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Weekend Watching: Enlighten Up

FitSugar — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 03:00:00 -0700

Is the healing power of yoga universal? Does the daily practice of asana lead to physical and metaphysical transformations? The newly released documentary Enlighten Up seeks to answer these questions and many more in less than 90 minutes. Filmmaker Kate Churchill follows her yoga skeptic subject, former journalist Nick Rosen, as he seeks the true understanding of yoga. We watch as Rosen experiences the full spectrum of yoga. He takes class with Diamond Dallas Page, the creator of Yoga for Regular Guys, a former professional wrestler whose tag line is "Some T and A, with your namaste." Rosen has an audience with yoga elder B.K.S. Iyengar and Ashtanga guru Pattabhi Jois.

When Churchill follows her subject to India, as their expectations begin to crumble emotions begin to run high creating a new meaning for "hot yoga." Both the yogi and the asana novice will find this movie interesting and entertaining; I sure did. Enlighten Up will be playing in theaters across the country this Spring and here is a list of cities and dates.

Check out the trailer for the film when you read more.

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Weekend Watching: Super-Skinny Me, the Race to Size Zero

FitSugar — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 02:00:00 -0800

These days, so many activities are described as extreme, and unfortunately dieting is not exempt from this categorization. Two British journalists decided to explore the realities of extreme dieting by subjecting themselves to the techniques used by celebs, and they captured the highlights of their journey (or demise) on film for the BBC documentary Super-Skinny Me: The Race to Size Zero.

To read what this fascinating documentary is all about, just read more

The hour long program is the conceptual inverse of Super Size Me, instead of eating and eating these women diet, fast, and exercise, exercise, exercise. These women work so very hard to drop enough weight to fit into UK size zero, the equivalent of a US size four, and they have six weeks to reach their super-skinny goal. They try the Master Cleanse (aka lemonade diet), protein shakes, watercress soup with nothing else, and colonics (the scene is actually quite graphic and very unglamorous). This extreme relationship to food truly disrupts their lives and relationships, and one becomes borderline bulimic; although, I do believe the supervising physician does a good job of intervening.

Even more interesting than the actual dieting is the epilogue of the show when we catch up with the journalists two weeks and five weeks after their experiment is over. The pounds return quickly for one woman, perfectly illustrating the dangers of yo-yo dieting and the other journalist is still wrestling with her food issues. It is so sad to see.

This hour-long program really hammers home how unhealthy, both mentally and physically, extreme dieting truly is. I do fear some women will still find the final super-skinny results appealing and block out the dangers of this type of dieting.

This program is fascinating and totally worth an hour of your time. It airs tonight, Dec. 2, on BBC America at 10:00 p.m. EST/PST. Watch it and let me know what you think.

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Weekend Watching: How to Cook Your Life

FitSugar — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 02:30:00 -0700

The soulful combination of Zen Buddhism and the art of cooking has been captured on film in the new documentary How to Cook Your Life by Doris Dörrie. She follows Zen chef Edward Espe Brown as he creates fabulous food trying to live by the Zen precepts. He can be impatient and is filmed cursing an unruly bottle of olive oil. So heartening to know that the master chefs have issues too-I love that he laughs a lot, and often at himself.

Brown, author of Tassajara Bread Book, was told by his mentor, "When you wash the rice, wash the rice, when you cut the carrots, cut the carrots, when you stir the soup, stir the soup." Mindful cooking can probably feel a lot like meditation. I can fully get behind the movie's message "eat local, eat well, eat slow," because the mindful shopping and cooking should always be followed by mindful eating.

Unfortunately, this film will probably not be released nationwide. To check out where and when this movie is opening and screening, just read more

San Francisco
10/26

NYC, Seattle, Portland, Phoenix, Santa Fe, Denver
11/16

San Diego, Minneapolis
11/23

Boston, Washington, D.C.
12/6

Weekend Reading: Watching Baseball Smarter

FitSugar — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 02:00:00 -0700

OK, I will admit that I have come late to baseball. I didn't really "find" the sport until my nephews became obsessed with the game. I will admit that I am also "late" in the sense that I don't really start to pay attention to the teams standings until mid August.

