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Would You Consider Back Fat Surgery?

FitSugar — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 04:30:00 PDT

We all have those little areas on our bodies that we'd like to change. Some people turn to dieting, some people exercise, and others consider plastic surgery. If back fat is your enemy, there's a new surgery known as the bra-line back lift designed to get rid of those bumps and rolls of skin on your back, sort of like a face lift or tummy tuck. Go in with rolls and leave with smoother, even skin.

It's not so much designed for slightly overweight people who carry their fat on their backs; it's more for people who've lost an extreme amount of weight or who have saggy skin from aging or too much sun exposure. After the surgery, you're left with a scar that a bra or bathing suit would hide. The procedure will run you from $7,500 to $10,000, so a flat back doesn't come cheap. Tell me . . .

Source

5 Surprising Health Benefits of Being a Sports Fan

Prevention — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 04:19:15 PST

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

By Cristina Goyanes, Prevention

It’s no wonder your friends aren’t available to hang out on Sundays in the Fall and Winter - according to a 2005 Gallup Poll, 64 percent of Americans claim to be professional football fans, and as of 2010, women make up 44 percent of the NFL fan base.

Being a sports fan doesn’t mean you’re expected to know all the players and stats of your hometown teams and destined for a beer gut - it’s about coming together in the name of good times as part of a community.

“Bonding over sports - the highs and lows of the game - strengthens ties, helps us feel supported, and makes it easier for you to open up about personal things,” says Renee Clauselle, PsyD, who runs a private psychology practice in Long Island, NY.

Seventeen Unexpected Side Effects of Exercise

Rooting for the same team creates an immediate sense of family, says Daniel Wann, PhD, a Murray State University professor who has been studying the psychology of sports fans for over 20 years. “If you identify with a local team, you build an instant connection to others around you,” he says.

Beyond the bonding aspects, watching sports can motivate you to pump up your own workouts - and even burn a few extra calories when you jump, cheer, and clap during the highlights of the game. Find out more ways being a sports fan is a winning situation for your health.

Keep reading to learn how being a sports fan benefits your health.

Chicken Soup With Kale, Garlic, and Sweet Potatoes

OnSugar Blog — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 11:47:51 PDT

We love kale but had never thought to include it in a traditional Fall staple: chicken soup! That brilliant idea comes from Fresh Tart.

My mom is recovering from major surgery here at our home. She spent the first couple of weeks in a hospital and rehab facility, where the food was...truly awful. I brought her little farmer's market treats like sliced tomatoes and strawberries, to remind her that not all food comes from boxes and cans, but man, the overall effect of feeding healing people crap food is seriously depressing.

She is glad to be here now, noshing what appeals from my endless stream of cooking, and starting to cook for herself again too. She can't eat more than a few bites of anything at a time - and all she's truly hungry for is sweets, ha - but she made herself a killer BLT yesterday, thick with a perfect tomato and a pile of freshly picked lettuce, and managed to eat half of it.

Baby steps on the road to recovery.

She also managed a few bites of this soup, which really hit the spot on a cool, fall day. I love chicken soup for its endless versatility, and of course for its soothing, healing deliciousness. I studded this version with kale, sweet potatoes, garlic, and just a spot of bacon because my mom loves bacon.

More on the soup's healing properties - and a recipe! - after the break.

Grey's Anatomy Rundown, "I Will Survive"

Becky Kirsch — Fri, 13 May 2011 05:22:01 PDT

Grey's Anatomy isn't exactly jam-packed with excitement this week, but there's plenty of setup for the drama to come in next week's season finale. The race for chief resident is nearing a close, and a handful of contenders are left out in the cold. Meanwhile, a bunch of the doctors contemplate making moves out of Seattle Grace, and at least two are out the door unless there are some shakeups.

The race is pretty much down to Meredith and Alex at this point, prompting Alex to make a dirty move toward his friend that should have some pretty huge consequences. Ready to discuss it all? Just

