FitSugar

Look Who's Getting Fit For 2009!

FitSugar — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 03:00:00 PDT

With the new year came many fitness and health resolutions. That's why we decided to give away an amazing package of prizes - double gym membership to Bally's, a $1,000 Nike gift card, and a personalized nutrition plan created by Alexa Fishback, author of the Daily Fix - to one lucky winner. Help me in congratulating the winning TeamSugar member, eswan512. She is well on her way to getting fit for 2009 with her slew of prizes. Have a blast at the gym!

Thanks to everyone who participated in the contest! Don't fret if you didn't win, because you can still get fit for 2009 and win a heart rate monitor to help motivate your fitness life. Enter to win a Polar FT40 by taking this short quiz after logging into TeamSugar. Stay tuned! Next week, we will be giving away a Polar FT60 heart rate monitor with GPS.

Enter Our Super Giveaway to Get Fit For 2009!

FitSugar — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 12:59:27 PST

I'm a big believer in starting fresh in the New Year, but those resolutions aren't always easy to keep. So to help you out, we're giving away a super-duper Get Fit For 2009 prize package worth more than $3,000. Seriously?! Yes, seriously.

One lucky winner will receive a year of personalized nutrition plans by nutritionist Alexa L. Fishback, plus a copy of her book; a $1,000 Nike gift card; and two annual memberships to Bally Total Fitness along with some great Bally's gear. To enter to win, just log in and take the quiz below by 11:59 p.m. PST on Sunday, Feb. 8. Your eligibility isn't based on getting the questions right, just on completing the quiz once you are logged in. See the complete rules here.

Question 1 of 10

T/F: It's proper gym etiquette to wipe down any equipment you used in your workout, especially if it was a particularly sweaty one.

Get Fit For 2009 Giveaway Ends Sunday

FitSugar — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 05:30:00 PST

Here at FitSugar we take New Year's resolutions seriously. Whether you call them goals or resolutions, we want you to succeed. We created a super-duper giveaway to help one lucky winner get fit and healthy in 2009. The prizes include all the tools you need to take care of yourself.

Here's the lowdown on the prizes:

A personalized nutrition plan by nutritionist Alexa Fishback: Alexa wrote the helpful book The Daily Fix, which is full of great tips for busy ladies. This month she shared her 12 healthy habits with us - just another way to help us all get on and stay on the healthy side of the street.
A $1,000 Nike gift card: Think of all the cool gear you could get on that shopping spree. If I won $1,000 from Nike I would pick up their new gym bag and some Zoom Sister One+ training shoes. One Sugar user said she would stock up on some Tempo track shorts, and that sounds like a good idea.
Two annual memberships to Bally Total Fitness: Working out is half the equation in living a healthy lifestyle. Bally understands that, and they also understand that you are more likely to work out if you don't have to sweat it out alone. That is why we are giving away two memberships. If you are ready to start that healthy living right now, here are 10 tips from a Bally Fitness Director to help you get fit for 2009.

The giveaway ends at 11:59 p.m. PST on Feb. 8. That is this Sunday. To enter just take this fun quiz once you are logged in. Just do it! And good luck.

5 Strange Ways Chocolate Keeps You Healthy

Prevention — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 04:02:26 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Prevention here on FitSugar!

This sweet treat may also boost brainpower, help you relax, and more!
By Mara Betsch, Prevention

Show your heart some love this Valentine’s Day by nibbling a few chocolates - and making them a regular treat throughout the year. A recent study found that those consuming the highest levels of chocolate had a 37 percent reduction in cardiovascular disease and a 29 percent reduction in stroke compared to those with lower chocolate intakes.

Though experts are quick to clarify that we should stick to moderate consumption of high-calorie chocolates, it’s hard to deny the cold, hard facts that chocolate can be a healthy addition to our diets.

Seven Surprising Ways to Sharpen Your Mind

Hundreds of studies have shown that dark chocolate is packed with antioxidants that promote heart health and may prevent many cardiovascular-related conditions, but we’ve dug up five more surprising health benefits. Read on for five new ways to justify your chocolate craving.

1. Chocolate May Help You With Math
Flavonols, compounds in chocolate with antioxidantlike properties, are thought to improve circulation, including blood flow to the brain. A 2009 study asked participants to count backward in groups of three from a number between 800 and 999. After drinking hot cocoa filled with flavonols, the participants were able to do calculations more quickly and accurately and were less likely to feel tired or mentally drained.

