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SFO Has The Country’s First Airport Yoga Room
Quick! Someone—anyone—give me a reason to fly through SFO. San Francisco’s International Airport now has the country’s first airport yoga room for travelers, complete with yoga mats, dimmed lights and a ‘zen garden atmosphere.’ Now if only more airports would knock out their McDonald’s and put one of these in. More »
Afternoon Links: Prep A Quick And Healthy Dinner
• Master the art of resilience. (HuffPost Fitness)
• Ways to prep a quick, healthy dinner. (fitsugar)
• A quick fix for feeling down in the dumps. (The Stir)
• Can you make your husband change? (YourTango)
• How to handle your debt. (HuffPost Women
• How to handle difficult people. (YouBeauty)
• Vegetable cocktails you should try. (Organic Authority)
• Health and fitness books you should buy. (Well + Good)
This Is Why You Should Work Out: Aging Muscles In Triathletes vs. Sedentary People
The above images are quadriceps MRI scans of a 74-year-old sedentary man, and a 74-year-old male triathlete. The difference in muscle mass is astounding, and according to a new study, they’re proof that you don’t have to lose muscle mass as you age. Pretty good reason to work out, right?
The study, published in the journal Physician and Sports Medicine (found via Jay Parkinson), investigated whether muscle atrophy actually happens because of aging, or because of lack of exercise. The researchers… More »
6 Reasons Why Your Period Might Be Irregular
Contrary to what you may be inclined to believe by the period-shaming media, your monthly flow is not embarrassing, not blue, not consistant, and often, not monthly at all. In fact, for most women, at some point in their lives, unusual menstruation is the norm–and that perfect, 28-day cycle is an illusive creature, like a hormonal unicorn leaping over rainbows of body-positive tampon ads off on the horizon. But even with that knowledge, when your period does something unpredicted, it can still be worrisome. More »
Why Snooki Should Promote Exercise And Diet Instead of Zantrex3
I’ve already written about how amazing it is that Snooki‘s new Zantrex commercial features the same music as Jessie Spano‘s caffeine pill breakdown. Now it’s time for me to have a serious talk about her new body and why I’m so bummed that she’s peddling diet drugs instead of focusing on all the other hard work she’s been doing to get healthy. More »
Pimp My Health: 5 Blissful Ways To Have The Best Shower Ever
When done right, showers can be the best part of your day. Not only do you have an opportunity to get super-clean, but you can also use this time to improve your health, your skin and your mood. So, this week on Pimp My Health, we’re going to pimp your shower. All it takes is a little know-how to turn 10 routine minutes into 10 awesome minutes. Take a look: More »
Anti-Obesity Program Horrors: They May Cause Eating Disorders
A new poll says 30% of parents have seen at least one worrisome behavior in their children that could be associated with an eating disorder—and they’re blaming it on school-based anti-obesity programs. Of course, lowering childhood obesity rates is a good thing, but it seems a lot of school programs are taking a dangerous approach: Instead of teaching kids how to life a happy, healthy lifestyle through positive role models, they teach them how not to be obese. The difference—inspiration vs. fear—makes all the difference between controlling obesity and, it appears, eating disorders. More »
The Best Fitness Trackers For Your Goal That Aren’t The Nike Fuel Band
With pre-sale for the much-hyped Nike Fuel Band long over, and the opportunity for actual purchase still at least a month off, a lot of exercise enthusiasts who either missed the window (or can’t afford it) are looking for a similar tool. There are plenty of fitness trackers out there, but each offer different services, and seem to be tailored for a specific set of goals. Whether you’re looking to lose weight, run faster, or just move around more, which gadget is best for you? More »
Obese Docs Less Likely To Diagnose Obese Patients
Whether a doctor’s weight interferes with his or her ability to diagnose patients is a question I would normally consider stupid and insulting. But new research shows it might actually be the case—at least when that diagnosis is obesity. According to a study published this month in the journal Obesity, physicians who were overweight or obese were far less likely to diagnose obese patients than docs in the normal weight range. More »
Morning Links: Does Yoga Count As Cardio?
•Health and fitness books you should buy. (Well + Good)
• How to get a romantic getaway the green way. (Organic Authority)
• Food that lower cholesterol. (YouBeauty)
• How to handle your debt. (HuffPost Women
• Sex moves women are afraid to ask for. (YourTango)
• Workout clothes to help with your resolutions. (The Stir)
• workouts to take you to your max. (fitsugar)
Does yoga count as cardio? (HuffPost Fitness)
My Personal Trainer Promised A New Me In 30 Days…What’s Wrong With The Old Me?
