Dieters in Weight Watchers study drop up to 15 pounds in a year

(Health.com) -- Overweight and obese adults who followed the Weight Watchers program lost more than twice as much weight as those who received weight-loss advice from a doctor or nurse, according to a new yearlong study funded by the company.
The study, which was published Wednesday in the Lancet, included 772 men and women in Australia, Germany, and the United Kingdom who were recruited during ordinary doctor's appointments. The researchers randomly selected about half of the participants to receive a free 12-month Weight Watchers membership (including access to weekly meetings), and encouraged the other half to attend monthly one-on-one weight-management sessions at their doctor's office.
The 61% of Weight Watchers users who stuck with the program for a full year lost 15 pounds, on average, compared with 7 pounds among the 54% of people in the other group who continued to visit their doctors each month. When the researchers included the people who dropped out of either program before the year was up, the average weight loss was lower but followed the same pattern: 11 pounds in the Weight Watchers group and 5 pounds in the other group.  More.....CNN HEALTH

5 Major Health Threats That Your Dentist Can Predict

When you look in your mouth you may see teeth that need whitening, but a dentist may see signs of heart disease. A study published in the Journal of Dental Research found that many dental problems can be signs of serious health complications. University of Washington School of Dentistry professor Philippe P. Hujoel, DDS, PhD, says the sugar and carbohydrates in food, known as "fermentable carbohydrates," are to blame. Found in sugary drinks, snack foods like potato chips, and simple grains like white bread and corn, these carbs are fermented by bacteria in your mouth, which produces the acids that cause tooth decay. "Those dental diseases are a marker for an unhealthy diet, and an unhealthy diet may predict future health complications," Dr. Hujoel notes.

6 Shortcuts to Speed Your Fat Burn

Most things worth achieving—getting a college degree, finding your perfect mate, building a career, raising a family—take time and effort. But that doesn’t mean we don’t want to take a few shortcuts when it comes to achieving the body of our dreams. Fortunately, you can hit fast-forward on your better-body goals with these simple, science-backed tricks for speeding your fat burn. No, you won’t transform overnight, but you could start to see results within a week, and even the world’s biggest brainiac can’t earn a bachelor’s degree that fast!  More....Yahoo health

5 Surprising Ways to Prevent Wrinkles

Genes influence how fast your skin will age, but unhealthy habits accelerate the damage. The term “smoker’s face” has long been used to describe the telltale pattern of deep lines and creases that form around the mouth and eyes of tobacco users, from constant squinting sparked by smoke irritation and lip puckering while inhaling. Some studies show that smoking cuts production of elastin and collagen by up to 40 percent, leading to premature fine lines that may start to appear as early as age 20, offering yet another reason to snuff out the habit if you smoke.
What else can you do to fight skin creases? Here’s a look at science-based strategies that help keep your skin looking young and healthy.  More.....Yahoo Health

Testing loophole may leave door open for doping

So now we stand around and wait for a horde of attorneys/chemists/public relations types to tell us about our reigning National League MVP, how he managed to tumble into a vat of synthetic testosterone or not, and why we should believe his refutations … or not.
We wait on the technicality that makes this all “B.S.” (Ryan Braun’s public description), whether that be chain of custody, supplement impurities, or dumb luck – that is, some very competent and reputable doctor (or trainer) put something in or on Braun’s body that makes the doctor look like a fool but also clears Braun of negligence. More...at Yahoo Sports

FDA Targets Homeopathic Weight Loss Products

TUESDAY, Dec. 6 (HealthDay News) -- U.S. officials on Tuesday said that they are taking action to remove controversial, unapproved and illegally labeled HCG weight loss products from the market.

HCG stands for human chorionic gonadotropin, a hormone made by the human placenta and found in the urine of pregnant women. The products are typically given in conjunction with an extremely low-calorie diet -- as low as 500 calories per day -- which has some experts worried about possible health effects.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, companies marketing over-the-counter HCG weight loss products labeled as "homeopathic" were sent warning letters on Tuesday by the FDA and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. The letters cautioned that the companies are violating federal law by selling the unapproved drugs, and by making unsupported claims for their products.

Oprah visits Haiti

A child undergoing treatment for cholera is pictured at a cholera treatment centre run by Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) in Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince November 27, 2011. Cholera has sickened more than 450,000 people in the nation of 10 million, or nearly 5 percent of the population, and killed more than 6,000 people. More people died of cholera last year in Haiti than in any other part of the world, and the disease is likely to become the leading killer of children under five in Haiti, estimates NGO Partners in Health. REUTERS/Swoan Parker (HAITI - Tags: DISASTER HEALTH SOCIETY)  More...Yahoo News

Florida county will throw parents of truant kids in jail

Lenora Hummel was fined thousands of dollars for her daughter's truancy (AP)

A new truancy court in Palm Beach, Florida aims to cut down on the state's absentee rate for young children by punishing parents who don't take their kids to school.
Florida law says parents of children under 16 who let their kids miss 15 days of school within three months can be sent to jail for up to two months as punishment. The Florida Sun-Sentinel reports that Palm Beach prosecutors say the two-month jail sentence will be a last resort, after government and nonprofit workers try to fix whatever problem is keeping parents from getting their kids to school.
About a dozen Baltimore parents were sent to prison for their kids' truancy in 2011, the Baltimore Sun reported in April. (In 2010, no Baltimore parents were jailed.) After California adopted a strict anti-truancy bill earlier this year, at least five parents in Orange County were sent to jail for the crime, according to the local CBS affiliate. Judges in Alabama, Texas, and North Carolina and other states have also used truancy laws to send offending parents to jail.  More....Yahoo News

........Don’t Lose Your Phone — and Your Identity

Here’s a sure-fire way to compromise your identity and risk important personal data this holiday season: Lose your cell phone when you’re shopping.

