That's Fit

Healthy and horoscopes in the same headline probably sounds a bit hokey to people who take their personal wellness extremely seriously. I don't blame you, but lighten up a little -- horoscopes in my mind are merely entertainment. On most days I enjoy being the creator of my own horoscopes by releasing positive energy into the atmosphere and chanting positive lines out loud like: "Today will be as great as you make it. You will recognize great opportunities and leap on them." Or, "You will make good time and speed during your run today." See -- it's that easy.

Somedays it's cool to have someone else play the guessing game by zodiac sign. This feelingok website has a section on Healthy Horoscopes and breaks the signs down into following categories: Water, Fire, Air and Earth. With each group, they note which exercise and activity is best for you and then tell each individual sign what areas they should avoid over-working. Lastly they recommend which fitness product is best for you.

For example: I'm a Gemini which is an Air sign. Gemini's along with Aquarius's and Libra's need mentally challenging exercise like t'ai chi or dancing to test classic coordination. They got that much right, but really I find a little of myself in all the signs. It's what you choose to believe, but no -- I wouldn't turn to horoscopes for serious health advice. Just a little Monday fun for you!

When I was in college, procrastination was a good friend of mine and it came in the form of three-course meals. Whenever I just didn't feel like hitting the books, I'd hit the kitchen instead. An hour or so later after I had prepared, cooked, and eaten my steak glazed with mango chutney, stuffed baked potato and steamed broccoli I'd plop onto the couch for a short nap. Afterwards I'd toss back a few of those tasty rugala pastry treats. Those were my wonder years and today I sit wondering how I somehow managed not to tack on 35 pounds at the rate I ate (or, should I say, procrastinated)?

My freshman 15 were a healthy 15 and evened much of my body out. Some girls in their first year of college won't have this kind of luck. Surely, most freshman students will be overwhelmed and will probably groan at the mention of another text or book, but ladies hear me out. The St. Paul Pioneer Press has a piece on a new book called "The Dorm Room Diet: The 8-step Program for Creating a Healthy Lifestyle Plan That Really Works," by Daphne Oz, who shares her compelling story and hopes to inspire other young women to get healthy in college.

Daphne, who is entering her junior year at Princeton University, has done the research to write a book that works for you. Her father and grandfather, both cardiac surgeons, and her grandmother, a nutritional advisor, were all consulted and provided her with the direction needed to make a healthy lifestyle plan. According to the article, her book looks to ground readers with solid information about how many calories they should consume and some "tricks" to feel satisfied while keeping calories in tow. That's just a start. For more info, you can read the article by clicking here or head to Amazon.com where the book can be purchased for $11.53.

Though they'll probably never steer clear of Top Ramen and beer, what's your advice to college students to avoid the freshman 15 or just maintain healthy eating habits?

My marathon coach who also happens to be a close pal of mine has taught me that training goes beyond lacing your sneakers and hitting the road. This is why he has given me homework assignments like reading this article in this runner's magazine or logging every little detail about my run. I'm waiting for a pop-quiz somewhere between now and the race.

Anyhow, as I was clicking around Runner's World I noticed their daily training tip section. Today's involved avoiding injuries on treadmills -- where they suggest ensuring that your belt has at least eight square feet of surface area. Wouldn't it seem that all treadmills would be created equal then? Personally, training on treadmills are (yawn) boring to me and it's way too controlled. I'm less likely to stop on the machine, whereas if I'm running outdoors I'm getting the full effect of my body's limits and where I might want to stop.

In short I thought this was a good tip to point out and it looks like you can get several others on a daily basis by subscribing to Runner's World tips by RSS. That is, if you aren't a subscriber already.

You can call me the extroverted type. Sharing is caring -- like it or leave it -- with inner secrets slim to none. Personally, I usually find a tremendous amount of comfort and relief in getting secrets off my mind. Be free, I cry, be free! When I've confided my silliest and darkest stories eating me up inside to friends or complete strangers, I often found I wasn't alone with many of them. Will I be sharing some of them here? Not today, but let's talk about secrets. Is keeping secrets a healthy thing to do or not?

Last year I was completely turned on and freaked out by Frank Warren's PostSecret project, where hundreds of people could confess anything from munching on boogers (sorry) to having experienced childhood abuse by sending a postcard to an address in Maryland. From those postcards a book was born called PostSecret: Extraordinary Confessions from Ordinary Lives. Checking out the PostSecret site will give you an idea of some of the stories shared, and apparently how revealing has lead to healing.

