home-related stories
You Can't Go Home Again
The Good, The Fat and The Hungry, Diet & Weight Loss, Motivation
 |
| Karla with nephew Dominick Jr. and niece Caroline Photo: Karla Carrington |
On this visit, I drove past the house where I grew up with my parents, four siblings and usually a dog or two. The park where I had my first kiss is only a block away. Of course, the sight of my home stirred a plethora of emotion within. Some good, some bad, but all OK. Nothing about this walk down memory lane made me seek refuge in my usual way -- food -- when glancing back at my past.
I can tell that I have healed a lot because I could remember more good than bad. This house is where my eating addiction began. This house is where my brother's friend violated me and made me think being fat and unpretty would save me. A lot happened in this house, but my heart swells most remembering Sunday dinners akin to those in "Soul Food." We were a big family with not much money, but enough love to make up for the lack thereof. Overall, I had a great childhood.
Gardening and Exercise Will Help Your Man in the Bedroom
Does your husband spend lots of time working in the garden? Let's hope so -- not only is it good for him, it's good for your relationship. And I'm not just talking about the fact that the you two are less likely to get into a big fight when he's willingly helping out in the yard -- gardening can actually improve your sex life. As in, physically. Recent studies show that gardening greatly reduces a man's chance of impotence, meaning it can do wonders for his performance in the bedroom. If gardening is typically your job around the house? Exercise in general will have the same effects, so get your guy moving.
And considering gardening burns around 272 calories an hour, the fact that it's helping your hubby get rid of his beer belly can't hurt either.
STOTT Pilates Mini Flex Ball
To look at the Mini Flex Ball, you might not think there are all that many moves you can do with it. My first thought was to use it as a tool for crunches and honestly, even if that's all it could do, that would be enough. But, it comes with a DVD and mini poster to help you really enhance your workout.
The DVD leads you through 26 exercises over the course of about 40 minutes, moving you from abs to glutes, to back, arms, and thighs. It's easy to follow because the instructor talks you through the exercises in addition to showing you. I don't know about you, but I find that really handy because I don't want to have to stare at the screen the whole time I'm working out and with this video, I was able to get a great workout on the first try.
Get Fit Without a Gym - Is it Really Possible?
Is it possible to get fit without ever stepping foot in a gym? Heck, yea, it is. I'm kinda fit, and I rarely go to the gym -- even though I should because I have a membership (OK, I'm trying to do better: I've been to two training sessions and have frequented my gym several times in the past two weeks).The gang over at Divine Caroline says you bethcha -- you can indeed get fit outside the confines of a fitness center. And you should if you fit the following criteria: You are looking for a economical way to exercise, you have a schedule that makes it difficult to get to a gym during regular hours, you don't prefer to leave home to work out, and you feel self-conscious exercising in front of others.
OK, so you've got permission to ditch the gym. So, how about trying a home workout. Don't worry -- you don't have to turn your living room into anything resembling a weight room. Just take a lot of brisk walks, and invest in some of these gadgets: A few light weights, resistance bands, a jump rope, a yoga mat, and some fitness DVDs. On the market are DVDs featuring belly dancing, martial arts, yoga, step aerobics, and so much more. Another fit idea: Join a team or individual sport, get some skates and a bike, and use your feet instead of car whenever possible. Bethany can tell you what it's like to walk the walk.
This star won't work out in public
Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment
Martha recently told us that British comedy star Ricky Gervais is OK with being called fat. Go ahead, call him a fatty, he says. Maybe it will make him more ashamed of his overweight status. Maybe it will get him into a gym, for goodness sake -- a home gym, that is.Gervais, 47, says he never works out in public. In fact, he and his girlfriend just bought a place in New York with a gym in the basement. His favorite workout: "My favorite thing in the world is to come home, have a swim, put my pajamas on and open a bottle of wine," he says. "That's it for me."
Maybe it's the mirrors found in gyms that drive Gervais to his basement. Once a fan of staring at himself in the mirror, he now finds the practice quite disappointing.
How about you? Like public gyms? How about mirrors?
Celebrity Fitzness Report: Trading Spaces Carpenter Brandon Russell
Celebrities and Entertainment, Celebrity Fitzness Report, Celebs & Entertainment, Nutrition & Supplements
Curious to know how celebrities squeeze fitness into their daily lives? Want to know the secrets of the stars? Bi-weekly, our That's Fit fitness expert Fitz sits down with the celebs we want to know more about, and digs out their great and not-so-great methods to staying healthy.
