FitSugar

More Evidence That Healthy Living Combats Breast Cancer

FitSugar — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 14:30:04 -0700

Add this to your list of reasons to live healthily: more research is showing that exercising, maintaining a healthy weight, and avoiding excessive alcohol can help prevent breast cancer. According to data released today from the World Cancer Research Fund charity, at least four out of 10 breast cancer cases in the UK could be prevented by healthy lifestyle changes.

The conclusions are based on data culled from 950 research papers around the world. The study found that breastfeeding is also a major factor in reducing one's risk of breast cancer. Here's more from the study:

The charity recommends that both men and women aim to be as lean as possible without becoming underweight. A healthy body mass index (BMI) is between 18 and 25. . . . The charity also recommends at least 30 minutes of exercise a day and, if alcohol is drunk at all, it be limited to two drinks a day for a man and one for a woman.

If you're looking for ways to prevent breast cancer, it's hard to argue with exercise. Physical activity reduces body fat, thereby lowering cancer-promoting hormones such as estrogen. Researchers have also found that women with a higher body mass index have a higher likelihood of developing breast cancer.

Do you count cancer-prevention among your reasons to exercise?

Are You More Concerned About Your Appearance or Your Health?

FitSugar — Wed, 13 May 2009 04:30:00 -0700

We all feel the societal pressure for women to look a certain way, and that way is thin. Thin, however, doesn't always mean healthy, and according to a new poll conducted by the Associated Press and iVillage, women value their appearance more than their health. In the poll, many women answered that they were unhappy with their appearance and were dieting, but few were eating the recommended five servings a day of fruits and veggies. On the exercise front, the median amount of weekly exercise was an hour and 20 minutes - well under the recommended two and a half hours of weekly exercise.

Chief of psychiatry at New York's Lennox Hill Hospital Molly Poag weighed in on the poll's results by saying, "There's an undervaluing of physical fitness and an overvaluing of absolute weight and appearance for women in our culture." She added that she believes female athletes are better role models for healthy living than supermodels.

I am curious about you and when it comes to your body . . .

This Is Why You're Thin Website

FitSugar — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 09:00:00 -0700

Images of bacon cheeseburgers with Krispy Kreme buns have been seared into the minds of many hungry people, thanks to shocking photos from the delicately titled website This Is Why You're Fat. Blogger and cookbook author Jennifer McCann saw the opportunity to build an opposing site dedicated to images that inspire healthy living. Scroll through her creation This Is Why You're Thin to see a stream of beautiful salads, vegetable-based meals, and images of people exercising.

The site is less than two months old but already has an impressive collection of reader submissions that make me want to head to the farmers market right away. When you're figuring out what to have for your next meal and need some motivation to stay on track with your goals, take a gander at this site and you may become inclined to add more natural color to your plate. Check out some of the images below and tell me, do they inspire you to live healthfully?

View 10 Photos ›

Julia Louis-Dreyfus's All Natural Shape Is Amazing

FitSugar — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 06:13:16 -0800

Julia Louis-Dreyfus won me over as Elaine on Seinfeld - besides being hilarious and unafraid to cause a commotion, her heart belonged to big salads. These days, 48-year-old Julia has a rocking career as the star of The New Adventures of Old Christine, and she's sporting a set of rock-hard abs on the cover of Shape's April issue. Check out that definition! Contrary to what you might be thinking, the actress's amazing shape has nothing to do with plastic surgery and everything to do with leading a healthy lifestyle.

Julia says that she has to "work hard at not being fat" and Shape found out the details behind her strategy for looking and feeling great. She starts her day with a satisfying breakfast and enjoys at least one big salad a day, but she doesn't deny her cravings. She says, "I have a huge sweet tooth, and I feel like I deserve a treat when I work hard. It’s important to give yourself a little of what you really want so you don’t feel like you’re in food prison. Eating in moderation keeps me sane."

To find out Julia's workout preferences, read more.

You don't get a fit body like Julia's without exercising, which the actress tries to do three to five times a week. She works out on her elliptical at home while watching TV, but a few times a week Julia takes her workout outdoors and goes hiking for an hour or two. She says, "There’s something about the ritual of moving forward along a trail, pausing every now and then to look at the view or smell a flower. It’s a physical escape as well as a mental one." I love her comment about making your workout more than just going through the motions; it's something I know many of us with busy lives could work on.

Visit Shape to learn how Julia feels about bacon, sweating, and organic eating.

Do Your Friends Share Similar Diet and Exercise Habits?

FitSugar — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 04:30:00 -0800

The company you keep can influence the choices you make, and that includes decisions that impact your healthy lifestyle. My friends run the spectrum when it comes to diet and exercise habits: Some of them are health nuts like me, while others haven't worked out in years and think a meal is considered healthy when the main ingredients are chorizo and cheese. How does your social circle measure up?

Source

Speak Up: Is a Fit and Healthy Significant Other a Must?