On the flipside, I just came across this Newsweek piece which discusses why keeping secrets can be a healthy thing. The article first speaks on the new Secret deodorant campaign urging women to spill the beans and applauding them for doing such. Moving onto how and why keeping secrets can be considered an ill and toxic thing for the mind and body, researchers went on to explore to the effects and health of people carrying secrets. In their study scheduled to be published in the Journal of Personality in October, they found that people hiding something had fewer psychosomatic symptoms than those with clear consciences. They also note that well-chosen secrets can preserve a more idealized and healthier self-image.

Take a look at both sites and let us know what your take on confessing, confiding, sharing and shouting your secrets is. Does it make you feel good or sick and sad inside?

Wouldn't vacations be absolutely perfect if we didn't pack on pounds from all the sinfully delicious foods, or from slothfully laying around doing nothing? Sure, time off should be time off but after awhile laying around -- be it your house, a beach or on a cruise ship -- gets boring. Yawns. I've been on one cruise and nothing about it really knocked my socks off. Naturally, I was delighted to feel the breeze combing through my hair and to take time out from my everyday hustle, but the casinos weren't my thing and while the cuisine was great, I almost felt guilty eating so much. Where is the balance?

Thankfully, A Taste of Health and Vegetarian Times is hosting a seven day-trip built for the mind, body and spirit all aboard a ship! It's a little ways out, but if you're serious about putting in your request for much needed time off, check this one out now. Taking to the seas March 4-11, 2007, the Holistic Holiday at Sea IV - Voyage to Well-Being will include experts in holistic living and natural health to provide lectures and workshops for cruise participants. Start your day with yoga, Pilates, meditation or learn from a vegan and macrobiotic chef. Continuing education credits (CEU's) will also be available. The liner itself is said to be a world-premier Italian luxury liner and will stop at ports in the Dominica Republic, St. Thomas, Puerto Rico, Grand Turk and the U.S. Virgin Islands, to name only a healthy handful.

For a list of presenters, program overview and additional details, click here.

As a ten year old girl I knew what HIV, AIDS, and homosexuality was. My uncle had been a victim of the disease from the 80's and passed away in the early 90's. From that moment when my mother walked into the room and told me her youngest brother had left us, knots of sadness and sorrow ran throughout my body. He was the first close relative to die in my lifetime and he departed in such immeasurable blind pain. What seemed to have been a virus people knew very little about and was brought to light because of its big impact on the gay male community has turned its course since the first reported cases some 25 years ago.

Last night as I watched the ABC News Primetime special report with Terry Moran, Out of Control: AIDS in Black America, I felt the same sadness, sorrow and even anger swell and boil inside. The statistics took my breath away, each commercial break catching my breath only to have it stolen again. The hour-long show questioned why black leaders and celebrities aren't doing enough to address the AIDS issue right here at home. Africa's AIDS community has been a focal area for many while the virus among black Americans has been far too hush-hush. The show touches on how AIDS has evolved away from being perceived as a "homosexual disease" and states some very disturbing factors at why so many black women are at risk. According to their report, almost 70 percent of all newly-diagnosed women with HIV in the United States are black women and they are 23 times more likely to be diagnosed with AIDS than white women. The infection rate among black Americans as a whole is eight times the rate of whites.

What I experienced watching Terry Moran, Peter Jennings, T.D. Jakes and other reputable figures in the black community talk about was upsetting, but it was a very well-done piece on the ignorance that has lead so many people to this point. And it provided some knowledge to hopefully keep them from continuing. My only regret is that I didn't live blog this one, but I'm hoping several people caught this show. If not, check out ABS News online for a summary with facts on AIDS in Black America. For additional information I also recommend visiting the Black AIDS Institute online. Another good general site to check out is this brief history and timeline on AIDS/HIV.

Yesterday I discovered this upsetting piece over at Men's Health on the top 100 angry cities in the United States. Not that anyone should be getting worked up when finding their city ranks pretty high on the anger scale, but it's scary to say the least. For me personally, happy and healthy living also comes from happy, healthy surroundings in your circle of friends and from the individuals in your community. That's just my own personal opinion.

This Men's Health list ranks cities by factors like percentage of men with high blood pressure, FBI rates of aggravated assaults, Bureau of Labor Statistics numbers on workplace deaths from assaults and other violence in addition to road rage. My city certainly didn't make the top ten. Tampa, FL came in close at 12th, but considering several other cities in Florida made the tops it kind of bums me out. Orlando takes the top at number one. Imagine the tourism hotspot just burning up red-hot and mad with angry folks. Nearby St. Petersburg, FL ranks second, which doesn't really seem to surprise me. Miami and Jacksonville also make the top ten. It looks as though the Sunshine State isn't so sunny and cheerful after all. Go see where your city ranks.

