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Read the First Reviews of 'The Spark Solution'--and Enter to Win a Copy
As you've likely seen and heard by now, SparkPeople wrote another book--and it comes out next week, May 7! We are pretty excited about it, but don’t take our word for it – read what some long-time SparkPeople members who received advance copies are saying about The Spark Solution. Plus, enter below for your chance to win a free copy!
"This isn't a diet like other diets. It doesn't promise to shed pounds with little effort, or 'burn fat' more than others. It's about teaching you to make healthy choices for life. Teaching you to think about what you're putting in your body, and eat for energy. It's about mindfulness. This is a handholding introduction to healthy living, and after you finish the (two week) plan, it arms you with the tools and resources to keep moving forward." --DRAGONCHILDE, My new secret weapon!
"After reading the material my first initial reaction was two thumbs up. Bravo! I would consider this new book to be more of a survival guide rather than 'just another diet book.' If you are just starting out or trying to get your Spark back after a downturn in your journey, this book is for you! I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking to build or rebuild a solid foundation for their journey that will carry them through." --ON2VICTORY, My Review of The Spark Solution
"I love this book. It's life changing. It should be shouted from the mountaintops! In the first 2 weeks I lost 4 pounds! I love how the book talks in language we can relate to. It is like the authors are sitting right there with you, speaking directly to YOU.” –NIGHTSKYSTAR, Review of The Spark Solution!
"I would recommend this book to anyone trying to lose weight. I'm a big fan of baby steps and changing your lifestyle. After all, that's what helped me lose over 200 pounds.
My very favorite aspect of this book is its ability to list real simple changes, recipes, and workouts that a real person can do. It isn't about having that one last big meal, becoming perfect and getting on the wagon to cook and workout for hours on end. It's about taking healthy choices and making them a part of your life." ~INDYGIRL, "The Spark Solution..." Book Review
"This is very good stuff to know, whether you need to lose weight or not. Living healthy is for everyone! It is a book that anyone can follow and get results with, but especially if you are just beginning the program, or if you need a shake-up because you are on a plateau." –CASSIOEPIA, THE SPARK SOLUTION
Read more member reviews of The Spark Solution--and enter to win a copy. Read More ›
CONTEST CLOSED: GIVEAWAY: Win a BodyMedia FIT Armband!
This contest is officially closed! The winners are:
BodyMedia CORE Armband:
CASSIE_BEE_74
KAROLBATRES
NEEDTOBETHIN10
BodyMedia LINK Armband:
EMILIEMAI
POPEHNS
MELAWEN
Congratulations!
You may have recently seen on SparkPeople's staff blog that you can now connect your BodyMedia FIT device to your SparkPeople account. This means that you can wirelessly track your sleep patterns, activity minutes, steps taken and calories burned, and then seamlessly load your data directly to your Fitness Tracker—so cool! (You can learn more about the science behind BodyMedia FIT devices here.) We're excited to be able to offer this functionality on our site; it's just one more way we're trying to make healthy living easier for more of you! Read More ›
CONTEST CLOSED: GIVEAWAY: Enter to Win a Fitbit One!
This contest is officially closed! The winners are:
KSCHRAUT
LUZMARIA65
ILLINIFF139
QUALITYKJ
BRUN0327
Congratulations!
If you've been hanging around SparkPeople for a while, you know that we believe small changes can make a big difference when it comes to healthy living. So it should be no surprise that we love the Fitbit! It's a convenient and discreet device that really motivates you to move more during the day. Many of us on staff have been faithfully wearing it for months now, logging steps and calories while seeing a drastic increase in our daily movement over time. We're so impressed with our own results that we've decided to share the wealth--by giving away a Fitbit One (provided by Fitbit) to FIVE lucky dailySpark readers!
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Contest Closed: Enter to Win Coach Nicole's Newest Workout DVD!
CONTEST CLOSED. The winners are: AKAFIT, PATDODD, JUDIKED, AIRLINN, YOUTHENING, CAROLTTG, BEN1126, LISAREE1, CLS567, and SASSEGIRL78.
Today is the big day: the official release of my new workout DVD, SparkPeople: Total Body Sculpting!
Amazon.com is the first to carry it, and we have more online retailers and national chain stores who will be stocking the DVD within a matter of weeks, too. So stay tuned for more information on where to buy and some other great deals!
To celebrate the official release on amazon.com, we are hosting a DVD giveaway for our members. That's right: Christmas is coming early for 10 lucky winners! Here's how to enter. Read More ›
11 Easy Ways to Rest Better--and Why That's So Important
Editor's Note: Today we're sharing an excerpt of Get Well & Stay Well, a book by two of the foremost experts in integrative medicine, Dr. Steve Amoils and Dr. Sandi Amoils. The Amoils are co-medical directors of The Alliance Institute for Integrative Medicine (AIIM) in Cincinnati. AIIM is one of the Bravewell Collaborative's leading clinical centers of Integrative Medicine in the U.S. Both Steve and Sandi are adjunct assistant professors in the Department of Medical Education at the University of Cincinnati. Beyond that, Drs. Amoils have the "SparkGuy" stamp of approval. Chris "SparkGuy" Downie has been working with them to manage his own severe allergies, with great success. They'll be sharing more info on integrative medicine in the coming months here on dailySpark.
