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Strike a Yoga Pose: Cow Face

FitSugar — Mon, 11 May 2009 03:30:00 PDT

If you're looking for a relaxing pose that will stretch your shoulders, chest, hips, and ankles, it's time to try Cow Face. Named because your knees look like a cow's closed mouth and your elbows look like ears, this pose also strengthens your core to help improve your posture.

Sanskrit Name: Gomukhasana
English Translation: Cow Face Pose

To learn how to do this pose

Sit on your mat with both legs straight in front of you. Bend both knees and slide your left foot under your right thigh. Lift your bum off the floor, point through your left toes and sit down gently on your left heel. If it hurts to sit on your heel, then sit on the floor with your left heel beside your right hip.
Bring your right foot as close to your left hip as possible, so both knees are stacked. Whichever variation you're doing, the tops of your feet should be resting on the mat.
Bend your left elbow behind your back. Lift your right arm straight up above your head, then bend your right elbow and if you can, clasp your fingers together.
Gaze toward the ceiling and hold here for five deep breaths.
Take a vinyasa and then switch sides.

Strike a Yoga Pose: Cow Face

FitSugar — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 04:00:00 PDT

Sometimes it's nice to do a relaxing pose that stretches your muscles, but doesn't require a large amount of strength or energy. This pose called Cow Face is really calming, yet gives your hips and shoulders an awesome stretch.

The name is intriguing and you might be wondering why is it called Cow Face? Take a look at yourself in a mirror while doing this pose. Your crossed legs are the lips, and your bent elbows are the ears. See it now?

Sanskrit Name: Gomukhasana
English Translation: Cow Face Pose
Also Called: Cow Face

Want to see how to get into this pose? Then

Begin sitting on your mat with your legs out in front of you as if you were about to do a Seated Forward Bend. Now bend your left leg and sit on your heel. If this is uncomfortable, just place your left heel to the outside of your right hip.
Now bend your right knee and cross your thigh over your left thigh, bringing your right heel beside your left hip.

If you want to go further, reach your right arm straight up above your head. Then bend your left elbow, and sweep your left arm behind your back. Bend your right elbow and try to touch or clasp both hands together at the middle of your spine. If you can't reach your hands, hold opposite ends of a towel or strap.
Try to sit nice and tall, with your neck and spine straight. You can press your head back slightly against your right arm to open your shoulder even more.
Stay here for 5 or more breaths and then gently release. Shake out your arms a little and then do the other side.

Fit's Tips: If you love Cow Face pose, here's another shoulder stretch for you to try.

Source

Game of Thrones "The Old Gods and the New": What We're Still Talking About

Shannon Vestal — Mon, 07 May 2012 10:29:13 PDT

There's a lot of plot development on this week's Game of Thrones, but with it comes plenty of blood and guts. People lose their heads, arms, intestines, and in Daenerys's case - some very valuable possessions. We catch up with nearly every Stark this week and spend a little time in Winterfell, but each family member is in some sort of danger.

Though we are forced to look upon Joffrey's yucky little mug, at least he gets served - however petty the punishment. In any case, there are lots of scenes still stuck in my head today, so to chat about them, just keep reading.

3 Leg Stretches Runners Should Do Daily

Jenny Sugar — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 10:41:42 PDT

I don't think I've ever met a runner who doesn't suffer from tight hips, hamstrings, or a lower back. The receptive movements and strengthening aspect of running can cause tight muscles that need extra attention. Of course you should never skip the stretching session after a run, but here are three lower-body stretches you should do every day - even on the days you don't run.

Open Lizard

What it stretches: sides of the hips and hip flexors

How to do it:

Come into a lunge position with the right foot forward and the left leg extended behind you, toes relaxed. Make sure there's enough distance between your feet so your front knee is at a 90-degree angle. Lower your hands to the floor to the left of your right foot.
Keep your front foot where it is and slowly lower your right knee outward, so you're resting on the outside of your right flexed foot. Keep your arms straight, pressing your chest forward just like in Upward Facing Dog; this will help encourage your hips to lower, increasing the stretch.
Gaze forward and enjoy Open Lizard for 30 seconds and then switch sides.

Keep reading to find out how to do the above stretch and one more that will target your hamstrings.

Here's Why "Shopping the Perimeter" at the Grocery Store Doesn't Work

Business Insider — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 10:53:12 PDT

When you're shopping at the grocery store, Business Insider recommends skipping the "shopping the U" strategy. Find out why.

Considering most grocery stores have fresh meat, dairy products and produce lining their perimeter, "shopping the U" sounds like a smart rule of thumb, and one that might help you save. Reduced health bills means more savings, right?
Your Money tapped The Grocery Game's Teri Gault for her take on this advice.
"I hear it all the time, you should go 'U-shaped shopping,' but seriously, who does that?" she says. Here, she offers three reasons you might not be getting the best deal by "shopping the perimeter":

1. The real savings are in the middle. There, we said it. "You save all your money on the inside of the store," says Gault because every single one of those items goes on sale once every 12 weeks. "That's just a general rule," she adds, and as we've written before, it's smarter to shop by sales rather than replenish whatever you've run out of. For example, the frozen food aisle is half-off on sale, and often cheaper than fresh produce. "You can make smoothies, put them in soups or casseroles," says Gault, "you don't have to pay full price for variety."

2. You can't avoid what you eat. Let's face it: "Everyone buys rice, honey, granola and oatmeal," says Gault, before adding that there's more to the middle aisles than unhealthy grub. For example, you'll find olive oil, herbs and spices, canned tuna and salmon and good old-fashioned beans. The canned goods may be high in sodium, but rinsing them under water can cut their content dramatically and make for some tasty, low-cost meals.

