Dream On, Drink Up and Walk Around in NYC
Dreams help your runs, green tea improves endurance, and New Yorkers are the slimmest in the land.
Sweet Dreams
Many of us dream of running faster, longer or more injury-free. I know I do, especially faster! Although dreams are usually confined to the subconscious land of sleeping, researchers are now finding that dreams can actually affect performance. In fact, some athletes are learning lucid dreaming tricks (where you are aware that you’re in a dream and therefore can control your actions within the dream) to help with their race-day performance. How wicked awesome is that? Our brains are sooo cool. I’ll definitely be practicing these tips before my next running event!
The Quercetin Quotient
This may be a small study (only 12 subjects), but it’s making me feel even more awesome for choosing green tea as my daily wake-up beverage. Researchers believe that quercetin, a compound found in green and black tea, red onions, berries, cabbages and broccoli, can help improve exercise endurance. In the study, those who were given a quercetin supplement had a nearly 4 percent increase in their maximum oxygen uptake and a 13 percent increase in how long they could ride a bike before being too pooped to continue. Researchers think that quercetin supplementation could be helpful for sedentary folks, everyday exercisers and athletes. I’m now off to the store to buy more red apples and berries to accompany my quercetin-filled green tea breakfast.
Skinny in the City
It’s probably no surprise that Manhattan is the thinnest of the all the places in the United States. Most people on the island don’t have a car, so walking to and fro is a must. Plus, as this New York Times article points out, being skinny may be cultural and, in some social circles, the expectation. I live in the Midwest, and I can definitely tell that people are smaller in the Big Apple than in my hometown. It’s funny how location can really dictate what’s “normal” to you.
Have thoughts on dreaming, quercetin or NYC? Let us know in the comments! —Jenn
Photos grabbed from Betsssssy, Kanko* and veni markovski on Flickr.
Comments
ok i really love green tea but i don't know if i can give up my coffee in the morning…does green tea have the zing to keep someone with a boring arse job up?!
Very true about NYC – I've lived here for about 7 years. I guess I'd be considered on the higher side of 'normal' for my height, wear a size 10, etc. When I travel outside the city, I feel a lot 'thinner' in comparison than I do just going about my daily life here.
I live in NYC and I definitely think it helps with maintaining a healthy weight, simply because I do so much walking in between subways. However, there is also a LOT of unhealthy food here, and the city is not very conducive to cooking for yourself – so many people (my boyfriend included) get takeout for every meal, partially because it's so cheap and quick that it's almost not worth it to cook. Of course, I disagree with that and rarely get takeout, but still, the array of sit-down restaurants is so tempting, and I get invites to go out with different groups of friends every night to a different place.
I guess what I'm saying is that while New York CAN be helpful in maintaining a lower weight, it's not like just moving here will get you skinny. There are still PLENTY of ways to be an overweight New Yorker, and you do have to make an effort.
I really like the quote in the article that says, "If I feel fat, I can’t enjoy eating. This is unhealthy — that if I gain a few pounds, I’m not happy — but it’s the truth of me." Sad to say but that's how I feel too.
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