FitSugar

And the Healthiest City For Women Is . . .

FitSugar — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 12:06:30 -0800

Although Burlington, VT, was recently named the healthiest city by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Self magazine determined that Bethesda, MD, scores highest when it comes to women's health, the lists don't end there. Now Men's Health and Women's Health magazines have come up with their own versions. The duo rated 100 of the largest US cities and ranked them from best to worst. Top on their list for women is Salt Lake City, UT. For men, the healthiest place to live is Madison, WI.

Curious to know which cities are worst according to these magazines? Then read more.

Unfortunately, Bakersfield, CA, was ranked the unhealthiest city for women to live. As for men, Charleston, WV, was last on the list. To create the rankings, the magazines looked at factors including cancer rates, air quality, and the number of gym memberships held by the community. To see the complete list and find out how your city ranked, check out the Women's Health website.

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Who Eats Healthier: Men or Women?

FitSugar — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 04:30:00 -0800

A recent study has found that women display healthier eating habits than their male counterparts. I think this is interesting because in my house, I definitely eat healthier than my husband (though he does try). What do you guys think? In speaking from your own personal experience, do men or women eat healthier?

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What's Your Advice For Getting a Loved One to Shape Up?

FitSugar — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 14:30:00 -0700

You guys are full of great advice and I recently received a question that I thought you would be able to help out with. As they say, two heads are better than one. Here's the question:

"I'm a newlywed and I am concerned for my husband's long-term health. I truly love this man and I want him to be around as long as possible, but he eats like crap and doesn't exercise. I want to try and help him eat better and exercise, but I don't want him to think I am criticizing his appearance (he's not overweight at all) or nagging him. How should I handle it? Or should I just keep my mouth shut?"
- Worried Wife

A lot of people face this problem, if not a husband then a best friend, boyfriend, mother, etc. and I think that one of the best things you can do is to make sure that you are acting as a healthy role model for him. Being critical will get you (and him) nowhere, but inviting your hubby to take a "romantic" stroll after dinner could help in more ways than one.

But that is just my two cents. I am sure you guys have great advice on how to help. Share your advice in the comments section below.

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Signs in Men That Warrant a Doctor's Visit

FitSugar — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 05:30:00 -0700

Don't forget the mens' and fathers' health in our lives, especially on Father's Day. The thing is that women tend to go to the doctor at the first sign of something being wrong while men tend to tune out possible cues. There are some warning signs that men, and the people that love them, should never ignore. CNN has outlined five important signs to watch out for and here are highlights:

Chest pain: You'd think this would be the last thing a man would ignore, but our men's health experts say it happens all the time. Dr. Harvey Simon, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, says, "I tell my medical students that the most common symptoms of a heart attack is chest pain, and the second most common one is denial." Bottom line: Anyone experiencing chest tightness, chest pain or shortness of breath needs medical attention.
A big belly: "Belly fat is the worst fat you can have," says Dr. Harry Fisch, a professor of clinical urology at Columbia. "A big belly is a sign a man has low testosterone levels. And the lower the testosterone, the greater the risk of diabetes and coronary artery disease."

There are three more signs so read more.

An unenthusiastic penis: Impotence may be purely psychological, but it also could be a sign that a man has cardiovascular disease. "The penis is the dipstick of the body's health," Fisch says. If the arteries that supply blood to the penis aren't working right, those supplying blood to the heart and brain might not be working so well either. CNN's experts advise men with erectile dysfunction to use their doctors for more than just Viagra dispensers.
More frequent urination: Urinating more frequently can be a sign of prostatitis, or inflammation of the prostate gland. "I'll ask a patient if he's getting up at night to urinate, and he'll say, 'Oh, yeah, two or three times.' I ask him if that bothers him, and he'll say no. I tell him it should," Fisch says.
Prescription drug addiction: Heidelbaugh says he's seen patients addicted to drugs such as Vicodin and Oxycontin without knowing it. "They never realized they need to get off of them," he says.

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Men Need Folic Acid Too

FitSugar — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 11:10:00 -0700

While there has been a lot of focus on how women of childbearing age should make sure they are getting enough folic acid, there has been little talk about men and folate. Until now.

New research has found that men who are thinking about becoming fathers should also be sure they're getting enough folic acid, since the folates that prevent birth defects when consumed by women may also help keep men's sperm normal. Specifically, it was found that men with a higher folate intake had fewer abnormal sperm in which a chromosome had been lost or gained, known as aneuploidy that can cause failure to conceive, up to a third of miscarriages, and children to be born with Down syndrome and other rare chromosomal syndromes.

So if you're looking to conceive anytime soon then hopefully you and your man are getting at least 400 mg a day of folic acid. You can get your folic acid through a supplement or naturally in some foods.

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Another Reason For Men To Exercise: Live Longer

FitSugar — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 02:00:00 -0800

A new study found that a simple regimen of brisk walking 30 minutes a day at least four to six days a week was enough to halve the risk of premature death from all causes in men. Researchers found that in men it was their fitness level, rather than their age, blood pressure or body-mass index that was most strongly linked to their future risk for death.

