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.

"I Just Got Separated: Should I Stay Hopeful or Move On?"

Tres Community — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 03:05:00 PST

This question is from a Group Therapy post in our TrèsSugar Community. Add your advice in the comments!

My partner and I separated recently, and it has been very hard on both us and the kids. Things were simply getting out of hand; too much verbal and emotional abuse on both ends. We were together four years and I was very happy and in love at the beginning, but once I began working things started to go downhill.

We were engaged to be married, but since things were not going as well as planned, I decided to give him back the ring. Between stress, work, and money troubles, we just had too many problems. When I wanted to have sex (usually at night because the kids were asleep), he would reject me, and when he wanted to have sex (usually in the mornings when I needed to get ready for work), I simply wasn't up to it. In short, I am a very independent woman and I do not like being controlled.

I had to leave my apartment to get myself and the kids out of that toxic situation. I still feel so alone and confused, but I am definitely relieved. Since we do share one child together, (2 yr old) we must keep in touch and come to an agreement on custody. Right now, he has him twice a week and every other weekend, in addition to giving me $70 a week to help support him.
One huge problem I have with him right now is that I don't want him to smoke pot when he's around his son. Honestly, I had no idea it was such a large problem until now. I knew he smoked, but I thought maybe once the baby was born, he could give that up. Clearly, I was wrong. I don't want to keep him from his son, but I really don't like that fact that he has to be under the influence with his child. Is that wrong?

I am hopeful that maybe time is what we need to appreciate each other more and maybe we will be able to get back together sometime in the future. Although it may sound ridiculous, I did love him - I was just exhausted of all the arguments. I feel so tired, damaged, and jaded. I need therapy, but it's just too expensive.
Any feedback from you readers would be greatly appreciated.

Have a dilemma of your own? Post it anonymously to Group Therapy for advice, and check out what else is happening in the TrèsSugar Community.

Chick-a-Dee: A Smoke Detector For Design Fans

Elka Karl — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:47:17 PST

During the New York International Gift Fair this past weekend, bloggers nominated their favorite products, with Evan Orensten from CoolHunting naming the Chick-a-Dee his personal favorite. Designed by artist Louise van der Veld, the Chick-a-Dee smoke detector was developed through a Dutch design contest that aimed to raise raise public awareness of fire hazards in and around the home. Fifty designs were submitted, and the Chick-a-Dee smoke detector emerged as the winner thanks to its innovative, unique design and social relevance.

For design lovers, the Chick-a-Dee provides a smoke detector that's a joy to look at in your home - not a liability. And who can argue with a chirping, rather than beeping and screeching, smoke alarm? At the first sign of smoke, the Chick-a-Dee makes the chick-a-dee-dee call of the bird it's named after, with the call's volume increasing and turning into a loud dee-dee-dee sound if smoke thickens.The Chick-a-Dee comes with a battery with a one-and-a-half-year battery life and a three-year warranty.

You can buy one online for around $79 US, or wait until the product hits the virtual and real US shelves this month.

Foods That Can Make You Look Pregnant

Shape — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 04:29:06 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar.

Over the weekend, I saw a photo of a female celebrity (who is in a relationship with a male celeb) leaving a café with the caption, "Baby bump?" and I had to refrain myself from shouting out loud, "Come on, can't a girl eat without the world thinking she's having a baby?!"

The truth is having a perfectly flat stomach all the time just isn't normal. After you eat or drink, food and liquids naturally expand your stomach and intestines, so at least a little "bump" is inevitable every single day. So if you regularly get stalked by paparazzi or you have family members who are anxiously awaiting news of a new addition, here's the lowdown on when you might get mistaken for being pregnant:

See which foods may make you look pregnant after the break!

Beautiful Skin Starts Here

Sponsor — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 03:00:00 PST

Let's face it: our skin takes a serious beating from the environment. Blame ultraviolet light, smoke, or pollution, but those years of tanning and urban dwelling take a toll. The result? Skin that looks old before its time. We're talking lines and wrinkles (GASP!).

Luckily, Estée Lauder has been on the case for 30 years. Their No. 1 serum, Advanced Night Repair, touts patented, never-been-duplicated technology that helps your skin fight back against all those environmental assaults. And since it's NEVER too soon to start taking care of that pretty face of yours, now's the time to get your hands on this serious serum.

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!

Stoner Celebs: Who Said It?

Tara Sharp — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 12:10:16 PDT

It's April 20, also known as 4/20, so in honor of this high holiday, I've rounded up some celebs who've been known to smoke a joint here or there and aren't afraid to share their weed appreciation. It seems every day there's either a Hollywood fixture joking about the grassy drug in an interview or being arrested for it. Seems a little contradictory, right? Well, let's see if you can match the quote about pot to the celeb who said it.

Question 1 of 10

"We went to high school together, [Snoop Dogg] was a year older than me, and I'm pretty sure I bought weed from him."

Casa Capsule: Stylish Smoke Alarms, 2012 Market Trends, February Must Haves, and More!

Angela Swinderman Elias — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 10:00:00 PST

Finally, a smoke detector for design fans!
Get inspired with Wanderlust decor.
Who needs rugs when you can have painted floors?
Make sure your Valentine's Day table is pretty and pink.
David Stark and Nina Freudenberger launch Wood Shop.
Don't miss these Valentine's Day cards from Etsy.
Scarlett Johansson and Ryan Reynolds finally list their eco-friendly modern LA home.
See which products I flipped for at Las Vegas Winter 2012 Market.
Check out our February must haves.

Are Your Birth Control Pills Safe?

Shape — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 04:06:17 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar.

Last year during my annual exam, when I complained to my doctor about my terrible PMS, she was quick to pull out her pad and give me a prescription for the birth control pill Yaz. "You're going to love this," she said. "All of my patients that are on it think it's the best. It's even helped some of them lose weight!"

Less PMS and not having to worry about my weight? I was sold, even though I'd only intended to talk to her about lifestyle and/or diet modifications since my birth control needs were already taken care of. Before I stopped into the pharmacy, however, I looked up the pill online (Paging Dr. Google!). The results were anything but the lovefest I'd been promised. In fact, the information I found scared me so badly that I never filled that prescription.

Am I Normal? Your Top Six Sex Questions Answered

It quickly became evident that I wasn't the only woman concerned when Yaz and it's sister pill Yazmin, two of the most popular pills on the market, came up for review by the FDA after reports that the manufacturer may have hid and minimized critical health risks. But is the hysteria warranted?

Find out how safe birth control pills are after the break!

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