News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 51 - 75 of 96
CBD is new to the scene, an alternative to painkillers for aches/pains, inflammation, and a host of other maladies. It is a compound found in the hemp plant, which is extracted as an oil and applied sublingually or through contact with the skin. It is researched and proclaimed to be a mild painkiller (to the effect of NSAIDs) and anti-inflammatory. Other claims are of neuroprotective benefits, and treatment for sleeplessness. Sales doubled over a year (2016-17) and CBD has netted sales of an estimate $200 million. CBD is... Full story
It is common advice: Weigh yourself once a week. Dieters are commonly told, "Just stick to the plan, and the weight will come off." Then they step on the scale, and nothing has changed. This frustration is blamed on slow metabolism, hormone dysfunction, or some other discrepancy in weight loss that doesn't correlate to reality. Read further to discover how, and why, the scale may be a helpful daily tracker to weight loss efforts. In a registry of people who have lost significant amounts of weight, those who kept the... Full story
Cardiovascular training is the process of continuously moving the body, elevating the heart rate, oxygen/carbon dioxide (CO2) exchange via increased breathing, and mobilizing stored muscle glycogen for fuel. It is the system in our bodies which allows for a consistent effort without fatiguing. Cardiovascular fitness is integral to health and to the full enjoyment of recreational activities. How does a person train this system? While the heart and lungs don't distinguish between different activities in how they work, the... Full story
It's rodeo week in Sisters Country and the town is buzzing with excitement as the annual event kicks off with a show of man against beast. Humanity possesses a certain curiosity about where its position in the animal kingdom stands. The sport of rodeo piques this curiosity as men and women will take on different events to show strength, agility, and grace in the arena. These individuals possess a special skill; they're terrific athletes. What does it take to be a rodeo star? Just like track and field, rodeo has a variety of... Full story
Dietary fat has a history of polarized paradigms. Whether it was the theory that saturated fats cause heart attacks, to the belief that fat reduces obesity and diabetes, the saga continues. In order to catch readers' eyes or to sell a book, people often extrapolate data and state an overarching assumption as fact, taking a simplistic and reductionist mindset to one end or another of the spectrum. Fat is either to be loved or hated, and there is no middle ground. Dietary fat is essential to the diet: either too much or too... Full story
Obesity has shown no signs of slowing, and people are suffering from many different repercussions of a growing waistline. Countries like Mexico and China, which now are exposed to American eats, are seeing a rise in obesity rates at a rapid rate. What is going to stop this? Should the government step in to protect its people? Clearly people cannot protect themselves in a sea of snacks, highly delicious fast foods, and sugary beverages. Everyone has an idea of what they ought to eat, however it's the application that's... Full story
11 thus far has seen one nasty winter storm. It's not the snow and ice; it's the cold and flu. This bug has proven to be rampant and persistent throughout the community. Unless you decide to quarantine yourself, the risk of catching this bug is high. There are, however, ways to stay healthy, and to beat the bug. First, an examination of how the flu is spread: The virus exists in our respiratory and nasal tracts waiting for it's moment. A sneeze, a cough, or heavy breathing then expels the virus free to find a new host. It... Full story
Fitness is tricky, even for the most ambitious and energetic. Often it is the first thing to go when life gets "busy." Fitness shouldn't be a chore, but a daily activity sought after for an escape from the wear and tear of everyday life. A daily workout can be an opportunity, not a punishment. People often approach creating this habit in a manner that is the opposite of a sustainable approach. Too much effort all at once leads to burnout and the "busy monster" eats all ambition to continue past March. Start with one thing.... Full story
With 2017 in the rearview, we can see that many lessons offered insight into health and fitness. Trends come and go but progression is constant. There are small lessons to be learned from even the most outrageous fads that shake up the industry and exit moments later. Individualized fitness: People are becoming more and more aware of their needs, wants, and makeup as an individual. Now you can track their activity, heart rate, sweat rate, and some simple biomarkers - all at home. What this means is that people are more aware... Full story
Christmas is in the rear-view mirror; soon it will be New Year's. It's time to partake in the American tradition of retrospection about the past year, and vows to improve in the coming year. We're swearing off the indulgent foods and lack of exercise once the new year begins. 2018 will be a milestone of personal health and fitness. If this sort of talk sounds familiar, it's because there are millions of others doing the same thing. New Year's resolutions are often dreamt during the blood-sugar spikes of the holiday eating... Full story
You know this person. Sick and tired of their physical condition, they take the opportunity of the new year as a fresh starting point. Full of determination they make their plan; they set their goal. Then the first roadblock, then the second, then the third comes and they're giving up hope and writing off 2018. If this sounds all too familiar, read on as the five most common sabotaging roadblocks and ways to overcome them are identified. 1. Same environment; same habits: For anyone looking to change, an understanding of how... Full story
Willpower won't save a diet or fitness program this holiday season Many understand that in order to succeed in health and fitness goals, diet needs to be in order, and they're going to need to exercise on a very frequent basis. This needs to be consistent over a period of months. It's a a hard journey, especially this time of year; tempting foods, familial obligations, and celebratory beverages spin a web of inescapable indulgence. Those of us seeking better health and fitness often rely on willpower. We hope to say no to... Full story