What's more? This proves that you, especially all you men, really don't need special clothes, equipment or even a special gym membership to decrease your risk of premature death - a good pair of walking shoes and about 120 minutes per week is all it takes. Plus, walking with your honey is a great way to hang out!

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Fittest and Fattest Cities in The USA

FitSugar — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 09:45:00 -0800

Men's Fitness magazine compared 50 cities in the U.S. to determine the fattest and fittest. Cities were judged based on the habits of population such as nutrition and exercise as well as air quality and availability of public parks.

The fittest cities are:

Baltimore, Maryland
Honolulu, Hawaii
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Tucson, Arizona
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Colorado Springs, Colorado
San Francisco, California
Seattle, Washington
Louisville, Kentucky
Boston, Massachusetts

To see the fattest cities read more

Chicago, Illinois
Las Vegas, Nevada
Los Angeles, California
Dallas, Texas
Houston, Texas
Memphis, Tennessee
Long Beach, California
El Paso, Texas
Kansas City, Missouri
Mesa, Arizona

Source

International Men's Health Week: June 11-17, 2007

FitSugar — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 12:30:00 -0700

Did you know that men are likely to die, on average, nearly six years earlier than women -- and they have higher mortality rates for many of the leading causes of death in America, including heart disease, accidents, suicide, chronic liver disease, and cancer?

This is why June 11th marks the start of the International Men's Health Week to honor the importance of men's health and wellness. As women, the idea around men's health can sometimes seem foreign but it is important to be in the know when it comes to the health of any man in your life.

A book I highly recommend around this subject is From Boys to Men: A Woman's Guide to the Health of Husbands, Partners, Sons, Fathers, and Brothers ($16.00) by M.D. Emily Senay and Rob Waters. As the women in men's lives -- mothers, wives, girlfriends, sisters, and daughters -- we are traditionally in charge of managing their health concerns. From Boys to Men is a fabulous resource designed to arm women with much-needed information about men's health issues and to help them educate their male loved ones on how to take care of themselves. Filled with expert medical advice, personal anecdotes, and a healthy dose of humor, From Boys to Men should resonate with you if you have a man in your life (dad, brother, husband, son, etc). I can honestly say this book is my bible to men's health, especially since I primarily grew up around women. Buy it from SimonSays.com.

Men's Health Worldwide...

FitSugar — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 09:30:00 -0700

Think your man is the best in the whole wide world?

Well Men's Health has scoured the world to find the fittest, healthiest, and happiest men in the world. Check out where your country falls (or doesn't fall)...

Nutrition: Where Men are Well-Fed	Fitness: Where They Work up a Sweat
Portugal Spain Canada Italy Greece Worst Diets: Ukraine	Netherlands Canada Poland Ukraine United Kingdom Most Sedentary: Romania
Work/Stress: Where Relaxation Reigns	Health: Where Men are the Healthiest
Spain Canada Australia United States Romania Most Stressed-Out: India	Australia Netherlands Spain Canada United States Unhealthiest: Ukraine

Nutrition: Where Men are Well-Fed

Fitness: Where They Work up a Sweat

Portugal
Spain
Canada
Italy
Greece

Worst Diets: Ukraine

Netherlands
Canada
Poland
Ukraine
United Kingdom

Most Sedentary: Romania

Work/Stress: Where Relaxation Reigns

Health: Where Men are the Healthiest

Spain
Canada
Australia
United States
Romania

Most Stressed-Out: India

Australia
Netherlands
Spain
Canada
United States

Unhealthiest: Ukraine

Source

Is Christina Hendricks Losing Her Curves?

FitSugar — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:15:00 -0700

Wearing a gorgeous L'Wren Scott dress, Mad Men actress Christina Hendricks showed off her glowing skin and new, slimmer figure at this year's Emmy Awards. Hendricks, who plays the curvy secretary Joan Holloway on the popular series, is said to be dieting for her upcoming nuptials to Geoffrey Arrend.

At an Emmy afterparty, costar January Jones commented that she hopes Hendricks holds onto her signature curves. I think most of you will agree that Hendricks looks amazing as is, but getting in shape before the big day is almost a rite of passage for new brides.

Jones won't have to worry though - Hendricks recently told Self that she is more than content with the way she looks: "My healthiest habit is keeping positive about my body at whatever stage it is - being confident and celebrating who I am at the moment."

To learn how she's tweaking her diet and exercise program, just read more.

The actress went on to describe her diet and says she makes food choices based on seasonality, sticking to high-energy proteins and setting limits on her carb intake. As for her fitness regimen, she and her fiancé meet with a trainer three times a week for a strength and cardio workout: "It's amazing how quick an hour can go by when you work out with someone you love."

I love the approach Hendricks is taking towards her health - it's balanced and, most important, she seems really happy. What do you think: are you worried like Jones that she'll lose her curvy figure?