FitSugar

What's the Deal With Jeremy Piven's High Mercury Counts?

FitSugar — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 03:00:00 -0800

It's not every day that a celebrity has to give up a project because of dangerously high mercury levels, but Jeremy Piven had to leave his role in Speed-the-Plow, currently playing on Broadway, because he was too sick to continue working. The actor's physician, Dr. Carlon Colker, spoke about Jeremy's condition and stated that the mercury levels in his blood were nearly six times the limit and the highest he's ever seen.

According to Dr. Colker, Jeremy's symptoms began with "extreme fatigue and exhaustion" and progressed to "profound neuromuscular weakness, dizziness and nausea."

To learn what caused his high mercury counts and the scary, accompanying symptoms, read more.

Dr. Colker attributes Jeremy's sky-high mercury levels to his diet, namely, the habit of eating sushi twice a day for many years. Fish is a yummy source of lean protein, but we do need to be cautious about how much we're eating because of mercury content. Most of us are probably consuming safe amounts, although women who are pregnant and nursing moms should pay particular attention to the fish they're eating. If you're concerned about how much mercury is in your diet, check out my handy chart that breaks down the mercury in different types of fish.

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Living and Raw Foods Diet

FitSugar — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 03:30:00 -0700

I've been hearing a lot about people on a Raw Foods Diet. It's also called a Living Foods Diet, and many celebrities such as Demi Moore, Woody Harrelson, Bryan Adams, Alicia Silverstone and Robin Williams have reportedly been seen at raw food restaurants and have tried it. Designer Donna Karan and actor Jeremy Piven shed pounds eating raw foods. It was even featured on Oprah.

People following this diet (or you could also say "lifestyle", since there are a lot of folks that eat RAW not to lose weight but for the philosophy) eat only uncooked, unheated, unprocessed, and organic plant based foods. Well...food that has not been heated above a certain temperature. It varies within the different raw food philosophies, but the end range temperature is in between 92ºF to 118ºF (33°C to 48°C). Meals consist mainly of organic and raw fruits, vegetables, sprouted seeds and grains, sea vegetables, nuts, and seeds since they believe cooking destroys precious vitamins and minerals. For instance to eat grains, instead of cooking them, they are soaked. Raw foodies believe their uncooked foods contain essential enzymes, which the body needs to digest foods completely.

They drink only purified water (never tap water), freshly made juices (made with a juicer), and coconut milk. They avoid meat, dairy, sugar, alcohol, coffee (because you make it with boiling water), and all junk food. They only eat foods that are good for you, you know, the ones that are full of vitamins and nutrients.

Why eat just raw and living foods? It is said that you'll have more energy, think more clearly, have improved overall health, and lose excess body weight. Many people have also found relief from migraines, acne, asthma, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, depression, heartburn, anxiety, and Type 2 diabetes.

Fit's Tips: If you want to learn more about it, check out Alissa Cohen's website all about The Raw Food Diet. She even includes recipes for burgers, pizza, cannolis, and chocolate cake - all made with raw foods and no animal products.

Want to see a video showing how to make a pasta dish with raw foods? Then read more

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Get the Bod: Jeremy Piven

FitSugar — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 03:30:00 -0800

While I was browsing through the February issue of Cosmopolitan, I found a great little blurb on Jeremy Piven, who I love by the way, talking about his weight loss.

I don't want to neglect the boys, ahem I mean men, in Hollywood so here is what he did to drop some weight:

Cosmo: "Is it true you dropped 20 pounds to play your character in Smokin’ Aces?"

Jeremy Piven: “This character was an entertainer - a magician turned gangster turned snitch - and he was doing a great deal of cocaine. If you’re gonna abuse yourself that heavily and rob your body of nutrients, you’re gonna lose body weight. I went down to about 158 just by eating smaller meals and more meals on a strict raw-food diet. Oddly enough, I was in the best shape of my life to portray the worst shape of my life.”

Interesting, I wouldn't have pinned him as a raw-food diet kind of guy. Jeremy definitely makes me laugh in Entourage but he loves to make himself laugh with Laughter Yoga. There's more on funny man Jeremy in Cosmo's Feb issue, so check it out on newsstands now.

[Cosmopolitian: February 2007, pg. 110]

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Teri Hatcher and Friends Do the Nautica Malibu Tri

FitSugar — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 04:30:44 -0700

The Nautica Malibu Triathlon was held yesterday, and what makes this triathlon famous are the famous contestants that race it. Celebs often compete to raise money for the Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. Last year Jennifer Lopez competed, and training helped her lose some of her baby weight. This year Teri Hatcher competed to scratch a triathlon off her "bucket list."

