Merritt Clubs Blog

There are many ways that individuals can go about losing weight. To maintain health, it is important to follow a program that will keep you motivated both physically and mentally.  Below are ten do's and don'ts of losing weight:

If you’re feeling a little fuzzy and forgetful, and not as sharp as in the summer months, you may want to blame it on the colder weather. According to a 2018 study from Columbia University, for many people, especially older adults, the cold weather can create a significant enough effect on the brain that they go from scoring in the normal range on a cognitive test to qualifying for a dementia diagnosis. Study authors found that when cognitive tests were given during the winter, participants functioned as if they were more than four years older as compared to performance during the summer.

St. Patrick's Day, one of the biggest eating and drinking holidays in the US, has come and gone. But that doesn't mean we should stop the green eating! Instead, try some of our registered dietitian Charlotte Martin's favorite healthy green recipes below, which can be enjoyed year round.

Also, checkout this clip to watch Charlotte share these recipes on Baltimore's WJZ.

It's hard to believe that with the unpredictability of March’s weather, springtime is right around the corner. Regardless of what Punxsutawney Phil said a short month ago, spring officially begins on March 20^th.  In addition to the changing of the seasons, March is also National Nutrition Month. Started by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in 1980, National Nutrition Month is “an annual nutrition education and information campaign focusing on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits,” which comes at the perfect time considering that winter is notorious for poor eating habits. During the cold and dark months, we typically hibernate to our couches and are warmed by hearty comfort foods and Netflix binge-fests to escape the harsh winter weather.

I remember the day exactly. It was St. Patrick’s Day 2010 and I was out with a group of friends. We had been drinking and enjoying ourselves. I started to notice when I would look down at the ground my legs would go numb.
Strange? Yes. Concerning? Not yet.

Happy Valentine’s Day! Many people think of February as the month of love, but it is also American Heart Month. Although heart disease may often be thought of as a problem for men, it is the most common cause of death for both men and women in the United States. Study data suggests that on a day-to-day basis, more women worry about getting breast cancer, even though heart disease kills six times as many women each year. Women are also less likely to call 911 when experiencing heart attack symptoms. Why? It simply doesn’t occur to them to do so. More disturbing facts:

There are many reasons to hire a Personal Trainer. You might want to lose weight or put on some muscle. It could be your first time setting foot in a gym or you need to shake up your years-old routine. Everyone can use a little help sometimes. Here are 3 reasons why you should get a trainer:

So, what exactly is stress, and why does it make us feel angry, disconnected, and sad? Stress can creep into our daily lives if we feel misunderstood by others and ourselves. If you made a New Year's resolution to lose weight – and statistically 45% of us do – perhaps going from 0 exercise to an ambitious goal of 5x/week at 5am, then first, good for you, and second, there’s only about an 8% chance of achievement. Rewrite that goal, dig in to understand ourselves, and alleviate some of that unwanted, unpleasant, soul-sucking stress.