In the News: 6 Things You Don't Know About Your Muscles

A round-up of the most interesting and thought-provoking stories of the week.

Advice on Practicing Yoga in Middle Age, Part 1
Dr. Loren Fishman, a back-pain and rehabilitative medicine specialist who studied yoga under B.K.S. Iyengar, answers readers questions about how to safely practice and alleviate pain in the first of three segments. A must-read for anyone who practices yoga, anyone who wants to, or anyone with back or nerve pain. NYT.com

6 Things You Don't Know About Your Muscles
Our muscles do more than most of us realize. Tip #1: Think of them like “scaffolding for your entire body.” Don't miss the rest... Shape.com

Best Road Races for Beginners
If you’re a new runner interested in road races, you’ll want to check out this list of events known for their crowd support, good swag, and non-competitive vibe. Self.com

Frank advice from Star Jones
A decade after weight-loss surgery and three years after open-heart surgery at age 44, the former View star shares her thoughts on healthy living. Philly.com
 
What 100 Calories Look Like: Frozen Treats
Craving something cool and creamy? Look before you lick. FitSugar.com


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In the News: Are Baby Carrots Soaked in Chlorine?

A round-up of the most interesting and thought-provoking stories of the week.

Are Baby Carrots Soaked in Chlorine?
Have you seen the stories that say baby carrots are doused in chlorine? Turns out that's not exactly true. Watch/read this before you crunch.

Study: Fish oil's work against heart attacks limited
Bye-bye fish burps! A large study in Italy found that when it comes to heart health, fish is more effective than fish oil capsules, at least for those already on medications to prevent heart problems.

Bike Share Program Bars Overweight Riders In New York?
Should a bike share program be open to everyone--regardless of weight?  The NY community bike program bans riders over a certain weight because they say the bikes can only handle a certain amount. Do you think that's fair? Read More ›

SparkPeople on HuffPo Live Tonight at 5 EST

UPDATE: If you missed Stepfanie, you can watch the interview here.

Hi, SparkPeople! I wanted to give you a heads-up that I will be on Huffington Post Live today at 5 p.m. EST.

Tune in to watch me talk about how to break the bad habit of complaining--and why unleashing your negativity is actually bad for your brain.

I will speak with three other panelists for approximately 25-30 minutes.  Click here to listen/watch.


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Should You Keep your Weight Loss Plan a Secret?

Most people who decide to make a lifestyle change will tell at least a few others about their intentions.  All of a sudden you’re buying more fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and you’ve dusted off those gym shoes to go for a walk a few times a week.  Something is up, but how many people do you tell?  Do you tell anyone at all, or just let them figure it out for themselves?  New research shows that sharing your goals could negatively affect your behavior and success.  Read More ›

In the News: Is the Western Diet Going to Kill Us?

The week's top healthy living stories, gathered by our editors.

Following a Western Style Diet May Lead to Greater Risk of Premature Death
Step away from the doughnut (and the steak, the white bread, and the whole milk)… they might be killing us, according to a new study. From Science Daily

10 Ways To Be Healthier In 10 Minutes Or Less
Who has time to spend hours figuring out how to get healthy? SparkPeople loves quick tips for healthy living--don't miss these. From Huffington Post Healthy Living

Don’t Fear the Fish: 7 Easy Ways to Cook Stuff With Fins
Even seasoned home cooks can feel like a fish out of water when cooking seafood. Dive right in and overcome your fear! From Fit Bottomed Girls

F.D.A. Issues Warning on Workout Supplement
If you take dietary supplements for weight loss or fat burning, read the labels (and reconsider!). The FDA is warning that some ingredients in certain products carry serious health hazards. From NYT.com

Study finds Americans sacrifice exercise time for food-prep time
The good news: We're spending more time cooking and prepping food. The bad news: We're using the time we should be spending on exercise in the kitchen. From HealthDay News Read More ›

Poll: Would You Trade One Year for the Perfect Body?

