FitSugar

Tea Kettles for a Cure

FitSugar — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 03:00:00 -0700

You know that I'm always in the mood for a nice relaxing cup of tea. Now your health can benefit from all the healthy antioxidants found in tea while you benefit others with these tea kettles from a couple of great causes!

Here is the LIVESTRONG kettle by Chantal (for $39.95). A percentage of the proceeds from the sale of this will go to the Lance Armstrong Foundation, which provides funds for cancer research, education and support for those affected by cancer. In the signature "Livestrong" yellow color, this has a 1.8-qt. capacity.
This KitchenAid Cook for the Cure stainless steel tea kettle ($51.99) has pink silicone handles. For every teakettle sold, KitchenAid will make a $5.00 donation to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation for breast cancer research and outreach.

Fit's Tips: What a great gift idea! Buy some of you favorite tea to accompany it and you'll be doing something kind for a friend and helping these foundations too!

Simple Cure for Jellyfish Sting

FitSugar — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 12:30:00 -0700

You are at the beach and a jellyfish stings you. Quick what household item should you apply to the wound to stop the stinging?

Fresh water?
Meat tenderizer?
Rubbing alcohol?
Vinegar?
Ammonia?

To find out which remedy will help read more

The answer is vinegar! Believe it or not, dousing the injured flesh with vinegar, after removing any stray tentacles, not only alleviates the sting, but also can completely prevent the release of more venom. It is the acid in the vinegar that does the trick. You should know that rinsing a sting with fresh water is a bad idea, because the change in pH between saltwater and fresh water can prompt the release of more venom.

Now if you have the unfortunate luck of being stung by the jellyfish's more dangerous cousin, the Portuguese man-of-war, you might require more than vinegar for a treatment. If you are experiencing muscle pain, shortness of breath, backache and hives, you should seek serious medical attention.

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How Do You Cure Your Hiccups?

FitSugar — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 04:00:00 -0800

When I was young I figured out how to give myself the hiccups, really loud frog like ones, and would do exactly that during sermons at church. My mother would whisper angrily to me to go play outside. I would run to the playground and hang out until I knew it was time to go back in and sit down for the last few minutes.

Recently, during a long car trip, my husband got this exact type of hiccups and nothing would make them go away.

So, I was wondering how do you cure your hiccups?

New Hiccup Cure - Try It and See If It Works For You

FitSugar — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 09:38:16 -0800

Surfing around the web can lead you to some interesting places. I found this new cure for hiccups. It's not earth shattering science like a cure for cancer, but we are all affected by hiccups. Which, by the way is a spasm of the diaphragm that is suddenly interrupted by the closure of the vocal cords.

Basically, you stretch your abs pushing up on the the top of a door frame, while holding your breath. You should feel an arch to your back and your abdomen stretching. Take a nice deep breath before performing this maneuver since you will need to hold the position for about 30 to 60 seconds. See the photo of the move (love that he included a visual aid).

Unfortunately (or fortunately) I haven't had the hiccups since I read to test this guy's method. So file it away in your memory bank to try the next time you are afflicted with hiccups.

Beyond Moderation: The Hangover

FitSugar — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 01:45:00 -0800

It happens to us all at some time or another, but with an expected frequency on New Year's Eve. We drink too much, and then we pay for it the next day. Are you hung up by your hangover?

Well, let me explain what is going on with your body and help you figure out ways to deal with the problems at hand.

Symptom: Dehydration
Your throat and mouth are dry due to dehydration, which is caused by the diuretic properties of alcohol. The dehydration also affects your muscles making them feel weak.
Cure: Drink plenty of water, all day long!

Symptom: Sour Stomach
The excessive alcohol irritates the lining of the stomach causing nausea and sour stomach. The inflammation delays digestion, which in turn, contributes to the feelings of nausea.
Cure: Take some Alka Seltzer or eat some mild foods.

Symptom: Irritability
Your liver gets backed up trying to metabolize all the alcohol so you might be experiencing symptoms of hypoglycemia (that's a fancy term for low blood sugar), meaning you are highly irritable and moody.
Cure: Eat some food and drink some juice.

Symptom: Jangled Nerves
Your central nervous system becomes chemically over excited causing sensitivity to light, sound and touch.
Cure: Rest with an eye pillow and soothing music.

Symptom: Headache
Blood vessels in the brain dilate and that is what is causing that throbbing headache, which is only exacerbated by your dehydration mentioned above.
Cure: Take some OTC (over the counter) pain medication.

Sleepy and Sleepless: Your pituitary gland becomes confused and releases the wrong amounts of the hormones that regulate sleep. So while you may want to sleep it off, your sleep pattern is severely disrupted.
Cure: Try some Sleepytime Extra Tea fortified with Valerian root to help you sleep.

The only real cure for a hangover is time. Physical activity can help, too. Take a walk or jog and sweat a bit to help get the alcohol out of your blood. Fear not, the after effects of your partying should only linger for about 24 hours. Tomorrow is another day.

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Lace Up for a Cure: Vigor Jacket by New Balance

FitSugar — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 08:45:00 -0700

Fall has arrived and with it cooler temperatures (well at least in some parts of the country). For all of your outdoor workout activities, you are going to need a long-sleeve layer, and might I suggest this Vigor Jacket by New Balance.

