Exercise can help reduce brain damage caused by alcohol

According to new research carried out at the University of Colorado Boulder, regular aerobic exercise such as walking, running and cycling may help in reducing the damage alcohol can do to the brain's 'white matter' and even help prevent damage. The study, Alcoholism:-Clinical & Experimental Research, used, 60 moderate to heavy drinkers who all underwent a modified type of MRI scan to enable researchers to follow the position and path of water molecules travelling parallel to nerve fibres in the white matter as they travelled through the brain. "What our data suggests is that, beyond just giving people a different outlet for cravings and urges for alcohol, exercise might also help to repair the damage that may have been done to the brain," explained Angela Bryan, co-author of the study. "It might even be a more promising treatment approach for alcohol problems because it is both a behavioural treatment and a treatment that has the potential to make the brain more healthy." However she warns, "it is not our intention to suggest that a person can erase the physiological damage of heavy drinking by exercising.

How to get a flat and toned stomach

One of the main fitness goals for both men and women is to get a flat stomach. But unfortunately this goal is often never realised fully. To help us understand this we have to look at the reasons we store fat around the stomach. Belly fat is a result of too much processed food in the daily diet, inactivity & our body's hormonal response. For example, high levels of the hormone cortisol (which is elevated by stress, overtraining and lack of sleep) affects our response to insulin and encourages fat storage around the middle. So how can you get a rippling 6 pack safely & efficiently? It all begins with nutrition. First of all, if we look at the abdominal muscle group we will see that each of us has abs, and that it is the natural shape of the muscle which gives the appearance of a 'six pack', however in order to make these muscles prominent we must melt away the overlying subcanteous fat layer, & thicken the muscle. In order to do this you need to clean up your diet by reducing or eliminate processed foods, grains and wheat (it is thought 6-7% of the population are intolerant to gluten), as these can cause inflammation of the stomach & promote fat storage. Also drinking plenty of water to flush out any nasty toxins – another cause of fat storage. Processed foods can cause bloating, and too much salt in the diet can cause water retention which will affect the appearance of the midsection. Increase your protein levels by eating plenty of chicken, meat, fish, pulses, eggs and protein shakes. So what to eat? Try a nutritional shake for breakfast add some fruit for added vitamins and minerals and this contributes to your '5 a day'. For lunch chicken and salad and for dinner fish or meat with plenty of vegetables and a little bit of carbohydrates such as rice, pasta or potatoes. Have a couple of healthy snacks such as a protein bar or a piece of fruit to eat between meals in order to maintain a high metabolism and stop your body falling into 'starvation mode.' Although nutrition is about 80% of the battle you still need to exercise to achieve those results. What type of exercise is best? Exercising at a high intensity with compound movements, and bouts of high intensity cardio are a quick way to melt away excess fat. Be sure to get adequate rest & good quality sleep in order to reduce your cortisol levels. Try yoga or Pilates to help strengthen the core muscles and improve posture. Ideal ab exercises include woodchops, hanging leg raises, Russian twists, reverse curls, V-sits, medicine ball throws and plank. Once you clean up your diet and perform some of these exercises you will soon start to see a difference. Try writing a food diary to monitor progress - often people don't realise what they eat throughout the week until they see it written down on paper. Preparing food in advance is also a key way to stay on track. Try cooking extra when preparing a meal and freeze it for later this saves both time, money and stops you from grabbing something convenient yet unhealthy which will scupper your goals. Try following these tips and watch your abs emerge from that body fat.