Out and About STYLE Mag Issue 3 Vol. 2

2. STRETCH BEFORE SLEEPING.
Stretch and flex your body for a few minutes before you
sleep. Stretching increases blood flow to muscles and
joints, which reduces joint stiffness. People who suffer from
lower back pain may also benefit from stretching. Doing
this simple activity can help in relieving muscle tension and
preventing sleep-disrupting cramps, which in turn promotes
a better night’s rest. Remember to do only gentle stretches,
as doing a strenuous workout before bed can have the
opposite effect.
There are two stretching methods that you can practice:
the static stretch and the dynamic stretch. A static stretch
is done by stretching one muscle group at a time, while
a dynamic stretch is performed by using momentum to
slowly increase the range of motion of a joint or muscle. It is
recommended to perform static stretches before going to
bed, as the movements required to perform static stretches
are more gentle and less active.
To do a static stretch, flex a body part until you feel tension
and hold until your muscles are relaxed. To avoid straining,
make sure to actively breathe while stretching to make sure
that oxygen is adequately fueling your muscles.
3. EAT MORE LEAN MEAT, FAT-REDUCED POULTRY AND FISH.
When buying meat, choose lean meats, poultry without
the skin, as well as fish over fatty meat cuts and cured
meats. Animal fats that are found in usual cuts of meat
contain high levels of cholesterol which, when consumed
in unhealthy amounts, promotes high blood pressure
and other cardiovascular diseases. Thus, choosing
the leanest cuts of meats allows us to cut down on
cholesterol intake.
For lean beef, a cut is said to be ‘lean’ or ‘extra lean’
based on the total fat in each serving. In terms of fat
content, extra-lean beef is the healthiest you can ask
from your local butcher or meat shop. The leanest cut
is typically eye round roast and steak with 4 grams of
fat per serving and 1.4 grams of saturated fat. The next
leanest cuts include sirloin tip side steak, top round
roast and steak, bottom round roast and steak, and top
sirloin steak. Another easy rule to find lean beef is that
anything with “round,” “chuck” or “loin” in its name
is usually either extra lean or lean. Chicken prepared
without the fatty skin and fish cooked using oil-free
methods are also good dietary protein choices.
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