Credant Technologies, which bills itself as an expert in data protection, found in a recent survey that more than 2,200 cell phones were brought to the lost-and-found departments in 15 of the nation’s busiest shopping malls this year. Some 90% of those were smartphones.

And get this: A whopping 50% of them were never claimed. What’s more, many of them were unsecured.

“No matter where we look we find that unprotected devices are being left behind,” said Sean Glynn, vice president of marketing at Credant, which tracks lost phones from a number of venues.

“People store large amounts of private data, whether personal or corporate on all of the devices they have,” he said. “You really should be sensitive about protecting that data.”

That information is a gold mine for thieves and the bounty is growing with each smartphone purchase. Already, more than a third of the 234 million Americans who own mobile devices have smartphones, according to comScore’s most recent data.

Given all the functions and the hundreds of applications available to use, the smartphone is not just a talking and texting device but a workhorse. More....Yahoo Finance

How can I exercise safely in winter when I have a cold?

Asked by KM, Grandview, Washington

Like everyone else, I am intent on losing weight in the new year. I am in my mid-20s, very overweight, and trying to change back to the healthy lifestyle I used to have. My specific concern is about walking in the cold, with a cold.
I really love walking, so I'm making it a major component of my workout plan (along with weight lifting, and healthier eating), but I am on the tail end of a cold right now, and when I come inside from a walk, my cough is much worse and sometimes my ears hurt. I love walking in the cold (the weather is in the teens and 20s) and don't want to give it up, but I also don't want to make myself sicker.
I know I could use a treadmill, but the truth is that I hate them and I get bored no matter what I do. I'll almost certainly get another cold this season, so what do I need to do to keep myself healthy outside in the winter?  More....Cnn Health

On Comet, on Cupid, on Donner and... Wheezy?

Jack Frost isn't the only thing nipping at your nose this holiday season.

Although the allergy season has its peaks in spring and fall, the sights and smells of the holiday season can also be one big allergy Grinch. From Christmas trees to chestnuts, and all the dusty decorations that were kept in storage the other 11 months of the year, Yuletide cheer can leave many allergy-sensitive people looking like Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer.
One such sufferer, Jessica Aguiar, says she's been allergic to pine trees since she was a child, so she's unable to purchase a "real" tree to display her holiday cheer.
Her symptoms include watery eyes, sneezing and - if she actually touches a tree - a skin rash. "Not the Christmas decorations I'd like to wear," she jokes.

Another, Orlando resident Kimberly Burton, is extremely sensitive to artificial-fragrances like those found in potpourri. Burton admits her shopping habits completely change from the time that mall holiday decorations go out in September until the stores are completely aired out in February.  More....Cnn News

Protect yourself against health insurance reversal

In 2008, Joan Gagliardi was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease that caused scarring on internal organs, including her windpipe. It began to choke off her ability to breathe, but doctors at the University of Miami Hospital kept the damage in check with a treatment known as IVIG: Infusions of immunoglobulin.

The bad news came in 2010, when Gagliardi learned that her insurance company, Highmark Blue Shield of Pennsylvania, which had previously approved the expensive treatments, had reversed itself. The denial was retroactive, leaving Gagliardi liable for $1.2 million or approximately $50,000 for each infusion.
Fortunately for Gagliardi, the hospital didn’t press its claim, choosing instead to negotiate with Highmark. This year they settled up, with Highmark agreeing to pay $382,229. Gagliardi was off the hook. More...Cnn News

Police try to uncover what led to Virginia Tech shooting

Blacksburg, Virginia (CNN) -- The person suspecting of shooting and killing a police officer at Virginia Tech had no known contact with the officer before the shooting, authorities said Friday.
Investigators continue to follow leads as they investigate the death of Virginia Tech Police Officer Deriek Crouse, said Corinne Geller, a spokeswoman for the Virginia State Police.
A second person believed to be the shooter was found dead not far from where Crouse was shot.
Ballistics evidence shows that Crouse and the other man who was found dead were shot with the same gun, state police said Friday.
Investigators are confident that they have identified the suspect in Crouse's death, authorities said. They plan to reveal the alleged shooter's identity after an official determination is made and the shooter's family is notified, Geller said. Police have said they believe the other man matches the description of the gunman who shot the officer.  More....CNN NEWS

Study: Bone drug boosts breast cancer survival

Doctors were mostly hoping to prevent complications and relapses when they gave young women a medicine to keep their bones strong during breast cancer treatment. Seven years later, they found it did more than that: The bone drug improved survival, as much as many chemotherapies do. More »Study: Bone drug boosts breast cancer survival

Paralyzed Woman Makes Miraculous Recovery After Freak Accident

Monique van der Vorst was paralyzed from the hip down at 13 when she suffered nerve damage during a routine ankle operation. Years later, she went on to win a silver medal for handcycling in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. However, that same year she was hit by a car while training in her wheelchair and endured a spinal cord injury. Last summer, as she trained for the London 2012 Paralympics in her wheelchair something happened that changed her life: She collided with a sprint cyclist. When she was recovering in the hospital, van der Vorst discovered that she could move her feet. Something had occurred during the accident that reversed her paralysis. Van der Vorst told Reuters that when she took her first steps she felt like a child learning to walk again. Doctors are still stumped by her astonishing recovery. Some theorize that the trauma of her last accident might have jolted her body back into activity. Van der Vorst, now 27, went through an intense rehabilitation and eventually began training on a racing bicycle. Because she is no longer disabled, she is ineligible to compete in the Paralympics. Instead, van der Vorst is now in training to compete in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. People on Twitter are astounded by her story. One person said, "Wow this story is incredible," and another person called it "amazing." Given that van der Vorst has already won two Paralympics silver medals and the 2009 Iron Man in Hawaii, I think we might be seeing her in Rio in 2016.  More....Yahoo News