Do you ever wonder where you go when you sleep, or why we even need to sleep? Sleep is not only essential for physical rejuvenation; it also provides an opportunity for the memory to integrate information, as if file clerks were coming in on the night shift to file away the experiences of the day.
Sleep also appears to offer the body an opportunity for internal housekeeping. Research from the National Institutes of Health has found that immune chemicals rise as we drift off to sleep, recruiting immune cells to cruise the body and lowering bacteria levels throughout the system. Clearly, if we don’t get enough sleep, we are much more prone to illness and accidents. In addition, lack of sleep raises the stress hormone cortisol, which can lead to weight gain and type 2 diabetes.
When you sleep, you move back and forth through various stages several times. As you fall asleep, you go into a light sleep, known as Stage 1 sleep, where you drift in and out of sleep. You then go through Stages 2 and 3, finally reaching Stage 4. Stages 3 and 4 are referred to as deep sleep, because this is where your body hardly moves. During deep sleep, you ordinarily generate the neurotransmitter serotonin. If you don’t get enough deep sleep, you are thus more prone to depression, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, premenstrual syndrome, migraines, and a host of other problems.
The next stage of sleep is a very important one called rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, where you dream. During this phase, your breathing speeds up, becoming irregular and shallow. Your eyelids jerk rapidly (hence the name “rapid eye movement”), and your limb muscles are temporarily paralyzed. Brain waves during this stage increase to levels experienced when you are awake. The heart rate increases, blood pressure rises, males develop erections, and the body loses some ability to regulate its temperature.
REM sleep and dreaming appear to help us sort out our daily stressors. This is the time when the mind appears to process emotions, sort through memories, and help us cope with stress. A person deprived of REM sleep can suffer from mood and memory problems.
Over-the-counter sleep aids that contain diphenhydramine (Benadryl®) induce Stage 2 and 3, but not Stage 4 sleep, reducing your ability to regenerate serotonin. Utilizing these aids on a regular basis can therefore result in depression. There are other options for improving sleep. Herbs such as valerian root and supplements such as taurine, 4-amino-3-phenylbutyric acid and 5-Hydroxytryptophan are often extremely helpful. Drugs such as zolpidem and trazodone maintain what is called normal sleep architecture, allowing a person to pass through all the different stages of sleep. However, these drugs are associated with side effects such as memory loss and dependency. Long-term use should be discussed with your physician.
Keep reading for a giveaway--and 11 tips to help you sleep better.
Read More ›
CONTEST CLOSED: Giveaway: 'The Weight of the Nation' DVD Set
Contest closed! The winner is:
GRACEZN
Congratulations!
A few months ago, we told you about The Weight of the Nation, a four-part documentary about the US obesity epidemic. The series aired on HBO back in May, and it will hit store shelves as a 3-disc DVD set starting today.
Here is a quick summary of the series, from HBO:
Read More ›
CONTEST CLOSED: Win a New Exercise Outfit from Moving Comfort
Contest closed! The winner is:
JMRIDDL
Congratulations!
Here at SparkPeople, we're big fans of workout clothes that are not only comfortable, but look good, too. So when our new sponsor, Moving Comfort, offered to send us some workout clothes to try, we were stoked! We had a blast sorting through the clothes and putting together cute, functional outfits to get sweaty in. We liked the clothes so much that we thought it would be fun to learn which of our outfits you liked best--and then give it away!
Coach Nicole volunteered to run around in the sun and model the Moving Comfort outfits (tough job, but someone had to do it!). Check out the choices below and then cast your vote at the end of this post for a chance to wear the winning outfit yourself!
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CONTEST CLOSED: Giveaway: Ultimate Yogi DVD Set
Contest closed! The winner is:
MICHELELYNN777
Congratulations!
Have you added yoga into your workout rotation yet? We're big fans of yoga here at the dailySpark; it is great for stress-relief, flexibility, strength, and mental clarity, and is an excellent compliment to many exercise routines. Some of us on staff practice yoga on a regular basis and have seen amazing physical and mental changes as a result. So, naturally, when we came across The Ultimate Yogi DVD Set, we had to check it out!
Read More ›
CONTEST CLOSED: Giveaway: Gut-Friendly Probiotic Drinks from GoodBelly
Contest closed! The winner is:
ANYVAR54
Congratulations!
If you suffer from tummy troubles, you may have heard that eating yogurt will help get your digestive system back in shape. However, yogurt isn't the answer for everyone. If you are lactose intolerant, vegan, or just don't like the taste of dairy, you could be missing out on some major gut-friendly probiotic cultures. But don't worry! There is another way to treat your belly right without the dairy: Enter GoodBelly, a dairy-free probiotic juice drink that promotes healthy digestion.
