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Energy-Draining Foods

FitSugar — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 13:00:00 PDT

How we fuel our bodies will certainly affect our energy levels. If you are what you eat, there are some energy-draining foods you should avoid.

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11 Ways to Love Yourself More

Laura Marie Given — Wed, 09 May 2012 03:05:52 PDT

There's no magic recipe for self-confidence, but there are certainly a few everyday habits that can set you on the right path. Whether you're stressed, overcommitted, bored, or simply insecure, we've come up with some quick tips to help you boost your self-esteem and maintain a positive attitude. Struggling to feel good about yourself? Here are 11 simple ways to love yourself more:

Surround yourself with positive people. Moods and attitudes can be contagious, so if you're hoping to boost your self-esteem, it's important to keep confident company. Steer clear of the Debbie Downers: people who are constantly rattling off their insecurities will only prompt you to acknowledge yours.
Be a planner. Organization is key to feeling good on a day-to-day basis, so do what you need to do to stay on top of your schedule. Rushing around, running late, and missing deadlines puts you on the fast track to anxiety, but you can avoid these common culprits by simply tackling your to-do list.
Make time to do the things you enjoy. To be your best self, you need to set aside plenty of time for the hobbies and passions that fulfill you. Whether it's long walks, a good book, or a few minutes of art each day, you need to prioritize the simple pastimes that put you at ease.
Get plenty of Z's. If you're exhausted and run-down, your mood - and your confidence - is sure to plummet. You need energy to be social and productive, so try to avoid burnout by balancing your work with plenty of R&R.

Keep reading for more confidence-boosting tips.

5 Christian Grey Career and Money Mistakes to Avoid

Emily Co — Tue, 08 May 2012 10:53:57 PDT

One of the reasons why women love billionaire Christian Grey of the famed 50 Shades of Grey novel is that he isn't perfect. He's flawed, which suits the trilogy's underlying theme of bad boy reformation. Because of his complicated upbringing and stunted adulthood, Christian makes a lot of mistakes in all aspects of his life, which includes career and money decisions. Here are some Christian Grey mistakes we should avoid (watch out for spoilers!):

Mixing business with pleasure. When Christian finds himself smitten with the book's main character, Anastasia Steele, he offers her an internship at his company. His offer is a means to get to know Steele better, which isn't a healthy way to start a relationship. Try not to mix business with pleasure, and work with someone just because you're interested in them. Keep in mind that if things go sour, you'll end up having to work with the person and it just adds another layer of complication to the relationship.

Not acknowledging your partner's money style. Although Ana feels uncomfortable with using Christian's money, the tortured billionaire almost forces his lavish lifestyle on her - buying her a car, laptop, and BlackBerry from the get-go. You need to acknowledge your partner's style of spending and living and both of you need to come to an agreement together. Money is one of the biggest issues that couples fight about, so both sides need to respect each other's opinions and meet halfway to compromise.

Prenup, prenup, prenup. When Christian marries Ana, he does not want a prenup and goes into a rage when his dad suggests signing one. What Christian needs to understand is that a prenup doesn't mean that you're betting against the marriage. It's also a good step to openly discussing finances, which is a healthy move for couples to make.

Read on for more Christian Grey mistakes.

8 Ways to Stay Upbeat on Your Job Hunt

Emily Co — Mon, 07 May 2012 12:14:20 PDT

A recent study revealed that staying positive on your job hunt ensures you a better chance of scoring a job. Staying upbeat in the face of multiple rejections can be quite tough - here are a couple of ways to cope:

Avoid talking to negative people. You need all the cheerleading you can get, so try not to talk to those who have lost all hope and are trying to get you to feel the same way. Misery loves company and spending time with negative people can influence how you feel as well.

Work out. When you're unemployed, working out will help you stay positive. The endorphins released during your workout are known to boost moods and the overall well-being of a person. Studies have shown that working out also gives you more energy, which is essential during your job hunt.

Wake up early. Retract the shades on your window so you'll be waking up to the sunrise every day, or set an alarm clock that will get you up at an early hour. Just because you don't have to clock into an office in the morning doesn't mean you should sleep in. In fact, researchers from Roehampton University found that people who get up earlier have happier and healthier lives than those who sleep in. Develop healthy sleep habits for a better mood.

Read on for more.

The 3 Things You Should Never Do Before a Workout

Leta Shy — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 11:38:08 PST

You've got the enthusiasm, the time, and the cute workout gear, and now you're ready to hit the gym. Don't ruin your workout by doing these big preworkout no-nos.

Cold stretching: Yes, you're supposed to warm up before you work out, but stretching muscles when they're cold can lead to injuries and poor performance. Instead, warm up with five minutes of light cardio or start off slow for the first 10 minutes of your run, bike ride, or swim. Another option is dynamic stretching, which raises your heartbeat while loosening the muscles. Here are six dynamic warm-up moves to replace your usual preworkout hamstring stretches.

Keep reading for two more big preworkout don'ts after the break.

Why Your Evening Workouts Work

Leta Shy — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 14:43:53 PST

While there's evidence that morning workouts are more effective when it comes to calorie burn, don't feel bad if you're not the type of person to wake up for an early-morning sweat session. Here are four reasons why working out in the evening still works.

You'll make healthy afterwork decisions: Happy hour, dinners out with friends, and relaxing in front of the TV can be just as integral to a healthy lifestyle as sticking to a workout routine, but scheduling gym time after work can keep you from making more indulgent plans a habit. Evening workouts can also help your diet - you can't overeat or overdrink if you've got a yoga class to attend afterward!