Thanksgiving is a holiday to reflect upon the good fortunes, experiences, and lessons throughout the year. Gratitude and respect is laid at the table with a spread of traditional foods. Nostalgia, memories, and the warmth of family create a cozy and comforting setting in which to enjoy some of fall's iconic bounty. This idealistic setting comes with the tradition of overeating, overstuffing, and indulging ourselves. The American Thanksgiving meal can contain over 2,500 calories - more than the entire day's allotment for most... Full story
This past weekend, America underwent its return to standard time, eschewing daylight saving for more light in the morning - and less light in the evenings. Many of us are going to work in the darkness and returning home without seeing the sun. Times are tough for those who enjoy activity in the light, who feel a jolt of energy from being in the sun. It's not only psychological; Vitamin D plays a big role in our health, and during the dark months in the Northern Hemisphere many are deficient. Vitamin D affects every organ... Full story
The mountains are beginning to see snowfall, season passes are on sale, and ski shops are getting stocked with the 2017/2018 latest and greatest. Central Oregon is ready for ski season. Are you? Skiing requires more than skill and gear; it requires fitness. The demands of skiing are harsh: repetitive bouncing on the knees, tests of your balance, stability, and resilience to twisting forces. There's plenty of opportunity for an injury. To prepare for ski season, keep the law of specificity in mind. The body adapts to the speci... Full story
Tai chi is a form of exercise transcending many generations as a martial art, meditation, and choreography of movement, which has many pronounced effects on the body. Now, thanks to a better understanding of neurological processes through exercise and movement, tai chi stands as an exercise modality that anyone can enjoy and gain exceptional results. While its origins are uncertain, it's speculated that tai chi has been practiced for at least 700 years. Originating in ancient China, modern tai chi follows a pattern of... Full story
Many exercisers can testify to the agony of muscle cramps. Muscles lock up in a painful contraction with persistent and unrelenting pain. These painful situations can seriously affect a workout or activity, and people are often willing to try anything and everything to intervene. Things as silly as pickle juice or concoctions of cinnamon are often home remedies. Cramping is often cited as a result of dehydration or electrolyte deficiency. Someone will rush to bananas (because they contain potassium) or even pedialyte (infant... Full story
While once fitness in younger years may have be focused on looking good, and performing well, as the seasons of life pass more emphasis is put on function, muscle health, and enjoying leisure activity. Without minding proper nutrition and strength baselines, these functions will decline at a surprising rate. The incidence of people who suffer from loss of function is astounding. Muscle wasting, a condition medically known as sarcopenia, is the loss of muscle mass as one ages. It is prevalent in 53 percent of men and 43... Full story
Sisters Country is not uncommon to a little atmospheric smoke and haze during the dry days of summer fire season when wildfires happen. Smoky morning haze from a faraway fire with a nighttime inversion and breeze bring light smog and a minor annoyance. This year, however, all residents of Sisters are on high alert as the Milli fire blew up due to a high-wind day which took the fire from a manageable size to thousands of acres in hours. Air quality plays a role in everyday life, but especially during exercise. As a person begi... Full story
Our nation, our society, our future is faced with a growing obesity challenge. Our nation needs to make some changes. These changes offer complex considerations. Many of these are insurmountable even with the most aggressive legislation, regulations, or promotion. One of the biggest predictors of health seems to be the health and wellness of the others a person surrounds themselves with. If friends and family follow healthy habits, those habits translate. If someone's friends belly up to the bar every Friday night, it's hard... Full story
Can the people you associate with the most subconsciously determine how you behave? Do you have a friend who is always encouraging and inspiring others to move and challenge themselves? Perhaps someone reading this belongs to a social networking site which helps promote healthy behavior? The company you keep or the social messages you're exposed to play a direct role in exercise habits, according to psychological studies. We are exposed to hundreds of influential social messages per day. Some quite obvious, like advertising,... Full story
Everyone knows that person who is always singing the sweet song of optimistic, encouraging, and happy thoughts. To an outsider, this person may seem blind to the struggles, strife, and sirens of the crumbling world around us. They may even be an annoyance when they cannot seem to care about how bad the weather is, or the results of the previous election cycle. These people cruise through life with a rose-colored shade. Are they on to something? Do people who see the bright in everything life a longer, healthier life? When... Full story
There will undoubtedly come a time when the casual endurance athlete comes to a hill, a rocky segment, unbearable weather, or a desperate moment when it feels as if it would be easier to crumple up and sob. There are several times when these situations have personally affected my training, racing and experience in cycling. Luckily, there are some key strategies one can deploy to improve these situations. First the principle of self-efficacy: the beliefs a person holds regarding his or her power to affect situations. It... Full story
Jacob Polachek has only been in Sisters for two years, but it didn't take long for Jacob to dive right into a new sport he's fallen in love with: Cycling. While many other teens are chasing the ball around a soccer field or cracking pads on the gridiron, Jacob is pedaling through the woods, enjoying the freedom and thrills that mountain biking provide. He enjoys being on trails, not confined to lines on a court. Two wheels rolling along a single-track set him free. Jacob... Full story
Tales of knee pain and the reasons why someone shouldn't exercise, is a dialogue that happens among all walks of people. Knee injury and pain constitutes a large proportion of orthopedic conditions. In fact the No. 3 orthopedic treatment is for knee meniscus pain. Knee pain is nagging, uncomfortable, and disheartening for those who can no longer do the things they enjoy. But the "can't do" attitude isn't helping correct your knee pain. Sudden onset intense knee pain can be attributed to a specific movement, fall, twist etc.... Full story
