start to feel pain.
Other tips: make sure you stand up straight when you stretch, and make sure you're hydrated.

1). Wall Climb: The movement: Stand up straight facing a wall. Extend your right arm with your elbow soft (not locked) and place your hand on the wall at shoulder height. Slowly walk your fingers upward, stepping in toward the wall as your hand climbs higher. Stop when you feel mild tension in your shoulder. Hold 10 to 30 seconds. Slowly walk your fingers back down the wall and return to the starting position. Repeat three to four times. Switch arms and repeat.

2). Chest & Shoulder Stretch: The movement: Stand  alongside a doorway or wall. Extend your right arm and put your right hand on the edge of the door frame slightly below shoulder level, palm facing forward and touching the door frame. Keep your shoulders down and back. Slowly turn your body to the left, away from the door frame, until you feel the stretch in your chest and shoulder. Hold 10 to 30 seconds. Return to the starting position. Repeat three to four times, then repeat on the opposite side.

3). Shoulder Stretch: The movement: Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Put your left hand on your right shoulder. Cup your left elbow with your right hand. Roll your shoulders down and back as you gently pull your left elbow across your chest. Hold 10 to 30 seconds. Return to the starting position. Repeat three to four times, then repeat on the other side.

4). Shoulder Stretch With Rotation: The movement: Stand up straight with your feet  hip-width apart and your hands by your sides. Place the back of your right hand against the small of your back at your waist. Your fingers should be pointing up. Slowly slide your right hand farther up your back as high as you can. Hold 10 to 30 seconds. Repeat three to four times, then repeat with left hand.

Sucrose, Glucose, & Metabolism: A new study indicates that not all sugars are created equal.

by Matthew Kadey, MS, RD for the IDEA Health & Fitness E-zine 

The sweetness in our diets comes in many different forms, and how we get our sugar fix matters. The type of sweet stuff we choose may influence how hungry we feel and, in turn, affect our risk for metabolic conditions and weight gain. A recent study shed light on the differences in the effects of sucrose and glucose on our metabolism.

Study participants produced lower amounts of hunger-suppressing hormones (hormones that turn off your appetite), such as peptide YY, after sipping drinks sweetened with sucrose (table sugar) than they did after drinking liquids spiked with glucose only (naturally occurring sweetness), according to a report in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

The findings, based on data that included both men and women, also revealed that participants with obesity and less insulin sensitivity had an even lower increase in hunger-suppressing hormones after consuming a sweet beverage than individuals of normal weight/normal sensitivity. That may be another reason why it’s so hard for people with excess weight to lose it and keep it off.

Sucrose is made up of equal parts glucose and fructose and is often pumped into processed foods like soda, candy, cookies, cakes, pastries, and cereals. Glucose occurs naturally in carbohydrate-containing foods like honey and fresh and dried fruits.

Fructose & Glucose Health Hazards
by Matthew Kadey, MS, RD for the IDEA Health & Fitness E-zine

Consuming the high-fructose corn syrup that has become ubiquitous in our food supply appears to be hazardous to our health, mainly because the sweet substance contains both fructose and glucose (as opposed to just one of those sugars alone).

In a study conducted at the University of California, Davis, 145 participants consumed beverages containing fructose, glucose, high-fructose corn syrup, or an aspartame control for 2 weeks on 4 separate occasions. After each intervention, they had their blood analyzed for known risk factors for heart disease and diabetes. While triglyceride levels shot up the most with the fructose-only treatment, a duo of risk factors—LDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein B—increased most sharply when subjects consumed the high-fructose corn syrup, suggesting a unique interaction between fructose and glucose. Many cardiovascular experts believe those risk factors are predictive for heart disease.

Evidence continues to mount that good nutrition involves more than looking at individual food components. Diets should be studied as a whole to determine how items like sugars and vitamins may interact with each other for better or worse.

Has Time Spent with Family and Friends Declined?

 Ninth report in the Civil Unrest & Presidential Election Study (CUPES)

In this report, we investigated the extent to which peoples’ time spent with family and friends changed during a particular period in American history: the leadup to the 2020 Presidential election amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Given that both the 2020 presidential election and COVID-19 were significant political events embroiled in significant political disagreements, we draw from a sample of adults taken in Fall 2020 to investigate changes in peoples’ interactions with friends and family compared to the prior Fall of 2019.

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Mine! How the Hidden Rules of Ownership Control Our Lives

 A hidden set of rules governs who owns what — explaining everything from whether you can recline your airplane seat to why HBO lets you borrow a password illegally — and in this lively and entertaining conversation, two acclaimed law professors reveal how things become “mine.” Surprisingly, there are just six simple stories that everyone uses to claim everything. Owners choose the story that steers us to do what they want. But we can always pick a different story.