She was joined by costar Felicty Huffman, who is a triathlon veteran, as is her husband William H. Macy, who also competed. Jeremy Piven, Mario Lopez, and 2007 Bachelor and Ironman athlete Andy Baldwin raced in the triathlon as well. The triathlon consisted of a 880-yard swim, an 18-mile bike ride, and a 4-mile run. Looks like everyone had fun and started their day with a great workout.

For shots of all these competitors, keep on reading.

Healthy Dose Link Time

FitSugar — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 11:00:24 -0700

Learn how to tame your cravings - Shape
Remember Ruby? She's back and her weight loss journey continues - That's Fit
Saturated fat is no longer the enemy? - Nutrition Data Blog
Reebok's EasyTone workout sneakers reviewed - Vitamin G
How does the sugar in your salad dressing stack up? - Vital Juice Daily
Jeremy Piven is serious about yoga - FitCeleb
Frozen dairy-free custard recipe with serious amounts of protein - Mark's Daily Apple
Simple trick to keep fog out of your goggles - Fresh Fitness Tips

Another Reason to Avoid High Fructose Corn Syrup: Mercury

FitSugar — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 03:00:00 -0800

The Corn Refiners Association has been hard at work trying to change our perceptions about high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), but they may have a new public relations battle on their hands. Two new US reports found mercury in both commercial samples of HFCS and products that listed high fructose corn syrup as the first or second ingredient.

Almost half the commercial samples of the corn sweetener tested positive for mercury, and almost a third of the tested food and beverage products contained detectable levels of the heavy metal as well. The products include beverages and foods manufactured by Quaker, Hershey's, Kraft, and Smucker's. The highest levels of mercury were detected in dairy beverages like chocolate milk, dressings, and condiments (BBQ sauce), followed by snacks and desserts, including cereal bars.

To see how mercury ended up in this corn-derived sweetener, read more.

Mercury is a toxic heavy metal that can lead to organ and heart damage, as well as impair the immune and nervous systems. While high mercury levels have been associated with eating too much of certain kinds of fish, like in Jeremy Piven's case, finding mercury in HFCS is a bit startling for the average consumer. The mercury found in HFCS is a byproduct of the caustic soda used, among other applications, to separate the starch from the corn kernel. While many processing plants that manufacture this industrial soda have altered their methods to eliminate the use of mercury, four plants in the US still employ the old mercury-based technology.

If you already avoid HFCS, this is no time to stop. Keep reading labels and be sure to visit the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy to read their very detailed report on this matter.

Source

Get Moving This 4th of July...

FitSugar — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 10:15:00 -0700

To many of us, the Fourth of July means stuffing our faces at a barbecue with family and friends. No major harm done since it only rolls around once a year.

However, take a few pointers from seriously toned Matthew McConaughey (and his party pals Jeremy Piven and Woody Harrelson) and offset all those extra calories (think beer and s'mores) you're taking in with a few fun activities for everyone to do.

Activity	Calories Burned in 30 Mins (*Based on an 130 pound person.)
Billiards	74
Frisbee	90
Volleyball	101
Badminton	133
Soccer (casual)	207
Basketball (1/2 court)	242
Football (touch)	257
Handball	355
Playing with Kids	117

I couldn't find that stats for how many calories you could burn during a mean game of water balloon toss, but you can bet I'll be organizing a game or two. There's more pics of hot Matt playing frisbee and football so read more

View 13 Photos ›

Flynet

Laughter Yoga: It's No Joke

FitSugar — Wed, 06 Dec 2006 14:00:00 -0800

Check out this new fitness fad. It's part traditional Yoga, part improv, and part just plain silliness. It's called Laughter Yoga.

The class begins with everyone walking down the street with their hands in the air laughing hysterically. After "warming up," they form a little circle and begin clapping and chanting. Then they have a group stretch session.

The 45 minutes of light Yoga poses are combined with improv-style exercises to get you to loosen up emotionally. Things like telling an imaginary joke in gibberish, or playing on an imaginary swing set, or pretending to be a seal on the beach.

They wind down by lying on their backs, murmuring nonsense words, chuckling spontaneously, and beating their chests.

Laughter Yoga goers admit to feeling self-conscious at first, but then they just got connected to their inner child, and didn't care.

Want to find out more? Check out the American School of Laughter Yoga website.

Fit's Tip: Need a little inspiration? Check out gigglesugar.com

Want to know which celebrity is way serious about Laughter Yoga? Then read more

Jeremy Piven of HBO's Entourage is into Laughter Yoga and has also been spotted at the Jivamukti studio. He explores his passion for Yoga in India on the Discovery Channel's show Journey of a Lifetime.