That's Fit

Toys are the ultimate tools for getting fit without the angst often associated with deliberate exercise. For both adults and children, the tools recommended in this video will keep the whole family fit while having fun.

Lately we just can't get enough of Gwyneth Paltrow. Not only does she look great by eating healthy and exercising lots, she recently revealed that she's the one who does all the cooking in her house.

Here's what she had to say to People Magazine at the recent launch of her PBS food show, Spain ... on the Road Again: "I cook all the meals for my house. I really love to cook. Breads and pizzas is what I'm cooking and we all love it. We have a wood burning pizza oven in our garden. Right now the weather is nice in London, so I'm using that oven a lot. You can cook anything in there. It's amazing."

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.

Are your kitchen countertops killing you? Stop laughing -- I'm being serious here. There might be a very real and potentially deadly source of radioactive gas in your home--your granite countertops. According to this article from the New York Times, granite countertops can contain high levels of Uranium, which is radioactive in itself, and when it decays, it releases radon, a radioactive gas. If that's not frightening enough, consider this: radon can cause lung cancer.

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)

Here's a random-sounding connection: The older your house, the healthier you are. Confused? I know what you're thinking: How does one factor have anything to do with the other? Don't worry; there's a perfectly reasonable explanation.

It's not so much about the age of your house--it's about the age of your neighbourhood. You see, old neighbourhoods tend to be more walkable, whereas newer neighbourhoods tend to be built around this unfortunate habit we've developed of driving everywhere. And not so surprisingly, how walkable a neighbourhood is has a direct impact on the levels of obesity in the area.

So next time you're in the market for a house, consider buying into a older neighbourhood--or at least one where you can walk to the store.

First she tackled life as a child actor -- she played Stephanie Tanner on Full House, remember that? -- and then she tackled a crystal meth addiction. Now, Jodie Sweetin is on to another big undertaking: Losing weight.

It's baby weight the actress is trying to shed, and she's doing a pretty good job of whittling it away. It's only been two months since daughter Zoie was born and already Sweetin has just 10 pounds she wants to drop -- she's already lost 15. How is she doing it?

"I'm still working very hard and dressing strategically," says the new mom. "I'm doing NutriSystem, and they have been phenomenal." Sweetin also works out with a trainer at least twice a week.

Check her out now. A little hard work really does pay off.

I have houseguests arriving this afternoon. And my daughter's birthday party is this weekend. So, I've just spent two days cleaning my house. Granted, I don't clean often, so it was pretty dirty. But two days? Sore feet? Sore back? The money I could have made working in the time I spent scraping bits of Play Doh off the floor! This got me to thinking. And I dared to consider that I may be able to afford to pay someone to clean the house.

First, let's back up a bit. I'm not that old. But I grew up when "cleaning ladies" were still considered a luxury. Something, or someone rather, who rich people could afford to pay to clean their homes while they worked or played. Certainly good mothers and housewives didn't hire them.

Today, things have changed. Immigration has caused labor costs to plummet. And many middle class families employ housekeepers, a more politically correct title to be sure. What's more, many housekeeping businesses are now offering eco-friendly cleaning services, a big bonus for the health of the planet and you. So, I'm thinking it might be wiser, better for my household economy and the local economy, and healthier for my body and psyche to have the house cleaned more thoroughly in four hours than in the more than 14 it took me. What do you think? Other than that I'm crazy to clean at all before a bunch of 3-year-olds arrive to eat chocolate cupcakes in my house?

The U.S. Senate is expected to vote today on a Medicare package that includes a two-year extension on the Special Diabetes Programs.

According to the American Diabetes Association, these programs at the National Institutes of Heath and the Indian Health Service represent a major portion of the government's commitment to find a cure for diabetes. Earlier this week, the House voted 355-59 in support of the bill.

Despite the resounding support, now is not the time to let up on pressure to pass this legislation. Now is the time, however, to let your Senator know prevention of and finding a cure for diabetes should be a financial priority with the federal government for the sake of human health, as well as our ailing economy. Treatment and a cure will cost money, but denying crucial funding would be penny wise and pound foolish. That's my two cents for today.

If you've read some of my other posts, you know I'm a fan of gardening and the resulting goodness: flowers, food, herbs, etc. I'm also a big fan of house plants, which, I believe, are supposed to evoke a sense of bringing the outside in and, thus, a sense of calmness and freshness. An aura that's anything but stressful.

But I find that sometimes keeping up with watering and caring for house plants can actually be a bit stressful, and therefore can cancel out a bit of their peaceful properties. This is not true if you choose succulents. I've had succulents I didn't water for an entire season that are still flourishing in their respective containers, so you don't have to worry about keeping up with a regular watering schedule. They don't get those unsightly brown, and dare I say, stressed, leaves. They require very little care and give big payback, in my opinion. One of the more well-known in this plant family, aloe, can even heal wounds as well as protect and beautify skin.

Beyond that, various types of these delightful little living things are perfect for adorning your windowsills, bathroom vanities, and other nooks and crannies throughout your home. And sometimes they can please the eye just enough to take the edge off of an otherwise frazzled day.

