FitSugar

Move It at Home: DVD - LEGWORK

FitSugar — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 08:30:00 -0800

Ever wonder how women in the entertainment industry (on Broadway, off Broadway and way off Broadway) are able to move so well in those high heels?

LEGWORK ($19.95) is a new DVD that teaches the daily routines and exercises of top Broadway dancers. What's more? The workout is specifically designed to be done by women in high heels. The Legwork workout was created and designed by high heel designers, top Broadway dancers and ballerinas with the advice from fitness experts and podiatrists. Sounds torturous? Kylin Brady's (the amazing Broadway dancer who helped create the DVD) killer legs are motivation enough.

And here's why, the DVD claims that:

You will increase sexiness, grace and confidence in heels, leg tone and strength, heal wearing endurance and stamina as well as core strength and control.
You will learn proper heel walking and control, perfect posture, poise and pose as well as everyday walking exercises and relief techniques.
You will decrease pain in feet, ankles, legs and lower back, your risk for injury as well as your daily heel wearing discomfort.

Buy the DVD on LEGWORK.com. One thing is for sure, this DVD will definitely make you feel like you're ready for A Chorus Line.

What You Need to Know About Lyme Disease

FitSugar — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 03:30:06 -0700

Oh no! Poor Parker Posey has been diagnosed with Lyme disease. Due to her illness, the 40-year-old star of Best in Show is dropping out of her planned off-Broadway play, This. We wish her the best for a speedy recovery.

Posey certainly isn't alone. Lyme disease affects about 20,000 people in the United States each year, versus 10,000 new cases annually in the early '90s. Transmitted by blacklegged ticks, called deer ticks, in the eastern US and western blacklegged ticks on the West Coast, Lyme disease is caused by the Borrelia burgdorferi bacterium. Not every tick transmits Lyme disease, just the ones that have fed on infected animals. Learn how to recognize the symptoms and prevent Lyme disease when you read more.

If you are bitten by a tick, you may not feel it. So keep an eye out for these symptoms if you've been outdoors:

A bull's eye-like skin rash, such as the one shown here. It may start as a small spot and expand into a purplish circle over a few days.
Fever
Fatigue
Joint aches

Most cases can be cured quickly with antibiotics, but some patients will later develop neurological complications, such as Bell's palsy. So be sure to protect yourself from ticks whenever you're outdoors by covering your skin with long sleeves and socks, and use plenty of bug spray. Don't forget to have a friend check you for ticks when you get home.

Have you ever had a tick or contracted Lyme disease?

Fitness Switchup: Dance Arerobics Instead of Yoga

FitSugar — Wed, 27 May 2009 13:00:00 -0700

I love me some yoga, but sometimes the Om just isn't enough. I need to move. I need loud music with a beat. If you're in a similar position and can't fathom sticking just to your sticky mat for another class, I suggest you switch it up and give a dace class a try, be it Broadway moves or Bollywood-inspired choreography.

Occasionally I need some hip-hop aerobics. I may not be a B-girl, but I find getting my heart rate up while getting into a good groove a great way to exercise. Yoga is great form of mind/body exercise, but only certain styles count as cardio. While yoga lengthens tight muscles and builds calm inner strength, I find dance aerobics, any kind, to be a great complement because they challenge the body to work in a new way: to move quickly but with control as well as relate to the music of the beat and your own breath. Most gyms that offer group classes have some kind of dance workout on their schedule.

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Healthy Dose Link Time

FitSugar — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 11:00:00 -0700

Five things for fitness fanatics - Vitamin G
Cuckoo for coconut flour - Mark's Daily Apple
Lick your sugar habit with these simple strategies - Shape
Play with you food; it's good for you - Fit Bottomed Girls
How burgers from around the US compare - Daily Spark
Caling all moms! Here's some stroller moves to work ya - Fresh Fitness Tips
Is Katie Holmes dancing for a workout or Broadway? - FitCeleb
Test your health commercial trivia - That's Fit

What's the Deal With Jeremy Piven's High Mercury Counts?

