Christina Hendricks Covers Health: Joan Holloway Would "Crush Me Like a Bug"

Since her debut on Mad Men , actress Christina Hendricks has become sort of an unofficial spokesmodel for voluptuous beauty . It wasn’t a label she sought out, or even felt comfortable with. If anything, all the attention was puzzling, something Christina shares in an interview with Health magazine this month. But after years of being told she needed to lose weight, she feels grateful for finally being celebrated for who she really is. Here are the highlights: On having a healthy body image : “I guess my mom raised me right. She was very celebratory of her body. I never heard her once say, ‘I feel fat.’ Back when I was modeling, the first time I went to Italy I was having cappuccinos every day, and I gained 15 pounds. And I felt gorgeous! I would take my clothes off in front of the mirror and be like, ‘Oh, I look like a woman.’ And I felt beautiful, and I never tried to lose it, ’cause I loved it.” On staying motivated to be healthy : “I was a dancer until I was 19. I never had to worry about working out or what I ate. So I’ve really had to train myself to get down to the gym. But what surprised me was that my husband said [the other day], ‘I’m going down to work out,’ and I was like, ‘Oh, I wish I was going.’ And I was like, ‘Ooh! I can’t believe I just said that!’ I’d had a busy week working 16-hour days, and I didn’t get to work out, and I missed it. My friends will read this and be like, ‘No you didn’t.’ But it’s true!” To find out Christina’s fitness regimen and her food vices, read more. On her workout routine : “I get kind of bored on the treadmill, but I do it. And I do a little bit of weight training. I’m really into the BOSU ball. You have to balance on it, and I do weights and squats on it. I’m pretty good at it, I feel sort of like a Karate Kid . . . I read magazines, and I’ll try [the exercises]. It’s something different, and, often, you don’t need equipment. If I get any private time in my trailer, all of a sudden I’m doing sit-ups and push-ups.” On her food vices : “I like salty, creamy foods. I could sit down with a bag of chips and French onion dip and go to town! That would be on my last-supper list. But I discovered that dry French onion soup mix in nonfat yogurt tastes just as good. It really does!” On the constant attention : “I made the grave mistake after one awards show of reading comments online about what I wore, and I was like,’Oh my God, people are so mean!’ I still remember all those negative comments, despite all the wonderful positivity. That’s why we’re all in therapy! [We remember] the 10 bad things that happen to us instead of the 100 nice ones.”

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Christina Hendricks Covers Health: Joan Holloway Would "Crush Me Like a Bug"

A Healthy Bite: Jada Pinkett Smith

“When I walked out there and disrobed, I felt like a queen. I felt like the world was mine. Like there was this power just emanating from my person. Like there was nothing I couldn’t do.” - Jada Pinkett Smith on posing nude for Essence magazine’s July cover. The actress said that choosing to bare it all was not about vanity but was her way of teaching younger women (especially her daughter) that our bodies should be celebrated. Jada’s hope was to send a message of “freedom and self-acceptance” through her choice to bare it all. Do you have a healthy body image like Jada?

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A Healthy Bite: Jada Pinkett Smith

Your Healthy Food Combinations

I’m addicted to eating apples with peanut butter, but I also adore sliced red bell peppers dipped in hummus. I asked you to share your favorite healthy food combinations, and here are some of your delicious suggestions . “Cucumbers and salsa.” - cbarry06 “Avocados and tomatoes are delicious together.”- diffraction Annabelle21 says, “Fresh pineapple eaten with nonfat or low fat cottage cheese is so good! I like salty/sweet combos so the sweet pineapple with the somewhat salty cottage cheese is fab! Grapes are good too!” An anonymous reader said, “Carrots and almond butter.” TADOW suggests, “almonds and dried apricots.” “Butternut squash and cinnamon.” - Sophiew1 These are just a few, so to see the other suggestions, check out the original post . And if you have any more ideas, please share them below. Source: Flickr User gcfairch

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Your Healthy Food Combinations