You'll sleep better: If you're a night owl who has all sorts of energy late into the night, you may benefit from an evening workout. Exercising at night will help expend some of that energy when you're at your productive peak, helping you sleep better throughout the night and wake up refreshed.

Two more reasons to work out in the evening after the break.

4 Lazy Moves That Boost Your Health

Prevention — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 04:05:16 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Prevention here on FitSugar!

You don’t have to go on a deprivation diet or spend hours exercising to ward off disease and be your healthiest self! Instead, try these supersimple tips
By the editors of Prevention

Staying healthy can feel like so much, well, work (think: logging hours at the gym and whipping up nutritious meals from scratch). However, there are plenty of small moves that you can make in your everyday life that will have big health benefits. We’ve rounded up 15 practically zero-effort ways to fight disease, whittle your waist, lower stress, and more. Bonus: many of these good-for-you moves feel good, too. So say sayonara to the old adage “no pain, no gain” and try these tips today.

Lazy Move No. 1: Protect Your Ticker by Snoozing
Need a good excuse to grab your comfiest set of pajamas and hit the sack? Skimping on shut-eye may do more than make you cranky or unproductive - it also boosts your risk of a heart attack. According to one Norwegian study, people who reported that they did not wake up feeling refreshed in the morning had a 27 percent higher risk of a heart attack, those who had trouble staying asleep almost every night in the last month had a 30 percent higher risk, and those who had trouble falling asleep almost every night in the last month had odds that jumped to 45 percent.

Twenty Ways to Sleep Better Every Night

Some researchers speculate that insomnia might trigger your body to release more of the stress hormone cortisol. High levels of cortisol have been linked with high blood pressure and diabetes, which are both risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Plus when you’re exhausted, you may be more likely to make unhealthy choices that up your heart disease risk, such as skipping your workout or reaching for fatty or sugary snacks for a quick energy fix.

Keep reading for three more lazy ways to improve your health.

10 Simple Ways to Winterize Your Home

Business Insider — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 09:30:25 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart Business Insider story here on Savvy!

'Tis the season to crank your thermostat. Unfortunately it could cost even more than normal. Americans will pay 15% more for heating expenses than last year, according to the EIA.

At this point you've got no excuse not to follow this simple guide for winterizing your home.

Dodge the Draft

Problem: Cold air is rushing in from underneath your door, and warm air is rushing out.

Solution: The draft snake, adopted during the Great Depression era, is one of the easiest ways to cut back on energy waste. A draft snake can be easily made by rolling up a towel or filling up a pouch of fabric with kitty litter or sand, advises The Daily Green. Or you can buy one pre-made.

Money/Energy Saved: According to the U.S. Department of Energy, drafts can waste 5 to 30% of energy use per year.

Read on for more tips.

13 Things That Are Causing Your Bills to Skyrocket

Emily Co — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 13:48:40 PST

To err is human; to make budgeting mistakes, totally human as well. Most people are not aware of the little budget traps we get caught in, because life is so busy that it's hard to keep track of the smaller money details. But being careless can rack up higher bills. Pretty soon, you might be wondering where your money is going - you don't spend that much every month but your bank seems to be emptying itself on its own. Here are things you need to watch out for:

Buying things that are not on sale: Most items generally go on sale if you wait for it. Whenever I buy greatly discounted items at a big annual sale like Black Friday, an outlet mall, or on some flash sales site, I wonder why I ever bought items at full-price.

Not preserving your groceries: Even if you're good about saving on your groceries and avoiding the items that are greatly marked up in the supermarket, those savings will be worth less if you don't know how to properly preserve your groceries. If you're throwing away food, you're wasting money. Do things like only cutting fruits and vegetables when you need them, putting your bread in the fridge or the freezer, and making perishable items more visible in your fridge. For more tips on lengthening the life of your groceries, read this.

Never checking your bills for mistakes: Monitor your receipts, bills, and statements to see if there are any mistakes being made. Get into a habit of giving your receipts a quick once-over as soon as you receive them. This may save you money and it'll definitely save you the time and effort of having to go back to the store or calling them to deduct the mistaken charges. Now that big banks are trying to slip in more fees to the unsuspecting customer, you have more reason to monitor your statements. Be a responsible consumer - the sooner you catch on to suspicious fees, the more chances you'll have of getting your money back.

Leaving your electronics plugged in: It's easy to be lazy and leave your electronics plugged in because you figure you'll be using them soon. Electronic items still suck power even when they aren't turned on. In fact, they draw five percent of the energy in American homes, according to a study by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The amount of energy wasted is equivalent to the output of 18 power stations!

Read on for more budget drains.

The Law of Diminishing Orgasms and Other Economic Aspects of Your Sex Life

LearnVest — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 00:15:58 PDT

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy!

Sex. You want more of it - in theory.

But after running from meeting to client lunch to after-work Pilates to the grocery store and home, you’re too tired to even think about sex, much less actually do the deed. So, when your honey curls up next to you in bed and starts kissing your neck, you might call upon that handy feigned headache or pretend to be asleep.

It’s a common scenario among career-driven couples and those with kids. But according to the authors of a new book, it’s not necessarily an issue of sex drive. You can use simple economic principles to put a little jump kick into your sex life.

Want to know how it's done? Read on for tips after the break.