FitSugar

Your Sweet Tooth Could Hurt Your Heart

FitSugar — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 13:30:42 PDT

Put that lollipop, cupcake, or chocolate-covered whatever down! I have some bad news for those of you born with a major sweet tooth. Aside from the fact that eating too much sugar leads to bigger sized jeans and more trips to the dentist, here's another con to add to the list associated with eating sugar - an increased risk of heart disease. A recent study found that those who ate an average of 46 teaspoons of added sugar each day suffered from higher risk factors that cause heart disease such as higher triglycerides and lower levels of HDL (good) cholesterol.

With so many beverages and prepared foods containing added sugars, Americans are eating way more of the white stuff than they used to. According to the American Heart Association, eating too much is contributing to a plethora of health issues including obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. Women are urged to cut back and consume no more than 100 calories of added processed sugar each day, which is equal to six teaspoons (25 grams). Do you think you exceed this amount?

5 Symptoms You Shouldn't Ignore

FitSugar — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:50:35 PST

We don't always feel 100 percent all the time, and it's normal to feel a little nauseous, tired, or sniffly every once in a while. These are minor symptoms though, and usually go away on their own. But there are a few red flag signals our bodies flash to warn us of serious medical conditions, and they're symptoms you shouldn't pass off as nothing. WebMD spoke to the authors of Your Body's Red Light Warning Signals, and here are some symptoms that require a doctor's visit or emergency care.

Difficulty breathing. Tightness in the chest, wheezing, shallow breathing, or constantly coughing are all symptoms of asthma. If a person has these symptoms or full-on asthma attacks, and they're left untreated, the muscles used for breathing can get tired. That means the amount of oxygen getting into the lungs will decrease, while the levels of carbon dioxide increase. This has a drowsing effect on the brain, and the person may stop breathing, which could result in death.
Blood in your urine. When you go to the bathroom, you shouldn't see blood, and if you do, it could be a sign of kidney stones, bladder infections, or cancer of the kidney, urethra, or bladder. Even if you don't feel pain, call your doctor.

To see the other red flags keep reading

Another Reason to Stop After One Glass: Increased Stroke Risk

FitSugar — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 09:00:00 PST

'Tis the season for drinking. You're bound to enjoy champagne toasts with family, wining and dining with friends, and sipping back an eggnog at your office holiday party. One drink is fine, but a recent study shows that for women, consuming more than two alcoholic drinks a day can lead to heart problems. The condition is known as atrial fibrillation, and it's a type of rhythm disorder that causes a rapid heart rate. This can lead to difficulty breathing, fainting, fatigue, dizziness, and could even lead to a deadly stroke. Drinking more than two drinks a day increases a woman's risk for atrial fibrillation by 60 percent.

So enjoy the holidays with a mulled wine or hot toddy, but don't go overboard, for your heart's sake. And if that is not reason enough to stop after one glass, check out these five reasons to drink in serious moderation.

Source

Smoking Pot Linked to Heart Attack and Stroke Risk

FitSugar — Thu, 15 May 2008 03:30:00 PDT

We all know that smoking pot regularly just isn't good for our health. It can impair learning, affect memory retention and retrieval, and cause perceptual abnormalities (where you think you hear or see something that isn't there). The smoke from marijuana is also linked to lung cancer, and now research shows that chronic pot smoking can raise a person's risk of a heart attack or stroke. When blood protein levels were measured in heavy pot smokers, they were especially elevated - by 30 percent as compared to non pot smokers. These high levels of blood proteins increase the level of triglycerides. This is a type of fat found in the blood, that can contribute to hardening of the arteries and thickening of the artery walls, all of which raise a person's risk for stroke, heart attack, and heart disease.

As if that's not bad enough, smoking pot regularly could cause or worsen psychiatric problems such as anxiety and depression in teens. Now that I am a mom, I'm certainly cataloging all the reasons to just say "No."

Source

Biking By Muscle

FitSugar — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 08:45:00 PDT

Biking is a great way to work your legs without taking a toll on your knees. To work the separate muscle groups in your legs it pays to pedal with clips, or straps, that secure your foot to the pedal.

Emphasize the downstroke: If you push on the downstroke you will work your quads - the muscle in the front of the thigh. This is also considered the most efficient stroke.

Emphasize the upstroke: Pulling on the upstroke will work your hamstrings - the muscle in the back of the thigh. While this technique is not the most effective for endurance riding, it will help you with sprints.

Emphasize smooth: Peddling in circle - this method will work your calves nicely. You hear this style called out a lot by Spin instructors. You imagine drawing a smooth circle with your foot as you're pedaling. This keeps the weight of your foot consistent through the entire stroke.

Experiment with different pedaling techniques and take full advantage of your leg power. Try this on the stationary bike at the gym, or if you have pedal clips on your own bike try them out on the road.

High Blood Pressure: What Does it Mean?

FitSugar — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 04:00:03 PST

Every time you go to the doctor, they wrap a little inflatable cuff around your upper arm, pump air into it, and squeeze your poor little bicep until it just about explodes. They're measuring your blood pressure, but how does it work?

