FitSugar

Just 4 Things 4 Your Health

FitSugar — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 15:45:00 PDT

There are 4 simple things that have been proven to significantly reduce your risk of developing heart disease.

They are:

Eating at least 5 servings of fruits and veggies a day
Exercising at least 30 minutes every day
Maintaining a healthy weight (BMI between 18.5 and 24.9)
Not smoking

These four things are basic components of having a healthy lifestyle and are easy to do. In fact, starting these habits at any time can help improve your overall health. To hear more on this topic I highly recommend you listen to the Fitness Rocks podcast of an interview between Dr. Monte, the host of Fitness Rocks and Dr. Dana King. Dr. King authored a long-term study on the benefits of getting healthy in the middle years. But there is no reason to wait for the middle years to get healthy.

Mad Men's 5 Maddest Moments: "The Other Woman"

Becky Kirsch — Mon, 28 May 2012 17:22:20 PDT

The titular "other woman" in this week's episode of Mad Men is actually a car, but the ladies of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce - Peggy and Joan - are also courted in very different ways. Both women make major decisions that impact their careers and their futures (not to mention the whole dynamic of SCDP).

The way that Joan and Peggy handle their respective situations truly showcases just how different these women are, even if they both have the same ambition and devotion to success at heart. I can't get into it without revealing a few spoilers, though, so let's break down the biggest moments when you

The ending of an era: Peggy's leaving Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce! This is by far the show's biggest shake-up since Don and Megan's engagement, and it's bittersweet because it happens right in the middle of all the Jaguar madness. Peggy's felt a bit out of place all season long (especially thanks to Ginsberg), and when Don embarrasses her in his office, it's the last straw. She seeks out old friend Freddy Rumsen for advice, and he tells her she should cast her feelings aside and start exploring her options. She's quickly snatched up by a rival agency, for even more money than her asking price. Don can't believe it when Peggy breaks the news (you can practically see the smoke coming out of his ears), but he keeps his temper in check long enough to give her a very tender, heartfelt goodbye. She tells Don not to be a stranger, but could Peggy really be gone for good? I'm happy to see her character moving on, but would definitely miss her on the show.
Indecent proposal: As the writers are busily brainstorming for the upcoming Jaguar campaign, Pete and Ken get a rude awakening from Herb, the head of the dealers association. He mentions over dinner that he'd give SCDP a leg up - if he can sleep with Joan. Pete makes the already-uncomfortable situation even worse by having the nerve to bring it up to Joan in the most obnoxious way possible. She says the company "can't afford" her, which Pete takes to the partners as a bargaining chip. Don and Lane are horrified, but the rest of the guys are open to seeing what Joan will do.
A dirty job: After the partners meeting, Lane takes his turn discussing the situation with Joan. At first, she's annoyed, and I felt a tinge of sadness for her when she learns about the discussion, especially when she asks if Roger was involved. Lane's still not quite endorsing the idea of Joan whoring herself out, but he proposes that she ask Pete to become a partner rather than just taking a check. She takes his advice, which gets Lane out of yet another sticky monetary situation.
Slippery Pete: Pete's creepy ways are mostly reserved for the way he handles the Joan/Jaguar situation, but we also get another brief peek into his troubles at home. After a rousing rendition of "Goodnight Moon," Pete and Trudy get into a tiff when he mentions that he's tired of his long commute and wants an apartment in the city. Trudy says absolutely not, but it's clear that his distaste for the suburban life is only getting worse.
Game changer: When Don gets wind of the fact that Joan will sleep with Herb in exchange for a partnership, he's angry and shows up at her door. He tells her that he doesn't want to win the campaign this way, and she's appreciative of the fact that he's the only one that stood up for her. It seems that he may have changed her mind, but twist! We learn that it's too late, and she's already slept with Herb. The guys nab the campaign the next day, but the look on Don's face when he sees Joan in the partners meeting says it all.

With only two episodes left in the season, what'd you think of all the happenings on Mad Men? Were you surprised about Joan's or Peggy's decisions?

Photo courtesy of AMC

Sex and Hare Krishna: Mad Men's Mother Lakshmi Didn't Follow the Rules

Annie Scudder — Mon, 21 May 2012 12:03:03 PDT

This week on Mad Men, we get a visit from Paul Kinsey, who has gone from progressive, pipe-smoking copy editor to confused Hare Krishna devotee. The Hare Krishna movement was founded in NYC in 1966, the year that's coming to a close on this season, and attracted beatniks like Allen Ginsberg and Beatle George Harrison, one of its most famous followers. The International Society for Krishna Consciousness, or the Hare Krishna Movement, as it is officially known, is based on Hindu traditions and got the attention of the city's hippies when it started. Ironically, it did not back free love.