(Honolulu, Hawai'i pictured above comes in at #64.)

Morning hours aren't my best friend. When the sun begins to rise, I slither as far under my quilts and sheets as humanly possible, like an earthworm working its way deep underground. I'm not a morning person. What can I say?

However, I've found it's usually the best time to get in a good workout. As the day goes on I've been known to toss aside a much needed session at the gym or park for any reason but the right reason. Typically, I'm worn out by evening and convinced that excercising my body will only prove punishing and keep me up way past my preferred bedtime. As you can see, I'm not the most disciplined but I'm always looking to try new methods to ensure I get some type of physical workout on a consistent basis.

This Yoga in Bed DVD sounds like a good fit for a person like me, and can be done in the morning to get your day going or at night. The nighttime workout is said to help you sleep better and fall asleep faster. The greatest part about having a DVD like this on hand is you never have to get out of your pajamas and all 20 asanas can be done in the comfort of your bed. Created by Edward Vilga, the DVD can be purchased at Amazon.com for $9.99, which shouldn't put a big dent in anyone's pocket. Now I just need to move the TV into the bedroom...

via Cool Hunting

Dean Karnazes, or the "Marathon Madman" as I like to call him, has set a pretty big goal to tackle 50 full marathons in 50 states in a time span of 50 consecutive days in the North Face Endurance 50. Yeah -- whoa! The objective is to transcend preconceived human notions about endurance and to inspire people to test their own personal limits. Interested parties can sign up to run the races with Dean and receive a rather gnarly set of goods for doing it, including a limited edition Endurance 50 t-shirt, but this isn't about goods and t-shirts.

Let's talk about the big picture -- is fifty 26.2 miles in a row just a bit much? I'm testing my personal limits by running my first marathon this October in Detroit, but the sound of this whole Endurance 50 stuff makes me want to curl up in the fetal position and hold onto my knees real tight. Guess I have no real interest in wearing down my joints in such a short amount of time, but what I'm basically trying to find out is who out there agrees? Even if Mr. Karnazes follows all the rules to ensure for a smooth recovery, is it worth it? We're all built differently, but reading about this just makes me feel achy all over and all I gotta say is good luck!

I asked this same question over at Gadling, but I'm going to ask you here now. What do you think, marathon runners? "Go-Dean-Go! or No-Dean-No!"

When I was younger my aunt used to always scold me about wearing sunscreen and protective gear when playing outside for extended periods of time. Because I was young, silly and didn't have a fair complexion I never bothered to listen, until now. Just the other day I found myself scolding my father for not wearing any sunscreen on his long afternoon walks. Even though African-Americans may not burn as easily as fair skinned persons, everyone still needs to be protected from the sun's harmful rays.

In fact, there has been an increased amount of chatter about the growing number of African-Americans, Latinos and Asians coming down with melanoma. Known as the most dangerous of skin cancers, melanoma is less likely to occur in darker skin persons, but becomes extremely dangerous and deadlier as it could go undetected for sometime, according to this FOX News piece. I'm not one to toss around statistics to scare folks too often either, but the numbers are a tale-tell sign of the amount of people getting melanoma. From the FOX news piece they also state that one in five Americans will get a skin cancer diagnosis in their lifetime. The figure becomes one in three for Caucasians in the U.S., as noted by the Skin Cancer Foundation. I couldn't dig up any hardcore, set-in-stone numbers on the amount of dark-skinned melanoma cases, but it's out there.

So be aware, informed and wear the appropriate sun protection. It's easy!

Call me a sucker, but I have the hardest time sifting through bins at bargain and discount outlets looking for a good deal. I like nice clean rows of clothing labeled and marked according to size and arranged by color. Additionally, I tend to lean toward items with attractive packaging and a catchy name.

In the past, I was also one of the biggest impulse buyers found on the planet but after a while I decided I need to start placing a little more time into researching before buying and saving a little money in the process. Besides, packaging isn't everything so I suppose it's the name of this clothing line that grabbed me -- Sameunderneath. What's the same underneath? The person or the clothes?

