There's Something In The Water

I'm sure you've heard by now that Coca Cola has purchased the Center for Responsible Hydration aka Glaceau. What in the world is a "glaceau"? They're the makers of VitaminEnergy, SmartWater, FruitWater and my absolute favorite drink in the world...VitaminWater.

If you haven't tried VitaminWater, I encourage you to give it a sip...or guzzle...whichever you prefer. Why? This is one of the most complete drinks I've ever had the fortune to hydrate with. In fact, this is my choice for getting my vitamin supplements in. Yes, vitamins in pill form are readily available but since you only get about 10% of the vitamins in those pills (90% goes undigested), I for one prefer to ingest them already broken down. This pretty much ensures that your body will get what it needs without having to "overextend" itself.

With 15 flavors to choose from (11 of which I love, the other four I haven't tried yet) you are sure to find something that you just can't seem to hydrate yourself without. This water not only makes drinking water hip (who would have thought?), it also says being healthy is in!

Me Want Healthy Donut...Mmmm

Apparently, I'm late since I'm just finding out about a couple donuts on the market that are proclaimed to be healthy/good for you. You know me, I had to dive in and find out all that I could about these delicious little bits of healthy goodness.

First on the list is the Whole Wheat Glazed Donut from Krispy Kreme. I know, I know, you're salivating at the thought of a Krispy Kreme donut that may actually be good for you. Right? I know the feeling. So just how "healthy" is this donut? Bottom line? Not much.

Here's how it stacks up versus their Original Glazed Donut:
Total Calories: WWG-180 OGD-200
Calories From Fat: WWG-100 OGD-100
Total Fat: WWG-11g OGD-12g

I could post more nutritional information but really, what's the point? Lesson learned here? Naming something "Whole Wheat" doesn't necessarily mean that it's healthier for you. Just think, I was even bent on forgetting about the "sugar shake" that overcomes me whenever I bite into a Krispy Kreme donut for this. Blah!

Now for the second healthy donut "Super Donut", brought to us by former Pittsburgh Steelers star, Franco Harris.

The Super Donut (retails for about $2.69/box of 6) is chock full of vitamins, minerals and protein. They don't contain preservatives, trans fats, artificial flavors or colors. What's the nutritional breakdown here?
Total Calories: 240
Total Fat grams: 13
Carbs: 24
Protein: 7g
14 vitamins and minerals including Vitamins A, C, E and Bfamily, folic acid and calcium.

Of the two of course the Super Donut is the healthier choice. In fact, you can find these donuts in school cafeterias all over the United States, nursing homes, health care facilities, even on our military bases! Come to think of it, as of now, those are really the only places you'll find them unless you live in the Pittsburgh area (pick them up in your grocers freezer. I've always wanted to say that).

Health Myth: I'm Too Busy To Eat Healthy

Have you ever said this to yourself (or someone else) "I'd love to eat healthier, but I'm just too busy"? Great! This post is just for you.

For me, eating healthier has become a normal routine in my life, without me even realizing it. My brother and I joked about this a few weeks ago saying that growing up without a lot of money pretty much dictated a healthier eating menu. That's not to say that I was always a healthy eater though. Ok enough about me, you're reading this to find out how you can eat healthy on the go.

Does the picture accompanying this post have you salivating? It should. But before you get all worked up thinking there must be way too many calories to be healthy, think again. Those are actual menu offerings at a healthy, "good for you", fast food place called b.good based in Boston, MA. I have to applaud them with their menu offerings because I was starting to think that the food bigwigs were taking the "overweight people don't want to buy fashionable clothing" approach to healthy fast food.

Remember BellyBytes, the website I "hipped" you to a couple days ago? They have a great list of fast food/brand name food that's good for you. Then of course you have my Top 10 Healthy Snacks list from earlier this month. So go on have a "looksee". See how easy it is to eat healthy on the go?

Oh and just in case you're wondering, my personal fast food favorites are Red Robin's Grilled Turkey Burger and their Teriyaki Chicken Burger.

BellyBytes.com Says It's All About Food

During my search for post worthy topics, I came across a little site that sure enough packed a wallop of information. What site was it? It was none other than BellyBytes.com. This site gives you a great wealth of information without being "showy" in its presentation. Upon arriving you may even be tempted to just skip over it. STOP!! Step away from the mouse... Trust me, you'll learn more in a few paragraphs than what you'd imagined. BellyBytes has information on healthy fast and brand name foods which I absolutely love because we may not have time to always cook healthy for ourselves and our families. Sometimes we just have to get food on the go.

