Quite simply put, plantar fasciitis is an enemy of fitness. Once this problem truly starts, you need to stay away from high impact activities and that can be a serious bummer.

It is an over use injury affecting the fascia, a type of connective tissue, on the bottom of your foot. Plantar fascia is a thick, fibrous band that runs from your heel bone to the base of your toes. When the fascia is placed under too much stress, it stretches too far and tears. This causes inflammation of the fascia as well as the tissues that surround it. The tears can become scarred as they heal, creating even less flexible tissue which makes the problem even worse. Runners are susceptible to this condition since running can create tight calves. If your calves get tight, as they can pull on the fascia, increasing the tension on the fascia, decreasing its flexibility and leading to tears. Yep, this is just one more important reason to stretch. Over training can lead to this condition too, and that is why rest days are vital, as well as gradually increasing the lengths and intensities of your runs.

The condition is more common in women, people who are overweight, and folks with wither flat feet or high arches. Over pronation, placing too much weight on the inside of the foot, can lead to plantar fasciitis when combined with worn out, unsupportive sneakers.

The major symptom of this condition is pain at the base of your heel, especially during your first few footsteps in the morning, or at the beginning of a run. Treatments include resting (this means not running for a while, which can be a real pain), ice massage (use a Cryocup), and stretching your calves! It is important to stretch the deep calf muscle called the soleus.

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My emotions went through the ringer once again during "The Biggest Loser" last night. The folks on the Red Team got to make a call home as the result of winning a challenge, which resulted in seeing grown men cry, which resulted in leaving me a blubbery mess. That is, however, not the point of this post.

Moving on.

The Red Team also had their very first victory at the weigh in and the Blue Team had their very first loss. The team decided to vote off Jerry [gasp], who was not only the oldest contestant in Biggest Loser history but also my favorite player. Bummer. iVillage interviewed Jerry after the show, so check out his parting words here. Oh, and while we're seeing what past contestants are up to, Sunny had lunch with Lezlye (last week's loser, er 'not' loser) - so check out Sunny's Shape Up Blog for the fun recap.

To see what I learned from The Biggest Loser this week, just read more

A New Jersey-based meat company is voluntarily recalling some of its hamburgers after many illnesses have been reported. The New York Health Depart says that at least 6 people in Albany have gotten sick and contaminated hamburgers were found in one of the victim's freezers. The culprit? E. coli.

These products carry the number ""Est. 9748" inside the USDA mark of inspection, and were produced June 22nd, July 12th or July 23rd.

The recalled products include:

• Certain 10-pound boxes of Butcher's Best 100-percent All Beef Patties
• Certain 10-pound boxes of Kohler Foods burgers
• Certain 10-pound boxes of Sand Castle Fine Meat
• Some two-pound boxes of Topps 100-percent Pure Ground Beef Hamburgers
• Some three-pound boxes of Topps 100-percent Pure Ground Beef Hamburgers

Go to the USDA website to see the complete list of recalled products. If you have questions, you can call the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) from 10am - 4pm. These products were distributed nationwide so check your freezers!

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Many people take up Yoga as a way to relax, reduce stress and bring a sense of inner calmness. For me, balancing poses are the most effective at reducing the stresses of life because they require all my attention and focus, that I am forced to forget about everything else. Staying in the pose and not falling requires all your effort and concentration. Once you release the pose, you feel an amazing wave of relief and contentment.

Here are some of my favorite balancing poses. Some of them solely challenge your sense of balance, and others also challenge your strength and flexibility. Just click on the name of the pose to learn how to get into them.

Sanskrit Name: Bakasana English Translation: Crane Pose Also Called: Crow
Sanskrit Name: (beginner's) Vasisthasana English Translation: Sage Pose Also Called: Side Plank

Want to see the others? Then read more

I’ve got some great news for you guys! (No, it’s not that they’ve finally found the magic bullet for weight loss, but it’s just as exciting.)

ShopStyle.com, a fabulous and fun online resource for finding that specific thing you’ve been scouring the Internet for, has gotten even sweeter. Yes that’s right, ShopStyle has joined our Sugar family and we couldn’t be more delighted!

Need a great new pair of running shoes that are not only supportive, but also match that cool wicking tank you’ve also been eyeballing? ShopStyle will help you find the perfect pair faster than it takes you to warm-up for your jog. Need new yoga pants for attaining the optimal downward dog? With ShopStyle you’ll easily find the cutest and most flexible pair. So welcome ShopStyle to our family by joining in on the fun – I can’t wait to see all your great finds!

Check out these two fun looks for working out that I threw together in just a few minutes. Now only if I could claim the same for when I get dressed in the morning!

I was in the airport recently and I stopped at one of those little stores to get some snacks for the trip. Among all the candy bars and gum, I saw thinkOrganic bars. When I looked at the ingredients, and saw dates and nuts, I had to give them a try.

As I was eating the Cashew Pecan bar, it reminded me a lot of LARABARS. While they taste pretty similar, the difference is that these thinkOrganic bars contain a few extra ingredients — pectin, and ascorbic acid — which I wasn't that psyched about.

I did like that the cashew and pecan pieces are a little bit bigger, but it made the date taste a little bit more prevalent. Eating these thinkOganic bars were just like taking a handful of nuts and a date and popping them in your mouth. The LARABARS, on the other hand, have a more unique flavor.

Want to see what they really look like? Then read more