FitSugar — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 04:00:00 -0800

A fit and healthy lifestyle is part of who I am, and I think it's a bonus that my hubby is into being active, too. It allows us to spend more time together, when we go to yoga classes, ski, or take afternoon hikes. For some people, they wouldn't think of dating someone who wasn't on the same fit and healthy path. For others, it doesn't bother them that their significant other doesn't join them at the gym. What about you? Is it important that your significant other or spouse exercise and eat healthy? If you met them and health wasn't that important to them, would you try to encourage him to eat more veggies and work out? Or do you only worry about your own well-being and not try to push your healthy views on others?

Source

7 Places to Meet a Healthy Mate

FitSugar — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 03:30:00 -0800

Living your healthy lifestyle is tough enough on your own. So if you meet someone who shares your passion for exercise and eating right, it'll be easier to stay on track. Where can you meet a like-minded health nut? Here are some ideas.

Source

View Slideshow ›

Six Ways to Get Back on Track

FitSugar — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 03:30:00 -0700

Sunday mornings may start out lazy, but by the time afternoon rolls around, I always feel like it is time to get back on track. Creating a simple routine helps me make sure I have all my duckies in a row, from clean gym clothes packed in my gym bag to a meal plan for the week and steel cut oats started for breakfast. I love ending my weekend with a nice relaxing soak in the tub, which helps me sleep better so I start my upcoming week refreshed and ready to go.

Here are my suggestions for how to get back on track after a busy weekend.

Wash Your Workout Clothes	Plan Your Meals	Schedule Your Workouts
Pack Your Gym Bag	Start Your Oats For Breakfast	Relax With a Bath

What do you do to ensure that you start your week off on the right foot? Tell me how you get back on track in the comments section below.

Encourage Health

FitSugar — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 14:30:00 -0700

Now that you're taking such great care of yourself, and planning to live a long and healthy life, you want the same for the people you care about. What fun would it be to live till you're 99 years old without your friends and family around?

Here are some ways you can encourage them to live a healthy lifestyle:

Exercise together. Invite your loved ones to go for a walk after dinner, an early morning bike ride, a hike, or a game of badminton or Frisbee. Or pop in an exercise DVD to do together. Or take them to a yoga or salsa dance class. The possibilities are endless. Who knows, after a while, they may be motivating you to exercise.
Go grocery shopping together. Point out all the healthy foods and brands you eat like almond butter, avocado, and Stonyfield Farms yogurt. Also point out the ones that have trans fat, those that are high in saturated fat, and those with tons of sodium.
Share healthy recipes and tips. One of my favorite tips (that I learned from a fellow healthy friend) is to pack serving sizes of snacks in little ziploc baggies, instead of eating straight out of the original box or bag.

There are more tips. To hear them, read more

Buy inspirational magazines and books about health and fitness, and leave them on the coffee table, in the bathroom (great place to read), or on their nightstand. If they don't live in the same house as you, pass on the mags you've finished, or loan out your books.
Tell them about new healthy snacks you've discovered, or alternatives to the foods they love, like Gardenburgers instead of hamburgers.
Cook and bake for them. Invite them over for lunch, or bring over a healthy dish to share. Once they see how delicious and satisfying healthy eating is, they'll be more inspired to learn how to cook healthier for themselves.

Do you have any other ways that you encourage others to be healthy? Share your ideas below - I'd love to hear them.

Source

Take Control of Your Health

FitSugar — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 13:00:00 -0800

As 2007 is well under way, maybe you're not making as much progress as you wish you were on your new year's resolution to get healthy.

Best friends, husbands, parents and even coworkers may seem to have the best intentions but their actions may not agree. It is important that you, and your close ones, realize that your decision to get healthy is a positive one and also not one that you are pushing on them. Some people are intimidated by those who are dieting, working out, eating right, etc because it makes them wonder if they should be doing the same and some people are just plain clueless.

So take control of your situation with these simple ideas:

Do the grocery shopping for yourself. If someone else does it for you, then provide a list so that you don't end up with random snacks and sweets. Tell them you appreciate gifts, but cookie dough is not the kind of gift you're looking for right now.

There's more, so read more

Plan group outings. For dessert, walk to the nearest place (ice cream, cake, coffee, etc). Chances are by the time you reach your destination, you won't want it anymore and then whoever you are with still can satisfy her sweet tooth however she wants.
Invite others to play. If your husband or roomie complains they are lonely while you are at the gym, offer to let them come with you and use your guest passes.
Crunch Numbers. If your husband or parents are complaining about how much money you are spending on your gym membership and gear, kindly remind them how much you are saving on not buying junk food. Also, keeping healthy will save you a bundle in health bills down the line.
Be gracious, but don't back-track. If your roomie, parents or husband see all your hard work and kindly reward your efforts with a gift certificate to The Olive Garden then kindly thank them but remind them that a truly great reward would have been a new heart rate monitor or something more relevant to your goals.
Cook. I know, here we are again doing all the work, but sometimes it is just easier to cook the food yourself and know that it is healthy. I love my husband to death but that man loves butter and will cook anything in it, because he doesn't know any better. If I cook he is still satisfied, but he has no idea I used olive oil instead of butter

If you are looking for some extra support come and join Fit's Diet Support Group where dieters dish about dieting.