The Women's Dark Pajamas I designed on CafePress.com

The Women's Dark Pajamas I designed on CafePress.com

LOST IN LOVE

"CHECK THIS OUT"
     So I have a person that I know,that say she is in love with this guy, and they are  moving in together in another city.  They don't make enough money to keep up with the bills.  So how do you compromise and let youself get in that situation?
     So we are all human and can get lost in love. Make sure that the love we fall in will keep up together, and not wedge us apart, money is important, and we all need it.  It cut down a lot of fights in relationships.

BIG DADDY  

10 Cold and Flu Remedies that Really Work

There may not be a cure for a cold or flu, but there is relief.

Aches. Sniffles. Fever. Yep, cold and flu season is in full swing. When you're sick, you just want to feel better, fast. There's no cure for a cold or flu, but we've got 10 home remedies that help ease your symptoms.

Not sure if you have a cold or the flu? Take this quiz.

Hot Tea with Honey

Drink plenty of liquids to stay hydrated, and make sure they're hot. Black tea helps soothe a sore throat and chase away the chills with a good dose of virus-fighting interferon. Add a dollop of antioxidant-rich honey and a squeeze of lemon for vitamin C.

Orange Juice

Crave OJ when you're sick? It's full of vitamin C, which may shorten a cold's duration of and work as a natural decongestant. Aim for 500 mg of vitamin C four times a day. A cup of orange juice has 124 mg. Other good sources: strawberries, tomatoes, and broccoli.  More...Shine from Yahoo

Dr. Oz's Holiday Stress Management Checklist

Eliminating stress doesn't necessarily mean pouring a nice hot bubble bath. Try these holiday stress-busting strategies to avoid letting your worries rule your mind-and your life. From YOU Stress Less: The Owner's Manual for Regaining Balance in Your Life by Dr. Michael F. Roizen, MD, and Mehmet C. Oz, MD.


Stress Strategies
Identify the source of your stress. Though some sources are easy to identify, it may be difficult to really determine what's bothering you. Lashing out at your kids may be a reaction not to what your kids did but to an extra assignment piled on at work. The first step to managing your stress is pinpointing the culprit.

Focus on the moment. Though it can be hard, you'll have better stress management by being "mindful"-that is, really paying attention to the present and trying to get out of the gears of the past and the future (both of which are major sources of stress). That means especially noticing the things that you ignore, like your breath, body sensations, and emotions. One way to practice living in the moment: the body scan. More...Shine from Yahoo

7 Bad Habits that Steal Your Sleep

Working on your laptop in bed is a recipe for a bad night's sleep.

One bad night's sleep is nothing to worry about -- half of all adults suffer occasional bouts of sleeplessness. But chronic insomnia can do more than more than just make you tired during the day. Several recent studies have linked poor slumber with weight gain, high blood pressure, and a higher risk of a heart attack.


Stress, illness, menopause, and even some medications can trigger insomnia. These 7 everyday habits can steal your slumber, too. The good news: A small change in routine may be all you need to sleep better.
Take this test to find out what's getting in the way of your sleep.


You have caffeine after lunch. Caffeine lingers in your system for up to 12 hours, so that after-lunch coffee can leave you wide-eyed at bedtime. More....Shine from Yahoo

CrossFit 101: Get Started, Get Strong

crossfit: good form, good strength

Don't look for luxury. This is not your typical gym with ellipticals, TV screens and lots of fluffy towels. The ethos of CrossFit gyms (or boxes, as they're called for extra badass mojo) is simplicity. The standard equipment includes gymnastics rings, plyometrics boxes, a medicine ball, dumbbells, kettlebells, climbing ropes, elastic bands and a rowing machine (the "ERG"). That's about it. And yes, you will be lifting large barbells over your head, just like Rocky. More.....Shine from Yahoo

New Report Slams Kids’ Cereals

Is your kid eating dessert for breakfast? According to a new report on sugar in children's cereals published by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), more than half of the 84 brands tested contained at least 12 grams of sugar, or the equivalent of three teaspoons, per serving. That's more sugar than three Chips Ahoy! cookies. Moreover, only one out of four cereals tested met the federal government's proposed guidelines for food nutritious enough to be marketed to children. These guidelines were established to combat the childhood obesity epidemic.


Related link: The White House and the Winter Garden: Eating Local All Year Long. More....Shine from Yahoo

15 Ways to Find 15 Minutes for Exercise--Every Day

Is there time in your daily schedule to workout?

The secret to finding time for a workout is really about one simple strategy: ditching the stuff that's wasting your valuable time. Here are 15 easy ways to shave 15 extra minutes out of your day--and put them toward your fitness goals.

1. LOG OFF FACEBOOK People average seven hours a month on the social site. Do the math and it works out to 105 minutes each week, or 15 minutes every single day. You don't have to banish FB, but limit it to two short sessions a day.

2. SAY NO! When someone (not your boss) asks you to do something you don't have time for, say, "I'm sorry, I can't"--and feel the freedom wash over you.

