Suffering from Celiac? Tips for Going Gluten-Free
Editor's Note: According to the Celiac Disease Foundation, 1 in 133 Americans are affected by this ailment, which causes them to fall ill if they come in contact with even a trace amount of gluten, the protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. Abbie Roth, a freelance writer and academic editor, found out she had the disease in early 2009. She wrote a blog to help others who face a life with celiac or gluten intolerance.
By Abbie Roth
I’ve been living gluten free for more than two years now. Like many people, I was less than thrilled with my diagnosis. I remember crying over my beautiful dinner of grilled salmon and steamed rice because all I wanted was a piece of bread. Initially, I even rebelled against my diagnosis and binged on pizza, which I soon regretted. Once the reality sank in that I could actually feel good by eating the right foods, I never looked back.
Posted 6/8/2011 2:00:00 PM By: : 45 comments 24,260 views
How to Handle Tricky Friend Situations
By Denise Schipani, WomansDay.com
You love your best friend—but you can do without her offensive husband. Or maybe you adore spending time with her—but are getting tired of all the times she "forgets" her share of the bill. If you find yourself swallowing your true feelings in order to keep the peace, you're not alone. "Often, women have a hard time being direct," says Debra Holland, PhD, a Los Angeles–based psychotherapist. Instead, we tend to absorb the anger, annoyance or whatever until we get upset—but that's not healthy for you or your relationship. If you value your friend and want to keep her in your life, it's important to learn how to be honest without offending her. Below, check out eight tricky situations you can get into with friends, and how to resolve them without losing the friendship.
Situation #1: She's Judgmental of Others
You two are at a party together, and your pal comes out with comments about others that make you cringe, like, "What the heck is that woman thinking wearing that dress?" What's worse, she's often judgmental about people you're both friends with. Friendship-saving strategy: Speak to her, in the moment, with genuine curiosity (rather than using judgment yourself), by saying something like, "Did you mean to be so critical? Because you sounded that way," suggests Dr. Holland. "That gives her a chance to save face. She may not acknowledge it, but she's now aware of it."
Posted 6/6/2011 5:00:00 AM By: : 13 comments 11,734 views
~INDYGIRL and Team Host a SparkRally
By Beth Donovan (~INDYGIRL)
May 21, 2011, marked the date of the first SparkPeople rally sponsored by E.A.R.P.S. (Exotic Animal Rescue and Pet Sanctuary) and SparkPeople members. I have never hosted a rally before, but the idea came about when I was corresponding with SparkPeople member, Ksigma1222, who was featured in the book, "The Spark." He told me “If we build it, they will come.” We were both very eager to have a rally because there is nothing like being around fellow SparkPeople members. There is a very positive energy in the air.
Posted 6/3/2011 10:20:28 PM By: : 78 comments 20,069 views
Surprising Secrets About Women and Swimsuits
Reporting by Nicole Brennan, Michelle Khai, and Sophia Pino, FITNESS Magazine
More than 1,000 women confessed to FITNESS magazine what they really think of their beach bodies. Go beyond the tan lines with these juicy factoids...and then check out the June issue (on stands now!) for tons more exclusive findings.
1. About one in four women...
...don't trust anyone to tell them honestly if a swimsuit looks good on them.
2. If Justin Timberlake invited them to a beach party, 36 percent of women...
...would turn him down flat because they don't feel they're in good enough shape.
3. The #1 asset women look forward to flaunting...
...at the beach? Their cleavage, said 40 percent.
4. One in five women...
...say they'd be up for going to a nude beach!
We spill the rest of the secrets here.
Posted 6/2/2011 6:00:00 AM By: : 50 comments 22,059 views
Why Are 'Bad' Habits So Hard to Change?
Editor's Note: Obesity expert Dr. Martin Binks contributes regular guest posts to the dailySpark.
Changing hard-to-change habits or behavior is among the greatest challenges we humans seem to face. In our modern society we tend to call anything that falls into the category of "hard to change" and or "damaging" an addiction. Apparently, as a society we are 'addicted' to everything from Facebook to shopping, to cheating on our partners or staying in bad relationships. I even heard a famous mother of 14 describe herself as "addicted to having babies." Rather than debate this newfound tendency to label everything an addiction, let's look beyond the label and speak to what we are really trying to say when we label a behavior an addiction. What we are saying is we are feeling stuck in a pattern of behavior that is in some way damaging to ourselves, our way of life, our health or our happiness. We are saying that despite being rational, well-accomplished, intelligent and loving individuals, some thing that we are doing has a hold on us and despite persistent effort to change, we feel we are failing.
