Day-related stories
Jane Seymour Dishes on Her Favorite Dishes
Acting, ballroom dancing, painting, designing jewelry ... Jane Seymour does it all. And, at age 57, she has a face and a body most 30-somethings would kill for. So what is she doing right? Seymour told Every Day with Rachael Ray what a typical day in her life is like. - She starts her day with a cup of coffee and a walk on the beach. For breakfast, she enjoys an omelet filled with veggies from her organic garden.
- Around 12:30 she takes a break from sketching, painting and writing to enjoy lunch. A typical lunch is a quesadilla and a spicy arugula salad topped with homemade balsamic vinaigrette.
- She spends the rest of her afternoon painting and credits that with helping her keep her figure. Seymour says, "When you're covered in paint, it's quite hard to put food in your mouth!"
- When her kids get home from school, she leaves her studio and helps them with their homework. She'll usually grab a snack of pistachios, almonds, or dried cranberries.
- Seymour opts for quick and healthy dinners like stir fry. Because she often has friends stop over unexpectedly, she cooks the meat separate from the vegetables so vegetarian friends can still enjoy the meal.
I think there are a lot of tips we could take from this former Bond girl. If you have the space to grow your own garden, it's a great way to enjoy the freshest produce possible. And, rather than munching all day long, having a healthful and planned snack is a good way to go.
Undoing Turkey Day Damage
Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Nutrition & Supplements
Hopefully, most of you made great choices for your health yesterday, on Thanksgiving Day. You exercised in the morning, avoided too many appetizers and stuck to only one piece of pie. If you did that, congratulations -- I'm proud of you!
If you went a little nut-so on the nuts and gobbled up several different desserts, though ... it's time to get to work. Weight gain comes as a direct result of consuming more calories than you burn. It's quite possible that you actually gained anywhere from a half a pound to three in just one day. Yeesh!
Your second priority is to force vigorous exercise into each day during the next week as well. Vigorous exercise leaves you huffing, puffing and sweating profusely. Do lots of it.
The Belly Buster
Ask Fitz!, Diet & Weight Loss, Nutrition & Supplements
Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answers. Our ThatsFit.com fitness expert -- and now your own virtual personal trainer -- will help you get fit, increase your overall health and do it in a fun way. Drop your questions here in the Comments section below and we'll choose one per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.
Q. Fitz, I'm sick of feeling sick at the end of Thanksgiving Day. I seem to eat all day, even when I'm not hungry. I literally feel like the clothes I put on that morning don't fit me anymore. I'm dreading it this week. What do I do? Alex
A. Gobble Gobble, Alex! I mean ... don't Gobble Gobble, Alex. (Bad joke, I know). Holidays, particularly Thanksgiving, often lead to really weird amounts of mindless eating. It doesn't help that this particular day is actually based on a feast. Darn Pilgrims! Why couldn't they show their gratitude with a running race? I can help you avoid this scenario, though. No one likes to unbutton their jeans to be able to sit down. It's uncomfortable, embarrassing and depressing. So let's get proactive, make a plan and stick with it.
Your Turn: How many times a day do you eat?
Over at AOL Health's Men's Fitness Center, they're talking hunger -- as in, how to ease it or avoid it and still lose weight. Surprisingly, one of the top tips for avoiding hunger is eating lots. In fact, experts recommend that you eat three meals and three good snacks a day. It doesn't take a math whiz to figure it out -- this means that you should be eating six times a day.
How much of a stretch is this for you? We're wondering ...
Eat for your teeth
Another cleaning trick, says Mello for Woman's Day magazine (July 8, 2008), is to sip staining beverages through a straw and then chase with plenty of water to prevent them from leaving a mark.
For more tips on eating for healthy teeth, check out fatfreekitchen.com.
Berries battle blood pressure and more
According to a recent study, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, eating just five ounces of mixed berries a day can lower blood pressure and thin the blood, thus reducing the risk of blood clots and strokes. Blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries are at their peak right now, so why not pick some up and get your dose of potent antioxidants. Woman's Day magazine (July 8, 2008) offers these yummy snack ideas.
- Make a colorful parfait. Spoon alternating layers of fat-free strawberry yogurt and mixed berries into a parfait glass. Top with shaved almonds or chopped walnuts.