The air is pumped until your circulation is cut off (you know, that uncomfortable feeling). When they place a stethoscope under the cuff, they can't hear anything. Then as the air is slowly let out of the cuff, blood begins to flow again and they can hear your blood pulsing.

This is the point of greatest pressure (called Systolic), and is usually expressed as how high it forces a column of mercury to rise in a tube (that's why they look at that little dial). 120 mm is about normal.

Then, as more and more air is let out of the cuff, the pressure exerted by the cuff is so little that the sound of the blood pulsing against the artery walls subsides and there is silence again. This is the point of lowest pressure (called Diastolic). 80 mm is normal.

Normal blood pressure is 120/80 (systolic/diastolic) or less. When both numbers start to go way up, you've got high blood pressure.

If you want to know why high blood pressure is called the "silent killer," then

read more Nearly 1 in 3 adults has high blood pressure, and there are no symptoms, so about 1/3 of them don't even know it. If you have high blood pressure, you could be at risk for having a stroke, heart attack, heart failure, or kidney failure. Yikes. You may have high blood pressure because of your genetic make-up, stress or nerves (that's why they often take it again at the end of your appointment when you're more relaxed), obesity, diabetes, excessive alcohol use, or too much sodium in your diet. Fit's Tips: I hate to sound like a broken record, but exercising, losing extra weight, and eating healthy are great ways to get your blood pressure under control. If you've done all this and your blood pressure is still high, your doctor may prescribe medication to lower it.

Get Educated and Reduce Your Risk of Stroke

FitSugar — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 10:05:00 PST

Reuters is reporting that a recent Swedish study has found that the risk of stroke among women increases the less educated you are. The reason is not simply that education magically improves your health, but that by being educated, you make healthier decisions based on learned knowledge. This can mostly be attributed to the significant differences in health behaviors in well educated versus non-educated women such as smoking and alcohol consumption.

The risk of stroke was significantly related to years of education completed and the hazard ratio was 2-times higher for the least educated compared to the most educated women.

So maybe it's time to sign up for that 2nd (or 3rd) language class that you have always wanted to try.

Carolina Herrera Fall 2012

Chi Diem Chau — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:08:19 PST

Carolina Herrera delivered her quintessential elegance in brilliant red gowns, shimmering red-carpet-worthy dresses, and refined separates for her Fall collection. Pleasing both the celebrity clientele and polished working women, Herrera displayed her magnitude for the classics and modernity in one graceful swoop. Classic ballgowns were sharpened with angles and diaphanous silk dresses were swept with artistic brush-stroke prints, most of which were cinched in with Japanese obi-inspired belts. Meanwhile, for the working class, Herrera paired knee-length wool skirts with an array of sparkly, fur, and feathered sweaters, cropped jackets, and wrap coats doused in one of our favorite color combos: navy and black. More details from the collection below.

Trends: Black and navy color combos, full skirts.
Colors: Black, navy, red, gray, purple, mauve.
Key Piece: We can't wait to see one of the architectural ballgowns on the Oscars red carpet.
Accessories: Wrap obi belts, wedge pumps, long leather gloves.
Who Would Wear It: Michelle Obama would look amazing in the skirt suits, and we'd like to see front-row attendee Renée Zellweger in one of Carolina's magical ballgowns.

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.

OnSugar Album Review: The Strokes's Angles

OnSugar Blog — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 10:14:52 PDT

The following post is an excerpt from davidwolfson of OnSugar blog Scene Be Seen.

Opener "Machu Picchu" starts strong, with Casablancas singing startlingly high and the guitarists laying down reggae-influenced lines during the verses; keep in mind that it was penned by Valensi. Next up is "Under Cover of Darkness," the album's first single. Upon its release, it was seen as a return to form by some and was criticized by others for retreading ground that they had already covered with their first album. It certainly strikes similarities with the style of Is This It, which makes sense given the fact that it was written by the entire band as a whole. It's chock-full of catchy guitar riffs and has a huge chorus, although they decide to change the tempo a bit with a slower Valensi solo. It's the point on the album when The Strokes sound most like The Strokes, and I consider it a highlight.

Third on the album is "Two Kinds of Happiness," which features a chorus far more intense than the verses, and some freaked-out sounding guitar parts. After that, we hear the B-side "You're So Right," penned by bassist Nikolai Fraiture. It is the most experimental moment on the album, and certainly steps further in the direction that First Impressions of Earth hinted at, with very futuristic-sounding electronic parts. Fifth on the album is the Valensi-penned "Taken For A Fool," which was performed on David Letterman a few days after its release. It is a definite highlight on the album, garnering praise even from the most negative reviews of the album. It has a sort of LA showtime vibe to it, and features funky verses that retain the signature Strokes sound while experimenting. The LA part makes sense because Valensi spent a lot of time there while the band were on hiatus, and being the only member who did not start a side project, it seems that he saved some good ideas for The Strokes, such as this. It works perfectly.

To read the rest of the review, check out the rest of the post. Want to see your OnSugar posts featured on BuzzSugar? Start your own OnSugar blog and write about your favorite entertainment topic!