Thoughts: 8.31.08

I just finished working out and boy, was it tough. I hadn’t done a real workout since Wednesday, so I half expected as much. I feel good now, though. If I don’t workout in more than 3 days my mood goes south pretty fast. Depression runs in my family [not just your average blues... melancholic, suicidal nastiness...], so exercise, for me, is like taking preventative medicine – without the toxic chemicals. I’ve read studies that show that even small amounts of exercise on a daily basis are as, or more effective than a daily dose of a common anti-depressant like Prozac or Zoloft. It really is amazing what a difference exercise makes. My husband noticed my mood change yesterday. I was tired, bored, unmotivated… nothing excited me [where normally it takes very little to make me happy - I'm generally an optimistic person], and the worst part of it is, everything SEEMS difficult, which makes starting anything – exercise included – difficult. 

One, good workout is all it takes to reset my brain and all is right in the world again.  =)

To read this great article on the correlation between exercise and depression, click here: Exercise Keeps Your Psyche Fit on PsychologyMatters.org

Image Credit: Artwork by Christos Magganas via GoGreenDude.com

Kiwi Fruit

I just ate some kiwi with a little Greek yogurt [that I strained myself using regular yogurt, since I ran out of the Greek stuff], and drizzled a touch of honey over the top. So delicious! I knew kiwi was good for me, but I didn’t know how good until I just did some reading. Turns out kiwi are not only full of protective antioxidents, they’re full of phytonutrients that have been shown to protect DNA. They’re not sure how yet, but scientists believe it goes beyond their large amounts of common antioxidents like Vitamin C – a kiwi has 95% of your recommended daily value, more than an orange has [by weight]. Another interesting factoid about kiwi is that it’s antioxident power gets stronger as it ripens, so it’s worth waiting for them to naturally ripen at room temperature to reap the full benefits. They also get sweeter as they ripen so it’s also worth it from a flavor standpoint. 

Uses:

I like eating kiwi on their own, right out of their ’shell’ like a soft-boiled egg [slice off the top and enjoy with a grapefruit spoon], or I peel and slice them up to eat with yogurt or as part of a fruit salad. They add awesome color to any fruit salad with their pop of emerald green. I have a feeling they’d also lend themselves well to a fresh salsa – and since I have several kiwi on hand this week, I just may try that. 

For more information, check out this fantastic website where I go for quick info on different foods and their health benefits: WHFoods: Kiwi

Image credit: NutritionousFruit.com