Out of nowhere, Jackson decides that he wants to drop out of Webber's diabetes trial, so that he can focus on his surgeries. It's a head scratcher that leaves Owen yelling at the young surgeon that he's a quitter and making a huge mistake. When the truth comes out that Jackson doesn't want his famous name attached to the project, since it could risk Webber's chances for a Harper Avery award, Owen commends Jackson's decision - but it's clear he's no longer a contender for chief. Jackson assures Lexie that he's fine with this because he's still got her as a girlfriend . . .
Or does he? After a few blissful weeks with Jackson, Lexie's eyes begin to wander to Mark yet again. She can blame it on the baby Bjorn all she wants, but it's clear that seeing Mark as a father is making Lexie reconsider her decision to leave him. The two share a loaded moment where Mark admits that he has "almost" everything he's ever wanted. Lexie's googly eyes don't go unnoticed by Jackson, but he manages to laugh it off and put an arm around his girlfriend. I'm not so sure that Jackson should be as confident as he is, though he and Lexie have really grown on me as a couple. I smell a big decision coming on from Lexie: Who do you think she'll choose?
Teddy and Henry are now at the phase of their friendship where they go for jogs looking every bit like a real (beautiful) couple - but she's still in denial about her feelings. Henry decides to man up and get a job, so he can stop mooching off her insurance, though his hopes for a real relationship appear to be too late. When he goes to proposition her, Teddy tells him that she's decided to head to Germany with Andrew. Despite what she says, her eyes practically beg Henry to ask her to stay, and she doesn't do a great job of her hiding her disappointment when Henry asks for a divorce to mask his sadness. This is Grey's after all though, so I'm expecting a big Hollywood season finale kiss for these two next weeks.
To amp up her game for chief resident, Cristina employs a two-part scheme: first, she withholds sex from Owen as to not "cloud his judgment" in making the important decision. Then, she goes behind Teddy's back and essentially hijacks a patient who just so happens to have a tree growing on his lung. It elicits a debate between April and Cristina about following protocol and the importance of the rules, and in the end, April tattles on Cristina. Cristina wins her surgery but she loses the war: Owen explains to her that she's not cut out to be a chief resident and that she should focus on being an excellent surgeon instead. Of course, Cristina doesn't respond well to this news, but in a few hours she's already giving the same spiel about "doing what you're good at" to Karev - and shows Owen she's over it with a big fat smooch.
Karev's been balls to the wall in his campaign for chief, and it's clearly starting to take a toll on him. He contemplates heading to Africa if he doesn't get the position, saying that he'll have nothing left to stick around for. His selfishness rubs Lucy the wrong way, and after careful consideration, Alex announces that he wants to stay and be with her. Too little, too late though - Lucy's already landed a new gig ~~on the Charlie's Angels reboot~~, and surprise! She's taking the job in Africa Alex passed up. I sympathize with Karev, but he's basically getting a taste of his own medicine here, so it's hard to feel too bad for him.
Though Alex is still essentially ignoring Meredith, she's got bigger things on her mind - like motherhood. Last week, she and Derek were all sunshine and rainbows about adopting baby Zola, but Mere starts second-guessing herself as the dream gets closer to reality. Even after rehashing a few of her brushes with death (what about the near-drowning after the Ferry crash?), Meredith still manages to make a good impression during her adoption agency. Unfortunately, the promo for next week insinuates that this happy little family has some serious obstacles ahead.
A dejected Alex heads to Joe's, where he fights back tears and downs a shot after shot. Cristina's still on a warpath, and she starts digging into Alex to forget about chief resident, because Meredith is better suited to the position than he is. At this point, it really is down to Alex and Mere, and a drunken Alex gives himself a leg up on the competition: he tells Owen that Meredith switched the charts in the Alzheimer's trial. This is a scummy move even for Alex; not only has Meredith been one of his only true friends, but he doesn't even know if she definitely would have gotten the position. Though I knew the secret wouldn't stay under wraps for long, my jaw still dropped when he mouths off.

Will Alex automatically be chief resident now, or does April still have a chance? Were you surprised at Alex's announcement? Do you think Derek will leave Mere for good? And most importantly: Cristina is pregnant! Discuss.

Can Leggings Fight Cellulite?

Self — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 06:30:51 PDT

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

Dimples on your face? Adorable! On your thighs and butt? Well, not so much.

Cellulite is a genetic reality for almost 90 percent of women, which is why we're always intrigued and - we'll admit it - tempted by products such as these Turbocell Leggings. The manufacturer claims the compression technology will "micro-massage" away cellulite, reducing dimples by 20 percent and taking 2 inches off your thighs and butt.

The catch: You must wear the leggings eight hours a day, for eight weeks. And could they possibly work anyway? To find out if they're brilliant or bogus, we spoke to two leading cellulite experts.

The first thing to understand is what, exactly, cellulite is.

"If you imagine your skin . . . under that skin is a subcutaneous fatty layer and the next layer is the fascia, a shiny surface that overlies the muscle," says Barry M. Weintraub, MD, spokesman for the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. "From the back of the skin, going through the fat and attaching to the fascia layer are bands called fibrous bands. Those fibrous bands keep the skin sitting where it needs to be."

When you gain weight, the number of fat cells don't increase (you're born with a set number), rather the size of the cells increase so they can store more fat in the individual cell. This pushes everything up around the back of the band, which can cause a dimple.

So, could the leggings be a magic bullet?

Want to Look Young Forever? Here's What It Might Cost

Miriam Lacey — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 03:00:02 PDT

When it comes to the pursuit of beauty, women in the US put a disproportionate emphasis on looking young. It's far less expensive (and often more attractive) to simply age gracefully and take care of yourself. But just as a thought experiment, we wanted to see just how much you'd spend over a lifetime if you were to try and look 25 forever. We did the math, so to find out, just keep reading.

Physical Traits Give Clues About Your Health Risks

FitSugar — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 08:00:15 PDT

There are many things we can do to enhance our health and prevent illness. Exercising regularly, eating a healthy diet, not smoking, limiting your alcohol intake, and reducing your stress can add years to your life. Who knew that your appearance and physical characteristics such as finger length and your sense of smell could let you know what health risks you might be prone to? Check out the list below from Prevention magazine.

Finger length: For women, if your index finger is shorter than your ring finger, then it means you have double the risk of osteoarthritis of the knee. If yours is longer or even with your ring finger, you're in the clear, but if it's not, do exercises to strengthen your knees, such as squats and lunges. Arthritis and finger length are both related to low levels of estrogen, so that's why the two are connected.
Arm length: Extend your arms in T-position out to the sides and measure the distance form fingertip to fingertip. If the distance is less than 60 inches, you're at a higher risk for Alzheimer's. So do activities that stimulate your brain and your body. Take a painting class, learn to play a musical instrument, play chess, or take dance lessons.

There's more, so keep reading