How to Stay Happy and Healthy This Flu Seas

Fever, headache, fatigue, running nose, sore throat…I am pretty sure those are the last things you would like to experience during the Holiday season when everybody is in party and celebration mode, right? However, while everyone is busy preparing for the most anticipated days of the year, flu viruses are also in the holiday hustle and bustle spirit, since winter is their most active, and favorite season to hang out. You may be wondering, is there any way to cure your flu and to protect yourself against the stubborn viruses? Your friends at Phix have put together a few tips that can help keep you healthy and happy this Holiday season. It could be possible that some small details that you regularly overlook in your daily life are mounting up to become the culprits of an upcoming flu virus!

More fresh vegetables and fruits instead of supplements

If you think that taking several tablets of dietary supplements are enough to ward off the flu, then you are so wrong. Eating a fresh and juicy orange is much better than drinking the instant Vitamin C powder because what you get is the whole package of the nutrition: magnesium, potassium, folate, vitamin B6, and antioxidant-rich flavonoids. According to scientific research, the reason that fruits and vegetables do a better job of keeping your immune system ready is because they also contain vitamins A and E, as well as the flavonoids that work along with vitamin C to keep your immune system and your whole body healthy.

                                             

Hot baths to kill the viruses

Water vapor and hot baths are the most common home cures for fighting those pesky winter viruses. Either standing in the bathroom with hot water running all over your body or inhaling the vapors over a pot of boiling water can help facilitate decongestion and kill the stubborn virus in the nasal cavities through the high-tempered steam.

Lots of rest

I know it’s hard, especially during holidays, but you have to get a lot of rest if you are already sick or feel yourself coming down with something.

 Many people take it for granted that they can overcome their cold without rest, but actually rest is the most important factor that can help cure winter sicknesses. You need to get some good rest in order for your body to resist the flu virus better, faster and more efficiently. If you have a fever, you should absolutely stay at home, turn off your cell, disconnect your Facebook and Twitter and tuck yourself into bed for the whole day. Plus, avoid exercise and all sorts of physical activity, for 3-4 days in order to give your body and immune system enough energy to fight off the virus.

Hot liquids

Although right now there is still not sufficient scientific research that proves that hot liquids can cure colds, according to Ronald Turner, a cold researcher at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, “Heated drinks have a more intense taste which stimulates the flow of saliva and mucus, lubricate the nose and throat and also may help clear bacteria and viruses.”

Think about it! How does it feel having a bowl of warm and tasty chicken soup when you’re feeling sick and gloomy? Soothed and relieved? Yes, many people consider “grandma’s medicine” the best cure for the cold. The advantage of such a traditional cure comes from the broth, which keeps the body hydrated. Research shows that chicken soup is the most effective, among all soups, due to its high protein content--a substance necessary for our body to build antibodies to fight viruses. Hot soup can also reduce the swelling of the nasal cavities and help fight the sickness and speed up the recovery process.

Phix, your all-natural healthy energy drink can also be your pain reliever. Phix is full of green tea antioxidants, as well as Vitamins C and A, which are all necessary nutrients that can boost the immune system and protect your body against viruses. Mix any of your favorite Phix powders with 12 OZ hot water, and let the steam and fruity taste get you out of the winter blues, and feeling happy and healthy!

Last but not least, try to be in a good mood and maintain a positive attitude because all the warm, cozy thoughts associated with that hot Phix or chicken soup may actually activate a healing response in the bodyJ

In Good Health,

Your friends at Phix

Warm Up, Don’t Burn Out!

