FitSugar

Get the Bod: Evangeline Lilly

FitSugar — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 11:45:00 -0700

Not only am I addicted to LOST, but seeing all those toned and sun-kissed bodies really inspires me to workout and eat healthy (so I can look that good in my bikini this summer).

Evangeline Lilly (Kate, the adorable brunette) always looks amazing - I love her tousled hair, her golden skin, and her tough as nails body (not to mention attitude - I wouldn't mess with her!).

What does she do to look that good? She may be on a deserted island, but she told Self.com that she knows the dangers the sun can have on her skin. She's all about the bronzers and self-tanners - much healthier than baking in the sun - and she always wears sunscreen to save her skin's future.

Was she born with that strong and lean body? Are you kidding? She's obsessed with eating healthy and exercise is part of her life - she loves walking or riding her bike instead of driving.

Want to know her #1 health tip? Then read more

Sleep!! She makes sure to get 8 hours of sleep a night. Staying hydrated is just as important, so she drinks lots of water. Do you know how much water you should be drinking? Check out the Fit Calculator - it will tell you!!!!

Her healthy lifestyle is motivating me to buy some self-tanner and ride my bike to work!

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Pass Gym Time With Healthy Competition

FitSugar — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:30:59 -0800

Watching TV, listening to music, and perusing magazines are all great ways to pass the time when you're on a cardio machine, but even those can get boring. They also require a bit of attention, compromising a good workout - you can't turn pages while doing sprint intervals. When you need a little motivation, utilize your fellow gym-goers and compete with a stranger. While on the treadmill, look for someone near you who is clearly working it, and try to run a little faster or stay on the machine a little longer than that unsuspecting runner. When they end their run and you're still going, get ready for the sweet taste of victory. This works on a bike, elliptical, or in the pool. While it's helpful to use someone else's drive to push yourself, just make sure you also listen to your body and don't exceed your personal limits.

Dealing With the End of Daylight Saving

FitSugar — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 03:47:19 -0800

Although sleep experts believe "falling back" and gaining an hour in Autumn is easier than losing an hour in Spring, it will still take your body a few days to acclimate to the time change. Here are a few tips on how to keep the change from adversely affecting your sleep habits:

As much as it may seem like a good idea, avoid drinking extra caffeine for a few days after the time shift.
Similar to avoiding that extra cup of joe, you should avoid taking a nap. Napping can interfere with your ability to fall asleep at the proper bedtime.
Catch early morning rays. This could be with a run or just basking in the sunlight through a window.
Don't get behind the wheel if you're feeling sleepy. Driving and dozing is a dangerous thing.

How Well Do You Know Your Arms?

FitSugar — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 08:00:44 -0700

You use them to drive your car, carry your groceries, and do your favorite exercise, the push-up. OK, maybe push-ups don't top your list of how to have a fun workout, but we can agree that the upper body appendages known as arms are important. Take this quiz to see how well you know yours.

Take the quiz

Road Trippin' Blues: Car Sickness

FitSugar — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 06:00:41 -0700

If your July entails squeezing in one last road trip, you might want to read up on motion sickness. It is actually quite common; about one third of the population experiences symptoms in relatively mild circumstances, like being on a boat in calm water. In fact, the word nausea means seasick in Greek. Motion sickness is basically a disagreement between your eyes and your inner ear. The inner ear recognizes motion, but the eyes don't, or vice versa, jumbling the brain, and nausea ensues. It is no fun for any passenger to endure.

For some tips for fending off car sickness, read more.