I may not be the best fan or the most loyal fan. I may not be the most knowledgeable about the history or lore of the game, but after reading Watching Baseball Smarter by Zack Hample, I at least know how to watch the game. The book's subtitle A Professional Fan's Guide for Beginners, Semi-experts, and Deeply Serious Geeks really lets the reader know that Zack is talking one fan to another. He is like your very own cheerleader and coach for your personal journey to baseball fandom. It is nice to know he is rooting for you.

Hample spells out the basic like rules, history, traditions, and jargon - the book is kind of like having an English/Baseball bilingual dictionary. He also explains many of the nuances of the game, like why players hold onto their batting gloves after they have gotten on base. Holding the gloves keeps their hands in a fist and this protects their fingers if they should need to slide into the next base. These facts, both big and small, are presented in a very entertaining and funny manner.

Did reading this book help me to become a much cooler aunt in the eyes of my baseball loving nephews? You betcha it did. And that is priceless.

Buy it from Amazon for $8.37, in paperback.

Coming Soon to a Theater Near You: Reel Rock

FitSugar — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 11:00:23 -0700

I was lucky enough to hit the Reel Rock Film Tour - an annual showcase of the best new films about climbing - when it passed through San Francisco this weekend. Highlights of the festival include the world premiere of Progression and a preview of First Ascent, a new series for the Nat Geo Adventure Channel.

Climber or not, the Reel Rock festival is a must see for adrenaline junkies, outdoor enthusiasts, film lovers, and those seeking some kick ass motivation. Beautifully shot in locations around the world like Patagonia and Yosemite, the films follow the emotional and physical journeys of the sports' top athletes as they push themselves to the extreme. There were definitely more than a few heart stopping moments where I stared at the screen mouth gaping in disbelief of what I was watching.

To see clips from the films, read more.

One of the crazier stories chronicles Alex Honnold's free solo (meaning no ropes or gear) of Half Dome in Yosemite. Honnold climbed about 2200 feet alone and unprotected in just a matter of hours. I'm sure many will view Honnold's feat as being just plain careless but watching his story was an incredible look at the intense mental aspect of the sport and just how far these athletes will take themselves in the name of progression.

Reel Rock is just underway and chances are it's coming to a city near you - don't miss it! The films highlight some of the strongest athletes you'll ever see and brings to light a relatively unknown sport in an accessible way. Check out the preview below.

Photo courtesy of Reel Rock

Tennis Anyone? Getting Into the US Open

FitSugar — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 03:30:25 -0700

Over Labor Day weekend, I tend to watch a lot of the US Open. It inspires me to head to the court and play a set or two. Here are some posts that might inspire you to pick up your racquet. Tennis anyone?

What to Expect From Your First Tennis Lesson	Warm Up Before You Play	Test Your US Open Knowledge
How to Keep Score	Tennis Etiquette 101	Do I Need Tennis Shoes?

Must Catch Sports News

FitSugar — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 00:05:11 -0700

Remember watching Usain Bolt coast to the finish line and still win the gold medal in the 100 meter race in Beijing last Summer? Did you wonder how fast he really can run?

Well, he raced this weekend and answered the question. This time he didn't let off the gas until he crossed the finish line and broke the world record. Bolt, who seems so aptly named, ran the 100 meters in 9.58 seconds, breaking his previous record set at the Olympics of 9.69 seconds.

Moving from the track to the golf green, learn about Tiger Woods when you read more.

