FitSugar

More or Less: Calories in Fast Food

FitSugar — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 09:00:00 PST

Since many of you will be traveling over the holidays, fast food may be your only option while on the road. In order to give you a little insight before ordering, take this quiz to check your calorie-count smarts. I'll give you the name of a food and a calorie amount and you tell me if it contains more or less calories.

Question 1 of 5

Wendy's Gourmet Mushroom Swissburger: 1,022 calories

10 Tips to Save on Memorial Day Grocery Shopping

Emily Co — Sat, 26 May 2012 00:15:10 PDT

It's fun to host people for a barbecue, but it can also get quite pricey when everyone isn't chipping in. Consumer expert Andrea Woroch provides suggestions to cut your grocery bill when shopping for your Memorial Day meal:

Prepare most of your meal. Woroch says, "The general rule for prepared foods is that they are more expensive, and it's cheaper to buy the ingredients to prepare yourself." For example, prepared veggie platters and fruit salads "are never a good deal" and aren't exactly the freshest produce. However, prepared potato salad at a regular supermarket is less expensive and will save you time in the kitchen.

Get chicken from the butcher. Buy chicken breasts from the butcher counter instead of the prepared packets. They tend to be cheaper and are generally more fresh.

Consider boxed wine. Save money by skipping the bottled wine and going for the box. "Boxed wine is an affordable option for large parties, and the quality has greatly improved in recent years," she says.

Buy liquor at a superstore. If you're insistent on a specific bottle, then check out warehouse clubs like Costco. There are better deals on wine, liquor, and beer at a superstore, according to Woroch. While you're there, pick the store's generic version of vodka for an even cheaper deal.

Make your own salad dressing and marinade. Check out recipes online - here's a list of over 60 different marinades to make. "Most people will already have the basic ingredients like olive oil, some type of vinegar, and herbs at home," she says. "Other ingredients like lemon or lime, soy sauce, or honey won't cost much extra."

Read on for more.

See Angelina's Jewelry Collab With Robert Procop (aka the Man Behind Her Engagement Ring) Before It Hits the Road

Marisa Tom — Fri, 25 May 2012 08:40:52 PDT

The latest baubles from Angelina Jolie's Style of Jolie collection with jeweler Robert Procop (yes, the man behind her gorgeous engagement ring) are about to hit the road in two pop-up showcases in Monaco from July 15 to Aug. 15, before they launch at select boutiques in September. Since the collaboration debuted in late 2010, you could only get your hands on the baubles by private appointment. This time around, you'll find yourself face-to-face with one stunning emerald necklace, bold citrine tablet earrings, and maybe - if you time it right - even Jolie's engagement ring, which is expected to visit the showcase with Brad Pitt sometime this Summer. The bonus? These creations have a do-good twist. Like all of her Style of Jolie pieces to have debuted since the collaboration's launch, all proceeds from the line will benefit Angelina's charitable foundation, the Education Partnership For Children of Conflict. With decadent jewels on display, and for a great cause no less, we can only hope to see more from this very cool partnership.

Expert Shares 3 Ways to Make Your Inbox Less Overwhelming

Emily Co — Fri, 25 May 2012 03:05:36 PDT

It's good to get rid of all the clutter in your life - at home, at work, and even on your computer. Dealing with too many emails can make you overwhelmed and less productive, because weeding through a mess of messages can feel like a herculean task. Organization expert Peter Walsh shared some great tips for better managing your emails:

Archive all your emails: "Bite the bullet: archive-don't delete-archive all of those emails or all of those emails from more than a month ago, and start from scratch today." You can set up an automatic filtering system that will immediately shuttle your emails to the appropriate category. Most email systems have the option, and Walsh favors Hotmail for that function.

Keep your inbox clean: The organizing expert says he's "never had more than 10 or 15 emails in my inbox at any one time." He's able to answer every email he receives by having them automatically categorized.

Set aside time for email: Set up a schedule for your emails. Walsh avoids looking at emails the first hour of his morning and does whatever needs to get done "first up in the day." He then sets aside 90 minutes of uninterrupted time to handle email. "I don’t try to multitask; I think multitasking is a huge myth. Trying to do more than one thing at once, you end up doing nothing well," he says.

8 Myths About Sex Differences

The Good Men Project — Fri, 25 May 2012 02:00:49 PDT

We're happy to present this story from one of our favorite sites, The Good Men Project. Today, Agustín Fuentes points out that when it comes to men and women, what "everyone knows" isn’t what science shows.

Everyone knows that men and women are really different. We think differently and act differently because we are wired differently. I mean look at our brains and genitals: they are just plain different. Right?

Wrong.

What if many of the things we assume about the biology of difference are not so different at all? What if it is not our “wiring” but the ways in which our bodies and minds develop and play out in society that makes us seem so unalike? Could it be that men and women are more similar than we think?

