Healthy Hints

Tips and research you need to know…

Green RX

Are farmer’s markets the new pharmacy? New York City seems to think so. Gotham recently announced a new initiative called Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program, which allows doctors to prescribe “health bucks” instead of pills to overweight and obese patients. These vouchers can be redeemed for free fruits and veggies at over 140 farmer’s markets in the city. What do you think of this program? Use #HealthBucks and tweet @WomensRunning your thoughts!

No Place For Kids

Did you know that every 25 seconds a child or adolescent athlete suffers a sports injury severe enough to warrant an emergency-room visit? Keep kids safe by teaching preventive behaviors, including smart hydration habits, proper form and gradually building up intensity. The best way to teach, of course, is to do. Model these behaviors for your own kids when you lace up.

Fountain of Youth

There’s no anti-aging cream for your insides — but running seems to do the trick. Australian researchers have discovered that runners, on average, have a biological age almost two decades younger than their chronological age. The study found runners’ cells look like they belong to someone 16 years their junior!

Do Good, Feel Better!

A new study out of UCLA tells us that helping others can keep our own bodies healthy. Do-gooders experience less inflammation, increased antibody production and better overall health than those focused on self-gratification alone. For your next race, join a fundraising squad, like TeamEdith (edithsanford.org/teamedith), to fight breast cancer, or download the Charity Miles app (charitymiles.org), which donates 25 cents per mile logged to a cause of your choice.

Melon Magic

It may be winter, but hunting down a summer staple might help combat post-run pain. Study results published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry show that L-citrulline, an amino acid found in watermelons, can relieve post-exercise soreness. Though you can purchase L-citrulline supplements online, researchers state the natural juice of a watermelon is more bioavailable to the body and therefore more effective—not to mention, more delicious.