Learn a four more things chocolate can do for you after the break.

Naomi and Liev Focus on Fitness Together

Allie Merriam — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:20:40 PST

Naomi Watts and Liev Schreiber didn't let rain get in the way of their workout yesterday. The couple went for a jog in Sydney and kept on going despite the downpour. Naomi and Liev took their sons, Sasha and Samuel, Down Under for a family vacation with their Watts relatives. The family touched down about two weeks ago and have since fit in fun beach days and a celebration in honor of Australia Day. The getaway has also included some work for Naomi. She and costar Robin Wright started filming The Grandmothers Monday at Seal Rocks, four hours north of Sydney. The movie is under the direction of Anne Fontaine, who was behind 2009's Coco Before Chanel.

Nutrition Myths That Can Cause Weight Gain

Shape — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 04:04:23 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar.

Myth: Going Vegan Will Make You Lose Weight
"While various research shows that vegetarians and vegans, on average, consume fewer calories and less fat than omnivores (a 2009 Oxford study found that vegetarians weigh 3 to 20 percent less than their meat-eating counterparts, and a National Cancer Institute study found that subjects who consumed four ounces or more of red meat weekly were 30 percent more likely to die of any cause than those who ate less), these numbers may be misleading," says Rania Batayneh, MPH, a certified nutritionist and owner of Essential Nutrition for You.

Going vegan solely for weight loss can backfire, big time. If you aren’t vigilant with a vegan diet, it’s easy to lack in vital nutrients, vitamins, and proteins, which give you energy and help keep your metabolism stoked. Many first-time vegans may also find themselves reaching for more processed foods like vegan cookies, chips, or even ‘ice cream’ more often with such a restricted diet, and many end up packing on the pounds instead.

If you do decide to adopt a vegan diet, be sure to keep the ‘treats’ to a minimum and plan balanced meals (we love ‘Domestic Vegan’ Diva Jessica Olson’s tips for "going veg"). "Aim to get about 10 to 20 percent of your calories from protein (or about 1 gram per kilogram of body weight), replacing animal protein with healthy plant proteins, like those found in beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, and soy products," Batayneh says. "And, whether you are vegan or not, eating more green, leafy vegetables is great for your health and your waistline."

See which other diet habits may also being causing weight gain after the break!

Miranda, Drew, Blake and Elizabeth Go Glamorous For Tribute to Pedro Almodovar

Molly Goodson — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 06:51:27 PST

The Museum of Modern Art played host to a bevy of beautiful women at "A Tribute to Pedro Almodovar" Tuesday evening in NYC. Two of Pedro's good friends and cinematic muses, Penelope Cruz and Antonio Banderas, were honorary cochairs for the soiree and past honorees at the annual event have included Tim Burton in 2009 and Kathryn Bigelow in 2010. Blake Lively and Chloe Moretz were both in stunning Chanel concoctions and had Karl Lagerfeld himself accompanying them to the event. Miranda Kerr traded in her edgy mom leather pants and high tops for a form-fitting Peter Pilotto dress and Nicolas Kirkwood heels and Sarah Jessica Parker pulled off a sleeveless pea coat.

Elizabeth Olsen, who continues to get high praise and award season buzz for her role in Martha Marcy May Marlene, was ladylike in black while Emma Stone kept up her rigorous red carpet schedule. Emma and her man Andrew Garfield are starting to go public with their relationship, though he wasn't by her side for this arrivals line. In fact, most of the lovely ladies were on their own for the evening, though Drew Barrymore stuck close to her boyfriend Will Kopelman.

Check out lots more photos from the celebration of Pedro, including Anna Wintour, Olivia Wilde, Drew, Elizabeth, Emma, and more.

Australia's Leader Says Curtseying to Queen Is "Just Not Me"

Annie Scudder — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 10:45:47 PDT

Queen Elizabeth arrived in Australia yesterday, and it must have been a little awkward when she greeted the country's prime minister, Julia Gillard. The Aussie leader, who was born in Britain, is a self-confessed Republican, meaning she supports a republic for Australia, rather than a constitutional monarchy with the British monarch as its head of state, as is the case now. Since the meeting at an air-force base, Gillard has been forced to defend herself for breaking protocol, as she declined to curtsey for the queen and chose to forgo a hat.