3. PLAN YOUR DAY Schedule your biggest task of the day for when you're most focused and productive. You'll get it done more quickly than if you try to tackle it during a natural low point. More...Shine from Yahoo

‘GMA’ Diet Behavior Lab: Is Plate Color Key to Weight Loss?

If you’re looking to shed some weight, forget fad diets. The solution may be as simple as changing what plates you’re using.

New research, published in the Journal of Consumer Research this week, suggested that the color of your plate matters when it comes to how much you eat at a meal. Studies found that it’s the contrast between the colors of foods to the plate that really makes a difference.

We wanted to put this theory to test so “ Good Morning America” and ABC News’ Chief Health and Medical Editor Dr. Richard Besser went to the Italian restaurant Maruzzella in New York City and set up our own little experiment.

Ten unsuspecting diners were invited in for a free lunch of pasta with marinara sauce.  Half were given white plates and half red plates to see if people put more pasta with red sauce on the red plates or more on the white plates.  More....abc news

Treadmill Dancing Queen Storms The Web

Nothing is as monotonous as the treadmill run. That's why you see so many iPods, TVs, and even clocks in the gym. But an El Paso, Texas, woman has come up with her own way of making the time go by -- and she's made the treadmill cool even for those sitting at home on our laptops.
Harris has become the web's "dancing queen." It's not just that she's dancing on a moving treadmill; it's that she's dancing with ease, style and grace on a moving treadmill.  More.... The PostGame

America's Scariest Fitness Trends

About 10 years ago, a friend of mine -- who was a strength coach for a Major League baseball team -- told me about an all-star outfielder who was absolutely crazy about fitness. So much so that the player did barbell squats in the locker room. While standing on a Swiss ball. Buck naked. Which isn't just crazy -- it's scary.
Thank goodness naked Swiss-ball squats never went viral. But I've found three current fitness trends that are just as scary. (If you don't count the nudity.)
Scary Fitness Trend #1: Hopping For Heavyweights
If you’ve ever watched a reality weight-loss show, you might have seen 300-pound contestants jumping onto boxes to blast calories. It’s often an awkward jump that looks dangerous, even to the casual observer. Of course, they wouldn’t show it on TV if it was a bad idea -- right? Wrong. (Exhibit A: The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.)  More...Yahoo Sports

Pint Of Beer A Day Keeps Heart Disease Away

Homer Simpson's famous quote, "Beer is the cause and solution to all of life's problems," doesn't look quite as silly today.
Beer, like wine, can reduce the risk of heart disease, according to researchers in Italy. Moderate and regular drinking is key for both wine and beer.
A new study shows evidence for the first time of the dose-dependent effect with beer. Researchers noted maximum protection from heart disease for a beer containing 5 percent of alcohol, with a consumption of slightly more than an English pint a day. The research was published online by the European Journal of Epidemiology.
Researchers concluded that drinking approximately two glasses of wine per day for men and one for women can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease -- as much as to 31 percent less compared to the non-drinking crowd.
Jon Lester, Josh Beckett and John Lackey admitted to drinking "rally beer" in the dugout during the Red Sox historic September collapse. Maybe they were just worried about their health?
Scientists say it's not all good news for beer and wine lovers, though. They stress there is no place for binge drinking or any other form of heavy consumption. In addition, for young women still in their childbearing years, alcohol can slightly raise the risk for some kinds of cancer.  Sourced By: Yahoo Sports

Smoking and Drinking

You know smoking is stupid. You know you're gambling with cancer, stroke, and other health issues. But did you know you're also sabotaging your strength training?
"Smoking places carbon monoxide in your system, which prevents your muscles from getting as much oxygen to use for energy," says Scott Swartzwelder, Ph.D., a clinical professor of medical psychology at Duke University. "The less oxygen your muscles have to draw from, the less efficient they are at contracting, which can limit their capacity for work."
As for alcohol, it can cover your abs with a layer of lard and interfere with hormones that help build them. "Drinking alcohol on a regular basis can also keep your testosterone levels lower than usual and decrease muscle mass," says Swartzwelder. 
Fix it: Quit smoking, and don't worry about becoming a cold-turkey butterball. "Getting in at least 30 minutes of exercise three or four times a week not only helps control body weight, but can also produce positive psychological effects that might diminish the need to smoke," says Swartzwelder. Drinking moderately (two drinks or less per day) won't harm testosterone levels and can actually improve your cardiovascular health, he says. Sourced By: Yahoo Health

Skipping the Basics

Plenty of lifters believe that doing isolation exercises like chest flies and leg extensions is the only way to make their muscles grow. But basic moves such as bench presses and squats force several muscle groups to work together, imposing more stress on your body for bigger gains.
"Your body reacts to all that stress by having the anterior pituitary gland issue more growth hormone to compensate for the extra effort," says Allen Hedrick, C.S.C.S., head strength-and-conditioning coach at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. Of course you need variation, but don't abandon basic moves in favor of intermediate isolation exercises.
Fix it: Write down the exercises in your routine to see what percentage of them are compound moves. "If it's not in the range of at least 40 to 50 percent, then you're doing too many isolation exercises," says Bell. Sourced By: Yahoo Health

Avoid These Muscle-Building Mistakes

You've put in the time. The sweat. Maybe the tears when you don't see results. Quit blubbering. It'll be fine.
Entering the weight room is the first step toward building muscle, but it's not the last. What you do before, during, and after a workout can either negate your hard work or elevate your growth to a new level.
"Your personal habits, your social life, even which exercises you choose to do can take away from what you're trying to build," says Jeff Bell, C.S.C.S., an exercise physiologist and the owner of Spectrum Wellness in New York City. Bell and other experts helped us pinpoint seven factors that sabotage results. "Add them up and they could be why your muscles have nothing to show for all your time served," Bell says.
Eliminate these seven saboteurs, then watch your muscles grow—with nothing holding them back. Sourced By: Yahoo Health

Common Workout Mistakes | Yahoo! Health

Common Workout Mistakes Yahoo! Health

More evidence obesity tied to colon cancer: study

(Reuters) - Older adults who are heavy, especially around the middle, seem to have a higher risk of developing colon cancer than their thinner peers -- and exercise may lower the incidence of the disease, especially for women, a European study said.