Posted 5/31/2011 6:25:24 PM By: : 39 comments 37,057 views
Exercising (Not Exorcising) The Inner Diva*
By Jenn (KITHKINCAID)
It's all about ME! Me, me, me! There I said it. You can call me selfish, but I prefer self-centered. It sounds more grounded.
I would have been terrified to say those words a year ago for fear of what other people might think. But part of what I have learned over the past year on Spark is that not only does it not matter what other people think, but ultimately, no one else but me can be held responsible for looking out for number one. As much as we are all in this together for moral support, the personal growth that accompanies a weight loss journey is a pretty solitary endeavour. And so it should be. It's YOUR journey – not your mom's, or your boyfriend's, or your kid's, or your dog's, or even your SparkFriend's – yours.
Posted 5/30/2011 2:00:00 PM By: : 63 comments 22,029 views
Little-Known Sunscreen Facts
By Abigail L. Cuffey, Woman's Day
Wearing sunscreen daily is a must to lower your risk of developing skin cancer . But the type you choose and how to apply it makes a difference, too. Read on to ensure you're approaching sun protection the right way.
Go for broad protection. The label should say "broad spectrum" or "UVA/UVB protection." (Or just look for the new Skin Cancer Foundation Seal of Recommendation.) The reason: UVB rays cause you to burn and increase your risk of skin cancer, but UVA rays break down skin elasticity, which causes wrinkles and lines, says Albert M. Lefkovits, MD, associate clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. Any sunscreen you buy should also have an SP F of at least 15—which means that you can theoretically stay out in the sun 15 times as long as you could without any protection before burning. (SPF 30 is even better.) Remember to reapply at least every two hours.
Posted 5/30/2011 6:00:00 AM By: : 11 comments 13,509 views
How I Stop a Binge
By Beth Donovan (~INDYGIRL)
Binge eating has always been one of my biggest obstacles to overcome in losing weight. For me, once a binge is triggered and I take that first bite, I’m farther from stopping a binge than before I took the first bite. That first bite puts me into a frenzy and I forget all of my good intentions, aiming instead for a blissful food coma. That feeling of everything being better, calm, okay, safe and warm washes over me and I forget the guilt that will ensue for a few minutes. Tomorrow is another day, I reason. I can do better then. Deep down though, I know tomorrow will be full of regret, feelings of failure and doubt that I can ever pull off this weight loss/ fitness goal of mine.
With the help of SparkPeople and therapy, I have learned to have more control over my binge eating. I have lost 144 pounds to date and it hasn’t been binge free. I’ve had my setbacks and struggles too. I’ve controlled my binges by using various techniques in this article and by using Spark Streaks. Streaks are consecutive days of doing something. I would like to share some of the things I’ve learned and gathered from SparkPeople and various forms of therapy with you.
How do you prevent a binge? How do you stop one once it starts? Those answers are very individualized, as not one answer will work for everyone. If you have tried different things in the past and given up, don’t throw in the towel yet. There are many more things to try.
I went to Over Eaters Anonymous, which offered the advice to “Avoid that first compulsive bite.” When I asked how I would know what bite was compulsive, I was told that it was the one I knew would send me into that frenzy that I was telling you about. Prevent the first compulsive bite and you prevent the binge.
Another technique I learned was called HALT. It reminds you to ask yourself if you are hungry, angry, lonely, or tired before reaching for food as a comforting tool. These emotions are strong binge triggers, so eating for the sake of eating while feeling them is not a good idea. Figure out what you are really feeling and distract yourself for a little while to address the problem mentally. Once you know why you want to eat and what the root cause is, do something about it or decide to not. Make it your choice, your decision; put things in your hands again. You are now in control.