DrSugar on Body Dysmorphic Disorder

DrSugar knows that a healthy body image is an important part of healthy living and felt it important to discuss a growing phenomenon that affects the way women see themselves. Reality show star Heidi Montag recently made headlines sharing with the world her recent plastic surgeries, which included breast augmentation to a DDD cup, brow lift, nose job revision, liposuction, and buttock augmentation among other things. Heidi’s story brought to mind a condition I studied in medical school, body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). Her story also begs the question, “Why would an already beautiful young woman undergo multiple cosmetic surgeries at such a young age?” Since BDD is fairly common disorder, I felt compelled share more information about it with you all. Learn the details of this disorder, when you read more. The Mayo Clinic defines body dysmorphic disorder as a serious condition involving a preoccupation with a perceived flaw in appearance, be it minor or imagined. But to an individual with BDD, this flaw makes them experience excessive shame, anxiety, and often depression, leading them to seek cosmetic surgical procedures. Much of their self-worth is related to how they feel about their appearance. BDD sufferers commonly complain of imagined or minor flaws of the head and face, but any body part can be the focus of concern. Frequently, individuals with BDD are concerned with more than one body part and are often concerned about acne, wrinkles, paleness, scars, thinning hair, or the shape or size of body parts such as the nose, lips, or face. The Los Angeles Body Dysmorphic Disorder and Body Image clinic website explains that BDD sufferers frequently perform certain behaviors, with more than 90 percent performing repetitive behaviors to check, hide, or attempt to improve what they perceive as a physical defect, including checking the supposed flaw in mirrors or other reflective surfaces. Many BDD sufferers tend to seek reassurance related to the imagined defect and usually compare their appearance with that of others. These repetitive behaviors may take many hours per day and usually only provide very temporary relief from obsessions about their appearance. Avoidance of social situations is also very common. Research estimates show that seven to 15 percent of cosmetic surgery patients suffer from BDD. Preliminary estimates suggest that Body Dysmorphic Disorder may be very common, with a rate of one to two percent in the general population. Embarrassment and shame often prevents sufferers from revealing their true degree of distress, not only to their spouses, friends, and family, but to healthcare professionals as well, making BDD extremely difficult to diagnose. The condition frequently begins in adolescence and tends to be chronic, affecting men and women in equal numbers. Contributing factors to the development of BDD vary from individual to individual, but family environment during early development and peer relationships may be important in shaping body image. Cultural factors may also be important in mediating the distress experienced by BDD sufferers, although BDD appears to exist in many different cultures and in different parts of the world. I do not know whether or not Heidi Montag suffers from body dysmorphic disorder, given I am not her physician and have never treated her. However, her story provides an important starting point for discussion about this common disorder that both men and women all over the world suffer from. If you have any signs or symptoms of body dysmorphic disorder, see your physician, mental health provider, or other health professional. Body dysmorphic disorder usually doesn’t get better on its own, and if left untreated, may get worse over time. Have a question for DrSugar? Send it by private messaging me here , and I will forward it to the good doctor. DrSugar’s posts are for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment recommendations. Click here for more details.

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DrSugar on Body Dysmorphic Disorder

Cardio 101: Endurance, Intervals, Fitness

Variety is the spice the life, and your cardio workouts, which hopefully are a part of your regular life, are no different. Spinning your wheels at the exact same speed each workout is not only boring for your mind, but your body as well. As your body acclimates to your workout, you begin to plateau - meaning you’re not challenging yourself as much as you could, and you’re not burning as many calories as you could be. All that wasted potential . . . Don’t waste your time on a single track cardio plan; your aerobic life plan should be a mix of endurance, fitness, and interval training. You shouldn’t just hop on the elliptical or hit the streets and do the same routine every session - you need to mix it up. Here are three types of workouts you should include in your cardio life. Endurance : Maintaining a steady and somewhat slower pace for a longer duration is an endurance workout. Aim to work out for at least 40 to 60 minutes maintaining a target heart rate of 60-70 percent of your max (check my calculator to learn your max heart rate). This type of workout is good for burning both fat and calories . Endurance workouts are great for ” recovery ” workout, the day after an intense workout. Try running on flat ground for at least 40 minutes at a nice steady pace. Add five minutes on to your run each week until you’re running for a full hour. To see the other two, just read more. Fitness : Short and intense workouts to increase cardiovascular fitness are fitness workouts. For these workouts you work at a consistent and intense pace for a short period of time. Keep your heart rate between 75 and 85 percent of your max for 20 minutes. A tempo run is a great example of this kind of workout. You will burn the maximum number of calories in a shorter period of time. Doing just this type of workout can lead to injury, since you are pushing your body, heart, joints, and muscles beyond your comfort zone. Once you have warmed up, put the speed of the treadmill a couple of notches past your comfort zone and run for 20 minutes. Don’t forget to cool down. Interval : I love interval training since it is a blend of both endurance and fitness training. It challenges the cardiovascular system by alternating intensities. It also increases your metabolism and will burn calories and fat. Here is a challenging interval workout: interval sprints on treadmill . No matter what type of cardio you fancy, these three types of workouts can and should be included in your workouts from biking to running, from swimming to rowing. So which type of training is your favorite and which do you need to do more of? Tell me in the comment section below.