More than 120,000 adults in the Netherlands aged 55 to 69 were followed for 16 years by the study, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

During that time, about two percent developed colorectal cancer, tumors of the colon and/or rectum, though most were diagnosed with colon cancer. More....Yahoo News

Fast-Food Outlets Nearby Might Not Cause Weight Gain

FRIDAY, Nov. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Most people who live near fast-food restaurants aren't at increased risk for weight gain, but women may put on a few extra pounds, according to a new study.

The findings challenge the widely held belief that living near fast-food restaurants and other unhealthy food outlets has contributed to the rapid rise in Americans' weight over the past few decades.

Researchers analyzed 30 years of data collected from participants in the Framingham Heart Study Offspring Cohort, which followed heart health and weight among people in and around Framingham, Mass., from 1971 to 2001.  More....Yahoo News

Kilogram faces quantum diet after weight problem

The guardians of the world's most important standards of weights and measures have turned to the weird universe of quantum physics to try to resolve a dilemma.

To the bafflement of scientists, a cylinder of metal sitting in a closely-guarded strongbox that is the global benchmark for the kilogram is changing mass.

The enigma doesn't affect anyone who wants to buy 500-milligramme tablets of aspirin, half a kilo of carrots or a 50,000-tonne cruise ship.

But it poses a hefty theoretical challenge to physicists, and complicates the work of labs which need ultra-precise, always-standard measurement.  More...Yahoo news

Knee Arthritis Striking at Younger Ages, But Weight Loss May Help

SATURDAY, Nov. 5 (HealthDay News) -- Arthritis of the knee is striking Americans at younger ages, new research has found, but shedding a few pounds if you're overweight may reduce your risk.

The studies were to be presented Saturday at the American College of Rheumatology annual meeting, in Chicago.

Nearly 6.5 million Americans between the ages of 35 and 84 will receive a diagnosis of knee osteoarthritis in the next decade, according to these new projections.

"The diagnosis of knee osteoarthritis is occurring much earlier," said study author Dr. Elena Losina, co-director of the Orthopedics and Arthritis Center for Outcomes Research at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

When she compared the age at diagnosis in the 1990s to ages in the 2010s, "the average age at diagnosis has moved from 69 to 56," she said.More....Yahoo News

Dallas Cowboys: The Attitude Is Good

Charles Krupa - APMore photos »

Jason Garrett is setting the tone.

Browse more photos »

I have always been interested in intangibles. Statistics are great tools in sports, but they never tell the entire story. The human element is what makes sports so great, because the numbers don't always predict the outcome.
The problem with trying to talk about things like motivation and morale is that there is no real way to measure them. It is all inference, trying to find meaning in what people say and how they conduct themselves. In the end, it is largely a matter of personal interpretation.
The Dallas Cowboys are facing a game that is pivotal. If they win against the Seattle Seahawks this Sunday, they at least keep a chance of making the playoffs if they can correct some issues. And, at least to me, a well-played game leading to a victory would indicate that the team is mentally all right and has recovered from the debacle in Philadelphia. And more importantly, that the team has made some significant strides from this time last year.  More....SB Nation

Players discuss decertification on call

As many as 50 disgruntled NBA players – including several All-Stars – participated in a clandestine conference call with a top antitrust attorney on Thursday to discuss the process of decertifying the Players Association, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.
Angry with the concessions already made to the owners and fearful of worse ones coming with the completion of a new collective bargaining agreement, the players could push for a scenario that throws negotiations into chaos and could eventually lead to the loss of the 2011-12 season. Paul Pierce(notes) played a prominent role on both calls, leading the charge on decertification, sources said. Participants in Thursday’s call included Dwyane Wade(notes), Jason Kidd(notes), Blake Griffin(notes), Al Horford(notes), Tyson Chandler(notes), Spencer Hawes(notes) and DeAndre Jordan(notes), sources said.  More.....Yahoo sports

EATING DISORDERS

The term "eating disorders" encompasses a group of problems that fall into two broad categories—overeating (binging), and undereating (anorexia)—sometimes referred to as "starving or stuffing." Eating disorders are most commonly found in young females during early adolescence. However, eating disorders affect both males and females at many stages in the life cycle. Although the conditions create physical problems, the causes are usually psychological. More.....Yahoo health

Spoiled Food: Can You Trust Your Nose?

Back in college, when "cooking" at home involved two ingredients—milk and cereal—the sniff test was all you needed to know about when your food spoiled. If the milk smelled bad, you dumped it (and substituted beer). End of story.

