Eat, Drink, and Have Good Luck

Food has always played a pivotal role in shaping culture, and many great traditions are based around its symbolism. New Year’s Eve is no exception - throughout the world specific foods are eaten because they are believed to bring good luck and fortune to the eater. Given that a lot of these lucky foods are good for you, it already seems like a winning situation. Here’s a few ideas of what you should be chowing down on, come NYE. Source: Flickr User yajico View Slideshow ›

Read the original post:
Eat, Drink, and Have Good Luck

Weight Loss Tips From 2009 to Help in 2010

Happy New Year! I love a fresh start, don’t you? On the first of the year, we holiday revelers hoping to lose our December pounds, as well as those with weight-loss resolutions , start searching for some outside help. Over 2009, we provided tons of tips on the subject, so as we head into 2010, we can put all these weight loss tips to practice. Source: Jupiter Images View Slideshow ›

Go here to see the original: 
Weight Loss Tips From 2009 to Help in 2010

Exercise on the Last Day of the Year

The holidays are almost over, and I definitely ate and drank more in these past few weeks than I do in a month. OK, maybe I’m exaggerating, but coupled with exercising less, I definitely feel like a blob. My first New Year’s resolution is to get back on track with regular exercise and eating routine, but why wait until Jan. 1? Join me and jump-start your health kick a little early and exercise on the last day of the year. Go for a jog in your neighborhood, sign up for that gym membership , go skiing with friends, or take a long walk in the woods. You’ll feel good having sweated it out before the last big splurge of New Year’s Eve, and it’ll get you in the habit of working out like you vowed to in 2010 .

View post: 
Exercise on the Last Day of the Year

In Case You Missed It: Best Food Breakdowns of 2009

You can exercise all you want, but if you don’t mind what you eat, you could start packing on the pounds. Since knowledge is power, over the past year I’ve broken down many types of foods to reveal the calorie, saturated fat, and sodium content. Since I am interested in the healthy stuff too, I often included which foods offer the most fiber, protein, and calcium. Take a look at my favorite food breakdowns below. All Kinds of Nut Butters Warm Up With This Hot Beverage Breakdown Bagel Breakfast: Which Spread Should You Choose? Frozen Pizza Breakdown Dried Fruit Breakdown Cooked Leafy Greens Breakdown For six more food breakdowns, keep reading.

Read more from the original source:
In Case You Missed It: Best Food Breakdowns of 2009

Top 10 Health Trends of the Decade

I admit it, I love top 10 lists! And, as this decade draws to a close, I especially love top 10’s of the decade. The 2000’s certainly had a nice blend of the progressive, the questionable and of course the utterly ridiculous. The 2000’s could be defined as the decade where we waffled over carbs, incorporated technology and took exercise and dieting to new extremes. So, here are the trends and a brief commentary on each one: Continue reading…

Go here to read the rest: 
Top 10 Health Trends of the Decade

Toast the New Year With These 5 Low-Cal Drinks

It’s the end of December and 2009 is coming to a close. To celebrate another year gone by and welcome 2010, I expect many of you will get all dolled up and spend New Year’s Eve with friends, food, and of course, drinks. Liquid calories can be higher than you expect, but that doesn’t mean you have to forgo the toasts. You just need to choose your cocktails carefully. Steer clear of ones made with sugary mixers and high-calorie ingredients such as chocolate or other dairy products. Sip your drink instead of guzzling, and in between each alcoholic beverage, drink a glass of water. Many festive beverages are low in calories. To see five drinks under 150 calories read more. Glass of champagne (4.1 oz): 96 calories Glass of red or white wine (5 oz): 127 calories Wine spritzer (3 oz wine, 3 oz club soda): 70 calories Gin and tonic (6 oz): 143 calories Bud Light (12 oz bottle): 110 calories If you are looking to lighten up even further and go booze-free, try my Ginger Pineapple Sparkling Punch . It’s tasty and refreshing.

See the rest here: 
Toast the New Year With These 5 Low-Cal Drinks

The Spark Diet

The Spark is a new book from the Chris Downie, the creator of SparkPeople.com Sparkpeople is nothing less than a phenomenon. Many years ago I communicated with Chris Downie, when SparkPeople was in its infancy. He had set some big goals, and I’m sure he has now far surpassed them. SparkPeople is a free weight loss program (with apparently over 6 million registrations). Beginning as a weight tracker and calorie counter it blossomed into a full-blown social and support network. Continue reading…

Read more:
The Spark Diet

[Forum] The New Taco Bell Diet

I always sit back at this time of year with a sense of anticipation - what new and wonderful diets will be offered to the ever gullible and desperate ground of people who still haven’t discovered that fad diets are only helping them diet themselves fatter. And last night I saw one that I think is really going to be a hit. Seriously - it’s called the (wait for it …. drumroll… and I really am not making this up) Taco Bell Drive Thru Diet! Now if you could read the fine print flashed across the screen in a flash which only a speed reader could read I’m not quite sure what you’d find it said (no doubt some disclaimer or something about so long as you’re only eating a very low calorie diet) but the point is you can’t read any of them - and there were at least two I saw flash up and instantly disappear. But drive-thru? Hey that’s really helpful when it comes to losing weight (wonder if one of those disclaimers don’t tell you that you actually need to exercise to achieve the weight loss their model apparently did). And oh…what do we do with those salivating tastebuds as that little packet is handed through the drive-thru window and those smells hit our car? Wolf it down and drive through the drive thru again? But lucky thing… the model did say (more than once) that her “results weren’t typical.” Now on that score, I’m willing to bet she’s right. You just have to love this time of the year - it’s so inventive!!!!

Here is the original post:
[Forum] The New Taco Bell Diet

Gear Review: Cloudveil Rayzar Windstopper Softshell

If you’re an active snow bunny , you need a jacket that will protect you from the elements and allow you to move freely. Softshells are the way to go because they’ll keep you warm but are lightweight enough to prevent you from overheating. I just got a new one from Cloudveil. This Rayzar Windstopper ($300) has been great for skiing on the slopes and snowshoeing in the woods. I love the flattering fit, the bulkless shape, the soft fleece lining inside, and the adjustable hood that can be cinched down to prevent wind from getting to my head and neck. In 20° F weather, all I wore underneath was a wicking sports bra, wicking tank , and a baselayer, and this wind-blocking jacket kept me toasty warm. I even got a little sweaty, but the fabric inside helps your perspiration vapor escape, so I didn’t feel damp or chilly. The outer material allows snow and water to just slide off, so you don’t have to worry about getting wet or feeling weighed down. Another plus is the two outer zippered pockets that keep my cell phone, keys, and tissues safe, and there are two pockets on the inside to hold even more stuff. If you’re not a fan of blue, this jacket comes in three other colors. View 5 Photos › If you’ve recently tried some fitness or sports gear that you loved or hated, tell us about it in the Good Gear/Bad Gear community group.

View original post here: 
Gear Review: Cloudveil Rayzar Windstopper Softshell

My 2009 Veggie Garden

We love the pics that OnSugar blogger And She Finally Lived, Happily Ever After posted of her 2009 vegetable garden . When she cooks she just has to go as far as her backyard to pick fresh, organic carrots, corn, potatoes, and more. View 25 Photos ›

View post: 
My 2009 Veggie Garden

Next Page »