FitSugar — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 03:00:00 -0800

It's not every day that a celebrity has to give up a project because of dangerously high mercury levels, but Jeremy Piven had to leave his role in Speed-the-Plow, currently playing on Broadway, because he was too sick to continue working. The actor's physician, Dr. Carlon Colker, spoke about Jeremy's condition and stated that the mercury levels in his blood were nearly six times the limit and the highest he's ever seen.

According to Dr. Colker, Jeremy's symptoms began with "extreme fatigue and exhaustion" and progressed to "profound neuromuscular weakness, dizziness and nausea."

To learn what caused his high mercury counts and the scary, accompanying symptoms, read more.

Dr. Colker attributes Jeremy's sky-high mercury levels to his diet, namely, the habit of eating sushi twice a day for many years. Fish is a yummy source of lean protein, but we do need to be cautious about how much we're eating because of mercury content. Most of us are probably consuming safe amounts, although women who are pregnant and nursing moms should pay particular attention to the fish they're eating. If you're concerned about how much mercury is in your diet, check out my handy chart that breaks down the mercury in different types of fish.

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Reality Check: Felicity Huffman Eats Muffins

FitSugar — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 10:00:00 -0700

Her show, Desperate Housewives, may be full of melodrama, but Felicity Huffman is refreshingly down to earth. The 45-year-old star appears on the September cover of More magazine, looking fabulous and speaking frankly about her fitness habits and finding a healthy balance.

I particularly like what she had to say about finding a personal trainer with a realistic attitude:

"I've had a lot of trainers through the years, and they’re always like, 'Oh my god, you ate a muffin?' and 'What do you mean you weigh 125? You can’t shoot at that weight.' [Kirsten Holtgreen is] the first trainer who's said, 'You’re not eating enough.'"

To see what else Huffman had to say about maintaining a healthy weight and wearing Madonna's underwear, read more.

On struggling with weight: "I'd take a vacation, and if I was heavy, it was a bad vacation, and if I was light-or, you know, lighter-it was a good vacation."

On gaining acceptance: “For some reason, after giving birth-which is when you look like a bag of doorknobs-I actually looked at myself in the mirror and went, ‘I look beautiful!’ I don’t know why, but that sort of tipped it for me."

Another funny tidbit from the article: In 1988 Huffman took over Madonna's role in a David Mamet play on Broadway. She found the material girl's thong in her dressing room and decided to try it on: "I was like, 'This is Madonna’s underwear!' Of course, it didn’t fit me." She may not wear Madonna's size, but both stars are extremely fit and fabulous!

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Home Work: Step Up and Kick

FitSugar — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 09:30:00 -0800

Since it's chilly outside, instead of turning up the heat or making a cup of hot chocolate, give these a try. All you need is a chair and plenty of room so you can stand comfortably on the seat. Be sure to use a chair that has no wheels, and place it on a carpet or a mat to prevent it from slipping.

Stand next to a chair. Place your right foot in the center of the chair seat.
Then step up and raise your left knee up in front of your chest. Hold like this for a count of three, trying to keep your spine and right leg straight. Keep breathing and engage your abs to support your back. Then slowly step down. Repeat this for a total of 20 times.

Want to see how to make this move a little more challenging? Then read more

After lifting and holding your knee up, now stand up with your leg straight out. Hold like this for a count of three and then step back down. Repeat for a total of 20 times.
After that move, it's time to do some Broadway kicks. Instead of just holding your left leg up there, power kick it up as high as you can and then step back down. Kick 20 times. Now repeat the knee up holds, leg up holds, and Broadway kicks with the right leg.

Brooke Shields Shines on Fitness

FitSugar — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 08:45:00 -0700

Brooke Shields has been an icon of beauty since she started modeling. Along with beauty, today Brooke can also add actress, mother and role model to her list of credentials.