But now that you've expanded your ingredients list to include items from the grocery store's other 18 aisles, things are a bit more complicated. For example: What's the difference between a "sell by" date and a "use by" date? And if I put the meat in the freezer, how long will it last before I have to toss it? (Hint: The answer to this last one is not "forever.") More....yahoo health

Best Diets for Healthy Eating | Yahoo!#0

Best Diets for Healthy Eating Yahoo!#0

Unable to pay bill, Mich. city turns off lights

In this Nov. 2, 2011, photo Cassandra Cabil stands in shadows cast from her home as she looks out into her street illuminated by house lights in Highland Park, Mich. The 2.2 -square-mile city, unable to pay its $80,000 per month light bill has worked out a deal with DTE Energy to have the electricity provider turn off and remove nearly a third of Highland Park's overhead street lights. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Corey Williams, Associated Press, On Thursday November 3, 2011, 3:41 pm EDT

HIGHLAND PARK, Mich. (AP) -- As the sun dips below the rooftops each evening, parts of this Detroit enclave turn to pitch black, the only illumination coming from a few streetlights at the end of the block or from glowing yellow yard globes.
It wasn't always this way. But when the debt-ridden community could no longer afford its monthly electric bill, elected officials not only turned off 1,000 streetlights. They had them ripped out -- bulbs, poles and all. Now nightfall cloaks most neighborhoods in inky darkness.
"How can you darken any city?" asked Victoria Dowdell, standing in the halo of a light in her front yard. "I think that was a disgrace. She said the decision endangers everyone, especially people who have to walk around at night or catch the bus.  More....Yahoo finance

Justin Bieber Denies Paternity Rumors on ‘Today’

Kevin Winter/NBCUniversal/Getty Images

Justin Bieber appeared on NBC's Today show this morning to talk about his new Christmas album, but his visit was really just to confront the allegations that his brief romance with an older fan after a Los Angeles concert resulted in a baby boy. The incident has turned "Mariah Yeater" into a household name overnight, and while Bieber and his reps immediately denied the rumors, chatting with Today about the situation has more resonance than a tweet. Al Roker and Ann Curry loosened the Bieb up with some innocent questions about his Under the Mistletoe, the charities that album is raising money for, and his moneymaker ("My voice is evolving and changing for the better"). Thankfully, Matt Lauer swooped in to ask the question on everyone's mind this morning: Is it your baby? More....Yahoo Music

How to Tell the People in Your Life That You Have Breast Cancer

How to Tell the People in Your Life That You Have Breast Cancer

Become A Morning Runner

Become A Morning Runner

Spoiled Food: Can You Trust Your Nose?

Spoiled Food: Can You Trust Your Nose?

10 Surprising Clues You'll Live to 100

10 Surprising Clues You'll Live to 100

Mindless Eating Habits That Cause Weight Gain

Mindless Eating Habits That Cause Weight Gain

Mindless Eating Habits That Cause Weight Gain

Mindless Eating Habits That Cause Weight Gain

Mindless Eating Habits That Cause Weight Gain

Mindless Eating Habits That Cause Weight Gain

Mindless Eating Habits That Cause Weight Gain

Mindless Eating Habits That Cause Weight Gain

Mindless Eating Habits That Cause Weight Gain

Mindless Eating Habits That Cause Weight Gain

7 Foods That Fight Odors

7 Foods That Fight Odors

7 Foods That Fight Odors

7 Foods That Fight Odors

Rare Condition Drives Indiana Girl, 3, to Eat Light Bulb

Natalie Hayhurst looks like your average adorable 3-year-old. She plays with makeup, loves Justin Bieber, and loves playing with her big brother on their farm outside Terre Haute, Ind.
But when it comes to food, she's anything but average. Most kids her age are a little picky. Natalie likes everything – literally.
"Well, I first noticed it was a problem … [when] she had actually eaten my vinyl blinds that hang out to cover your sliding door. She took two bites out of them," said Natalie's mother, Colleen Hayhurst.
Natalie suffers from a rare condition called Pica that creates a compulsion to eat things that aren't food.
"She prefers the wood, paper products, cardboard, sticks," said Colleen. "She'll eat rocks, dirt; she's had a bite out of a Diet Coke can; she's eaten the little magnet out of the shower curtain, plastic bottles, toys." More...abc news

Women Taking Diet Supplements Should Think Twice, Study Says

For the nutrient conscious, a daily caplet of vitamins and minerals might seem like a sure way to get all the necessary nutrients you could miss in your diet. But a new study reports that those supplements may not be helpful, and in some cases, could even be harmful for older women.
The study looked at more than 38,000 women age 55 and older who participated in the Iowa Women's Health Study since the mid-1980s. The researchers found that when it came to reducing the risk of death, most supplements had no effect on women's health.
In fact, women who took certain kinds of dietary supplements -- vitamin B6, folic acid, magnesium, zinc, copper, iron and multivitamins -- faced a slightly higher risk of death than women who did not. Only women who took supplemental calcium showed any reduction in their risk of death.
The study was published today in the Archives of Internal Medicine. More...abc news

Top 10 Signs You Need a Lifestyle Makeover

Most of us have a bad habit or two. But if any of the following sound familiar to you, your body is craving a change. Make it happen almost effortlessly by substituting a healthy intention for the unhealthy habit. Then, don't think about it. Just do it! Soon the healthy lifestyle "do" will automatically replace the "don't." Here, some common "uh oh's" and how to fix them: Read More »

9 Fitness Secrets Only Pro Football Players Know

At-home workouts can be hit or miss, depending on how hard you push yourself. Sometimes when you’re on your own, it’s hard to motivate to train hard -- and see major results. Here, Billy Miller, former Saints Tight End, offers his fitness secrets for women, straight from the NFL Combine -- the drills and physical tests the athletes perform before the season starts.

