FitSugar

Have You Lost Your Reusable Water Bottle?

FitSugar — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 04:30:00 -0700

I am on my fifth reusable water bottle. From leaving them at the gym and on the bus, I've managed to work my way through water bottles. I can't help but think I'm being counter productive here and they're not cheap either, Sigg and Klean Kanteen both start at around $20 a bottle. I'm curious, as we're all trying to keep hydrated while doing our part to stop using plastic water bottles and start using reusable water bottles, have you ever lost your reusable water bottle?

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Fit For April: FitSugar Must Haves

FitSugar — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 11:45:00 -0700

April is a sign of Spring, which means exercising outdoors, longer days, and the unavoidable approach of bikini season. Hopefully you're already motivated by the warmer weather, so check out a few items that'll help you celebrate April the fittest and healthiest you can.

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Gaining Weight? Blame It on Your Co-Workers

FitSugar — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 12:30:00 -0700

We spend a lot of time at work, and if you're anything like me, when other people are snacking, it's hard to resist the urge not to snack too. It seems like it's always someone's birthday, or someone's mother made homemade cookies, or someone ordered afternoon pizza.

Here are some tips to help you stay healthy and fight the urge to over-eat...

Eat a delicious and wholesome breakfast before you get to work. That way if someone is going for a Dunkin Donuts run, you won't be tempted to get something unhealthy.
You don't have to skip going out to lunch all the time. Denying yourself is no good. Instead designate 1 day out of the week for eating out. Try to find a place that serves nutritious soups, sandwiches, or salads. If you know a portion is huge, share it with a friend, or save the other half for tomorrow's lunch.
Pack your own lunch the other days. That way you know you'll like it and you'll know it's good for you. Plus it'll save you time if you're too busy to pick up lunch.
Try to take at least 20 minutes away from work to eat. Get outside, eat at a park, or go to your break room. We tend to eat too fast and overeat when we are mindlessly shoveling food in our mouth. So concentrate on just eating, so you can really enjoy your food slowly. It's a great time to catch up with a co-worker and give your mind a break too.

Want to hear the other tips? Then read more

Make sure your lunch has a lot of protein, whole grains, and veggies. These types of food will give you more sustained energy than say a high carb meal like an order of spaghetti or a bagel. A high carb meal will make you feel sleepy, and you'll hit a slump around mid-afternoon. Then you'll crave a sugary snack or a soda to pep you back up. Great lunch ideas could be: grilled chicken on a salad, black bean soup with a piece of whole grain bread, or vegetable quinoa.
Pack healthy snacks in your desk or work fridge for emergencies such as LARABAR, nuts, fruit, yogurt, fruit leather and carrots and hummus. That way when others are scarfing down Susi's homemade brownies, you can enjoy your own healthy snack and not feel left out of snacktime.
I'm not saying you should deny yourself any and all treats that come through your office door. If it's someone's birthday, enjoy a little piece of cake, but resist the urge to have 2nds and 3rds.
Stress at work can cause you to reach for a snack. So try to stop stress before it happens. Slow down and take some deep breaths, get organized, go for a walk, make a to-do list, or do some relaxing yoga poses.
Keep a bottle of water (preferably a reusable one from Nalgene or SIGG) on your desk and take sips often. It'll satiate your need to put something in your mouth, plus staying hydrated will keep you alert and healthy (it'll prevent an uncomfortable UTI).

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Get in Gear: Sleeve-Bot

FitSugar — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 11:45:00 -0700

When the weather is so wonderfully warm, like it is this time of year, I love to drink lots of cold water to stay hydrated and prevent myself from overheating.

When I know I'm going to be out for a while, walking, hiking, or on a boat, I always bring my reusable water bottle along. I love to drop ice cube sticks in the water to keep it extra cool, but in this heat, it tends to cool down really quickly.

I found something to solve my problem. The Sleeve-Bot is a neoprene bottle cozy that fits standard wide-mouth water bottles, including ones made by Nalgene and SIGG.