Brandon Russell is the super sexy carpenter building up a storm on TLC's Trading Spaces. Easily filling Ty Pennington's boots of long ago, Brandon is passionate about carpentry and the viewers are passionate about him. One homeowner even tried to unzip him! We spoke for about an hour this week, and besides being gorgeous, Brandon is a true southern gentlemen. His drawl is adorable, and he is truly a sweet and smart guy. Brandon is also a former personal trainer, and his body is proof that he knows his stuff. Want to know his secret to spectacular abs? Read on!
Fitz: You're in your second season of Trading Spaces. How's it going?
Brandon: It's unbelievable! I've always wanted to work on television, and when I was told I got this job, I honestly cried. To be able to do what I love, carpentry, and just be myself on TV is an amazing gift. In fact, after I cried, I called all of the girlfriends I ever mocked for being weepy to apologize.
Fitz: That's pretty "manly" of you to admit it! But you're not just "the carpenter" on the show, you're the "hot carpenter." How's that?
Are you eating out less?
Diet & Weight Loss, Nutrition & Supplements
According to General Mills, sales are up significantly on some popular brands, including baking goods, yogurt, soups, cereal and snack products. Some experts think this is a strong indicator that people are eating out less and opting to enjoy their meals at home instead.
Why do you think this is? If you ask me, there are a couple of factors at play:
- A drop in the economy coupled with rising fuel costs leaves less money in the bank for luxuries like eating out, OR
- Perhaps people are wising up and realizing that picking up their meals from a fast food restaurant is doing them no favours health-wise.
I have nothing against the occasional meal out with family or friends, but let's be honest -- cooking your meals at home is the only way to ensure that you're getting the healthiest, most nutritious meals possible. Your thoughts?
(via Diet Blog)
Stress Less: Make your own kids' meals
Healthy Kids, Nutrition & Supplements
We often divert to going out to eat when we're maxed out on stress and running way short on time. However, let's disect this knee-jerk reaction a bit and see how much time we're really saving:
By the time kids are loaded into the car, you drive to a restaurant, wait in line to order or wait to be seated, decide what to order, wait for it to be prepared, eat it and come home, you could have easily boiled some water for pasta and steamed veggies and called it a night. Think about it. What's really easier? Another thing I like to do to save time and feed my family, make a couple of dishes on Sunday that can be eaten all week long: enchiladas, a pot of soup, lasagna. I also often make chicken tenders with a package of chicken cut in that format, dipped in bread crumbs, salt and pepper and sauteed in a little olive oil. Takes 10 minutes, tops.
If you still prefer to go out, knowing what's in kids' meals at various restaurants might stress you out enough to keep you home. According to the article, one Chili's Bar and Grill kids' meal composed of country-fried chicken crispers, cinnamon apples and chocolate milk contained 1,020 calories, while another composed of cheese pizza, homestyle fries, and lemonade contained 1,000 calories. A Burger King meal with a double cheeseburger, fries, and chocolate milk has 910 calories, and Sonic has a "Wacky Pack" with 830 calories worth of grilled cheese, fries, and a slushie.
While there are some healthy choices on restaurant menus, "parents have to navigate a minefield of calories, fat and salt to find them," the report said. Plus, there's the price of the food and the gas to get to the restaurant.
Now do you believe me that it's less stressful to stay at home?
Home sweat home: Lose weight in your own house
A house that makes you lose weight. Wouldn't it be awesome if, just by stepping foot in your own home, you'd be on your way to a healthy weight? It's not so simple, I'm afraid. But AOL Home has a slideshow of some pretty wacky house designs that surely must help their owners live a healthier lifestyle. How about a ten-story home that's only equipped with stairs? Or a house that's built like a jungle gym? Or a house on an island that can only be accessed by rowboat? The sheer act of getting to and/or around these houses is a workout.
If you look around your home, you'll likely see less extreme ways that it can help you get fit. How about making two trips every time you have to go up the stairs? Or playing a game of basketball with that hoop you have outside? You can also engineer additional fitness opportunities -- like putting up a rock wall in your garage just like one of the families in the slideshow did.
Home Hazards: When kitchen counters kill
HealthWatch, Diet & Weight Loss, Celebs & Entertainment
Not all granite countertops are dangerous, but have the potential to be. What can you do to protect yourself? Test the merchandise before you buy it by hiring a certified technician to measure your radiation levels or picking up a DIY tester from the Environmental Protection Agency.