Miller says, “Borrowing from the Combine can add a motivational piece to workouts that’s often missing—not to mention allow people to see just how strong and powerful these football players are. Of course, the whole family can try the tips I’ve listed here, and bring a whole new meaning to sibling rivalry.” More... Shine from yahoo

Fight Cellulite Fast

Skin smoothing yoga moves

By Amanda MacMillan
From Health magazine
One day you looked in the mirror and there it was—cellulite, creeping up on your legs and butt just in time for swimsuit season. Happily, there’s a speedy way to smooth those bumps and lumps: Yoga.

We asked yoga guru Kristin McGee, star of fitness DVDs MTV Power Yoga and the new Weight Loss Pilates, to create a cellulite-busting routine that targets the butt and thighs, the areas most prone to dimpling.

Pilates: The Secret to an Amazing Body

Easier than you think

From Health magazine
Pilates is the workout to turn to for a flat tummy. A 2008 study found that Pilates mat exercises engage and strengthen the deeper ab muscles responsible for a sleek, flat stomach. But Pilates isn’t just about whittling your waistline: It can also give you exceptional whole-body toning and graceful posture, plus make your daily activities (like hoisting groceries) easier to do.

Ready to get a Pilates body of your own? We’ve partnered with New York City–based expert Kristin McGee (she's trained LeAnn Rimes), to bring you the ultimate 20-minute Pilates workout. Do it three times a week for a month to drop up to 6 allover inches.

The Gym-Free Interval Workout

Getty Images

No time to rush to the gym for your daily workout? We've got you covered. From fab abs to thighs of steel, these easy to try-at-home exercises will have you looking and feeling great. This fun, 20-minute, equipment-free interval workout was created exclusively for Health by Crunch Gym’s regional group fitness director, Marc Santa Maria.
More.....Health.com

5 Foods That Can Trigger a Stroke

Few things feel more terrifying and random than a stroke, which can strike without warning. And fear of stroke -- when a blood vessel in or leading to the brain bursts or is blocked by a blood clot, starving brain cells of oxygen and nutrients -- is well founded. After all, stroke is the number-three killer in the U.S., affecting more than 700,000 people each year. Here are five foods that cause the damage that leads to stroke.  More...Yahoo Health

Warm Up: Walking Lunge

Do this routine twice pre-WOD to prime muscles. Stand with feet hip-width apart, arms overhead. Lunge forward with left foot so left thigh is parallel to floor, knee over ankle, right knee touching floor (as shown). Return to standing for 1 rep; repeat on opposite side, traveling forward. Continue, alternating sides. Do 20 reps. * works abs, butt, thighs, hamstrings

More from SELF

• Yoga Moves for Flat Abs
• 20 Superfoods for Weight Loss
• Easy Ways to Burn 200 Calories
• Gwyneth Paltrow’s Arms and Abs Moves
• Flat Abs in 5 Minutes

Sourced By: Yahoo Health

Get Going!

The Expert
Denise Thomas, CrossFit Level 2 (the highest!) coach at Reebok CrossFit One in Canton, Massachusetts
You'll Need
A timer (our favorite: the free GymBoss app), a 5- to 15-pound dumbbell and a hand towel
Your Plan
After completing the warm-up described in this slideshow two times through, do workouts of the day (WODs) 1, 2 and 3 once each week on separate days. Track your progress for one month, then marvel at your improvement. Three, two, one...go! That's how CrossFitters start each WOD.
How to Talk CrossFit
Box: What CrossFitters call the gym. They hit the box!
WOD: Pronounced like "wad" (as in gum), it stands for Workout of the Day. You'll get three fast, effective WODs here.
Task Priority: Some WODs tell you exactly how many reps to do (e.g., three rounds of 10). Your goal is to race the clock—complete them as fast as you can with good form.
Time Priority: Other WODs (like WODs 1 and 3) tell you precisely how many minutes you have to perform AMRAP (as many rounds or reps as possible). Hustle, hustle! Sourced By: Yahoo heath

Formulating functional fitness for everyday people

NEW YORK (Reuters) -A mother-to-be hoists a rubber cylinder overhead. A 70-year-old balances on a wobble board and a firefighter grips a medicine ball while lunging across the gym floor.
Called functional training, workouts mirroring the activities of daily life have become a cornerstone of personal training sessions and group fitness classes, even if daily life can encompass anything from lifting a baby to scaling a burning building.
"Functional fitness has moved beyond the trend stage, and is simply one of the driving forces for many of the 50 million health club members," said Meredith Poppler of IHRSA (International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association).
It's basically exercise aimed at improving the quality of life and movement.
"Functional fitness is exercise that mimics everyday tasks," explained Frank Salzone, a trainer with the Equinox chain of fitness centers. "I always put my personal clients through functional training." More....Yahoo Health

4 Fitness Secrets from the NFL

Aaron Rodgers. Drew Brees. LaDainian Tomlinson. Reggie Bush. Besides being NFL Pro Bowlers, what do these guys have in common?
They're all trained by Todd Durkin, C.S.C.S., owner of Fitness Quest 10 in San Diego, a contributor to Men's Health, and author of The Impact! Body Plan.
Durkin makes his living training elite athletes, but he also helps average men (and women) achieve their ideal bodies too. And he does so with the very same strategies, exercises, and workout plans he gives top athletes. Walk into his gym, in fact, and you may very well see a grandmother training next to an NFL superstar. That's pretty cool.
We recently asked Durkin to how top NFL athletes get and stay in peak physical condition—and how you can do it, too. Here's what he told us.
Secret #1: Work Your Weaknesses
Durkin: The average guy avoids exercises he's not good that. Oftentimes, these should be his focus.
I do the same thing with my athletes. When I first started working with LaDainian in 2002, he had room for improvement on his balance. He since has become so much better. When I started working with Brees (pictured here training at Durkin's gym) that same year, his core wasn't as strong as it should be. So with an emphasis on joint integrity and core strength, he was able to really improve his game.  More...Yahoo Health