I Dumped the Love of My Life and Now She Doesn’t Trust Me

Yes, women give birth and lactate and men do not. And yes, men are, on average, slightly larger than women and usually have greater upper body strength. There are these basic biological differences between the sexes and they are important . . . but why always focus on the differences and not the biological, and behavioral, similarities? Ahh, that would be because of gender.

Gender is a powerful reality; it is the perception and expectation of differences between males and females and it shapes both our bodies and our society. Gender differences are real and important, but they are not hard wired or even static. There is no biological or evolutionary mandate that only women really care for babies and show emotions, or that males are the best at economics and politics and prefer beers and skirt-chasing to domestic bliss. These are patterns of gender roles and expectations that shape the ways we look at our biology and behavior. They influence the way we expect the world to be. It is the strength of the societal myths about sex that fool us into thinking that men and women are so different by nature.

So let’s bust some of those myths.

Gender and sex are the same thing.

Sex and gender are interconnected, but not the same thing. Sex is a biological state that is measured via what chromosomes you have (XX or XY, usually) and aspects of your body and physiology. Gender includes the roles, expectations and perceptions that a given society has for the sexes. Most societies have two genders on a masculinity-femininity continuum. Some have more. We are born with a biological sex, but acquire gender. There is a ton of individual diversity within societies and sexes in regards to how sex and gender play out in behavior and personality.

There is an extensive body of data demonstrating this, but people interested only in specific differences between men and women choose to ignore it.

Male and female genitals are totally different.

Most people think that male and female genitals are about as different as can be: penis=male and vagina=female. But even this basic dichotomy is not quite correct: the genitals emerge from the same mass of embryonic tissue. For the first six weeks of life the tissue masses develop identically. At about 6-7 weeks, depending on whether the fetus has XX or XY chromosomes (usually), the tissues to start to differentiate. One part of the tissues begins to form the clitoris or penis and another forms the labia or scrotum. Another area begins to form into either the testes or the ovaries. This means that physiologically, male and female genitals are made of the same stuff and work in similar ways.

Male and female brains are different.

If there were really deep seated differences between male and female human behavior and biology they should show up in the brain. The genitals start in the same place and end up looking different, the brain does not. Our brains are pretty much the same. Male brains are a bit bigger than females’ (like their bodies) and females’ brains stop growing earlier than males (as with their bodies). However, whatever one may believe about other organs, in the case of healthy brains, size really does NOT matter one iota. There also might be a few differences in a small part of the brain called the straight gyrus (need more testing in this one). Other than these minor aspects there are no consistent and replicated reliable differences in male and female brains; it is a human brain . . . but how we use it is another matter.

Hormones make the difference.

Everyone thinks that males and females have different hormones . . . testosterone for men and estrogen for women. Nope, all the actual hormones in males and females are the same: there are no male-only or female-only hormones. Both men and women can get a flood of testosterone when they get into a fight or take part in an exhilarating sports match. Both men and women can get a flood of oxytocin and prolactin when they pick up a newborn baby. There can be differences in the levels, patterns, and impacts of some of these hormones in male and female bodies, but individual variation is often more important than the variation between the sexes.

Keep reading for the rest.

Inversion Issues: How to Remedy Common Shoulderstand Complaints

Jenny Sugar — Fri, 25 May 2012 00:14:27 PDT

You're loving your yoga class from Half Moon to Pigeon Pose, but as soon as you get to Shoulderstand, you're less than psyched. Although a basic - challenging, but basic - pose, Shoulderstand can put you at risk of strain and injury when done incorrectly. Turn this pose into your favorite by checking out these common complaints and ways to remedy them.

"I Can't Breathe"
If you're well endowed or carry extra weight in your belly, then gravity causes added pressure on the lungs and throat, making it tough to take in a deep breath. A supportive bra and fitted top can help, but if you still have trouble breathing, then changing how you do the pose will make a huge improvement. Instead of stacking your pelvis and feet directly over your shoulders, hinge at your hips slightly, pressing them away from your face so your feet extend slightly behind your head.

Still can't breathe? Try the Legs Up the Wall variation; rest your lower back on your mat or, to give your hips a little lift, rest your lower back on a folded-up blanket or flat bolster.

Continue reading to learn how to alleviate neck pain and feelings of imbalance while in Shoulderstand.

Model Liya Kebede Talks Minimal Makeup in Cannes

Allie Merriam — Thu, 24 May 2012 13:25:43 PDT

For model Liya Kebede, Cannes feels like magic. "It gets into you the minute you arrive here," she said this morning. "It's very glamorous, and I like that it's very international as well. You see all these different people from all over the world coming with their films, which is great." It's been a big year for Liya, who was named a L'Oréal Paris brand ambassador last June and is making forays into the film world. She's currently working on The Best Offer from Cinema Paradiso director Giuseppe Tornatore.