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Foot Fixes

from the IDEA Fitness e-zine

Making your feet more functional can help the rest of your body! 

Do you know how critical healthy feet are to a successful fitness program? Your feet and ankles make up your body’s foundation and act as “shock absorbers” when your body interacts with a surface. The feet transmit weight from our body to the ground, allow us to balance in static posture, and propel our body forward, back and laterally in dynamic activities.

To improve foot function and help prevent dysfunction in other body parts, perform these foot exercises from Eileen Byrnes, a Connecticut-based registered yoga instructor, fitness instructor, barefoot enthusiast, certified reflexologist and creator of Solely Wellness.

Why Exercise Your Feet? While feet are our base for all movement, it isn’t common practice for many exercisers to consider foot function. Nick St. Louis, an Ottawa-based physiotherapist and founder of The Foot Collective, says this needs to change.

“A house will collapse if built on a weak foundation. Many of the problems you see upstream are very much related to the foot,” he says, adding that hip, knee and ankle discomfort or pain often starts in foot dysfunction. Being barefoot allows you to increase balance, engage muscles, improve mobility, transfer stability from one side to the other and offer efficient force transfer to the ground.

Foot Exercises: You can perform foot exercises alone, as part of a warm-up or in the stretch section of a workout. Inactive foot muscles may fatigue quickly, but daily exercise will build strength and endurance.

Toe spreading:
   Stand on a stable surface.
   Extend and simultaneously move your toes away from each other.
   Create as much space be–tween the toes as possible.
   Repeat several times, each foot.

Marble pickup:
   Put a pile of marbles on the floor.
   Pick up each marble with your toes, creating a second pile.
   Repeat several times, each foot.

Toe yoga:
   Extend the big toe while toes 2–5 stay on the floor.
   Alternate, lifting and lowering toes 2–5 and then the big toe.
   Do each foot separately and then both feet together.

Beginning and end:
   Extend all your toes.
   Alternate pressing the big toe and fifth toe to the floor, keeping the ankle centered.
   Extend all toes and simultaneously press the big toe and fifth toe to the floor, keeping the middle toes lifted.
   Repeat, each foot.

Band work:
   Fasten a resistance band to a secure point, placing the other end of the band on the top (dorsal) side of the foot, below your toes.
   Dorsiflex your foot (bend your ankle to where your toes move towards your shin) and then relax.
   Repeat several times, each foot.

Foot stretch:
   Kneel and tuck all toes under the buttocks.
   Press the toe pads into the floor. Place a blanket or cushion under the knees if you feel discomfort.
   Spend 20–30 seconds in this position.

Rolling Your Feet:  Ball rolling can be performed while sitting or standing. Do these exercises daily or even multiple times per day: Roll a lacrosse ball or tennis ball under the middle of your foot and roll horizontally and vertically between the ball of your foot and the calcaneus (large bone at the heel). Unless neuropathy (a lack of activity in nerve endings) is an issue, you can apply pressure when rolling on the middle of your foot, as it has four layers of muscle.

It is important to also roll on the medial (inside) and lateral (outside) edges of the feet to activate connective tissue and nerve endings that are rarely worked because of the number of hours feet spend immobile in shoes.

Roll from your calcaneus (heel) to your toes, making a path to the tip of each toe. Use lighter pressure when rolling over the sesamoid bones, which are two pea-shaped bones embedded in the tendon just under the base of the big toe.

References:
   1). Lillis, C. 2019. Foot bones: Everything you need to know. Medical News Today. Accessed June 4, 2020: medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324336.
   2). Price, J. 2006. The foot, ankle and knee. IDEA Fitness Journal, 3 (10), 30–33.
   3). Shaffer, A. 2020. Everything you need to know about barefoot training. Muscle & Fitness. Accessed June 2, 2020: muscleandfitness.com/muscle-fitness-hers/hers features/everything-you-need-know-about-barefoot-training/.
 

Neil deGrasse Tyson — Cosmic Queries: StarTalk’s Guide to Who We Are, How We Got Here, and Where We’re Going

In this thought-provoking conversation on life, the universe, and everything, Neil deGrasse Tyson tackles the world’s most important philosophical questions about the universe with wit, wisdom, and cutting-edge science. For science geeks, space and physics nerds, and all who want to understand their place in the universe, this enlightening new book offers a unique take on the mysteries and curiosities of the cosmos, building on rich material from his beloved StarTalk podcast, along with dozens of his most popular tweets on science. Shermer and Tyson discuss: the universe, multiverse, big bang, big rip, dark matter, dark energy, gravity, gravitational waves, origins of morality, hard problem of consciousness, consensus science, the unknown, Fermi’s paradox, extraterrestrials, and artificial intelligence.