Don't look down: Keeping your focus on the horizon can definitely help keep your eyes and your inner ear in agreement. If you happen to be traveling with little ones, play the "I spy" game to keep them looking up. Watching DVDs will increase the confusion between senses, so don't pull out movies to entertain them. Try a book on tape instead.
Breathe some fresh air: Roll down the windows if it is not too hot. The fresh air can be soothing. Heat makes the symptoms worse, so do run the AC if you can.
Food and hunger: When road tripping you should avoid spicy and greasy foods. However, hunger can make the symptoms of nausea worse. Keep a mild snack like crackers around to keep the unsettled stomach at bay. Clear sodas and sparkling water can help too.
Drive: Take over the wheel if you are prone to motion sickness. When you drive all your senses work together, avoiding the disconnect between your eyes and ears.
Ginger: Eating ginger has been shown to reduce symptoms of motion sickness. Take it in capsule form or sip some ginger ale.
Get out of the car: Walking on terra firma will certainly quiet the symptoms. Take stops as frequently as you can.
Medicine: You can try an over-the-counter medication, like Dramamine, or an alternative medicine treatment like the PSI Band that works the antinausea pressure point.

If you are prone to car sickness, please share how you prevent it in the comment section below. Happy travels!

10 Ways to Avoid Gaining Weight at Work

FitSugar — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 05:50:00 -0700

Working nine to five can wreak havoc on your waistline. The stress makes you crave junk food, and often you're too overworked to have the energy or time to exercise. When I asked FitSugar readers how they avoid gaining weight at work, here's what they said.

"Stairwell stair climbing . . . My heart is racing and my legs are burning." - YumYucky
"I just keep lots of healthy snacks around (fruit, Kashi granola bars, and crackers) and bring my own lunch to avoid temptation." - Renee3327
"I spend most of my lunch breaks walking outside (there's a park down the street) or running on the treadmill (my gym is 7 minutes from my work giving me just enough time to drive there, change, run 3 miles, change, drive back.) Also, willpower is key. Today was a birthday so there was chocolate cake, and I just think how much I'd have to exercise to burn off one piece - not worth it!" - Vanonymous
"I always pack my lunch and keep fruit at my desk or my cubby fridge." - jessy777

To see the other great tips from FitSugar readers, read more.

"I never eat out or use the vending machine. " - Niami
"I always make sure to work out first thing in the morning . . . I always take stairs instead of the elevator . . . I make sure to have a healthy protein-packed breakfast, and I'm usually not hungry until 2 p.m." - Mila_83
"I don't avoid all of the free temptations, but I limit myself to one or two small ones a week." - darc5204
"I stopped carrying loose change. Whether it was $1 or 50 cents, I don't take it to work. It stops me from buying a soda and chips and candy to get that little, worth-nothing jolt of energy to meet deadlines." - tamaradulva
"I also avoid the break room, where there's usually free food. When there are birthdays or people bring treats in, I go but don't have a slice. I'm usually not the only one who abstains, so it doesn't make me feel awkward." - deanna024
"I graze on fruits and veggies and take a walk during my lunch break instead. Eating a big meal at midday makes me tired." - Anonymous

Source

Lifting Tip: Don't Just Use Momentum

FitSugar — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 12:58:41 -0700

Most of us don't have a ton of time to spend working out, so we try to cut corners and save time whenever we can. One way may be to zip through your reps when strength training. The problem is, when you do your exercises quickly, momentum becomes the driving force to move you through your reps. This means you're not targeting your muscles as effectively as you would if you just slowed down. So the next time you do your toning routine, pause a few seconds between reps. It'll be more challenging to your muscles, so you may not be able to do as many reps in the same amount of time, but you'll actually be doing a better job at strengthening the muscles you're working.

Food Review: South of the Border Pistachios

FitSugar — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 11:13:18 -0700

We all crave junk food every once in a while, but there are healthy substitutions out there. If you crave Spicy Nacho Doritios you should give the South of the Border Pistachios by Everybody's Nuts a try.

The flavor of these pistachios is as satisfying as the Doritos, but the nuts are so much healthier than corn chips, and nuts don't leave a neon coating on your fingers either. Speaking of hands, here is another reason to choose the nuts over chips: it takes two hands to eat pistachios, and only one hand to reach into a Doritos bag. This means you will eat the nuts more slowly, and not while driving, a bad snacking habit many of us are guilty of.

To see how these two nacho-flavored treats compare, read more.