Its 3 P.M., and you left your trail mix and dried fruit at home. You never forget your snacks. Ever. Today, you are secretly excited that you get to mix it up a little bit and indulge in something out of the daunting vending machine.  You anxiously walk over to the vending machine and stare down the options, knowing you only have one chance to make this huge, ever-so-important decision. B5— NO, WAIT, B7. Uhh…Your finger nervously goes back and forth between the two. Finally, not knowing if you made the right decision, you press B7 and… wait, what just happened?! The coil kept spinning and TWO of your favorite delicious treats fell right into your eagerly awaiting hands. This is the only analogy I could think of to match the pure ecstasy and satisfaction gained from leaving the gym after an amazing workout, where the weights feel as light as feathers, and the treadmill seems to be getting tired trying to keep up with you. Your spirits are soaring, your confidence is high, and nothing can bring you down. The next day, you feel no soreness at all, so you go back into the gym feeling on top of the world ready to mimic yesterday’s performance. 20 minutes into your workout and something’s not right. Your arms feel like rubber, your legs feel like Jello, and you’re wheezing like a lifetime smoker even though you’ve never before touched a cigarette. This time, you pressed B7 and the coil never spun at all. There are a few reasons this could have happened, we’re going to give you some tips to help you in the gym, preventing burn-out and bad workouts.

 

 Remember when you played little league and you had to stretch and run laps before every game or practice? If you were like me, then you hated that. It’s no coincidence that high school, college, and professional athletes also do this! You should be warming up every single time before any workout you choose to do; be it weights, running, boxing, sports, etc. There are so many benefits to warming up before a workout, it not only increases your recovery and performance for your next session, but it actually directly positively impacts your workout that day! Warming up increases your heart rate and dilates your capillaries, which allows oxygen in the blood to travel faster and at a higher volume, and also enables joints to move more efficiently and with greater flexibility. As the name implies, it also increases the temperature in the muscles, (or warms them up, get it?) which allows increased flexibility, extensibility, and elasticity of muscle fibers, along with increased force and speed of contraction. Also, warming up serves as your best “pre workout” as it releases adrenaline, and increases muscle metabolism. This will supply you with energy through the breakdown of glycogen. On top of this, it also removes lactic acid! Who knew warming up could be so vital to a workout and recovery?

Even the most experienced athletes make some of the same mistakes that people first stepping foot in the gym make. The first mistake ties right into the warm-up. Always do warm-ups relevant to the type of exercise you are going to be doing! If you plan on going for a run, don’t warm up with a light set of bench press, and vice versa. Also, we know that usually more reps of lighter weight gets you “toned” and low reps of higher weight get you “bigger” but don’t only lift heavy weights, or light weights! You need to mix it up, or else your workout will become predictable to your body, and your results may “plateau” or hit a wall. This same concept applies to performing the same workouts over and over. You should be changing your workout plan every month to month and a half, in order to prevent  hitting a plateau. Just because you find a workout that you like, and seems to be working, doesn’t necessarily mean it will continue to work if you don’t change it up!

There are many ways to get burnt out, both physically and mentally—take heed to a couple of these easy tips to not only make your exercise more enjoyable, but to also get more out of your sessions! Also, we know that your energy and intensity levels are high when you’re in the gym, and you want to do as much as you can while you’re there. Sometimes, you don’t realize you’re tired because your adrenaline is pumping-- until you hit a wall and can barely lift your arms. To prevent this, always take time to rest up between sets. It is important to not take too much time, but not rush right into your next set, lap, or exercise either. If you time yourself between sets, take about 1-2 minutes (depending on the intensity and weight/reps ratio you are doing) and then get back at it!

          Even if you follow all of these tips, there are still certain things that are hard to prevent. Burning yourself out, both physically and mentally, is one extremely easy way to not only ruin your workout for the day, but ruin your exercise habits as a whole. The first mistake most new-comers to the gym make is that they are too gung-ho about their new workout routine so they do not pace themselves properly. Do not go to the gym every day, because when you are building muscle, the REST days are when the muscle repairs itself! Everybody is different, and it depends what kind of exercise you are doing, but as a general safe-bet rule, don’t work out more than 4 days of the week, giving yourself at least 3 days to repair the muscle.  Along the same lines, do not overwork yourself in individual training sessions. Do not keep running until you can’t move your legs, or keep lifting weights until your body is too sore to get out of bed. This will not only deter you from going back to your workout plan the next day, but even if you do go, you may be too sore to get a get work out in.