With emotions and eating as well as anxiety, there is a pattern I learned from my therapist. First you start with an event that causes an emotion. That emotion can be dealt with, stuffed down or raised to panic or anxiety. As binge eaters, we tend to stuff it down with food. Then the binge upsets us and we feel guilt and shame. Those new emotions become a new event. That causes new eating behavior to cover the emotional overload and then we eat more. Once again the shame kicks in and we begin a spiral downward into a binge that leaves us feeling full of shame and remorse by the end.
Compulsive overeating and binge eating disorder are finally being recognized as official eating disorders that can be treated just like anorexia and bulimia. Don’t be afraid to ask your doctor for help if you need it. These eating disorders are just as serious and as unhealthy as their thinner counterparts. The difference is that there is a stigma attached to them because society as a whole is still unwilling to see people of size as being little more than out of control of their eating or lazy. This stigma keeps people in the dark about the gravity of their compulsive overeating and binge eating disorder. If your doctor is not familiar with these terms, and you know you need help, ask to be referred to a therapist who deals specifically with eating disorders besides anorexia and bulimia. Mention the terms “compulsive overeating” and “binge eating disorder.”
Posted 5/27/2011 2:09:08 PM By: : 387 comments 364,356 views
Olympic Swimmer Amanda Beard's Motivation Tips
By Karla Walsh, FITNESS Magazine
Continuing on the amazing athletes theme, we recently spoke with a seven-time Olympic medalist: swimmer Amanda Beard! Amanda's currently training for the 2012 Olympics, and the preparation this time around is going to be different than for her four previous trips to the Games since Amanda has been a mom since late 2009.
How does she stay in peak condition as a wife, mom, author (her memoir will be released next year) and role model? We asked Amanda to fill in the blanks.
Posted 5/26/2011 2:00:00 PM By: : 8 comments 14,913 views
I Was Addicted to Tanning Beds, until I Got Skin Cancer
Now 29, Christina was addicted to tanning beds when she was diagnosed with melanoma at age 22. She's now passionate about warning others of the dangers of tanning.
By Christina Iannaccone
Just graduating college, getting engaged, buying a house, starting a new job….life was looking pretty good for me, Christina Nicole Iannaccone, felt like I was sitting on top of the world…or so I thought…
The day started just like any other day for me, but quickly that was turned around by a phone call from my dermatologist. I remember it clearly, as if it were yesterday, “Christina this is your doctor’s office, please call us back immediately regarding you biopsy results”. I listened to it 3 times, and knew the outcome didn’t sound good, so I ignored it and figured they would call back. Sure enough, few hours later, the same number showed up as a missed call on my phone, again, but yet I ignored it and erased it. In my mind avoiding the call meant nothing was wrong, so I went about on my daily routine. Went to the gym, showered, ate lunch, then to the tanning salon for my daily dose of sun…yes, you read that right: I went to the tanning salon after hearing the message. Oh, forgot to mention, yeah, my days always consisted of waking up, gym, shower, tanning salon…sometimes twice a day. Even after the biopsies I continued to go, maybe because of denial, fear or just plain addiction. I admit, I was addicted to tanning…the sun burning my skin, the hot lamps, the sweat dripping down my back…all meant I was getting darker by the minute. However, there was never an end in sight as I always felt I could be darker.
Posted 5/26/2011 6:08:57 AM By: : 84 comments 55,169 views
5 Ways with... Shower Caps
By Woman's Day
Learn how to make the most of common household items, like hair dryers, dryer sheets and toothpicks, when you watch our 5 Ways video series! Each week, we feature a different item that you likely have lying around the house, and show you five new uses for it--surprising even the savviest of homemakers. For instance, did you know the absorbent powders in sidewalk chalk can soak up stains on clothing? Or that dryer sheets can calm frizzy-hair flyaways? Today, tune in to our latest installment, in which WomansDay.com Assistant Editor Brynn Mannino demonstrates five new ways to put shower caps to use around the house and yard.
1. Catch drips from hanging plants. While watering your indoor greenery, prevent leaks from spoiling your floor or rug by affixing a shower cap to the bottom of the container. Leave it in place until the drips have run dry.
Posted 5/23/2011 6:00:00 PM By: : 16 comments 15,613 views
10 Snack Ideas to Help You Reach Your 5 a Day
If you're having trouble fitting in 5 + servings of fruits and vegetables daily, you need to rethink your idea of them. We tend to eat a fruit cup or a piece of fruit on its own, and vegetables are relegated to side dishes at dinner.