The line was created by Ryan Christensen, who aims to put street organic on the bodies of anybody longing for edgy, hip threads made of bamboo and cotton. Through t-shirts, pants and other clothing items, the designer hopes to emphasize social consciousness and environmental sustainability ... all of which I can most certainly dig! Check out the website for locations, the online shop or to learn more about what street organic is all about.

via treehugger

For most Americans, vacation comes in two different shapes and forms: some or none. Which is why when the time does roll around we can come off a bit picky about how we choose to use that time and where we intend to spend it. Remember, this is almost like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for some. If you want to spend this well-earned time on an exciting, refreshing, and healthy journey away from home, consider a yoga vacation.

Currently, more than 20 retreats in the continental U.S. and much more abroad offer yoga getaways. According to Yoga Journal, picking your dream yoga destination can be just as tiring as the workload you carry in your 40-plus hour work week if you don't know what to look for. This article helps those ready to escape to happy holistic times by providing the 411 on retreats and resorts. Know the difference, because it can make or break your dreamy vision of the place upon arrival. They offer numbers to outfitters in Hawai'i and places as far out as Molivos in the Greek Isles and India. Naturally, you should have an idea of the kind of yoga practice you're into, but a new environment may also be a good time to try something completely new. Their best advice is to start with your local instructor, who may be able to recommend interesting yoga getaway options.

Want more tips? Check out the full article. Have you been on a mind-blowing yoga vacation and want to share? Throw some of your own suggestions out into the blogosphere.

This is the kind of news piece I read and later feel extremely frightened about the world around me, about leaving my house and getting a ... pedicure. Yes, I said pedicure.

A pedicure is the kind of sole nurturing and foot treatment every woman and man should splurge on occasionlly without the fear of developing some kind of fungal or bacterial infection later. This WIFR Pedicure Dangers piece (which sounds like highly over-dramatized nightly news) highlights the importance of making sure your salon or foot spa is performing the necessary cleaning procedures to flush out all the water, removing dead skin cells of patrons that -- if not caught -- can cause bacterial infections. Bacterial infections are usually characterized by a red, swollen toe and fungi that, once in the nail, grow and multiply, increasing the thickness of the nail. Let's just say it's pretty unattractive and painful from the sound of things.

Personally, I've never done a thorough health inspection of any of the salons I've been to in the past before dipping my feet into their tubs for a nice footsy rub-and-scrub and I've never known anyone get an infection after a pedicure. It doesn't mean it isn't happening, though, and apparently it's happening enough to make headlines. The article's author suggests walking out of a salon if you feel as if they aren't going the distance to keep your feet happy.

Sounds pretty basic to me.

Even though we know about the dangers of too much suntanning, why do some of us still work toward that perfect St. Tropez tan this summer? Personally, tanning is something I think little about. I inherited a pretty nice golden brown complexion at birth, so making an effort to sop up more of the sun's addicting warm rays has never been an interest of mine.

But when I hear about people who can't get enough of tanning beds or sun exposure, it sounds like an addiction. Actually, could it really be? There's news out of the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston that may explain why many people continue to tan either outdoors or in tanning beds, despite widespread campaigns to alert of the dangers to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. UT's study found that up to 53% of the tanners surveyed exhibited addictive suntannng behavior -- one reason being that the sun exposure increases an endorphin euphoria, which can be addicting.

The leading group that seems to be at most risk for this addictive behavior is teenaged girls, 40 percent of whom have used a tanning bed at least once, according to the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. Research also shows that 80% of skin damage happens before the age of 18.

It is said that some like it hot, but I like it hotter. I love peppers -- hot spicy gems from destinations like the West Indies or Sri Lanka, which are far warmer. I'm guessing you're getting the picture. Other than burning my taste buds into a non-existent state or clearing up a stuffy nose, there are a lot of medicinal qualities associated with peppers that I did not know. Let's look at cayenne pepper to start.

The key to cayenne pepper is a substance called capsaicin, the part of the plant valued by herbalists and scientists across the globe -- high in vitamins A and C and highly nutritious.

According to this essortment site which gives the fiery pepper a moment in the spotlight, cayenne can be used for toothaches, congestion problems, as a liniment for sprains and -- when it is in tea form -- used for the relief of a common cold. Granny's Kitchen is also a fan of the pepper, calling it the Herbal King of Natural Healing. Cayenne is said to promote blood flow and deliver healing blood into sick or dying organs better than any other organ. Blown away yet? I am, because I honestly had no clue how amazing cayenne pepper could be! Check out this piece to get the full 101 on the pepper beyond medicine and in the kitchen. Let's not forget, it tastes good, too.