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CONTEST CLOSED: Giveaway: Win a Tai Cheng DVD Workout Set!
Contest closed. The winner is:
KMKUCK
Congratulations!
Yoga, walking, and meditation are all great ways to rejuvenate the body, but sometimes it's fun to switch up your relaxation routine a bit. That's why we were so excited when we came across the Tai Cheng DVD workout set. These DVDs are based on the practice of Tai Chi and offer a great alternative to your favorite relaxation activities from the comfort of your home. Here's what the Tai Cheng website has to say about the program:
Read More ›
A Delightful Brunch Menu for the Mom in Your Life
Still trying to decide what to get Mom for Mother's Day? How about a delicious home-cooked brunch?
Just in time for mom's big day, we've launched our first FREE e-book, "Light and Easy Mother's Day Brunch Recipes from SparkPeople," which gives you a sneak peek into "The SparkPeople Cookbook: Love Your Food, Lose the Weight."
Written by SparkPeople’s very own healthy cooking expert, Chef Meg, this e-book contains 3 sweet and 3 savory dishes that are perfect for Mother's Day brunch, including:
- Skinny Eggs Florentine
- Light Lemon Sauce
- Spring Cupcakes with Citrus Icing
To download the full recipes or preview "Light and Easy Mother's Day Brunch Recipes from SparkPeople" for FREE, click here (and scroll down to choose the file type you prefer).
If you don't have an e-reader, such as a Kindle or NOOK, you can still read these e-books. Both Amazon and Barnes and Noble offer free downloads of their e-reader apps for PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, and other mobile devices. Read More ›
CONTEST CLOSED: Giveaway: ElliptiGO Elliptical Bicycle
Contest closed. The winner is:
SLWEBER
Congratulations!
Now that the sun is out and spring is in full swing, you might finally be taking to the roads on your long-lost bike that was so neglected over the cold winter months.
Biking is a great way to enjoy the outdoors while getting in some heart-pumping cardio, and also offers a fun opportunity to bond with friends and family. But, let's face it: those narrow bike seats can get uncomfortable pretty quickly, and sitting for an extended period of time might be an issue if you suffer from back problems. You could always enjoy the outdoors by going for a run, but running can be more jarring on the joints than biking. Wouldn't it be great if there was a happy medium between biking and running that allowed you to get some heart-pumping outdoor cardio while salvaging your joints, back, and backside?
Well, guess what? There is! It's called the ElliptiGO.
Read More ›
CONTEST CLOSED: Love Banana 'Soft Serve'? Don't Miss This Giveaway
Contest closed! The winner is:
QUIETGIRL1971
Congratulations!
Imagine a life without ice cream. Sad, right?
That was my reality for years. I was lactose intolerant, and ice cream was the worst for me. It made me so uncomfortable when I ate it that my stomach turned when I thought about eating it. Sigh.
Enter the humble banana, which brought ice cream back into my life. (I later discovered coconut milk ice cream. Swoon!) Soft-Serve Banana Ice Cream is one of my favorite healthy desserts!
I make mine in the food processor, but when I saw a gadget that churned out soft serve "ice cream" made from bananas and other fruit, I had to try it.
I reached out to the team at Yonanas and they sent us two: one to test and one to give away. I'll be sharing recipes soon, but in the meantime, let's get to the fun part--the giveaway!
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CONTEST CLOSED: Double Giveaway: Men's & Women's adidas ClimaCool Seduction Running Shoes
Contest closed!
The winner of the MEN'S giveaway is CAPECODDOGFISH.
The winner of the WOMEN'S giveaway is KARA04751.
Congratulations!
This is no ordinary running shoe. It's named "Seduction" and is endorsed by Katy Perry and David Beckham (well, hello) among other really, really ridiculously good looking people. It's available in 10 colors that are far sexier than the basic white running shoes you're probably used to seeing. And the newest beautiful face—er, feet—sporting these sleek shoes could be you!
Our friends at adidas are offering a special giveaway on their newest running shoe: the ClimaCool Seduction, which retails for $100. They're giving away two pairs, actually: one for men and one for women (so be sure to enter this one, SparkDudes).
What's so great about the ClimaCool Seduction show? Here are the facts from adidas, plus my own opinion. Read More ›
CONTEST CLOSED: Giveaway: Win a $1,299 Treadmill Desk from LifeSpan
Contest closed! The winner is:
MUFFINSKI
Congratulations!
A few weeks back, COACH_NICOLE blogged about one of our new favorite pieces of equipment here at the SparkPeople offices: the LifeSpan Treadmill Desk. We've been using this fun device to help bust afternoon fatigue and to sneak some extra activity into our days--and have experienced higher energy levels as a result!
Here is what LifeSpan has to say about the desk:
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