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20 Vegetables That Contain Protein

By Olivia Tarantino for the “Eat This, Not That” e-zine 

After sneaking in a much-needed post-holiday workout, my friend Sarah and I hit up a restaurant in town for lunch. "I'll have the chicken breast.", she told the waiter, "Gotta up my protein." Smart choice: A solid serving of protein after a sweat-fest is crucial for building lean muscle mass and blasting away belly fat. "As for me," I said, glancing past the meats, "I'll have…. the roasted veggie salad." Surprised? So was Sarah. I explained that protein-packed chicken isn't the only food that will support your efforts. Veggies can also help. In fact, some higher protein vegetables have as much as 8 grams per cup. That may pale in comparison to a chicken breast (34 grams per 4 ounces) or burger (26 grams per quarter pounder), but vegetables also contain antioxidants, vitamins, and generous amounts of fiber.

They're not only affordable sources, but they can be a healthy option for a change or to add nutrients other than just protein Looking to reap the benefits? We've listed the most popular veggies and ranked them according to their protein content (from lowest to highest). Whether you're a vegetarian or an omnivore just looking to augment your intake, here’s a list of popular plant-based options.

Yes, we included some botanically-classified fruits like eggplant and pepper, but we put them on the list because people typically eat them like veggies. All protein content information was collected from the USDA's National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference.

20). Eggplant: 1 cup cooked: 0.82 grams protein While eggplant is fairly low in the protein department, it's still a great addition. The purple plant is packed with powerful antioxidants called anthocyanins that provide neuroprotective benefits like bolstering short-term memory.

19). Carrots: 1 cup chopped (raw or boiled): 1.19 grams protein What's up, doc? Unfortunately, it's not the protein content of carrots. That being said, munching on these veggies either raw or steamed will still serve up a healthy dose of inflammation-fighting vitamin A.

18). Red Bell Pepper: 1 cup chopped raw: 1.48 grams protein As a vitamin-C-rich veggie, red bell pepper can help you turn off stress hormones as well as keep your immune system finely tuned.

17). Kale: 1 cup cooked: 2.47 grams protein, 1 cup raw: 0.68 grams protein Kale may not have a super-high protein content, but what it lacks here it makes up for it in antioxidant and micro-nutrient content. If the idea of having it by itself puts you off, finely chop some into your regular salad mix and you won't even know it's there! 

16). Zucchini: 1 cup sliced cooked: 2.05 grams protein It may be relatively low, but 2 grams of protein for only 27 calories and an additional 2 grams of fiber isn't all that bad for zucchini. Saute’ it in some olive oil for a side dish, or throw diced zucchini into any number of meal combinations.

15). Cauliflower: 1 cup: 2.28 grams protein It's one of our favorite cruciferous veggies to roast but it can also be used to make a tasty low-carb (and lower calorie) pizza crust.

14). Avocado: 1 cup cubed: 3 grams protein To get those 3 grams of protein, you'll also end up with 240 calories, so don't go too crazy. A more reasonable serving size is ½ an avocado, which will still give you 2 grams of protein. Slice some of this healthy fat to serve on a slice of sprouted grain bread, on a side salad, or throw it into a salad or a smoothie!

13). Broccoli Rabe: 1 cup cooked: 3.26 grams protein If you can get past the bitter taste, broccoli rabe is a great addition, if not for its protein content, for the calcium. A cup steamed has a whopping 301 milligrams of bone-protecting calcium—that's 30 percent of your recommended daily intake! Calcium doesn't just help protect your bones, it also plays a role in maintaining proper muscle function and boosting endurance.

12). Beet Greens: 1 cup sauteed: 3.70 grams protein, 1 cup raw: 0.84 grams protein Commonly found in mixed greens or “power greens”. A sauteed cup of the high-protein leaves will serve up close to four grams of protein along with 4 grams of fiber.

11). Broccoli: 1 cup: 3.7 grams protein This cruciferous veggie packs a big punch of nutrition along with its modest protein. Chomping on steamed broccoli just a few times a week is clinically proven to lower rates of breast, lung, and skin cancers—that's why it's one of the top foods to include in your nutrition plan!

