FitSugar

Good News for Moms With Strollers

FitSugar — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 11:00:00 PDT

Here is some good news for mom's who like to run with strollers...

A study from Texas A&M found that running with a stroller provided a much more intense workout than running without a stroller and there was no difference in stride length and overall running gait. In other words: Your form is not compromised by pushing the stroller. This is good news for any of us moms that were thinking it was a bad idea to run with the stroller. So get out there and get a really good workout, without having to get a sitter. Just make sure you've got a stroller that can handle it such as a Baby Jogger.

Want to get even more out of your stroller jogs? Hook up a Strollometer to your stroller to see your distance, speed and time.

Exclusive! Proactiv Names Jurnee Smollett Its Newest Spokesperson

Jaime Richards — Tue, 01 May 2012 06:00:00 PDT

You might remember her as Michelle Tanner's feisty friend Denise on Full House or as hard-working high school student Jess Merriweather in Friday Night Lights, and now actress, singer, and activist Jurnee Smollett has landed a new role: Proactiv's newest spokesperson. Jurnee, who has battled acne since she was 10 years old, admits she tried just about everything, from facial treatments to doctors appointments to peels, before she had the consistent success she has found with Proactiv.

"It goes back to a few months before I was getting married," she explains. "I was shooting Friday Night Lights in Austin, [and with] the humidity, the great Texas food, the hormones, and the stress of me planning the wedding, my skin was freaking out." Although frustrated, Jurnee felt her complexion issues added a realistic element to her character. "I kept telling myself, "'I'm playing a 16-year-old high student. It's OK; high school students break out,'" she reveals. "But no one wants to break out, whether you're a teenager or not!" See the rest of Jurnee's story now.

How a Determined Desiree Davila Won a Spot on the US Olympic Marathon Team

espnW — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 04:25:02 PDT

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from espnW here on FitSugar! This week's is an inspiring story about marathoner Desiree Davila, who will be representing the US in the Olympics for her first time. The following is an excerpt; read the entire story here.

By Bonnie D. Ford

At last January's Olympic trials in Houston, Texas, four top women had distanced themselves from the field: Desiree Davila, fellow favorites Shalane Flanagan and Kara Goucher, and Amy Hastings. Davila increased her tempo. Hastings dropped back. Davila forged on with Flanagan and Goucher, her five-foot-two, 98-pound frame dwarfed by her taller rivals. Then, with two miles to go, Flanagan kicked into a higher gear, and Davila was faced with another decision: should she try to match the surge and bid for the win, taking the chance that her cramping calves would betray her, or maintain her pace and protect her spot on the team?

Davila weighed the situation and decided not to risk it. Flanagan soloed to the line, and Davila secured her Olympic spot by finishing second, 17 seconds back, in 2:25:55. It was a tough, savvy race, and the latest evidence that Davila's gradual climb to the top is peaking at an ideal juncture.

After a largely anonymous high school and college career in the arid heat of Southern California and Arizona, she migrated to Michigan to join the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project in 2005. The elite training environment in a harsher climate helped her transform herself into "a contender, not just someone who's on the line and might have a good day," as she put it.

The Lesson Learned From Second Place

Davila debuted at the marathon distance in Boston in 2007 and ran 2:44.56 in a raging northeaster. A year later on the same course, Davila thought she had progressed enough to make the Olympic team. At mile 21, running fourth, it looked as if she'd been right. But Davila, who hadn't hydrated and eaten enough before the race, ran out of gas and faded to 13th.

She was devastated. Fellow marathoner and friend Amy Hastings was there to comfort her, and so was sister Natalie Davila. "If I'm investing my money in someone right now, it's you," the older sister said. "You're going in the right direction - you're going up."

Read on for more of Desiree Davila's road to the Olympics after the break.

Shawn Johnson Takes Us Inside Training Camp

espnW — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 12:04:59 PDT

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from espnW here on FitSugar!

By Shawn Johnson

Shawn Johnson is blogging for espnW throughout her training for the Olympics in London this summer. Follow her journey and other Olympic hopefuls on espnW.com.

Say "camp" to an ordinary kid and she'll probably tell you about bonfires and sing-alongs and arts and crafts. Say it to an elite gymnast, and she'll tell you camp is every four weeks outside New Waverly, Texas, at "the ranch" - the national team training center.

Shawn Johnson in the Driver's Seat

The ranch is a lot different than it sounds. Yes, there are animals (camels, peacocks and lots of deer!), but it's also fully equipped with multiple gyms, a row of cabins for gymnasts, a separate row for their coaches and dining facilities. It's an honor to be asked to attend the national team camps, but spending a few days there is also really hard work, especially for a slightly older body like mine. I'm used to it, though - after all, I've been going to camp since I was 12 years old, and I'm now 20.