The insulating properties of neoprene keep the contents of your bottle cold (or warm). Plus it absorbs all that annoying condensation that always drips on the outside of your bottle. It's easy to clean, lightweight, inexpensive (you can order it for $7.95), and such a great idea - definitely a must for warm weather.

Plastic Water Bottles: Really Bad for the Environment

FitSugar — Tue, 15 May 2007 11:00:00 -0700

You all know I am all about hydration. I even made a cool little water calculator so you can compute how much water you should be drinking! Now, if you drink a lot of bottled water, I am urging your to take a minute and weigh your convenience against the environmental impact of all that plastic.

Most folks drink their bottled water on the go and there is no convenient way to recycle the plastic bottles. In 2003, about 40 million bottles a day went into the trash, or even more unfortunately became litter. These billions of bottles take up valuable landfill space, leak toxic additives into the groundwater and take a whopping 1,000 years to biodegrade, if ever.

The high price of bottled water is not the water but, in actuality, the cost of the bottling, packaging, shipping, marketing, retailing and transporting it all over the globe. When calculating your carbon footprint, you might want to consider the carbon footprint of the bottled water you drink. Next time you pick up a bottle of Fiji Water, think about the distance the bottle and the water have traveled before it hits your lips.

It is true that tap water is more regulated than bottled water, so you should drink from the tap. Want to read about some alternatives to drinking plastic bottled water? then read more

Filter your tap water with a Brita Water Filter, especially if lead and mercury are your major concerns.
Pour your filtered tap water into a metal SIGG bottle. They are lightweight, durable and dishwasher safe. I love mine!!!
Buy Biota bottled water. The bottle is made from 100% corn (a renewable resources) and it decomposes in a commercial composting situation in 70 - 80 days. It will take longer to break down in a home composting pile, but it breaks down!!!
If you do happen to buy a plastic bottle, just remember to recycle it!!!

Gear Review: Klean Kanteen Stainless Steel Water Bottle

FitSugar — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 12:00:00 -0700

I'm sure you've heard the bad news. Polycarbonate water bottles that contain the chemical Bisphenol A, like the ever popular ones made by Nalgene, are probably bad for you. Studies show that hard, clear plastics might possibly cause cancerous tumors, urinary tract problems, and early puberty. With news like that, you're probably in the market for a new, safer water bottle. Enter Klean Kanteen!

This Klean Kanteen water bottle ($16.95) is made of stainless steel (SIGG bottles are made of aluminum). It holds 27 ounces of water, is toxin free and can be cleaned in the dishwasher, which I love. The mouth of the bottle is wide enough to handle ice cubs, and the polypropylene screw cap is easy to grip and seals tight to prevent leakage. The bottle is skinny so I can slip it into my backpack easily or in the cage on my bike. If you are super outdoorsy, you can use a spare carabiner to attach the bottle to the outside of your backpack with the handy loop on the bottle lid.These are a little cheaper than SIGG bottles (a 20-oz. bottle is about $20), so if you're trying to save some dough, I'd definitely pick one of these up. You can buy one here.

Biggest Headline of 2008: Nalgene and BPA

FitSugar — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 09:03:15 -0800

For fitness fanatics and nature lovers, owning a Nalgene water bottle was as essential as a sports bra - a must-have to stay hydrated and reduce your plastic footprint. For years it seemed like there was a Nalgene bottle next to every machine at the gym. Then the scare hit.

The chemical known as bisphenol A (BPA) used to make these polycarbonate bottles was found to possibly cause cancer, UTIs, and early puberty in preliminary animal studies. Other research showed that exposure to BPA was also linked to diabetes and heart disease. Women were worried because it was suspected to affect fertility and the development of babies.

Many people stopped using their Nalgenes immediately, replacing them with stainless steel (Klean Kanteen), aluminum (Sigg), or BPA-free water bottles. Folks who felt bad about adding to landfills found new uses for their bottles as lanterns.