When asked if curtseying to the country's symbolic leader was demeaning, Gillard said, "Some things are you, some things aren't." While Gillard also maintained that she's a great admirer of Queen Elizabeth, we shouldn't be surprised Australia's first female prime minister did things her own way. The redheaded 50-year-old doesn't fit the politician mold necessarily. She's been dating a hairstylist since 2006 and has frankly said that not having children has helped her succeed.

When it comes to breaching protocol, Gillard isn't alone anyway. Michelle Obama famously touched (gasp!) the queen in 2009, during a reception at Buckingham Palace. See more photos of the queen's Australian arrival now. She and her 90-year-old husband Prince Phillip sure get around!

Social Dieting: The Best Way to Slim

Self — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 04:09:48 PDT

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from Self here on FitSugar!

This just in! Mice who socialize with their "friends" in an active environment are slimmer and have flatter bellies than their lonely, lazy counterparts. So can humans learn a thing or two from sexy, skinny rodents?

To find out how being more "socially active" can help you shed pounds, we spoke to Tom Holland, owner of Tom Holland's Athletic Club in New Canaan, CT, and author of Beat the Gym: Personal Trainer Secrets Without the Personal Trainer Price Tag.

HealthySELF: The study from researcher Matthew During, a professor of neuroscience at Ohio State University Medical Center, found that mice given cages with running wheels, mazes, toys and unlimited high-fat food and water - along with 15 to 20 cagemates - saw some of their white fat cells, which store energy, take on characteristics of brown fat, which burns calories. They lost 50 percent more of their abdominal fat and gained 29 percent less weight than the control mice.

When mice were given just running wheels but no pals to play with, they didn't lose as much weight as the control mice, which seems to be very telling. Obviously, humans are not mice. But could this be evidence that being more social can help people lose weight?

Holland: It very well could be. Much of the exercise-based research begins with mice, and strong connections with humans have been found over the years. I believe a big component in all this may be the connection between social ties and depression. The less "connected" people are, the more prone to depression they become, which can lead to overeating and lack of exercise. A 2009 study by the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center showed that staying busy and having a sense of purpose helps people live longer.

Find out more about how being social helps you shed pounds after the break.

Best and Worst Summer Cocktails

Prevention — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 13:13:51 PDT

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Prevention here on FitSugar!

Which to drink, which to dodge, and how to lighten them!
By Diana Kelly, Prevention

Whether you'll be sipping daiquiris by the pool, gossiping over gimlets at brunch, or serving up a pitcher of something special at your outdoor party, cooling down with a cocktail is one of summer's great pleasures — and a surefire way to pack on the pounds!

We scoured the menus of national restaurant chains and researched popular drinks to find out how many calories are really in your favorite refreshers. Let's just say that mudslide might sink you in the deep end of the pool.

To the rescue: Christine Avanti, Los Angeles certified nutritionist and author of Skinny Chicks Don't Eat Salads (Rodale, 2009). Here she reveals calorie-trimming tips and swimsuit-friendly alternatives for top summer sippers. And remember, drink ingredients and portion sizes vary widely across locations so ask how it's made and then customize accordingly.

Alcohol Safety: Regular or Diet Soda in Cocktails?

Cheers to a slimmer summer!

Dodge it: Mudslide
Average calories: 500 to 850
This creamy frozen chocolate drink is a grown-up milkshake in disguise. It's probably the worst drink you could choose on the menu. It's usually made with Kahlúa® coffee liqueur, vodka, ice cream, chocolate syrup, and whipped cream.
Bartender, lighten it up!
Get rid of the ice cream, whipped cream, and the chocolate syrup or go very light on the syrup, says Avanti. Ask the bartender to use only 1 oz. of each liquor. If this is your once-a-year treat and you won't settle for a lighter version of it, at least tell the bartender to only whip up a half-portion of the drink or split it with a friend.

How Bad Are Your Health Vices?

Drink it: Cosmopolitan
Average calories: 220 to 300
This pink beauty gained popularity in the '90s as the signature drink of the Sex and the City foursome. It's usually made with Cointreau® or other orange-flavored liquor, vodka (sometimes flavored), simple syrup, cranberry juice and lime.
Bartender, lighten it up!
Ask for only 1 oz. of each serving of alcohol and skip the syrup. If you really want to trim calories but keep the orange flavor, Avanti suggests swapping the orange-flavored liquor for 1 Tbsp. of orange juice.

Learn how to lighten up your margarita when you read more.