It is also easy, believe it or not, to mentally burn yourself out. By failing to switch up your routine, not only can you plateau, but you can also just straight out get bored! If the motivation is not there, it is going to be very hard, if not impossible, to convince yourself to work out on a consistent basis. On the same note, if you have been working out for half a year straight, (of course with your regular days off), maybe it is time to take a week or two off. I know a lot of you may think you would not be able to get back into the habit, but more likely, if you continue to work out with no breaks, you will just lose interest in working out altogether as it will have become a mundane chore. Finally, keep the right attitude! Everyone is going to have bad days in the gym, it doesn’t mean you aren’t making progress or regressing—it happens to everyone. Regardless of how good, or bad your results are, stick to your workout plan and schedule. Do not increase your days, mileage, or weights, just because you are getting great results, but rather stick to your designed plan. At the same time, if you are gaining weight, or losing muscle (depending on your goals), and that is not what you want do NOT give up on your workout plan—give it a few weeks or a month before you decide if it is working or not. Remember, to put it in a language you may understand. Working out is a marathon, not a sprint. Hang in there!

See you at the finish line,

Your friends at Phix

Winter Wonderland

There seems to be a direct correlation between weather (temperature) and activeness. The nicer the weather is the more active people seem to be. However, when the weather gets cold, simple activities such as waking up for work suddenly become a chore; running out in the freezing cold to warm the car up, checking the weather report, bundling up before leaving, and whatever weird rituals we may have to stay dry and warm. We get home, drink something hot, grab a blanket, and head to the couch for some quality ‘comfort time’. Not a very pretty picture I just painted, now is it? Sadly this holds true for some, if not most of us. Fortunately, while the cold weather, and the early darkness is viewed as disgusting, gloomy, and even depressing by most, believe it or not, there are many that not only live for this time of year, but are the most active in the winter as well!

No, I’m not talking about Eskimos, Penguins, or Canadians (just kidding, of course). When you think of athletes, who do you think of? Mostly football, basketball, baseball, soccer, and tennis players right? That’s because while the majority of us are vegging on our couch drinking hot chocolate and hitting the bag of Cheese Doodles, these athletes are hitting the slopes, tearing up the ice, or even participating in team sports that many people are unaware even exists—such as curling, a team sport that is a similar equivalent to bocce ball on ice. If you think I’m lying, check it out yourself; believe it or not, this is a winter OLYMPIC sport!

With so many winter sports to choose from, being slothful due to inclement weather is not only a bad excuse, but is really a shame! With so many activities to choose from, pick one up, and we guarantee that you too, will be waiting for winter time. Of course, there is snowboarding and skiing. There are many different forms of each though; you can due cross country skiing which is long distance skiing on a flatter surface along a trail, or downhill skiing, which is just what it sounds like, skiing down slopes, hills, or even mountainsides for those more advanced. For professional skiers and snowboarders, wide arrays of activities are available, including ‘vert’ ramps, jumps, trick moves, and halfpipes! If you haven’t had a chance to check out the Winter X Games on ESPN, you’re in for a real treat. These are extreme athletes that do some things you never would have imagined possible on skis, snowboards, and even snowmobiles!

For a more family oriented fun time (that can also double as a workout), head over to a local ice rink and do some ice skating. Ice skating is like riding a bike, it may take a few minutes to get comfortable and gain your balance, but once you do, it’s something that you can take with you for the rest of your life. For those more advanced, there is figure skating, which you can either do alone, or with a partner. This is synchronized skate-dancing, and is a very, very elegant and beautiful activity. For the tougher people out there, along with the extreme thrill seekers, pick up some skates, grab a stick, and play some hockey! This is definitely not for everyone, but for those who enjoy a tough, physical sport, this may just be perfect for you. All you football players out there, if you think you are tough, try this one out!  

Whether you are looking for a new hobby, a fun activity to pass the ‘dead-time’ in the winter, a great new workout, or a way to get out of the house and break the glum slump the winter can cause sometimes, there are great activities for those of all ages! So get off your couch, but down the chips, and get out there and try something new and exciting that will also benefit you!

Stay cold this winter,

Your friends at Phix