So what did Nalgene do? To find out read more.

Even though Nalgene refuted that its products were harmful to humans, the company reacted quickly by designing a BPA-free water bottle. BPA is still found in some plastic baby bottles and the lining of cans, although many government agencies feel the risk is nothing to worry about. Many experts believe that the amount of BPA humans are exposed to is too small to cause any harm, and further evaluation is necessary.

I agree with Tufts professor and researcher Dr. Ana Soto, who says, "We cannot wait that long to discover whether this chemical is harming human reproduction and development." If there is even a slight chance BPA could negatively affect humans, why take the risk? Do you agree, or will you continue to use BPA products until scientists declare this chemical a definite risk?

Ho Ho Ho! Healthy Stocking Stuffers

FitSugar — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 10:00:13 -0800

Since the holidays are a time for giving, why not give something healthy to your friends and family? Seriously, health is the gift that keeps on giving. Here are 14 great ideas for stocking stuffers that encourage a healthy lifestyle.

A BPA-free water bottle from Sigg, Nalgene, or Klean Kanteen.
A collapsible travel hula hoop.
A year's subscription to Women's Health, Cooking Light, or other healthy magazine. Just slip the gift card in the stocking.
Larabars or other energy bars.

To check out my other stocking stuffer ideas, read more.

Wicking socks from Darn Tough for runners, hikers, skiers, and riders.
Gift cards to gear shops or health-food stores.
A handful of Emergen-C packets.
A lightweight merino wool or Capilene shirt for cold weather.
A session with a personal trainer, private chef, or dietitian.
Winter running gloves.
Homemade trail mix with cashews, almonds, dried blueberries, and dried mangoes.
Fitness DVDs or a copy of your favorite workout mix.
Resistance bands or Thera-bands.
A one-month pass to a gym or studio.

For more stocking stuffer ideas, check out all of our gift guides.

Gear Review: Intak BPA Free Water Bottle

FitSugar — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 14:30:00 -0800

While I'm a fan of reusable bottles made by Sigg, Klean Kanteen, and Nalgene, they all requite two hands to open them, which can be annoying at times. If you can relate, then check out the Intak BPA Free Hydration Bottle with Meter ($11) made by Thermos.

To see how it works read more.

Unlike other water bottles, this one has a pop top. You just lower the metal ring to unlock it, and press the gray triangular button. The clear top pops off but remains attached since it's on a hinge. You can't loosen it - yay! It reveals a small opening that makes it easy to sip out of without pouring water all over your face. Once the top is locked, it's leak proof. I love the slender body that's easy to grip, and it holds 24 ounces of water. There's even a little rotating meter so you can monitor how much water you've had. One of the best features is that the black top unscrews so it's easy to clean the inside of the bottle. It's also dishwasher safe. If you're interested, this Intak bottle comes in green, blue, red, and purple and you can buy one directly from Thermos.

More About Plastic Water Bottles

FitSugar — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 03:00:00 -0700

I don't know about you, but those warnings about the BPA in plastic water bottles possibly causing cancer and urinary tract problems really didn't sit well with me. So my old Nalgene is now a lantern, and I now use my Sigg or Klean Kanteen bottle instead. I'm really glad I've made the switch since a new study has linked BPA to even more health risks. This is just a preliminary study, but it shows that the BPA used in plastic water bottles, baby bottles, and the lining of some cans could possibly also cause heart disease and diabetes. This chemical has been used in these types of products for years, but recent studies with animals suggest that it can also affect hormones, fertility, and can cause developmental problems in the brain.

In this recent study, researchers examined results of a survey of 1,455 American adults who gave urine samples in 2003-04. Each person reported what health problems they were experiencing, if any. Of all the samples, 90 percent had detectable BPA in their urine. Those with the most BPA also suffered from heart disease and diabetes. Coincidence? It seems further testing needs to be conducted to see if there really is a connection between BPA use and health issues. I'm still not taking any chances though. What about you?

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