Intermittent Fasting

By melanieavalon / July 15, 2014

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People often think I’m completely crazy and naive for fasting, causing my body irreparable harm. While I may indeed be crazy, intermittent fasting is rather sane. Here’s a brief overview of what actually happens on a cellular level during a fast. During fasting, the body shifts from using glucose (sugar from carbohydrates) as a primary fuel source, […]

Paleo

Personal

By melanieavalon / March 23, 2014

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Adopting a Paleo lifestyle can sort of rock your world. Here are just a few of the benefits I’ve experienced since going Paleo. “Correlation not Causation!” you cry? I’ll let you be the judge… 1. Food Tastes Better I’ve transitioned from one type of picky eater to another. Back in my SAD (Standard American Diet) days, […]

Alcohol

Social

Wine

By melanieavalon / March 18, 2014

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THE GOOD Classy Red Wine connotes instant class. No matter how dive-y/grungy/ greasy/clubby the vibe of your current locale, holding a nice glass of Pinot Noir elevates the situation ever so slightly (unless of course, the whole situation is satire, but that would insinuate some “intelligent” audience watching, who would appreciate your classiness I suppose?) […]

Behavior

Books

By melanieavalon / March 17, 2014

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I’m currently reading “The Power of Habit” by Charles Duhigg. I’m the type of person who must know *why* we do the things we do, down to the electrical impulses and signals in our brain. This book delivers. According to the book, up to 40% of our actions each day are habits. They exist, in […]

Supplements

By melanieavalon / March 14, 2014

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Growing up, I always took a multivitamin, starting with the brightly colored, candy-esque Flintstones variety. We always ended up with a bottle full of orange vitamins at my house, given the pink > purple > orange hierarchy. These days, I’m not a big fan of pills. I believe our bodies are quite adept at assimilating nutrients in the […]

Intermittent Fasting

Social

By melanieavalon / March 12, 2014

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“You’re not eating?” I dread this question, inevitable on the many long days I spend on sets. I don’t dread it because I’m hungry or even want to eat (I don’t), but rather because I know I’ll have to “explain myself,” and convince interrogators of the following: 1. I do indeed eat. 2. I eat […]

Paleo

By melanieavalon / March 11, 2014

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What Is Paleo? Let’s keep this brief, shall we? With Paleo, You basically eat what humans ate from an evolutionary perspective in the Paleolithic era, before we became an agriculture society, and before the advent of many modern diseases (diabetes, autoimmune conditions, cancers, etc.) Paleo’s goal is to eliminate foods incompatible with your body, which […]

Intermittent Fasting

By melanieavalon / March 8, 2014

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In the 3 years I’ve been Intermittent Fasting, I’ve experienced a myriad of physiological benefits! Here are 10 to get you started! 1. No More Constant Hunger Back in my eat-3-meals-plus-snacks-in-between-days, I was kind of always hungry. I often suspected (tirade of constant pro-breakfast studies aside) that eating immediately upon waking wasn’t all that necessary. […]

Alcohol

Studies

Wine

By melanieavalon / March 7, 2014

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While a nice glass of red wine won’t build muscle or chip away at pre-existing fat stores, it may counteract the negative effects of a sedentary lifestyle, and prevent fat storage! In a 2011 study, scientists trying to find a way to counteract an astronaut’s lack of exercise, found that resveratrol, a polyphenol found in […]

Caffeine

Studies

Supplements

By melanieavalon / February 21, 2014

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I’d been contemplating this very random concept for QUITE awhile, and I just happened to come across the very study addressing it. Good moment. (Though I was actually looking for studies concerning alcohol’s effect on the sedentary individual. Next time!) Caffeine is known to increase energy expenditure (EE) and lipolysis (fat burning), but is that […]