In addition to starting each day with 2-3 servings of fruits and vegetables (I'll share my famous savory oats recipe soon!), I integrate at least two servings into snacks each day. I have no trouble reaching 8 and often more servings of fruits and vegetables daily.
Here are some nontraditional but delicious snacks to get you started.
Posted 5/23/2011 2:16:38 PM By: : 174 comments 94,131 views
A Letter to My Younger Self
Beth Donovan (~INDYGIRL) wrote a letter to her younger self...
Dear young Beth,
I know you think you are ugly and a monster rather than a girl. Well, you aren’t. Dear girl, you have listened to others far too long. From the babysitter who calls you “Monster child,” to the kids at school, and even your own family, everyone else tells you who you are. Do they ever ask you who you are? They should observe rather than label based on your weight. They would see a girl that takes all of that and then some and is still standing.
You’ll come to realize someday that you aren’t ugly just because you are overweight. Weight and beauty have very little to do with each other. You’ll learn to appreciate the beauty you do possess when you stop listening to the negative messages of the thin obsessed world around you. So, young Beth, if you can get a handle on ignoring these messages and appreciating your body right now, you will feel amazingly beautiful.
Posted 5/20/2011 10:00:13 AM By: : 179 comments 44,787 views
A Liberating 'Naked' Run
By SparkPeople member Jamie Berube
I feel naked if I run without my ipod and Garmin. I rely on Lady Gaga and Usher to push me through my first mile. The beats of Kanye and Jay Z help to quicken my stride as I get into the groove.The numbers obsessed part of me can't help but peek down at my Garmin Forerunner every five minutes to see my mile splits and distance.
But it hasn't always been this way.
The first time I went for a "run" I was 19. Garmins hadn't been invented and iPods were a lawyer's kid's luxury. I was happy with my mixed CDs and a Discman. Four years later and these gadgets are as essential to a run as my legs themselves. Dependency? Maybe a little.
However, there are days when I need my run to accomplish one thing: quiet the noise inside my head. This can't be done with "Poker Face" on repeat.
Being more interested in negative splits and distance rather than my organic movement along the roads of the So Cal suburbs makes my run feel tense and taut. For me, this adds to the noise inside my head.
Work has been rough lately. I'm a social worker which demands more than I have to give sometimes. On a Thursday evening I came home and needed to run. I cared nothing about how far or fast I went, I knew I just need to go.
I spread a smear of almond butter on a banana and chugged a cup of ice water before I headed out.
I popped my ear buds in and hit the pavement with a half hour until sunset. As I picked up my feet I struggled with the heaviness of the first quarter mile. The dimness of the dinnertime sky coupled with the dropping temperatures of nightfall would normally have dissuaded me out of my sneakers and back onto the couch. But I was invigorated. After five minutes I had a "Forrest Gump" moment where, figuratively speaking, I felt like the braces broke off my legs and I was freed to really run. I felt good and strong. Mostly though, I felt free.
I didn't expect this. After-work exercise rarely feels good and fun for the first ten minutes before the endorphins kick in.
How could this have been? What did I do differently?
Posted 5/19/2011 6:04:43 AM By: : 83 comments 30,752 views
McDonald's To Renovate Its Look, What Do You Think?
by Neha Prakash, That's Fit
Fast food giant McDonald's is revamping more than 14,000 of their franchises, USA Today reports. The company is throwing $1 billion into facelifting its restaurants, in efforts to do what Starbucks had recently done, to create a more sleek and modern setting. The changes are set to be complete by 2015.
Renovations include adding flat-screen TVs, Wi-Fi and nixing the iconic red and yellow hues for more earth tone shades to establish a comfortable environment. The chain hopes the changes will edge out fast food competitors, like Burger King, but no menu adjustments have been reported for McD's.
The chain has taken a lot of flack in the past for promoting unhealthy food and being a large contributor to rising obesity rates. But the company does not seem to be addressing the food concerns in its pending changes.
Would you be more likely to visit an "upscale" McDonald's or will the food choices keep you away?
Posted 5/18/2011 6:33:00 PM By: : 179 comments 26,616 views
‹ Back Read More Entries ›