- Sweeten iced tea with berry juice. Add a splash of raspberry, black currant, or cranberry juice to a glass of homemade unsweetened iced tea.
- Satisfy a sweet tooth. Drop some raspberries in a bowl and drizzle with melted dark chocolate.
Want more on the benefits of berries. Check out this article.
What's the most important meal of the day for athletes?
Healthy Habits, Womens Health, Healthy Kids, Book Reviews, Cellulite, Obesity, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment, Reviews & Products, Nutrition & Supplements, Men's Health
Trivial Pursuit Question: What's the most important meal of the day for athletes? If you answered 'breakfast,' then off to your nutrition tutor, you just flunked. According to Dr. Jose Antonio, the most important 'meal' of the day is what you consume before, during, and after exercise!
Dr. Antonio gave a seminar to a packed house at the National Strength and Conditioning Association Conference at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas this week. He showed proof that if you consume a combination of protein and carbohydrate during the pre-, during, and post-workout period, you'll put on lean body mass better and lose body fat. Breakfast doesn't do that my friend. Dr. Antonio calls this the science of nutrient timing.
So when you re-take that quiz, make sure you answer Before, During, and After exercise! Then you get to go to the head of the class
Perfect Father's Day gift for the sports fanatic: Send your guy to Man Heaven
Healthy Home, Healthy Places, Healthy Relationships, Stress Reduction, Womens Health, Celebrities and Entertainment, Healthy Kids, Cellulite, Obesity, Healthy Events, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment, Reviews & Products, Motivation, Nutrition & Supplements, Men's Health
A few months back I went to a place I like to call "Man Heaven" and wrote a few articles about it. Man Heaven is also known as ESPN: The Weekend at the Disney Hollywood Studios in Florida. The event was jam packed with dozens and dozens of your sports lovers' heroes from today and yesteryear. Football, basketball, baseball, tennis, hockey and golf stars flooded the theme park with ample opportunity for each Disney guest to get up close and personal with the athletic love of their life.
Of course, there were also a ton of female fans decked out in their team jerseys, but truly....this event was for boys. Young boys, elderly boys, and every boy in between. I saw big groups of men in coordinating jerseys riding the tram to the park, and then I saw tons of father/son duos shooting baskets with their favorite hoops star.
The event isn't until early next March, so you'll have plenty of time to book your air, hotel, and ticket reservations. He'll have lots of time to squirm with anticipation for the big event. Trust me.....if your guy loves sports, he will love ESPN: The Weekend and love you even more for sending him to it.
5 ways to keep your whole body sharp
Healthy Habits, Diet & Weight Loss
Want to keep your brain sharp? Then give your brain cells a workout by switching up your everyday routines. Brush your teeth with the opposite hand. Find your keys in your purse by touch alone -- don't peek. Or try a challenging crossword puzzle or mind game.Here are six more strategies, compliments of Woman's Day magazine, for keeping your whole body sharp.
- Strength train your muscles and then drink fat-free milk. Studies show that exercisers who drank two glasses a day lost more fat and built more muscle than those who didn't drink up.
Memorial Day round-up: No weight gained
Diet & Weight Loss, Nutrition & Supplements
I'm just back from a Memorial Day beach getaway that featured time on the sand, time at the pool, time with family, and time with ... food. For two nights straight, my family of four dined with cousins, aunts, uncles, and friends, and the home-cooked meals we were served were simply scrumptious. They were no doubt loaded with ingredients we rarely consume too. This had me worried.I scarfed down plenty of healthy goods this weekend -- like right-from-the-ocean King Mackerel, fresh-from-the-garden lettuce, freshly-made salsa, broccoli, and fruit salad. The iffy, and downright yummy dishes, were cheesey scallop potatoes one night, once baked-once fried potatoes the other, clam chowder, and all sorts of chips for the fresh salsa. These items were bound to add a few numbers to my scale, and when I returned home yesterday, I hopped on that thing to see just what I'd done.
Nothing. No change. My weight is the same. I'm shocked. Well, maybe I'm not. It just goes to prove that I don't have to be hard-core all the time. I can take a break. I can indulge for a day. I can go for broke occasionally without actually breaking the bank. And now that the holiday weekend is over, I can get back on track and pick right up where I left off, without have to whittle away at a few extra pounds.