On the episode, Paul Kinsey's Hare Krishna love interest, Mother Lakshmi, decides to seduce Paul's friend and former co-worker, Harry Crane. Showing up at the office, she lets Harry believe that sleeping together is not against the rules of the religion. You can't blame Harry for believing her, since the Hare Krishna meeting he attended had a strong counter-culture vibe. But in fact, "no illicit sex" is one of the four regulative principles of Hare Krishna consciousness.

Sexual contact is only OK between married couples for the purpose of reproduction, and sex is considered the most powerful connection to the material world, a bond Hare Krishnas want to break. The other three rules include: no eating meat, fish, or eggs, no gambling, and no use of intoxicants. Devoted Hare Krishnas would have disapproved of Roger Sterling's acid drop. But, of course, not everyone followed the rules in the '60s and high-profile members like Allen Ginsberg disagreed with the prohibitions.

Vegetarianism and yoga were part of what made Hare Krishna exotic back in the 1960s, while its negative attitudes toward premarital sex were conventional then. Today, things have switched around. Its rule against sex for pleasure seems extreme, thanks to the sexual revolution, while vegetarianism and yoga have gone mainstream.

US Restaurants, Bars, and Workplaces Could Be Smoke Free by 2020

Heather Dale — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 14:34:04 PDT

With smoking-related deaths on the rise, US health officials are predicting that smoking bans will cover all US workplaces, bars, and restaurants by 2020. As of December 2010, the CDC reports that 26 US states had imposed comprehensive smoke-free laws and that nearly half of the country's residents were covered by some sort of state or local smoke-free laws. The laws have certainly come a long way baby, considering back in 2000 there weren't any indoor smoking bans. If trends continue, all 50 states should have implemented some form of protection for nonsmokers by the end of this decade.

But what's interesting to note here is that the perceived smoking capital of the world, France, adopted the nationwide ban on smoking in public places back in 2007. Is the US lagging behind in its smoking-ban laws? Is another nine years too long to wait for all of these laws to take effect? Please weigh in below!

Did You Give Up All Your Vices When You Got Pregnant?

Lisa Horten — Fri, 18 May 2012 14:05:52 PDT

We all have our guilty pleasures, but when a new life comes into play, it's time to give them up . . . or so we thought. A recently released study from the Center For Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality was intended to evaluate the breakdown of substance use during pregnancy by race. But the outcome that shocks us most is that one in five women smoke while they're pregnant! Of those, Caucasian women are most likely to smoke, followed by black women, and then Hispanics.

When it comes to consuming alcohol, Caucasian and black women are about equally likely (12 percent) to imbibe during pregnancy, while Hispanic women are least likely.

Back in 2009, expectant mom Rebecca Gayheart caused a stir when she was spotted smoking, and in a more recent (and perhaps less extreme) example of pregnant celebs behaving badly, Kourtney Kardashian was seen with highlighted tresses. Now we're wondering . . . did you give up your bad habits when you were pregnant?

Tina Fey Shares Memories of Her Skinny and Chubby Years

Susi May — Fri, 18 May 2012 12:56:14 PDT

Happy Birthday to our fave funny lady! Tina Fey turns 42 today. We've been fans of the actress, writer, and comedienne since her early days on Saturday Night Live. Like many of us, Tina's weight has fluctuated over the course of her career, and to mark her birthday, we're sharing some of her funny quotes from juice cleanses to body image.

Before making the leap from writers room to on-camera talent, Tina followed the pragmatic Weight Watchers program to drop pounds. But that doesn't mean she hasn't dabbled in more extreme techniques to lose weight. She explained to Jimmy Fallon, "I don't really believe in those [cleanses] - your body's not like a purse. You're not supposed to turn it inside out and shake it. But I was like, 'Oh, I don't care. I just need to jump-start this.' So I tried it." After an allergic reaction caused her lips to swell, she abandoned a juice cleanse. Go figure.

These days, Tina works out with trainer when she can fit a session into her hectic schedule, and if she can't, she takes a walk. She's even become a fan of yoga and the superfood kale.

Before settling into her healthy weight, Tina experienced both sides of the weight equation and shared her memories of these phases in her book, Bossypants. In two short, consecutive chapters, she explains the positive and negatives of the different times. Keep reading for a brief excerpt after the break.