Fitness Magazine got the scoop from Brooke as she follows Daisy Fuentes as the latest Mind, Body and Spirit Superstar of 2007. Here are highlights from the interview:

On staying fit: “I try to do an hour of something everyday. It's almost impossible when I'm working, because I'm on the set for 14-16 hours…But on days when the baby has woken up four times during the night, putting my sneakers on is the last thing I want to do. I'd rather have four cups of coffee, and, after the caffeine wears off, take a nap with her! I used to have a very type-A lifestyle, but being a mom changed all that.”
On staying motivated to workout: It’s easier when I have an external motivation, like getting ready for Broadway. [She starred in Grease in 1995, Cabaret in 2001 and Chicago in 2005.] I had to go into those shows at the top of my game, physically, because the schedule was so rigorous. It’s like the Olympics-only it lasts six months!

There's more, including foods she avoids and her favorite toning up move, so read more

On foods she avoids: Carbs are the first thing to go if I want to lose weight. I never used to eat red meat, but now, if I crave it-which usually happens when I have my period-I go for it. I also love ice cream. I try not to deny myself, because if I do, it turns into this major internal battle. So I pop a couple of Dove Miniatures. I can satisfy myself without going overboard. I also try to drink tons of water. I can actually see how much healthier my skin and hair look when I do.
On toning up: “I don’t lift weights,” she says.“It’s easy for me to bulk up. I keep my muscles toned by doing yoga.” One super-effective pose, says Ish Moran, her former instructor at Maha Yoga in Brentwood, California, is the chattaranga pose, which works the triceps.

The October issue of Fitness Magazine just hit newsstands, so check it out to read the full inspiring article with Brooke.

View 3 Photos ›

Tips For Beating Bad Breath

FitSugar — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 02:30:00 -0700

Nothing is worse than having bad breath. Unless you're talking to someone who has bad breath, because that can be pretty bad too! Unfortunately you can not really do anything about someone else's bad breath, but you can do something about your own. MSNBC gives us these five food ideas to help combat bad breath:

Chew on this. Move over parsley, there are some new halitosis-fighting herbs in town. “Coriander, spearmint, tarragon, eucalyptus, rosemary and cardamom are all good for fighting bad breath,” says Dr. Christine Gerbstadt, who has lectured on oral health. You can chew on fresh herbs or make tonics by steeping them in hot water (as a tea). These herbs make an excellent digestive as well-doubling the benefits of ending a meal this way.

There's four more ideas, so read more

Get some active culture. No, not a Broadway play, but yogurt. A recent study found that a serving of yogurt each day reduces the level of odor-causing hydrogen sulfide in the mouth. Apparently it also cuts back on bacteria in the mouth-plaque and gum disease were reduced in the study’s yogurt eaters as well. Plus, the American Dietetic Association (ADA) recommends getting enough vitamin D from yogurt, cheese and milk if you’re worried about halitosis because this vitamin creates an inhospitable environment for bacteria growth. Be sure to get the kind of yogurt with active cultures-not overly processed or sugar-added varieties.
Crunchy types. Apples, carrots, celery-basically any fiber-rich fruit or vegetable is your friend when it comes to fighting halitosis. “Inside your mouth, plaque build-up causes odors,” explains Cynthia Sass, ADA spokeswoman and registered dietician. “Eating foods that increase saliva production keep the mouth moist-and rinsed out. Also, many carbs and proteins can get stuck in your teeth-even healthy foods like whole grain cereal or chicken breast.” So follow a meal with a Granny Smith (feel the saliva kick in at the mention of it?) to cleanse the mouth.
Masking techniques. Sugarless gum shouldn’t replace brushing your teeth after a meal, but in a pinch it can freshen breath (masking odors) and is another way to increase saliva production to rinse away plaque and bacteria. Mints can mask as well, but only briefly-and go for sugarless. Sugar creates plaque, and no one wants a mint that makes breath worse.
High C’s. Eating berries, citrus fruits, melons and other vitamin C-rich foods create an inhospitable environment for bacteria growth. A diet rich in vitamin C is also is important for preventing gum disease and gingivitis-both major causes of halitosis. Get your C in foods, not supplements, which can cause gastrointestinal upset in some, according to Sass, and exacerbate bad breath.

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