There's more to Liya than her stunning looks, though. She won a BellaSugar beauty award thanks to her philanthropic efforts. Her eponymous foundation is dedicated to improving maternal health, and she's created a clothing line, Lemlem, which helps support craftswomen in her native Ethiopia. Today, the supermodel talked about her various work endeavors and shared her best tips on beauty, the inside scoop on her own makeup routine, and more.

BellaSugar: It's pretty surreal here. Have you ever had an incredible Cannes moment?
Liya Kebede: I think you get it every time you get here. Last time, I ran into Woody Allen in the lobby. You can't believe it - it's just insane. There's so many of these great people and stars. At some point, you don't even react anymore. You get overstimulated. Every corner is some incredible person, or you go to a party and it's full of everybody. It's amazing. You just go, "I'm in Cannes!"

BellaSugar: And part of Cannes, is of course, getting made up and looking great, which you're quite familiar with, I'm sure. What's the best tip you've learned from the pros?
Liya Kebede: Less is more. If you're going do an eye thing, then don't do a lip thing. Try to find a balance about what you do. Also, nothing is necessarily specific - using a lip thing on your eye or cheeks is fine, and it works, and it's light. Play around! Nothing is so fixed.

For the rest of our chat with Liya, just read more

4 Time-Saving Tips For a Healthy Lifestyle

Leta Shy — Thu, 24 May 2012 13:18:40 PDT

Summers can be incredibly busy - between shuttling kids to and from activities to planning and going on vacation, all the activities that come along with the season can leave you pressed for time. Luckily, we've got a few suggestions for how to maintain a healthy lifestyle, even if you've only got minutes to spare.

Total-body in 20: Breaking up your workout in just 10- or 20-minute increments ensures that you'll break a sweat and burn calories without having to devote too much time out of your day. Even more efficient is making sure that your workouts target all areas of your body. For short workouts that you can do anywhere, check out our fast full-body workouts.

Home cooking: It's easier to cook healthily if you've already done the legwork. Shop for produce and other groceries at the beginning of the week so you can plan every night's dinners - check out one of our healthy dinner plans for the week here. You can also store individual servings of smoothies or sauces (using an ice-cube tray!) in your freezer to have at hand while whipping up a meal.

Read on for more time-saving tips!

Secret Job Search Tip That Will Give You a Leg Up on Your Competition

Emily Co — Wed, 23 May 2012 16:54:26 PDT

Doing research on a company is one of the first steps to tailoring your job application and prepping for an interview. One of the more common ways people learn about the company is by googling it and seeing what kind of articles pop up in their search. Another way is to read the company's "FAQ" or "About Us" section. But if you rely on those sources alone, you will be only scraping the surface of the company. You'll also be reading the same things other competing job candidates will be reading. To get a leg up on your competitors, check out these little known sources:

10-K filing. It's very possible that the company you are applying to is public (which means it's trading on the stock market), and all public companies have to file a 10-K filing. The Form 10-K is basically an annual report compiled by companies that summarizes the firm's performance and backs it up with data. You'll be able to see information on where the firm is going, what they're investing in, their competition, and where the majority of their revenue comes from. You'll be able to discern the firm's strengths and weaknesses, which will be helpful when you're figure out what value you can bring to the company. You can usually find the 10-K document in the investor's section of the corporate website or the SEC's website.
Annual report. The annual report is a different document from the 10-K and is pretty much a summary of the 10-K findings with less numbers and details and is in a format that is easier for laymen to understand. Reading the annual report and 10-K filing will help you have a better sense of what direction the company wants to take and its future goals. Having this knowledge will make it easier for you to better align your answers with the company's goals.
Press releases. The press releases can be found in the "Press" section of the corporate website and are official documents stating company announcements. It's helpful to read these documents because they are usually up to date and you'll have a good sense of what kind of image the company wants to present and what's important to the company.
Competitor's documents. When you're done reading up on your dream company, be sure to check out similar documents on its competitor's website. This will help you learn more about the industry and help you come up with new suggestions that your target company will be interested in exploring. Companies are always on top of what their competitors are doing, so your hiring manager will be impressed to know that you've done your research.

Savvy Links: Why Drinking Coffee Is Good For Your Health

Emily Co — Wed, 23 May 2012 14:08:23 PDT

Why drinking coffee is good for your health - Tecca
How to decide between using debit or credit - Credit Karma
Woman claims she was fired for being 'too hot' - HuffPost Women
6 excuses to skimp on retirement - Bankrate
Expenses you won't have in retirement - Free Money Finance
Say less in job applications to score more interviews - LearnVest
7 incredible sacrifices people have made for their careers - The Grindstone
What can you buy with $20 billion? - College Candy
Sock it to me: 15 uses for old socks - Wise Bread
What the worst employee in the world did to her boss - The Jane Dough

Source: Flickr User visualpanic