Workout feeling stale? Try something new.

A Magical Beverage That's Proven to Suppress Your Appetite

By: Jen Mueller : 9/3/2010 10:12:31 AM : 86 comments : 11,760 views

What if I told you there is something you can drink that is easily accessible, free, healthy, and can help you lose more weight? Does it sound too good to be true? For years, people have speculated that this drink helps with weight loss. But until now there hasn�t been much scientific evidence to back up that claim. So what is it? Read More >

This Week's Best Member Blogs

By: Denise Tausig : 9/3/2010 5:15:18 AM : 7 comments : 3,331 views

My Motivational NOTEBOOK!!!

I've Lost 30 Pounds!!! Photo Comparison April 2010-September 2010

I am a Spinning GODDESS!

I've left 300ville!!!

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Flaws In My Diet According To My Cat

By: Bruce Corwin : 9/2/2010 5:28:00 PM : 207 comments : 9,318 views

The Slowest Loser has met his match: The Harshest Kitty.

One evening last month, our six-year-old daughter Annabelle ran into the house crying and shrieked: "There's a bear out there!"

Fortunately, the "bear" was actually a black cat. He meowed at us loudly, then scampered up the stairs, seemingly starved for food and affection. He rubbed against our legs, loved being petted, and jumped into my wife Tami's arms.

"This was definitely once a house cat," Tami said.

"I wonder where he came from," said Annabelle.

We put "Lost Cat" signs up in our neighborhood, fortunately to no avail. The cat won our hearts, and today, he's a Corwin.

We wanted to give him a name that referred to how he found us. I lobbied for Cici, standing for "Can I come in?" But we ultimately settled on "Blakely," an English name that means "from a dark meadow," which describes part of our backyard at night.

Little did I know that Blakely had an alter-ego � a nutrition expert known as The Harshest Kitty, pictured here plotting to eat my goldfish. Read More >

'Fake' Fiber in Your Food? How to Spot It

By: Tanya Jolliffe : 9/2/2010 6:48:16 AM : 66 comments : 8,961 views

Studies over the last two decades have revealed ways to chemically alter naturally digestible starches. The chemical modifications introduce bonds that make them non-digestible by human enzymes in the digestive tract. Benefits of the newly manufactured starch fiber additives are largely unknown.

We have talked about the new manufactured fibers known as stealth fiber. We have mentioned there is a new fiber category in the midst of the FDA rulemaking process apparently with the full backing of industry. New products are finding a place at the manufacturing table. New fiber enhancement products are being added so baked goods, snack foods, breakfast cereals, and nutrition bars can meet "good source of fiber" or "excellent source of fiber" labeling claims. Now we need to talk about how you can use this information.

You will not find "stealth fiber" listed on the food label. You may see or hear "modified natural fibers" used in marketing campaigns. Strange derivative terms for natural portions of wheat, potato, or corn are more likely to appear on labels. It will be important for consumers to have an understanding of such terms as an indicator of modification. Here are some specifics to help you decipher food labels as you interpret product fiber sources.

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10 Full Body Gym Exercises for the Beginner

By: Nancy Howard : 9/1/2010 12:13:14 PM : 29 comments : 12,190 views

Last week's fitness blog featured strength training exercises a beginner could do at home. This week's blog features those exercises that allow you to do a full-body workout routine in the gym.

If you feel you do not have time to incorporate all the various exercises into your busy schedule, according to the American Council on Exercise, "significant fitness and strength gains can be made in just two strength training sessions per week when you target all muscle groups."

Below are ten strength training exercises to do at the gym.

Please be sure to do a nice warm-up and cool-down before and after doing these exercises.

Note that if you have a history of joint problems or health issues you will want to get medical clearance before performing any of these activities.

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Habits of Fit People: Turn Off the TV

By: Nicole Nichols : 9/1/2010 5:58:32 AM : 158 comments : 10,667 views

You want to be a fit person, right? That's why I'm sharing my own habits for keeping fit and staying healthy in the ongoing Habits of Fit People series.

Here's one that works for me: turning off the TV.

Sounds simple enough, but most people I talk to aren't willing to give up the guilty pleasure of their favorite shows. I get it: TV is an ideal downtime, a mental and physical respite that we welcome at the end of a hard day's work. But besides freeing up boatloads of time that you didn't know you even had, there are plenty of other ways turning off the tube can help you get fitter and healthier.

Even for me, a person who enjoys exercise (most of the time anyway), exercising regularly and consistently is no small feat. It takes time, commitment, and organization. It involves making some tough choices, like waking up earlier than I'd like to or not following McDreamy and McSteamy's latest adventures (sad, I know). If staying fit were easy, we'd all be fit people. But in truth, the most common excuse we use for not exercising is lack of time. Where does all of our time go? We have jobs/school, social lives, and countless commitments, but many fit people maintain all of those same obligations and still make time for exercise. I have an idea for how they do it, because this technique works for me, too: They limit how much TV they watch. Read More >