10). Mushrooms: Portabella, 1 cup grilled: 3.97 grams protein, Shitake, 1 cup stir-fried: 3.35 grams protein, White, 1 cup boiled: 3.39 gramsprotein Mushrooms are a favorite  thanks to their umami flavor that's also found in meat and cheese (and what makes each taste so good!). Not only do these fungi offer up a decent serving of protein, but they also are one of the few non-animal-based sources of vitamin D—a vitamin that boosts immunity and is essential for bone health.

9). Brussels Sprouts: 1 cup cooked: 3.98 grams protein These crucifers shouldn't be reserved for your Thanksgiving table. Add Brussels sprouts to your diet to supplement your protein intake as well as help decrease bad cholesterol levels due to their high fiber content.

8). Sweet Potato: 1 cup, baked with skin: 4.02 grams protein Add this tasty tuber as a side dish to your typical chicken breast meal to up your protein content even more and you'll also reap the benefits of their carotenoids: disease-fighting compounds that give you glowing skin.

7). Corn: 1 cup: 4.21 grams protein This sweet veggie is also packed with an equal amount of fiber. The only problem is it's higher in calories than other veggie-based protein sources, coming in at 134 calories. At least you'll be ingesting loads of free-radical fighting antioxidants! Sweet yellow corn is full of lutein and zeaxanthin—two phytochemicals that work in tandem to promote healthy vision.

6). Asparagus: 1 cup cooked: 4.32 grams protein Who knew that so much protein could be stuffed into a 32-calorie cup of these skinny spears? Besides the protein, we also love that asparagus is jam-packed with inulin (a type of prebiotic fiber that promotes the growth of healthy bacteria in your gut) and potassium, which can help you look slimmer by keeping bloating at bay.

5). Spinach: 1 cup cooked: 5.35 grams protein, per 1 cup raw: 0.86 grams protein Now we know why Popeye had such large muscles! Baby spinach might be small, but it packs a powerful protein punch. We'd recommend eating it sauteed for the most hunger-quelling benefits: while one cup of cooked spinach has over five grams of fiber, the same cup of raw spinach doesn't even make it to one.

4). Hubbard Squash: 1 cup cooked: 5.08 gramsprotein You'll start squashing your workout routine when you add Hubbard squash to your diet. With five grams of protein per cup, this roasted squash makes a great, filling addition to your favorite veggie-filled soup recipe or tossed with pine nuts, arugula, and bow tie pasta.

3). Collard Greens: 1 cup: 5.15 grams protein You won't reserve this southern staple to solely be served with barbecue anymore. Collard greens are also a great source of folate (serving up 75 percent of your recommended daily intake). The B vitamin helps with the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that keeps us happy, as well as aids with focus, energy, and alertness.

2). Russet Potato: 1 large potato, baked with skin: 7.86 grams protein All hail the humble potato! Still "clothed" in its skin, the tuber provides almost 8 grams of protein and plenty of slow digesting carbs to help rebuild and recover after an intense workout. We like serving our baked potato with a sprinkling of cheddar cheese, a dollop of Greek yogurt, some chopped scallions, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

1b). Green Peas: 1 cup, frozen then cooked: 8.24 grams protein Peas are actually part of the legume family. Many people eat them steamed with carrots, thrown into a veggie fried rice, or added to a chicken pot pie. We're all for it. These tiny green beans will not pack over eight grams of protein, but they'll also provide 7 grams of satiating fiber—all for a mere 125 calories. Adding non-starchy veggies like peas to your diet can help you fight fat.

1a). Chickpeas: 1 cup, 10-15 grams protein This high-protein legume is part of the bean family and is a tasty component of many recipes. In addition to the ample protein content, 1 cup of chickpeas also contains 9 to 12 grams of fiber, only 4 grams of fat, and 34 to 45 grams of carbohydrates. In short, they're a powerhouse of nutrients.

Nobody’s Normal: How Culture Created the Stigma of Mental Illness

For centuries, scientists and society cast moral judgments on anyone deemed mentally ill, confining many to asylums. In episode 161 of The Michael Shermer Show, Dr. Shermer speaks with anthropologist Dr. Roy Richard Grinker about his book Nobody’s Normal: How Culture Created the Stigma of Mental Illness which chronicles the progress and setbacks in the struggle against mental-illness stigma — from the 18th century, through America’s major wars, and into today’s high-tech economy. Drawing on cutting-edge science, historical archives, and cross-cultural research in Africa and Asia, Grinker takes readers on an international journey to discover the origins of, and variances in, our cultural response to neurodiversity. Shermer and Grinker discuss: the DSM, ADHD, PTSD, the autism spectrum, schizophrenia, labels and stigma, neuroses vs. psychoses, mental vs. medical models, brain/mind dualism, blacks and drapetomania, homelessness and mental illness, and the future of madness and normalcy.

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