(Via Crabby McSlacker)
Want to get in shape? Clean your garage
Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Nutrition & Supplements
Strength training has always been my weakness when it comes to exercise. I love to run, walk, and swim but I typically lack motivation for building muscle. Our new home gym is helping. Today, I ran a 3.5-mile loop around town and topped things off with a mini-garage workout. Did the same yesterday after my swim. Plan to keep on doing it. My husband, somehow lean and fit without much purposeful exercise, was out in the garage last night. I caught him doing loads of pull-ups -- how does he do them so effortlessly? -- and after his full routine, he was drenched in sweat. The most promising effect of our garage renovation, though, is how it's got our kids pumped up about pumping up. Five-year-old Danny tells us he wants to be a wrestler when he grows up. "That's why I'm working out," he says. And Joey, seven years old and a master at a perfect push-up, is working pretty hard too. His dad spots him on pull-ups, and I saw him cranking out some bench press reps last night too.
We're thinking evenings will be our family workout time, when we're all home and can work on a productive -- and healthy -- goal together. If this sounds like fun to you, why not clean out your garage? Oh, and be careful if you're including kids in your fitness follies. Our boys have rules. Number one: They can't touch any equipment without mom or dad present to assist them.
Working in the Workouts: Kids can count your reps
My daughter loves to count. She can get beyond 20 these days. "Helping" is another thing she adores. "Mommy, I help you cook." "Mommy, I help you fix that." And on, and on.So I was delighted to come across a great tip today that makes use of both of these favorite activities. It comes from a special section of Workouts for You devoted to exercising with kids. Most of the ideas on the list are actually things I've written about in this series already. But here's the new one: involve your kids while you strength train at home by letting them count your reps out loud for you and/or clock your rest time in-between sets. You can incorporate the task into doing a few push-ups or sit-ups or while using dumb bells. Squats or leg lifts too.
Sometimes our old brains forget the simple things kids find fun. And it's a big bonus when that fun truly translates to "Mommy, I help you work out!" And it's the truth!
Fitz's Cool Tools: Chisel Your Body with The Lebert Equalizer
Healthy Aging, Healthy Home, Womens Health, Book Reviews, Healthy Products and Reviews, Cellulite, Obesity, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Reviews & Products, Nutrition & Supplements, Men's Health
A few weeks ago, I received one of my favorite fitness tools to date. I'm a massive proponent of training with our own body weight. For most of us, it's the heaviest weight we will ever lift. From my eyes as a fitness trainer, we are all just a bunch of massive dumbbells. Isn't that nice of me to say? So my little dumbbells ... I have a cool new tool for you! The Lebert Equalizer will add some fun and give you a bunch of neat things to do with that delightfully heavy body of yours.
The Lebert Equalizer is perfect for pull-ups, push-ups, dips, decline rows, scull crushers, planks and tons of other fantastic strength and cardiovascular training exercises as well. It's light-weight, portable, versatile and not too pricey. For $99.99 you'll get a set of Equalizers along with a free training DVD and a poster to guide you while you train.
Much to their delight (or disgust), many of my personal training clients ages 16 to 62 have been subjected (tortured) with the Equalizers. I kid! The typical exercises one would do with these tools are hard though -- in a good way. My intermediate/advanced fitness level clients have loved the challenges put forth to them each session. I would not allow someone with very little strength to use them though, because without great balance, the Equalizers wobble a bit. Having said that, people wobble on the BOSU, stability ball, and lots of other fitness tools. Balance is an integral part of functional fitness training. I don't reference the wobble to deter you. I just want you to be extra aware not to allow Great Aunt Sue to use them.
Daily Fit Tip: Get planting!
House doesn't feel like home? Why not add a little 'green' to the interior? Having a houseplant can have an amazing effect on your health, mood and decor.
8 ways to hone in on depression
When it comes to feeling barely blue or downright depressed, women tend to ask for help more than men ask for help, say the experts at Ladies Home Journal. With WebMD reporting that nearly six million men will have at least one major episode with depression each year, it's clear a good bunch of men -- while they might not ask for it -- need a good dose of help. In order to draw these guys out and get them the assistance they need, let's be on the lookout for these eight signs of trouble.- Withdrawing from others and spending more time alone, watching TV, playing video games, or pursuing other solo activities.
- Increased drinking or use of mood-altering drugs.