Let's face it: Losing weight can be hard work. It requires patience, dedication, and the drive to make permanent healthy changes in your life. It's not always fun to head to the gym instead of watching your favorite show on T.V., or turning down the French fries at dinner and opting for a side of veggies instead. Those who make healthy choices are able to look at the bigger picture and know that these choices aren't always easy, but will leave them better off in the long run. Knowing that it is hard work, would you be willing to trade time to get the body you've always wanted? A new survey says some women are willing to make that trade. Read More ›

How to Fit in at the Fitness Center

A round-up of the week's most interesting healthy living stories.

Fitting In at the Fitness Center
A former athlete who's trying to get back into shape has started a website with tips on how to feel comfortable at the gym if you're new to working out or just returning to fitness. From The New York Times

Can You Patent A Steak?
Researchers at Oklahoma State University discovered a new steak, but they won't say where in the cow it's located. They're first trying to patent the steak--and the butchering process. From NPR

A shocking (and hot!) tip for preserving produce
Save money and extend the life of your produce with this simple but life-changing tip. From the Associated Press via timesunion.com

Take a Meditative Mind to Unexpected Activities
Applying meditation techniques to everyday activities can have a profound effect on your life. From Fit Sugar

21 Meditations to Make You Love Yo’Self!
If you need some help learning to love your body, this easy guided program is for you. From Fit Bottomed Girls

7 Ways to Save on Health Care
Spending too much on health care? Find out how to save money on everything from hospital bills to prescriptions. From Fitness Magazine

Kindergarten Rules to Live By
A yoga teacher and mom explains how spending a morning with kindergarteners helped her remember some of life's most important (and simplest) rules. From Yoga Journal

8 Moves to Perk Up Your Boobs
Fight gravity and reverse the sag with these targeted strength moves. From Self

Which stories were on your mind this week?
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Should You Maintain Your Weight before You Lose?

"Weight loss is really hard---but maintaining that weight loss is even harder!"  If anyone out there agrees with this statement; please raise your hand. 
 
That’s what I thought. There are lots of hands held high.  It seems that most people struggle with the yo-yo syndrome: lose the weight, gain the weight, lose the weight, gain the weight.  But, what’s a dieter to do?  Perhaps it is time to put the cart before the horse.
 
Researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine recently conducted a "switcharoo" when it came to weight loss and weight maintenance.  They took 267 overweight and obese females and divided them into two groups.  The control group went through a traditional 20-week weight-loss program followed by an eight-week maintenance phase. 

The test group went through the eight-week maintenance phase first, and then focused on weight loss for 20 weeks.  The results were surprising to say the least, and significant.  While each group lost about the same amount of weight--17 pounds or 9% of their initial body weight--the "maintenance-first" group only gained back three pounds at their one-year follow-up but the "weight loss first" group had gained back seven pounds, on average. 
 
Sounds crazy, doesn’t it!  But guess what?  Those women who first spent eight weeks mastering the tools, techniques and skills for weight maintenance were better equipped mentally and physically to handle the day-in, day-out struggle of their toxic food environment after the 28-week program was completed.  Are you itching to discover how?   Read More ›

How Much Exercise Do You REALLY Need to Lose Weight?

New guidelines issued from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) state that 30 minutes of exercise, 5 days a week might not be enough. In 2001, ACSM recommended that overweight and obese adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week to improve their health. 200 to 300 minutes per week was recommended for long-term weight loss. But will this amount of exercise really help you lose weight and keep it off? Read More ›

Fruit, Not Fries: Lunchroom Makeovers Nudge Kids Toward Better Choices (Healthy Links Roundup)

Catch up on the week's most popular healthy living headlines.
Fruit, Not Fries: Lunchroom Makeovers Nudge Kids Toward Better Choices
NPR says that tweaking the lunch line options is having an impact on kids' diets. But how well does "up-selling" blueberries and broccoli actually work?

Chop, chop: New meat-naming system aims to help cooks
USA Today breaks down the new names for cuts of meat, designed to help home cooks figure out what to do with loins, roasts, and everything in between.

Vegetables Make the Sandwich
Meat usually gets a starring role in sandwiches, but the New York Times is setting out to change that, with this Well blog post. Read More ›

Why You Need to Stop Checking Your Phone All the Time

Our weekly roundup of the latest and most thought-provoking healthy living stories.

Why You Need To Stop Checking Your Phone All the Time
I'm incredibly guilty of checking my phone compulsively, especially in the car (as a passenger) and while waiting. Mind Body Green has great tips on learning to refrain. I'm taking note!