7 billion hot dogs soon to be consumed
About seven billion hot dogs will be consumed between Memorial Day and Labor Day, according to the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council. This means that roughly 818 hot dogs will be eaten every second during the summer. That's a lot, considering the average annual consumption is 20 billion.
I'm not a big fan of the hot dog, myself. For one, I'm never really sure from what the things are made. Second, I don't love all the fat that comes packed into each modest serving -- one Ballpark beef frank contains 16 grams of fat, six grams of it from the saturated fat family. Hot dogs just are not my food of choice. Many people love them, though. Check out these gallery stats.
Monkey see, monkey eat
Good role modeling never goes out of style. It may even be the exact reason why people gobble down Goldfish crackers -- or animal crackers.In one study, cited in June's The Oprah Magazine, college students who watched a video of a colleague talking while eating Goldfish crackers chose Goldfish over animal crackers 71 percent of the time. Those watching someone eat animal crackers went for Goldfish only 44 percent of the time, despite a reported overall preference for Goldfish.
This Monkey See, Monkey Do phenomenon holds true for babies too.
Chow down on fruits and veggies while your baby is in the womb and while you're breastfeeding and your little one will be more likely to consume these items when offered them, say researchers mentioned in the May issue of Woman's Day magazine.
The lesson here: Think before you eat, because people, even babies, are likely to mimic your actions. And be careful about whose eating habits you watch, because you're likely to pick up the very snacks you see.
For some strategies and tips for healthy eating, check out AOL's America Takes It Off series.
Give mom a whopper on Mother's Day
Healthy Relationships, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Motivation, Nutrition & Supplements
I'm already thinking about it: Mother's Day. Are you? The big day -- Sunday, May 11 -- arrives in less than one week. Which means you've got not quite seven whole days to think up a whopper of a gift for your mom -- or anyone who serves as mom to you. By "whopper," I mean not something big, expensive, or extravagant -- and not something that hails from your neighborhood McDonald's. I mean this: Thoughtful. Something that tells mom you know her, love her, and appreciate her.For me, a candle fits the bill. I love candles. And my little boys know this. Every time we pass the Yankee candle shop in the mall, they ask me if I want to stop in for a visit. When we stroll the scented store together, they love finding fragrances and running them over to me. They also know I like quiet time. Once as they were backing out of the driveway in route to a guy's weekend getaway, they spotted me shedding a few tears as I waved them goodbye. "Enjoy the quiet, mom!" Joey shouted from his open window. He knows me well.
What do you know about your mom? Does she love the outdoors? Enjoy a home-cooked meal? Seek thrill and adventure? Give it some thought. And try to translate it into a whopper of a gift -- like a home-made gift certificate for an afternoon hike -- with you. Or a feast made by your own two hands with only the healthiest of ingredients. Or a zip-line excursion at a local ropes course location.
It really is the thought that counts. So start thinking now. And make your gift one that really matters.
National Women's Health Week May 11th - 17th
Healthy Aging, Healthy Habits, Womens Health, HealthWatch, Obesity, Healthy Events, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment, Motivation, Nutrition & Supplements
National Women's Health Week kicks off on Mother's Day with the purpose of empowering women to get healthy by taking action. Your health should be a major priority, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women's Health has a few steps designed to help you achieve that. Businesses, government, and health organizations across the United States, hopefully near you, will be taking part in this event.
Objectives of the week are designed to teach women the benefits of:
- Engaging in physical activity most days of the week
- Making healthy food choices
- Visiting a health care provider to receive regular check-ups and preventive screenings
- Avoiding risky behaviors, like smoking and not wearing a seat belt
Workplace Fitness: Start the day off right!
How many times have you overslept and started the day out in a rush (an even bigger one than usual) and the day just never seemed to recover? Or gotten out of the shower and your hair just wouldn't cooperate, leaving you starting out with a bad hair day and all the curses that go along with it for hours to come? It seems to be a fundamental truth that the way the day starts out sets the tone for how the rest of the day is going to go -- nobody is immune. Not even morning people!So start your day out right and the rest of your day should go much better -- it's like a law of physics. To that end, try these tips from Active.com for a better morning and a better day.

