Tiger Woods is golf's superstar. Although Tiger has been 14 for 14 in the majors, he lost to Y.E. Yang yesterday at the PGA Championships. Woods was ahead going into the final round, but was one stroke behind Yang when the underdog sunk a putt on the 18th green. Waiting for Woods to putt, Yang told reporters that he was thinking, "Tiger, miss the chip-in please." And Tiger did. About Sunday's match Woods said, "Y.E. hit it great all day. It was a fun battle." Many of the sports headlines on the tournament made comments that Tiger Woods is human after all, but it's great to see that he's also a gracious loser.

Food Review: Terra Sweets & Carrots Chips

FitSugar — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 08:57:12 -0700

Over the weekend at a friend's BBQ, I found orange-colored Terra Sweets & Carrots Chips sitting next to the dip. Move over potato chips - you have some competition.

Chips made out of sweet potatoes and carrots look and sound healthier than your basic potato chips, but can you trust your instincts on this one? To see how these orange root veggie chips compare with potato chips, read more.

First off, I must say that I'm in love with these chips. They have a delightful thick and crunchy texture, so they're equally great for munching alone and for dipping. These chips are so unbelievably sweet that I was sure I'd see a sweetener listed in the ingredients -but there's none. There's also no salt added, so they make a healthy snack for people watching their sodium intake.

As you can see from the chart below, nutritionally speaking, Sweets & Carrots do have some benefits over regular potato chips, but they aren't more nutritious in every category. These orange chips contain less sodium and carbs, and tons more fiber than the Yukon gold potato chips. They're also higher in vitamin A. However, the regular potato chips contain fewer calories, less fat, and less sugar than the Sweets & Carrots. Surprisingly, regular potato chips also higher in iron. So the moral of the story is that just because a food sounds healthier, that doesn't necessarily mean it is. Always read and compare labels just to be sure you're eating the nutrients your body needs.

	1 oz. (13 chips)	1 oz. (13 chips)
Calories	150	130
Total Fat	9 g	5 g
Saturated Fat	1 g	.5 g
Cholesterol	0 mg	0 mg
Sodium	20 mg	80 mg
Carbs	15 g	19 g
Fiber	5 g	0 g
Sugar	7 g	0 g
Protein	2 g	2 g
Vitamin A	15 percent	0 percent
Calcium	2 percent	2 percent
Vitamin C	0 percent	0 percent
Iron	2 percent	10 percent
Ingredients	Sweet potatoes, carrots, expeller pressed canola oil and/or safflower oil and/or sunflower oil.	Yukon gold potatoes, canola oil and/or sunflower oil, and salt.

I'll definitely buy a bag of these the next time I go shopping, but at $3.99 a bag, these will be reserved for special treats and occasions.

Get Motivated: "Raven" Runs 8 Miles a Day For Nearly 35 Years

FitSugar — Tue, 19 May 2009 13:00:00 -0700

All of us have excuses for not working out - all of us except Robert Kraft, who has run through hurricanes, pneumonia, and crippling back pain. The Miami resident, nicknamed "The Raven" for his all-black attire, has jogged the same eight-mile route every single day since January 1975. This weekend I happened to catch an Outside the Lines segment on ESPN about the runner and found it alternatively inspiring and bittersweet. Here's a clip:

Since he began, Raven has logged more than 100,000 miles. He says he used to do it to keep himself disciplined, but now he does it to motivate the group of runners who join him daily on his "Raven run." Though it's taking a toll on his physical health - sometimes his feet hurt so bad, it's hard to walk to the next room - the activity and the companionship keeps him going. After watching this video, I want to go running with the Raven! What do you think of this story?

How Do You Feel About Vegetable Juices?

FitSugar — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 10:00:00 -0700

Recently, I watched a colleague of mine slowly down a large glass of beet, carrot, and celery juice in attempts to atone for a weekend of indulgences. With the grimace that accompanied every sip, you could imagine the inner monologue: "This is healthy. This is healthy. This is healthy." Although I have learned to love carrot juice, I much prefer to actually eat beets and celery. I have tried many veggie juices and am not really a fan. What about you?

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