I was in the checkout line at Target the other day and spotted a steam mop on the conveyor belt behind my stuff. I asked the woman behind me about it. She was trying it for the first time. At $40, she figured she couldn't lose. Well, anything but $40. But anyway, it piqued my curiosity. Turns out, it's the hot new trend in cleaning supplies.

A recent Washington Post article on the subject offers a pretty nice overview of the method. As for effectiveness and the potential to provide relief for allergy sufferers, steam cleaners seem promising. They are not a "magic wand," but myriad types of steam cleaners can apparently clean things from floors to outdoor grills pretty well. And because hot steam is touted for its ability to kill dust mites, mold and other allergens, they appeal to allergy sufferers.

Another lure is that the method offers a healthier alternative to chemical cleaners and is therefore kinder to the environment, especially waste water. But as with many eco-friendly efforts, there's an "inevitable weighing of pros and cons." Steam cleaners require electricity to use and energy for production and transport and will eventually add to solid waste in landfills.

My family, although crazy at times, has the best holiday habits ever. We get together for holiday feasts and gifts etc..... but what makes all these loony Irish people I'm related to great is the way we celebrate things.

Every year we rent massive bounce houses for Thanksgiving, in which everyone from age one to sixty-seven seems to spend a ridiculous amount of time jumping in. The children spend the entire day bouncing. The only actual break any of them take from bouncing is when we all walk one block down to the neighborhood park and play soccer and football for a couple of hours before dinner.

Christmas involves games like hide and seek, ghosts in the graveyard (how contradictory) and S.P.U.D. Of course, I, as the little family fitness trainer look around and think how cool it is that we exercise all day. Everyone else just thinks about all of the fun we are having. And, not only do the fun activities keep us laughing and moving all day...they keep our mouths free of too much snacking. It almost completely removes the opportunity for family drama as well.

Depending on how much you know about health care and the medical field you may or may not notice all the missteps that happen regularly on TV shows. Despite the occasional mispronunciation of a medical term by an actor, the "hollywoodizing" (yeah, I know that's not actually a word) goes much deeper. The most commonly exaggerated or misrepresented issues are:

• Organ donation
• Nurses roles
• Range of doctors' expertise
• Frequency of hospital romances

We all know that TV isn't real, and that everything is sensationalized for entertainment value. But it is sad that organ donation specifically is often portrayed negatively -- people have a hard enough time making that decision!

Do you have a lawn guy who mows your yard, pulls your weeds, and rakes your leaves? If so, fire him! Barring an injury or illness that keeps you safe from these chores, there's no reason you can't put a little effort into your own outdoor maintenance. Consider it a two-for-one -- you get to accomplish household duties while logging some precious exercise time.

I raked a few leaves in my front yard today. Now, I mean a few. Still, when I was done, my arms ached like I'd just finished a strenuous workout. Wait, I had just finished a strenuous workout. It just wasn't the traditional in-the-gym activity that usually leaves our muscles sore. Add on some cardio (my front yard in on an incline so my body was working double-time) and I had myself a pretty good exercise session. Did I mention I'd already run 2.5 miles, cranked out my 10 push-ups -- impressive, I know -- and logged two one-minute planks before my lawn tasks began? Right now, I'm spent.

I urge you to consider spending some time working around your house. I mean really working around your house, inside and out. Exercise doesn't always have to come in the form of weight training, jogging, yoga, and the other fitness standards. It can be as simple as exerting yourself consistently while tackling everyday responsibilities. Combine it with other workout forms, and you'll be one fit cookie.

Is housework physical activity? Sure. Does housework burn calories? Of course. Does it count as real exercise? That's where the argument comes in. Depending on who you talk to, housework is either a workout waiting to happen or it's just a means for people to fool themselves that they're getting exercise. My personal opinion is that although housework is a great way to be active (especially if you really throw yourself into it) it's more of a supplement to an exercise plan than an entire exercise plan all by itself. This article makes a lot of good points about why housework doesn't count as a good fitness regimen, including the lack of increased resistance as you get healthier and the fact that many tasks are done fairly quickly so hour long calorie-burning charts aren't realistic.

My personal training client Jody, is in the middle of a two week stay at Structure House. He's been there before, and after losing 40 pounds here...I'm thrilled he's returned as he's reached a stubborn plateau in his training. More mental than anything, but I'm so happy he's off in Durham, North Carolina focusing solely on getting fit and losing some more weight.

I speak to my Jody daily and he's having a blast, having success, and making tons of friends. Usually, he puts me on the phone with one of his Structure House buddies when we speak. They've come from around the country, and all seem to be dropping pounds galore.

So. To Jody, Iris, Inna, Arthur, and everyone else at Structure House, I wish you the best. I encourage you to wake up to each new day as another awesome opportunity to take charge of your life and become the person you're desperate to be. You've all invested so much financially and emotionally to be there. Jody has bragged about what spectacular people you are, so keep making strides towards living a better and longer life!