When we're there, we wake up around 6:45 a.m. and head straight for breakfast. Most of the girls grab eggs and coffee before we go back to our cabins and get ready to hit the gym. National team coordinator Martha Karolyi has an unwritten rule: If you're not 30 minutes early to practice, you're late. So although practice starts at 8:30, we all get there at 8. We get heat packs, get taped and do whatever we need to get ready, then sit in a loose circle on the floor and wait. At 8:30 on the dot, Martha walks out of the office. It's a signal - we stand up, line up and address her. She gives our assignments for the day, and we start practice.

My last camp, three weeks ago, was just a check-in for me. I'm not competition-ready yet, but it was good to be in the gym, working alongside all of the other girls. I'm impressed by them all, but I try not to watch too much because it makes me nervous. I don't want to compare myself to them yet; because of my knee injury and rehab, I'm not where they are right now.

Shawn Johnson Rehabbing, Eyeing London

Read on for more of a day in the life of Shawn Johnson at training camp.

Paralympian April Holmes Making a Name as a Winner

espnW — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 11:35:45 PDT

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from espnW here on FitSugar!

By Adena Andrews

April Holmes may have lost part of her leg, but the Paralympics star refuses to be seen as handicapped. She's on a quest to finish what she started in 2008 and come home with two medals in London. Follow more journeys to London on espnW.com.

April Holmes was in first place during the 200-meter final at the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing when the spike on her prosthetic left leg got caught on the track, causing her to fall to the ground. Another competitor stepped on Holmes' face with a track spike. Holmes also caused Marie-Amelie le Fur of France to fall. Despite a right eye filled with blood and a bruised leg, Holmes hobbled to the finish line to complete the race. "I have this thing about finishing whatever you start, so despite my condition I was going to cross the finish line," she wrote in her blog.

Amanda McGrory Rules Wheelchair Race Scene

Five days later, despite being sore and tired, Holmes raced in the 100-meter final. Her leg and hips hurt so much she could barely warm up. She even told her competitors they were going to win the race. "I could barely lift my leg, but I never let [my family] know," Holmes said. "They would be too concerned and I didn't need the pity party. Instead, I needed energy and God." As Holmes likes to say it was "by the grace of God," that she crossed the finish line to win gold in the 100 in 13.72 seconds. That's three seconds slower than the able-body Olympic record held by Florence Griffith-Joyner. Holmes would later discover she did it all with a labral tear in her left hip.

Failure Not an Option For Texas' Beverly Kearney

Holmes was elated with her first gold, but on the flight home she couldn't help but think she should have two medals around her neck. That's why she began training two months later for the 2012 Games. Her goal is to claim the 200 medal that eluded her in Beijing.

Before the Paralympics - where she became the fastest amputee in her class, holding world records in the 100, 200 and 400 - Holmes was an All-American in the 400 and 4x400 relay at Norfolk State. After graduation she started working and gave up competitive athletics.

Read on for how April ended up competing in the Paralympics.

Change Up Your Decor For Free at the Blu Dot Furniture Swap Meet 2012

Stylelist Home — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 05:00:38 PST

I'm excited to present a post from one of my favorite sites, Stylelist Home!

Here's your chance to switch up your furniture without spending a penny (seriously). The Minneapolis, MN-based furniture company Blu Dot is bringing back its popular "swap meet," an online auction that the company launched last year. The concept is that anyone can "swap" a personal collection, homemade craft, or yes, even a unique talent that a person may have in exchange for one of Blu Dot's modern furniture pieces. The contest just kicked off and runs through March 19.

How do you get in on this? To start, offer up something (a "bid") that you want to swap, and post it on bludot.com/swapmeet. Then pick out any piece of furniture from Blu Dot's website that you would like in exchange. If Blu Dot decides that your bid is reasonable, you'll get the furniture piece as long as you uphold your end of the bargain. To give an idea of what has been swapped previously, last year's bids included items as simple as artwork and sculptures to more unusual things such as offering GMAT/GRE tutoring lessons and providing a full-on Texas BBQ feast.

We're pretty excited about the return of the swap meet this year, since there's no money involved and, well, we can definitely use some Blu Dot furniture in our homes. Also, we just love the concept and how it's such a great way to encourage creatives to show off what they've got, be it a quirky collection of things or a fascinating skill that they have.

We have a few things we can think of for the swap meet - how about you? What would you swap for a brand-new couch? Get started at bludot.com/swapmeet and let us know your bid in the comments below.

8 Things to Know About Top Chef Texas Winner Paul Qui

Susannah Chen — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 16:22:21 PST

In case you missed it, last night Paul Qui took home the title on season nine of Top Chef. The executive chef of Uchiko and East Side King in Austin, TX, who won eight of the 16 elimination challenges on Top Chef Texas, beat out fellow finalist Sarah Grueneberg by coming out on top in an elimination challenge with a clam dashi broth and coconut-Thai chile ice cream.