3. Not all foods are healthy along the perimeter. Whipped cream and hummus dip? Salami? Booze? Your health might take a nosedive if you make a habit of skipping the middle aisles, writes dietitian Shelly Rael in the Albuquerque Journal. "The meat section has many healthy options," she says, but "there are also not-so-healthy options such as the highly marbled meats (high saturated fat), sausages, and sometimes various parts of the cow and pig that I would prefer not to see, let alone mention."

Check out these smart Business Insider stories:

The Rise of Food Pouches Is Great For Consumers

Wasting Leftovers Spoils Up To $2,000 Per Year For Average US Families

Marketers Have Tricked Women Into Paying Way Too Much at the Drug Store

10 Tips to Get Your Kids to Eat Healthy Without Breaking the Bank

Miniature Milk Milk-Fiber Clothing: Kid-Friendly or Are You Kidding?

Kate Stahl — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 14:41:34 PDT

Sure, your baby often sports a milk-covered face, but would you cover his entire body in milk? That's exactly what Miniature Milk, a brand-new eco-friendly infant clothing line, suggests. The New York-based company debuts a layette collection this week, and the cow-print rompers, onesies, striped bibs, beanies, and blankets (prices range from $15 to $60) are all made from organic cotton and - get this - milk fiber, a protein that's extracted from cow’s milk.

According to Miniature Milk, milk fiber is perfect for baby clothing because of its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory qualities. "We wanted to create a simple and stylish range of baby clothes that not only looks great but also incorporates a fabric that has positive attributes for the sensitive skin of babies," said Jamie Archer-Perkins, founder of Miniature Milk, in a press release. So would you let your baby drink his milk . . . and wear it, too?

A Look at Laura Werlin's Lastest Cheesecapade

Guest Writer — Tue, 24 May 2011 03:42:15 PDT

Ever wonder what it would be like to travel the world teaching seminars on cheese? We have, so we asked the food industry's most glamorous cheese lady, Laura Werlin, to give us a glimpse at her delicious life! Here, she shares a recent experience.

Most people don’t feel sorry for me when I tell them I have to go to places like Aspen, Pebble Beach, South Beach and similar hardship locations to conduct cheese and wine pairings (not). This week’s trip was no exception. I got to go to the other mile-high city, Boulder, to talk grilled cheese and wine.

The event was a fundraiser for Attention Homes, which is a pretty amazing organization that provides residential treatment and shelter to at-risk kids between the ages of 12 and 18. Attention Homes is also heavily involved in helping the area’s approximately 150 homeless kids by getting them the help they need.

Who ever thinks much about the problem of homeless kids? Evidently it’s a much bigger problem than we knew. But I digress. What better way to shine the spotlight on such a great organization than through the joie de vivre that comes from an evening devoted to good cheese and wine in a fantastic setting?

To learn what kind of sandwiches she served, keep reading.

Gwyneth and Kate Toast Stella's 40th Yet Again, This Time With Cameron and Gwen!

Allie Merriam — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 12:51:57 PDT

Stella McCartney had a 40th birthday party - again! - in London. Some of the same characters from her lavish first bash attended last night's at the more low-key venue of Notting Hill's Cow Pub, like Kate Moss, Jamie Hince, and Gwyneth Paltrow. There were new faces too, with Liv Tyler, Gwen Stefani, and Cameron Diaz, who watched Jude Law's Anna Christie earlier in the evening, wishing Stella well. Kate apparently went to the pub just after she returned from Paris, where she walked in Louis Vuitton's show at her own request and held a bash to celebrate her new line of jewels for Fred. Uncharacteristically, though, Kate and Jamie were reportedly among the first guests to leave. The party gave good pals Gwyneth and Cameron a chance to hang out at the relaunch of the Arts Club on Tuesday, and Paltrow hopped on stage to serenade a royal crowd that included Prince Philip.

Wedding Receptions Don't Have to Be Awkward: SocialTable

Kristy Korcz — Fri, 20 May 2011 06:21:37 PDT

I found that the most stressful aspects of planning a wedding were details concerning the guests. Questions like "what do our guests want to eat/drink/listen to" are enough to make your head spin. Yes, the wedding is about you as a couple, but you can't deny that your guests' likes and dislikes weigh heavily on your mind. Take, for example, the seating arrangements. Figuring out who will sit next to whom is like walking through a minefield - you never really know who will hit it off. But you can put yourself (and your guests) at ease by letting them get to know each other a little better before they even step foot in the reception hall with the help of a little site called SocialTables.

SocialTables works for any event, but it's especially helpful at weddings. The site allows you to plan a seating arrangement based on your uploaded Gmail contacts, guest list (in Excel files), and/or Facebook contacts. You can drag and drop contacts into seats (with tables ranging from 4,6,8,10, and 12 tops) and arrange and rearrange your configurations until the cows come home. But that's not the best part. Find out more after the break.

Why Is Your Grocery Bill Getting Higher?

Emily Co — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 13:30:47 PST

Not only do we have to deal with rising gas prices, but our grocery bills are going to face an increase as well. Although retailers and food producers are willing to soak up the higher commodity costs, food prices have still been going up. Here's why it's pricier to shop for your eats:

Many areas around the world have been plagued by bad weather conditions, which have impacted the amount of production.
The smaller grain supply has increased the price of animals like pigs and cows, which consume them.
As developing nations like China and India become wealthier, there is increased demand for food items.

Now that you know your bill is getting higher, and that it's not just you, learn how to spend less on groceries by reading our tips on price matching, knowing what to buy in bulk, buying store brands, and just using realistic tricks to saving. Do you have any savvy tips for shrinking grocery bills?