Infants Are Fed Solid Food Too Soon, C.D.C. Finds
The NYT reports babies' are often given food their bodies aren't ready to digest, which has been linked to increased risk of obesity, diabetes, eczema and celiac disease.

Produce Pretenders
The Boston Globe rounds up foods that look like fruits and veggies--but aren't!

3 Reasons to Schedule a Rest Day
Fit Sugar explains why your body needs rest as much as it needs exercise.

8 Cardio Myths That Are Making You Fat
Shape breaks down the biggest myths about working out.

10 Foods Fit Women Need: Your National Nutrition Month Shopping List!
Fitness shares a great list of foods that should be in your cart. Read More ›

Find Out How Many Calories You Burn After Exercise

We’ve always heard that the positive benefits of physical activity continue long after your workout session is over.  More energy, less stress and those “feel good” endorphins are some of the immediate effects.  But what about the mysterious “afterburn” that a lot of people talk about?  Do you really continue burning more calories after the workout, or is it really just during the workout that matters?  A new study finds that it’s possible to burn more calories throughout the day--in fact, up to 14 hours later.
 
The study, published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, took 10 healthy males and examined their energy expenditure under two different sets of conditions.  “During the first session, participants were mostly inactive, but they stood and stretched for two minutes every hour. They could also perform everyday tasks, such as washing their hands and brushing their teeth, as needed. During the second session, participants followed the same routine, but then cycled vigorously for 45 minutes.”
 
Researchers found that participants burned 190 additional calories while at rest throughout the day after vigorous exercise (defined in the study as a 73% max heart rate), compared to when they did no activity.  The increased calorie burn lasted for over 14 hours--and continued even into the first few hours of sleeping.  This is the first study to use a metabolic chamber (a highly controlled environment) to estimate calorie burned after vigorous physical activity.  
 
The number of calories each person burns during--and after--a workout will vary.  It depends on many factors:  gender, age, genetics, type of workout, etc.  But it’s something to keep in mind as you weigh the benefits of exercise, and whether or not the time and effort is worthwhile.  I think exercise is a key component of any healthy lifestyle, regardless of how much exercise you can do or how intense it is.  Previous studies have also shown that your body's metabolism stays revved after a workout and that generally, the more intense the workout is, the greater the post-workout "afterburn" will be. This study just gives one more reason to get off of the couch and get moving--no matter how much or how little time you have!
 
What do you think? Read More ›

Healthy Headlines: Will Chewing Gum Help or Harm Weight Loss?

A roundup of the healthy living stories making headlines this week.

Minty chewing gums may not help people lose weight
Live Science says that chomping on gum might backfire if you're trying to shed a few pounds. The minty breath fresheners make fruits and veggies taste awful, which can lead you to eat other, unhealthy foods instead.

Study links 180,000 global deaths to sugary drinks
(Big) Gulp. USA Today reports that sipping on sweetened juice, sports drinks, and soda leads to an estimated 25,000 deaths in the US alone each year, with Mexico topping the list for fatalies related to sugary beverages.

The Best Types of Salt for Cooking
Sure, we all need to limit the amount of salt we consume. That's why it matters which type we use. DailySpark contributor Bryn Mooth spills which salts are best for cooking, baking, and finishing dishes on her blog, Writes4Food. Read More ›

3 Tips to Be Happier in Work and in Life

3 Tips to Be Happier in Work and in Life
Great advice from Tiny Buddha that anyone can put into practice.
 
VIDEO: Fan Accompanies Billy Joel; 'Greatest Moment Of My Life,' He Says
A feel-good story about a young man who wasn't afraid of taking a risk to make a dream come true, from NPR.com.

When Exercise Stresses You Out
For some people, exercise is anything but fun. NYT.com's Well blog examines whether working out when you hate it does more harm than good. Read More ›

Do Raspberry Ketones Really Help You Lose Weight?

Before you jump on the raspberry ketone bandwagon, there are a few things you should know about this over-priced, proclaimed weight-loss miracle in a bottle. I tell you what they don't want you to know about raspbery ketones, in my latest blog on Huffington Post. Click here to read it.
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