Another "wealth of information" article that made my "I'm grateful for this..." list is The 29 Healthiest Foods On The Planet. From fruit to seafood, it lists what's good and what's good about them. Definitely check out that article. I'm sure you'll learn something...just like I did.

Did I mention this site also has a wonderful "Recipes" section? They even have recipes for zinc-ful foods and healthy BBQs. I can't wait to try those out.

Now where did I put that chef hat?.....

A Better Natural Deodorant

I know many of you may have tried a natural deodorant or two ever since the news came out that aluminum found in many other deodorants was linked to Alzheimer's Disease. Like me, you may have been disappointed with the lack of antiperspirant deodorants in the natural category. It was a hit or miss for the most part. Rarely could we find a natural deodorant that was both a deodorant and an antiperspirant. In fact, most natural deodorants state that you may want to back it up with talc or body powder. WHAT? I don't know about you but I'm not feeling rubbing deodorant on my underarms then having to find a body powder (that also has a scent that doesn't clash) and have to rub that on my underarms too. No thank you!

So what's an aluminum avoiding, natural deodorant seeking, person to do?

Well you could either do the deodorant/body powder combo or you can take a swipe at Oyin Handmade's Funk Butter. I've been a user of Funk Butter since it was introduced to the many Oyin fans a couple of years ago. Let me tell you, this natural deodorant certainly does the trick! It keeps you dry and keeps the funk away. Applying this cream to powder deodorant takes a little getting used to (you don't want to apply too much at once). In fact, I'd say that's one of the only cons to this "should be" staple. The only other thing I can think of is that it doesn't come in more than 3 scents (unscented, fig and coco mango), because once you try it you'll definitely want to get more than one. A word of warning, the Coco Mango scent may not be for those who are wearing tank tops or halters...you'll be hard pressed NOT to lick at your underarms!! LOL

Give Funk Butter a shot (if you've just shaved you may want to wait a day or two since your skin is irritated from the shaving). It's definitely worth the $4.50 it costs and it lasts for quite a while! Once you try it out come back and let me know what you thought.

Children's Nutrients Get Licked

I feel that I've been blessed with one of the non pickiest eaters in the world when thinking about my soon to be 12 year old child. I never had any trouble with veggie eating, fruit eating and not eating (or wanting) lots of candy. I do realize that many a parent would trade places with me in a heartbeat. Sorry...I wouldn't give my baby up for the world. Anyway on to the point of today's post. In their growing years, children essentially need more nutrients (vitamins, minerals, antioxidants) than we adults do.

Many of us know this and typically try to get our children to eat certain nutrient enriched foods. We usually have a hard time getting them to eat these "good for you" foods so we turn to children's vitamins as a supplement. Now I'm not going to say children's vitamins aren't any good because hey, I myself, am a product of Flintstone Chewables. I will say that 90% of vitamin supplements taken orally pass through the digestive system unprocessed. So doing the math, that means only 10% of these supplements are processed and used.

This means that many times our children are left without the proper amounts of Vitamins A, B6&12, C, K, D or Riboflavin, Thiamin, Iron, Calcium and Zinc. These are the vitamins and minerals that they need most. How can we get these essential vitamins to our growing children? One innovative way is to give them a vitamin filled lollipop. That's right you heard me. There really is a lollipop that boasts having the nutrients growing children need. This little innovation, KidsPops, comes from the makers of PowerPops (the weight loss lollipop). The idea behind these pops is giving your children one a day (as a vitamin tablet alternative) will allow your child to now get 99% of these needed nutrients because the nutrients are now basically absorbed instantly since the digestive system is bypassed. Now it seems that you won't have to fight with your children to get them to take their vitamins. Especially since these tasty pops come in a variety of flavors and your little ones are getting a healthy treat that they don't seem to mind eating. You won't mind giving them these pops because they're made from only natural flavors and sweeteners. How about that?

What's Up With Hip Hop Abs?

If you're a regular reader of this blog, I'm sure you've figured out that I'm in love with music and dancing. I have it so bad that one "must have" for my wedding ceremony and funeral (no, I really don't see them as the same thing) is a choreographed dance routine.

