FitSugar

Speak Up: Do You Fit the Physical Stereotype of Your Nationality?

FitSugar — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:00:27 -0700

In my yoga class last week, I asked one of my students if she was Italian, and she answered, "Yes, did you know because of my big butt?" I was stunned. I said, "No because of your last name. And first of all your booty is far from big, and second of all, I've never heard that Italians are known for their big bums."

I'm definitely not one to promote insensitive, big blanket statements about stereotypes, but some folks identify them and other just plain don't. I am wondering about you. Do you fit the bill when it comes to physical features commonly associated with your ethnic background or not?

What the Right Ear Hears

FitSugar — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 03:00:58 -0700

A new Italian study put a twist on the age-old advice about wanting something done right. In three separate tests, researchers found that when making a request, they had better results when the question was posed to the right ear.

In general, the left side of the brain processes requests better and researchers feel it must also process information that comes from the right ear. It seems the left side of the brain is more amenable to granting favors. As a health aficionado, I do find it ironic that the tests involved asking clubbers for cigarettes in dance halls with considerable background noise. The researchers offer a rather more mundane observation to support their findings: most people listen with their right ear when speaking on the telephone. Could it be the majority of folks are right handed? Bottom line: when you want something, make sure to pose your query in the person's right ear, and don't forget to say please.

5 Things: Your Skin

FitSugar — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 13:00:00 -0800

I don't think about my skin that much, except on sunny Summer days when I coat myself with sunscreen or when I get the occasional blemish on my chin. More than just a fleshy covering for our muscles, skin is an organ and without it, we would evaporate. Here are five facts you should know about the skin you're in.

Skin, not the liver, is the body's largest organ. Altogether, the skin of an average adult weighs between eight and nine pounds. Skin also grows faster than any other organ. In fact, we are constantly shedding skin cells, to the tune of 50,000 cells every minute.
The skin of an average-sized adult covers 21-square feet and contains over 11 miles of blood vessels. Skin is only 2 millimeters thick. So we are all truly thin skinned. Speaking of thin skin, the eyelids are the thinnest skin of the body and the soles of your feet are the thickest.
On a hot and humid day, your skin can produce up to three gallons of sweat in a 24-hour period. But not all of your body sweats. The nail bed, margins of the lips, tip of the penis, and eardrums do not sweat.

For a couple more cool facts about your skin, read more.

You skin houses at least five types of nerve receptors that respond to pain and to touch. These receptors help keep your brain in touch with the outside world.
Skin does more than just keep the insides of your body inside your body. It also secretes an antibacterial substances to prevent infection, making your skin the immune systems first line of defense. Skin also manufactures the ever important sun shine vitamin - vitamin D, which promotes the absorption of calcium to produce healthy bones.

Hey! Your epidermis is showing. Hope these facts help you appreciate the skin your in.

Source

Which Part of Your Body Do You Work the Most?

FitSugar — Wed, 14 May 2008 04:30:00 -0700

When working out, you might prefer to focus on toning a certain part of your body. Maybe you want to strengthen your upper body because you're in a wedding this Summer and want to look good in your strapless dress. Or maybe you want to tone your core because it's the only thing that prevents you from having lower back pain. Then again, you may be more into toning your lower body because you're trying to increase your speed for an upcoming race.

Whatever your reason, I want to know . . .

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How Much Are You Worth?

FitSugar — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 10:15:00 -0700

A while back, I posted about celebrity body parts being insured for lot of cash, like America Ferrera's smile being insured by Aquafresh for $10 million by Lloyds of London.

Well, I have found an interesting and somewhat related calculator. I must warn you it is a little morbid, but also a lot of fun. Mingle 2, an online dating service, has created a Cadaver Calculator. Why they created this calculator, I do not know, but it is quite entertaining.

Answer just 20 questions about your age, lifestyle, habits and health, and you will learn the market value of your cadaver. Values are primarily based on overall health and the level of interest your would be corpse holds to the medical research industry.

Morbid I know, but oh so fascinating. So if you have a few moments to kill (ahhh, what a funny pun!), you should check it out. However, I do not feel the monetary value placed on your corpse is indicative of your current health status.

Have fun and let me know what you think of your worth in the comments section below.