	South of the Border pistachios 1/2 cup (no shells)	Nacho Cheese Doritios 1 ounce
Calories	170	140
Total Fat (g)	13	7
Saturated Fat (g)	1.5	1
Carbs (g)	9	18
Fiber (g)	3	under 1
Protein (g)	6	2
Iron	8 percent	2 percent
Vitamin B6	20 percent	4 percent

Yes, pistachios are higher in calories and fat, but the health benefits of the this nut are substantial. They help lower cholesterol as well as protect against breast and prostate cancers. Plus, they are high in protein, which means you will stay fuller longer.

The list of ingredients for the pistachios is considerably shorter than the list on the Doritos bag, but I thought you might be interested.

Ingredients: Dry roasted pistachios, salt, corn syrup solids, spice (includes chili paper), maltodextrin, citric acid, lime juice solids, garlic powder, dextrose, natural flavor, paprika extract.

You can find Everybody's Nuts at Costco, Kroger, Wegmans, and Kmart. Or you can buy them buy the case at the Everybody's Nuts website.

You Asked: Pain in the Ear When Flying

FitSugar — Tue, 26 May 2009 08:00:00 -0700

Dear Fit,
Whenever I fly I get this horrible pain in my ears, right as we're descending, about 15 minutes before we land. It's excruciating and sometimes I can't hear well a few hours after the flight. What causes this and is there any way to prevent it? I am traveling soon for my Summer vacation and am not looking forward to flying.
- Pain in the Ear

Great that you're taking a vacation. They are great for stress relief. It sounds like you suffer the condition aptly named airplane ear. More scientifically it's known as barotrauma or barotitis media, but whatever the name, the pain can be really intense and can cause ringing or bleeding in your ear, dizziness, or temporary hearing loss.

To hear what causes it and how to ease your pain read more.

This condition is pretty common and is caused by rapid changes in altitude or air pressure, which causes an unequal pressure between your middle ear and the air outside your ear. This makes your eardrum bulge outward or retract inward, which hurts, and can even cause a ruptured eardrum. You've probably also experienced it when swimming in deep water or driving through the mountains.

Swallowing or yawning should help ease your discomfort because the Eustachian tube, which connects your middle ear to the back of your nose, opens and allows air to flow into or out of your middle ear, equalizing the pressure. If you're congested though because of a cold or allergies, this tube can be blocked, causing pain, muffled sound, and temporary hearing loss.

To prevent this from happening on future flights, try taking an over-the-counter decongestant such as Sudafed about 30 to 60 minutes before your flight. This will help to dry up mucus from your nose and sinuses. While you're flying, chew gum or suck on a cough drop. This will encourage frequent swallowing, which helps to activate the muscles that open your Eustachian tubes. Also, don't sleep when the plane is descending, so you can be sure you're swallowing often. I hope this helps and happy travels.

Source

What's the Deal With Seeing Double?

FitSugar — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 13:00:00 -0700

I'm not proud to admit it, but once or twice, I've consumed one too many drinks to the point of having double vision. Oddly, we don't always have to be totally trashed to see double. Have you ever gotten home from a night of liquid calorie indulgence, plopped down on the couch, and been surprised to find not one but two TVs?

So what causes it exactly? I was excited to find the answer in the (appropriately titled) Answer Fella column in the most recent issue of Esquire. Apparently, alcohol effects the nerves in your brain and brain stem that govern your eye movements. According to Indiana University professor Bruce Martin:

"It slows down the brain so you can't get the eyes tracking on something quickly. The time it takes to get your two eyes - their images - to fuse to give you a single image increases when you drink." . . . Covering one eye can help, he notes, "because then you don't have your brain comparing the two images. You just have the one image."

Fascinating, right? If somewhat disturbing! Now that you know what's causing it, will you make more of an effort to avoid seeing double? Also, let me remind you that you should limit yourself to one alcoholic beverage a day and if you're seeing double don't try to drive covering one eye. Call a cab instead.

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