I’m starting to see a personal trainer at my gym next week. Let’s call him Tony. Tony says in one month, I’ll be a new Briana. Which made me wonder, what does he have against the current Briana? Is just part of the personal trainer’s sales technique to make women feel bad about themselves? Or do so many women feel bad about themselves that guaranteeing us new versions of ourselves is just the de facto kind of encouragement that personal trainers are supposed to give? More »
Poll: Is New York Sports Club’s Paula Deen Ad Tacky or Hilarious?
Paula Deen seems hazy on the link between lifestyle and diabetes, but New York Sports Club wants to set the record straight: They took out an ad that reads “paula, you made a fortune off of fat. call us if you want to be around to enjoy it.” Some consider this in poor taste; some of us find it kind of hilarious. Is NYSC taking the criticism of Paula Deen too far?
McDonald’s Won’t Be Using Ammonia In Their Burgers; Wont’ Be Winning New Customers, Either
McDonald’s PR is having a rough time of it this week; first with its Twitter campaign gone awry, and now with Jamie Oliver bringing attention to their switch away from using ammonia-treated beef in their burgers. Ammonia (or ammonium hydroxide) is commonly used as a cleaning agent, but apparently McDonald’s used it to convert fatty, unusable beef cuts into a filler used in their burger patties, which Jaime Oliver brought to attention on his ‘Food Revolution’ show. More »
Afternoon Links: How Condiments Make Or Break A Healthy Diet
• How condiments make or break a healthy diet. (HuffPost Fitness)
• Yoga poses to love or hate. (fitsugar)
• This kind of sex can lead to cancer. (The Stir)
• Things men can’t stan about women. (YourTango)
• Is sexting addictive? (HuffPost Women)
• Don’t believe you’re ‘crazy’. (YouBeauty)
• Forgotten food writers to check out. (Organic Authority)
• A new-age spiritual technique. (Well + Good)
Interview With Michael Stusser, The Yoga by Equinox Parody Guy
The Yoga by Equinox video has been getting a lot of serious criticism, but it also got a lighthearted jab from Michael Stusser, the guy who put his parody video on youtube earlier this week. Well+Good NYC interviewed him for his take on why we should all lighten up: More »
Gelatin Isn’t Vegetarian (And Is Kind Of Gross), But Is It Bad For You?
I became aware of what gelatin was and where it came from at a county fair in Oregon. I was maybe 7 or 8, and there was a box of Jello, set up decoratively next to a cow hoof as part of a 4H project, which explained that gelatin, the stuff that made gummy candies gummy and Jello jiggly was an animal byproduct. I was horrified. But I found that the clear gelling product is so ubiquitous, avoiding it requires a level of vigilance and awareness that would make a member of the Secret Service sweat. Now, as a vegetarian, I avoid it. But as a health writer, I was curious–is it actually unhealthy? Or is it just kind of gross? More »
Poll: Should Female Soccer Players Be Allowed To Wear A Hijab?
FIFA and the rest of the soccer world have a few questions to answer before this year’s Olympics in London–mostly related to religion, culture, and women. Does wanting to be a professional soccer player mean checking certain religious freedoms at the door, in the interest of fairness and equality? Are religious symbols, when they take the form of clothing (like a hijab) worthy of exception to uniform rules on the field? That’s what they’re trying to decide–and opinions on both sides are heated.
I’m So Excited! Snooki’s New Zantrex3 Ad Is A Flashback To Jessie Spano’s Diet Pill Freakout
Snooki‘s new Zantrex3 diet pill ad features her and several other women dancing around to the song “I’m So Excited”…just like when Jessie Spano had that caffeine pill freakout on Saved By The Bell. This is the best coincidence ever. More »
96% Of Us Are More Stressed Than Our Moms Were; Cut Yourself Some Slack
On the Today show this morning, they reported that a whopping 70% of moms in the U.S. say mothering is “incredibly stressful.” On top of that, 96% feel we are far more stressed than our own mothers were. While I can certainly relate (I am a working mom with two kids), I always find reports like that interesting, because I think they can paint a picture of us as martyrs, when in fact, we’re the ones who typically bring this stress upon ourselves. And if we would just cut ourselves some slack, we could probably alleviate a lot of this angst. More »
Winter Table: Baked Portobello Caps With Walnuts And Blue Cheese Over Wilted Arugula
I came up with this dish the other night because the only veggies I had in the fridge were portobello mushroom caps and a bunch of about-to-go-bad arugula. My boyfriend’s response? ‘Wow, this is like something you’d see on a cooking show!’ Yeah, it turned out that good. But even though baked portobello caps stuffed with walnuts and blue cheese and served over wilted arugula sounds (and looks) fancy, this delicious dish requires practically no effort to make—my kind of cooking! Plus, the combination of mushrooms, greens, walnuts, olive oil and blue cheese gives you a good mix of vitamins, protein and healthy fats. More »