Anyway, part of my exercise routine is dancing (of course). Knowing this, a friend of mine gave me the Hip Hop Abs series:
4 routines: Secrets To Flat Abs, Fat Burning Cardio, Ab Sculpt and Total Body Burn
Success Tools: Step by Step Nutrition Guide, 30 day Nutrition Calendar, Hips, Buns and Thighs, Results On The Run Diet Guide, 6 Day Slim Down Plan and Measurement Card w/Tape Measure
3 Full Hip Hop Dance Routines: Take It To The Dance Floor (check it out below), Hip Hop Groove and Last Minute Dance

I have to tell you that I laughed when she told me that she wasn't able to get the moves and it was just too much work for her (I don't know but me personally I would have made it work seeing that it currently costs approximately $75). I took that as a challenge. I popped in the first DVD (Secrets To Flat Abs) and was pleasantly surprised although I thought it was a bit short (only 13 minutes). From there (since I was feeling revved up and rearing to go), I went on a Hip Hop Abs spree! I loved it! Not only was it NOT hard (and it's not even because I'm a great dancer) but it was easy to follow along. I actually had to stop a couple times and go back because it was inspiring...I was adding my own moves. To say it was fun would be a bit of an understatement. I was sweating before I knew it and still smiling. Now that's a great workout! You'll definitely learn a few "club worthy" dance moves from this series. Go ahead, grab your Exercise Gear and get it started!

Take It To The Dance Floor (Sneak Peak)


Hip Hop Abs Infomercial

Running To The Beat

I first learned about the Nike+ iPod shoe (which retails for around $200-250 total if you need to buy everything brand new) last summer from my brother who always seems to know the low down on anything having to do with sports and entertainment. I swear he's like Rain Man in that sense. When he first told me about it, I have to admit that I was less than enthused with the whole idea. Especially because the only benefit I could see was just that the runner didn't have to buy an iPod nano along with a pedometer and try to keep their focus on both while engaging in their workout.

Since then, I've read up on it (off and on) and really began to see the genius behind this little piece of modern technology. I mean not only can you track your miles and see your running time, but you can also set a power song (you know the song that really gets you amped) and set running goals. Sync this bad boy to your PC and compare previous workouts, challenge other runners, even see the calories you've burned a month ago! How cool is that? I'm excited and I'm not even a runner!

When it was first released, the buyer basically had to buy the Nike+ running shoe right along with the Nike iPod Sport Kit (way to corner the market Nike). However, I'm banking on Nike not realizing the creativity of the buyer. Why do I say that? A Nike running shoe isn't for everyone (especially me and my wide Flintstone-esque feet). It seemed that early on, Nike made no provision for this non-Nike wearing demographic. Why would they, right? This practically forced those that loved their brand and the idea of the iPod shoe to come up with some kind of compromise. An early ingenious idea included a simple but effective velcro hookup. Now you can actually buy sensor pouches or pretty much make your own.

I definitely feel like this is a great exercise motivator, especially since it'll keep all your stats for you, allowing you ease in tracking your progress. Also making it even easier to say to yourself, "You've come a long way baby! Whooooohoooo!"

By The Power Of Grayskull

Where'd that come from? The weight loss candy, Power Pops, triggered this little bit of nostalgia. I'm telling you, cartoons when I was a kid were off the chain! I don't know what I'd do without Boomerang now. Ahhh, yesterday...all my troubles seemed so far away (I promise you The Beatles would have been proud of my rendition).

So just what does He-Man and the Masters of the Universe have to do with today's post? Nothing really. It's just something that popped into my mind when I thought of the lollipop that boldly states "Eat Candy...Lose Weight". This lollipop also says that it'll suppress your appetite and give you a burst of energy too. That's a mighty tall order for such a small thing. Of course being the adventurous person that I am (and a sucker for all things health), I just had to try them out.

I was intrigued by the list of natural ingredients which include Hoodia, Citrimax, B6 & B12 and Guarana. Right then, I knew these pops would pretty much do what they claimed. Hoodia is a known appetite suppressant, while Guarana coupled with the B duo reduces fatigue and increases mental alertness (too bad I've been so much of an insomniac for so many years...I'd have really seen that as a benefit back in my college days). The flavors were also tempting and included two of my absolute favorites in any candy: Green Apple and Pink Lemonade. So yeah, the pops arrived and I immediately grab one and a bottle of water (water is supposed to activate the ingredients). I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. The lollipops were delicious. The texture was a little different but not unpleasant. Even the Butter Pecan ones were good. Now that was really surprising to me. I'd purchased them just to try them out (although there is a site that offers a free sample) but now I'm thinking of doing the "Power Pops Diet". Let's see how much weight I'll lose in the next six weeks. Hmmm, now I can really say "I HAVE THE POWER!" At least in the form of a lollipop and Boomerang.