Besides holding the champion title and being $125,000 richer, Qui now faces a higher public profile than he's ever held before. Whether you watch the show or now, there's no doubt you'll be seeing much more of him - so here are a few things you should know about the newly crowned Top Chef.

He's a James Beard Award semifinalist. Qui's been nominated as a semifinalist for the Best Chef: Southwest award and will find out if he's a finalist come March 19. Qui was named a semifinalist in the Rising Star Chef award category last year but didn't make it to the finalist round. Perhaps this year's TV win will give him the extra edge?
He hopes to expand his culinary presence. Qui has expressed interest in opening an eatery in New York someday.

For more on Qui, keep reading.

How to Catch the Quadrantids Meteor Shower Wednesday Morning (Even If It's Cloudy)

Kristy Korcz — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 10:14:09 PST

If the new year's fireworks weren't enough for you this weekend, fear not - a big meteor shower, called the Quadrantids, will be producing up to 100 falling stars an hour tomorrow morning, essentially creating a natural fireworks show the entire country can see. The light show kicks off in the Northern hemisphere on Wednesday morning at 3 a.m. local time, with meteors coming from the North sky and radiating out from below the handle of the Big Dipper. You should be able to see at least one shooting star per minute until 5 a.m. local time.

The good news is that the National Weather Center is predicting clear skies for most of the country, but if you do have clouds or fog above your head in the early morning hours (or, if it's too cold to hang outside for two hours), there are a few ways you might still be able to see the show with a few live cams. Check them out below!

Oak Grove Observatory - Take a peek into the skies with this camera from Louisiana.
Twin Pines Observatory - This California cam activates when the sun goes down.
Sandia Sentinel Fireball Camera Network - It's a bit of a blurry cam, but you'll be able to catch some of the brightest meteors on this live stream from Texas.

Nutrition Myths That Can Cause Weight Gain

Shape — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 04:04:23 PST

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

Myth: Going Vegan Will Make You Lose Weight
"While various research shows that vegetarians and vegans, on average, consume fewer calories and less fat than omnivores (a 2009 Oxford study found that vegetarians weigh 3 to 20 percent less than their meat-eating counterparts, and a National Cancer Institute study found that subjects who consumed four ounces or more of red meat weekly were 30 percent more likely to die of any cause than those who ate less), these numbers may be misleading," says Rania Batayneh, MPH, a certified nutritionist and owner of Essential Nutrition for You.

Going vegan solely for weight loss can backfire, big time. If you aren’t vigilant with a vegan diet, it’s easy to lack in vital nutrients, vitamins, and proteins, which give you energy and help keep your metabolism stoked. Many first-time vegans may also find themselves reaching for more processed foods like vegan cookies, chips, or even ‘ice cream’ more often with such a restricted diet, and many end up packing on the pounds instead.

If you do decide to adopt a vegan diet, be sure to keep the ‘treats’ to a minimum and plan balanced meals (we love ‘Domestic Vegan’ Diva Jessica Olson’s tips for "going veg"). "Aim to get about 10 to 20 percent of your calories from protein (or about 1 gram per kilogram of body weight), replacing animal protein with healthy plant proteins, like those found in beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, and soy products," Batayneh says. "And, whether you are vegan or not, eating more green, leafy vegetables is great for your health and your waistline."

See which other diet habits may also being causing weight gain after the break!

6 Things You Need to Know About Holiday Tipping

Kiplinger — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 14:15:00 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart Kiplinger story here on Savvy!

1. Give the traditional way. PayPal? Forget it. An end-of-the-year tip should be handed over in person. Tuck the money (crisp, new bills are a plus) into a card with a handwritten note expressing your appreciation. If you can’t do it face-to-face - in the case of, say, the newspaper deliverer who passes by at 4 a.m. - mail a check or gift card, says Jodi R.R. Smith, president of etiquette consultant Mannersmith. And don’t wait until the final weeks of December - the recipients may be depending on the money to buy holiday gifts. The optimum time for end-of-year tipping is the week before Thanksgiving or shortly thereafter.

2. Make a list. The people who make your life easier should be at the top of your list. They may include your nanny or caregiver, hairstylist, fitness instructor, housekeeper, dog walker, garbage collector, and, if you live in a condominium or apartment, handyman or concierge. For a nanny, a week’s pay is appropriate. The cost of one session is a good benchmark for many others on your list, such as a pet groomer, weekend babysitter or weekly cleaning person. Consult our tip sheet; you can also find a guide at the website of the Emily Post Institute.

3. And check it twice. Take into account your relationship with the provider. If you have worked together closely or for a long time, or if you’ve received outstanding service throughout the year, you might tip at the higher end of the scale. The local cost of living matters, too; $50 goes further in the Midwest than in Manhattan.

Read on for more tips.