How to Spray Perfume in Your Hair (Yes, There Are Rules)

Jessica Cruel — Tue, 15 May 2012 05:02:00 PDT

So, you've been spritzing your favorite fragrance on your hair to get a scent that wafts through the air with every hair flip. And while perfume can mask smoke and other unwanted odors, the question remains: Is it safe for your strands? It turns out, there are a couple things you should ask yourself before you turn your body spray into a hair mist.

What's in this? Eau de parfums usually contain a high alcohol content in order to make the scent last - even up to 20 percent. Although alcohol is a necessary evil, when you're searching for a type to spray in strands, look for a brand with lower levels (10 percent or less), recommends celebrity stylist Serge Normant. Also, consider if the perfume contains ingredients that can be good for your hair. Normant, for instance, is set to launch a low-alcohol fragrance for hair and body, Avah, on June 1, and the juice is formulated with hair-nourishing vitamin E, jojoba oil, and aloe vera.

How should I apply it? If you decide to spritz your hair with a fragrance, don't get it too close because it will rewet your hair and saturate it with alcohol. Normant recommends spraying the product in the air instead, and then walking through to get a light mist. Ahh.

Source: Flickr User AMELIA SPEED formerly foxandfeathers

Lox and Smoked Salmon: Not Exactly the Same Thing

Susannah Chen — Thu, 19 May 2011 11:14:01 PDT

Though the terms "smoked salmon" and "lox" are used interchangeably, they're in fact, not quite the same thing. Real lox (also called belly lox) refers to the midsection of a salmon that's simply been cured in a salt brine; consequently, it possesses a saltier flavor than what many of us associate with smoked salmon.

Part of the confusion arises from the use of the term "Nova lox" or "Nova salmon," which originally referred to the lightly cured and cold-smoked salmon that hailed from Nova Scotia.

Today, smoked salmon is often prepared using wild and farm-raised salmon from both the Atlantic as well as the Pacific - and modern-day usage of the term has further blurred the distinction between lox, Nova lox, and smoked salmon. Did you know the distinction between the two?

Source: Flickr User jeredb

Could Cigarettes' Negative Sexual Side Effects Make Smokers Consider Quitting?

Annie Scudder — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 10:35:18 PDT

The post-coital cigarette is something of legend, but have too many, and you might not have many chances to light up after sex. Smokers are twice as likely to develop erectile dysfunction and nicotine impacts blood flow to lady parts, too.

Quitting smoking is hard because it forces us to put off immediate gratification. The latest episode of Radio Lab explores this challenge and follows 80-year-old Zelda Gamson, a woman who tried to quit smoking for decades. She couldn't until one day she told her friend she would donate $5,000 to the KKK if she ever smoked again. And it worked!

Neuroscientist David Eagleman explains that rewards offered right now (a satisfied cigarette craving) have so much more power than the things offered later (avoiding cancer and death). Zelda could quit when she tied the long-term plan to quit to an immediate feeling of disgust associated with the KKK. The immediate disgust fought the immediate desire. It was now vs. now. This reminds me of the cigarette packages plastered with graphic pictures of sick patients, or as they do in Europe, with bold letters warning that smoking causes sexual dysfunction - they try to illicit an immediate threat.

Since sex is about immediate desire, maybe reminding smokers that they can trade the instant gratification of a cigarette for better sex will help them rethink the cigarette. Let's just hope they don't hit a dry spell!

Bryan Caswell Will Host Food Network's Best in Smoke

Susannah Chen — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 15:06:39 PDT

We've got more details on one of Food Network's brand-new primetime television shows, Best in Smoke: turns out the reality TV series, which premieres May 8 at 10 p.m., will be hosted by none other than The Next Iron Chef's "linebacker ballerina" Bryan Caswell.

The Texas restaurateur, who's no amateur when it comes to barbecue himself, will follow America's best pitmasters as they compete head to head in venues across Manhattan for a $50,000 grand prize and the title of "best in smoke." He'll be joined by judges celebrity chef Tim Love, cookbook author Amy Mills Tunnicliffe, and James Beard Foundation executive Mitchell Davis.

Contestants include "Famous Dave" Anderson, founder of Famous Dave's America; Chris Hart, winner of the 2009 Jack Daniel's Invitational; Sara Horowitz, runner-up at the Versus National BBQ Championship series; Matt Lang, former head chef at New York's Fette Sau; Chris Lilly, vice president at Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q Restaurant; and Brad Orrison, founder of The Shed BBQ.

I'm a huge fan of both barbecue and Bryan, so I can already smell the hickory smoke coming out of my TV screen. Will you tune in to watch?

Source