5 Things: That are Different Between a Male and Female

FitSugar — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 09:30:00 -0700

We all know men and women are completely different sexes, but did you know that our bodies function differently too? So here are five things from TheDigitalBeat.com you probably didn't know that make a woman's body different from a man's:

Women might actually be the stronger sex. A report called The Fragile Male, published in the British Medical Journal, concluded that men, by most measures, are more "vulnerable" than women. The author cited the higher pre-birth mortality rate of male fetuses, higher rates of developmental and behavioral disorders in boys, higher rates of several lethal diseases, and other factors.
Women have stronger immune systems than men, which may be the reason women live longer. Researchers at the Imperial College School of Medicine in London found that women in every age group had greater counts of T cells, the white blood cells that combat infections.
The male and female bodies process drugs differently. Women will typically clear drugs through their systems faster, particularly during the time around their periods when hormonal cycles are accelerated. In fact, up until around 20 years ago, drug companies did not appreciate this difference and left women out of clinical trials for new drugs.
Food typically takes longer to pass through a woman's digestive tract than a man's.
A woman's skin is more likely to become wrinkled than a man's.

Source

Weekend Reading: The Key Muscles of Hatha Yoga

FitSugar — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 03:30:00 -0800

I came across this amazing yoga book that got me really excited. It isn't filled with photos of beautifully buff and lean bodies that typify the genre. No, the illustrations are literally the muscles.

It's called The Key Muscles of Hatha Yoga, and you can order it online for $55. It seems kind of pricey, but once you see the illustrations, you'll find it's like no other yoga book.

You view the yoga poses objectively, so you won't compare yourself negatively comparing your body to the ones in the book.

The pictures show all the major bones and muscles of the body in yoga poses, which helps you visualize proper alignment and which muscles you're working. You'll learn about joints, tendons, ligaments, breath, and the chakras.

It makes yoga a little bit more literal, more scientific, more about the human body and less about your ego and your pride. It's a little reminder that deep down, we are all human.

This book reminds me of the Body Worlds Art Exhibit.

View 4 Photos ›

Acacia: Supports the Happy Healthy You

FitSugar — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 15:15:00 -0800

While searching for fitness DVDs online, I found Acacia - it's a wonderful source for beautiful and natural products that relax and rejuvenate.

They have distinctive creations for the body, spirit, and home - for inspiration, well-being, and for a more healthy and balanced life.

You can find unique clothing, footwear, beauty supplies, jewelry, and books. But really - they have an exceptional DVD collection that's pretty reasonably priced.

I found some great videos on Pilates, Yoga, Dance, and Prenatal fitness. Each video is around $20, which seems fairly reasonable, considering I usually see them for a lot more.

Fit's Tips: Want to give the gift of health and wellness? You can buy Acacia gift certificates online, so your friend can choose from a whole array of spiritual items that support a healthy and peaceful lifestyle. This might even make great Valentine's Day gift for your loved ones.

The Skinny On: Measuring Body Fat Percentage

FitSugar — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 05:50:09 -0700

If you're in the business of trying to lose weight, the best way to monitor your progress isn't by stepping on a scale. Since a basic bathroom scale measures your entire body weight, it doesn't take into consideration how much of you is made up of fat, and how much is made of healthy stuff like bones, muscle, blood, and organs. For a more accurate picture of your body composition, it's best to measure your body fat percentage, and here are the many ways it's calculated.

Home scales that measure body fat. They use the Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis method to measure body fat percentage. It sends a low level and harmless electrical current through your feet and uses the data to determine how much of you is fat. They are fairly accurate and easy to use, as long as you follow the directions. A scale like this will cost between $50 and $100.
DEXA (dual energy X-ray absorptiometry) scan. This test is normally used to measure bone density to check for osteoporosis, but it can also measure fat percentage. It uses two different low-dose X-rays to figure out bone mass and soft tissue mass. Even though it's super accurate and considered the "gold standard" for measuring body fat, it's also super pricey, about $100 or more.

To see the other methods, read more.

Skin fold calipers (pinch test). You can buy a set to do on your own, or have a professional take your measurements. It basically squeezes your skin folds and measures how thick you are. This test is low in cost but tends to be less accurate than the DEXA scan.
Hydrostatic weighing (underwater weighing). You sit on a scale in a tank of water, blow out all your air, and then are dunked completely underwater. The more fat you have, the more you'll float. This test is very accurate, but it can be scary for some people to submerge themselves underwater. It costs around $50.

Do you have a scale that measures body fat?

Speak Up: What's Your Trouble Area?

FitSugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:30:00 -0800

Carrie Underwood boldly shared in Us Weekly that her trouble area is her tummy. She said, "It may take me the rest of my life, but if I'm 80 and I have abs, I'll be happy."

Now it's your turn to share which part of your body you work the hardest to tone up, shrink down, and sculpt. Tell me, what's your trouble area?