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Cardio 101: Endurance, Intervals, Fitness

Reaping the Rewards

When I was teaching fitness classes three nights per week, I often used to sit on the sofa half an hour before I was due to leave and wish that I didn’t have to go. I used to think, “I can’t be bothered.” Does that sound familiar? How many times do you make that excuse? Or perhaps you say, “I’m too tired” or “I haven’t got time.” I am now thankful that I did go since I have managed to stay healthy and in good shape as a result. You would be amazed at how many people say to me, ”You’re so lucky to have a figure like that,” when, in fact, luck has little to do with it. It’s true that I have never been drastically overweight, but that is because I have always watched what I’ve eaten and have exercised regularly. I am as predisposed as most people to gaining weight, particularly since I have grown older. However, it’s not just my figure—my skin and hair really suffer if I eat greasy foods and don’t work out. I feel grumpy and lethargic and lose the motivation to want to exercise, which, of course, makes the situation worse. Exercise can help us in so many ways. Weight loss is just one benefit, although it is perhaps the most visible. There are, however, many psychological benefits, including being better able to cope with stress; being less likely to suffer from depression; being able to recover more quickly from illness—and so the list goes on. The beauty of exercise is that the benefits are so long lasting. If you work out for an hour in the morning, the benefits you generate will keep on working for hours afterward. Your metabolic rate will increase, which means you will burn more calories—including fat. Your heart and other muscles will adapt to the new demands and will make themselves stronger—this also requires more calories. Your circulation and digestive system will also benefit, and all this will happen while you go about your daily tasks. It reminds me of a commercial on television for a mouthwash. In the first shot, you see a man getting ready for work, brushing his teeth and using the mouthwash. A few minutes later, after another commercial, up pops the same man supposedly later in the day at work. He smiles and says, “It’s still working.” A few minutes later, after yet another ad, the same man appears in the evening scene with the same comment, “It’s still working.” The benefits are still being achieved hours after the event has taken place—it’s exactly the same with exercise. It’s not just the energy cost of the exercise that is important—that is, how many calories you burn up while actually working out—it’s how many calories you need to burn just to stay alive. If you are overweight, there is visible evidence that you are eating more than you need. If you exercise regularly, however, that daily requirement—the number of calories you need to stay alive and healthy—will increase as you replace lost muscle tissue, and you really will burn more calories 24 hours per day, even while you sleep. That’s one kind of exercise we all have to find time for. Good health and the prevention of disease are basic human needs. We invest huge sums of money trying to buy health, when we actually have most of the answers completely free of charge. With regular exercise you can extend your life span by several years, not to mention drastically improve your quality of life. Think ahead for a moment. If you cannot stand up from a chair unaided, then you cannot get off the toilet unaided. This means that your chances of living at home and not being institutionalized when you get older are slim because your muscles and heart will have weakened so much due to inactivity that you will no longer be able to look after yourself. Exercise is not just about losing weight; it is a free prescription for a healthy body.

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Reaping the Rewards

These Celebs Stay Toned and Tranquil With Yoga

While we may not have found the fountain of youth (yet!) and there isn’t a magic pill to keep us looking and feeling young, I’m a firm believer that yoga is the next best thing. It keeps your muscles flexible and strong, and helps calm and relax your mind. Practicing yoga regularly is the secret to a healthy body and soul, so check out which celebs have a yogic side. View Slideshow ›

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These Celebs Stay Toned and Tranquil With Yoga

Why Most Beginners Fail and Give Up Exercising?

When beginners start exercising, they are usually all pumped up and energized and ready to conquer the world.  They want to run.  They want to jump.  The feeling is like when they starting a new school year or a new job. Sad to say, there are several things which may cause more harm than good.  If you just start out too, you have to be cautious about what you do and when.  One of the things you have to be careful about is to define what “success” means to you.  In other words, you must know your fitness goal . I have seen people setting an unreasonable goal, say shedding 30 pounds or build a Ryan-Reynolds’ body within a month. So, before they see any result, they make a premature judgment that they have failed.  The urge for instant success is always there. They think that their approach is wrong and decide to start with another new workout program. This time, they set another unreasonable goal, and again, when they do not make it, they try other ways. If they do not start over again, they continue struggling on. This cycle continues on and on.  At this point, they feel frustrated.  They become disillusioned and disappointed of not seeing any instant result.  They throw their sports shoes into thrash bin.  They cancel their gym membership.  They blame every one else but not themselves.  They believe that exercising is just a waste of time. Finally, they give up, just right before they see result . So sad. Often times, beginners want to see results very soon or worse, immediately. They go to gym twice a day and expect their weight to go down, they want their clothes size to get reduced and their flabby arms go away. They expect all these results within a very short time frame. But, exercising is not like an instant coffee. No, exercising is never an instant coffee.  Result rarely comes immediately . Most newbies do not understand that fact. First, they have to determine their goals.  Then, execute the plan – exercise regularly, learn to improve, watch their diet and monitor the results.  They should be patient instead of keep tweaking the workout sequence, changing the weight lifting technique, trying new yoga pose and others.  Stay focused.  Be patient. It takes time, perspiration, and patience and perseverance to build a healthy body. Every hour you spend exercising is a step closer to your fitness goal.  Take things easy. Define your goals, and break them up to help you reaching the destination with different milestones along the way.  One step at a time. I have done it and I am sure you can too. No comment | © Exercise , 2007-2009. |Fitness|Fitness|Fitness

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Why Most Beginners Fail and Give Up Exercising?