The jacket is part of their Lace Up For A Cure clothing line created to support breast cancer awareness. Fifteen percent of the price of the jacket, and all items in the pink ribbon collection, will be donated to the great foundation Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

All that being said it should come as no surprise that the jacket sports the pink ribbon on the collar. Plus, it is made out of New Balance's patented Lightning Dry® fabric for effective moisture management. It also has side pockets, a feature I admire in any jacket. If black is not your thing, then the jacket is also available in Nomad (meaning brown). You can buy the Vigor jacket directly for$63.99 directly from Lace Up for A Cure.

To see the details of the jacket just read more

View 3 Photos ›

Speak Up: 'Weight Loss Cure' is Too Misleading

FitSugar — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 09:30:00 -0700

The Federal Trade Commission has charged Kevin Trudeau with violating a court order by allegedly misrepresenting the contents of his book, “The Weight Loss Cure ‘They’ Don’t Want You to Know About,” in several infomercials.

Here's the issue:

According to the FTC, when consumers buy and read the book, they find it actually describes a complicated, expensive system involving daily injections, specialized cleanses and supplements, and severe food restrictions, followed by a “fourth phase” of the protocol, which requires dietary restrictions and never ends. The FTC alleged that Trudeau deceptively claimed that the book establishes a weight-loss protocol that is “easy” to follow and that once the protocol ends, consumers can eat what they want without regaining weight.

So what do you guys think about this? As far as I am concerned about 99% of all diet products are misleading, so perhaps they are using Trudeau as an example. Maybe he is the Paris Hilton of the health world and the FTC's way of warning everyone else to watch themselves. Has anyone even tried the Weight Loss Cure program? Speak up and share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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Weekend Reading: Joy Bauer's Food Cures

FitSugar — Sat, 19 May 2007 03:00:00 -0700

Joy Bauer's motto is: Life is hard...food should be easy, and she sticks to that motto quite well in her wonderfully helpful new book Food Cures. This almost 500 page book is chock full of super useful information. It is part reference book, part cook book, part self help, part educational - there is something fascinating and absorbing on every page. Every time I flip through, I become absorbed in what I am reading and just keep on reading even after I have found the information I was originally looking for.

The book is separated into six sections with one long section devoted entirely to losing and maintaining weight. Other sections teach you how to eat for beautiful skin and strong bones. Also of interest are the sections on how to eat if you suffer from migraines, Celiac Disease, insomnia or IBS (irritable bowel syndrome).

Every section of the book, from eating to avoid cardiovascular disease, to feeding a beautiful smile, or even cooking to avoid arthritis flare ups, contains many helpful tools. Each of these healing sections has an ideal food and supplement lists, ideas for meal plans, and some tasty recipes. My favorite recipes include a Tuscan Bean Dip in the cardiovascular disease section and the Apple Cinnamon Pancakes with Lemon Yogurt Topping from the section on Celiac Disease. The pancakes are made with buckwheat flour so they are gluten free.

My favorite feature of the book is the grocery lists. Just reading the lists sends my mind into planning mode, and I dream of all the possible meals I can create from the lists of included foods. This book will teach you how to think about food from a nutritionist's point of view. And that seems like a great way to think to me.

Buy the book from Barnes and Nobles for $13.26, or look for it at your local bookstore.

Cure It at Home: Poison Ivy

FitSugar — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 03:00:00 -0700

So you went hiking last weekend and you accidentally tromped through a patch of poison ivy. You've got a nasty, blistery rash all over your feet and you want it to go away pronto. I've only tried a few of these home remedies, so I can't vouch for all of them, but anything's worth one try when you're itching like crazy.

Jewelweed, a common weed found in damp areas, is often used to help treat the rash. Mash the weed and apply to your itchy skin.
For 20 minutes, take a bath in salt water, or swim in a chlorinated pool to dry out the rash.
Bathe in tomato juice.
To relieve the itch, cut a mango in half and smear the juice over the rashy area for 10 minutes.
Spray the rash with a deodorant containing aluminum.
Apply tea tree oil to the affected area to help dry it out and clear up the rash faster.

Fit's Tip: Of course, if you have a really aggressive case, I'd talk to your doctor about what over-the-counter or prescription meds he would recommend.

If you have any other home remedies for poison ivy, please share them in the comment section below.

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Dutch Nail Biting Cure: The "Preventer"

FitSugar — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 03:30:00 -0700

One of the most common symptoms of stress, pathological nail biting troubles some people 6 million people worldwide. Or so estimates Alain-Raymond van Abbe the Dutch inventor of the "Preventer."

Although his background is in marketing and not medicine, van Abbe describes himself as a "problem solver." His solution for nail biting, The Preventer, is essentially a molded mouth guard, worn on either the upper or lower teeth. The Preventer is barely visible and it prevents biting, hence your fingernails cannot be bitten. It can, however, be removed for actual eating. It takes about 4 weeks of wearing the Preventer to control the nail biting impulses. Van Abbe has created an entire clinic for chronic nail biters and he is doing a brisk business. Treatment costs about $640.

Pathological nail biting is now classified as a category of obsessive-compulsive disorders called Body-Focused Repetitive, along with hair pulling and biting the inside of the cheek, and these habits are gaining more scientific attention. Some American psychologists believe Van Abbe might be onto something, since his treatment deals with both cognitive and behavioral aspects. However there is skepticism that an entire clinic dedicated to nail biters can remain afloat.

And you, are you a nail biter? If so would you try this treatment? Let me know in the comments below.

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