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10 nutrition powerhouses for kids

In addition to protecting against heart disease and diabetes and improving brain function, blueberries may also help reduce visceral "toxic" belly fat.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Foods like blueberries and salmon are top picks of true bite-for-bite nutritional powerhouses
• Even cinnamon and cocoa have great nutritional value for kids
• Pizza and pasta are actually a good way to incorporate lycopene into a child's diet

RELATED TOPICS

• Child Nutrition
• Functional Foods
• Healthy Eating
• Omega Fatty Acids

(Parenting.com) -- Get your kids addicted to these colorful, tasty, nutrient-packed superfoods, like blueberries, cocoa, cinnamon and more.
It's a fact of life: Chips, cupcakes, and lots of other not-so-nutritionally noble foods are going to find their way into your child's mouth. Heck, if left to their own devices, a lot of kids wouldn't eat anything that didn't come out of a pizza or pasta box. But that's all the more reason to make sure the meals you serve up are packed with as much good stuff as possible. Parenting went to Rachel Beller, R.D., founder of the Beller Nutritional Institute in Beverly Hills, California, a mom of four, and an expert in eating for disease prevention, to get her top picks of true bite-for-bite nutritional powerhouses. Most important, they're also foods kids might actually eat. Add them to this week's shopping list!

For weight-loss help, faithfuls turn to God

Women at a gospel aerobics class in Camp Springs, Maryland, blend praise and exercise.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Churches open fitness centers, start healthy living courses; new God-themed DVDs are released
• People are searching for meaning in their workouts and enhanced church experience
• Using faith in workouts adds extra motivation and boost, say supporters

(CNN) -- Hallelujah diets. Body by God. Karate for Christ. Gospel groove workouts.
Using the Lord's name (not in vain), fitness and diet enthusiasts are injecting the Almighty into nutrition programs, exercise DVDs, martial arts and healthy living courses.
In a DVD released in June, a gospel choir in full-length gowns sways back and forth while a fitness personality, Donna Richardson Joyner, sashays to her aerobic exercises. Her smiling, spandex-clad entourage echoes her movements. All lift their hands to praise the Lord.
"Give him some love!" she shouts. "Honor him!"
Exercise DVDs with religious themes, such as this one, have streamed into the market. More churches have opened fitness centers and started healthy living groups.
"People are wanting more out of what they're currently getting," said Brad Bloom, publisher of the Faith & Fitness magazine. "They're tired of going to a church, to a routine show on Sunday morning. Then they're also frustrated with the gym experience. People need something where they can get a comprehensive experience from it." More.....Cnn.com

Health-Care basics: spend or save?

Although prices may be steep, consumers should consider spending more on their health-care products to save in the long run.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Modernizing basic health tools will help save money and promote safety
• Consider purchasing two humidifiers for personal and environmental benefits
• Spending more money on health care products is more beneficial in the long run

RELATED TOPICS

• Health and Fitness
• Dental and Oral Health
• Eyesight and Eye Health
• Exercise and Fitness

(RealSimple.com) -- When to spend and when to save on eight essentials that affect your health every day.
Thermometers
Old-school mercury versions, which are hard to read and can break, have gone the way of the Walkman. An inexpensive digital thermometer (about $6) is the new classic and more than adequate for the average person.
Two things to look for: a big, backlit display that's easy to see in a dark room, and a fast reading time of about 15 seconds, says Caroline Dorsen, a board-certified family nurse practitioner in New York City. Go for an under-the-tongue variety, as ear (or tympanic) thermometers are less reliable. A study done at the Stollery Children's Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta, found that parents using home tympanic models failed to detect a fever 25 percent of the time. If you have to check someone's temperature hourly, invest in a temporal artery (forehead) thermometer. It's even easier to use but a bit more expensive (about $35).
More....Cnn.com

Why eating a lot feels so darn good

The brain rewards eating salt, fat and sugars by releasing feel-good chemical substances.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Food can induce feel-good chemicals in the same way as drugs and alcohol
• Evolution, competition and ingestion analgesia are factors in pleasure of eating
• Being full feels satisfying compared with gnawing, rumbling hunger pains

RELATED TOPICS

• Diet and Nutrition
• Thanksgiving
• Health and Fitness
• Cognitive Science

(CNN) -- On Thanksgiving, many of us will eat way more than normal and then waddle away contented, with a turkey and sweet potato buzz.
Having a belly stuffed with comforting food can feel like a warm hug from the inside.
Evolution has given us the instinct to eat a lot every time we can, preparing for hard times. It's the drive to survive, like puffy-cheeked squirrels storing up for the winter. It's also fueled by competition: beating the others to the food.
More....Cnn.com

Is your diet good for your skin?

The food you eat, like wrinkle-fighting antioxidants in fruits, may matter to your skin almost as much as it does to your waistline.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Omega-3 fatty acids in fish help keep skin-cell membranes strong and elastic
• Beans contain zit-battling zinc and decrease inflammation
• Fat helps your body absorb complexion-friendly antioxidants and fat-soluble vitamins

RELATED TOPICS

• Healthy Eating
• Low-Carb Diets
• Antioxidants
• Dieting and Diet Foods

(Health.com) -- Sure, your diet keeps your body slim and healthy, but its impact doesn't stop there.
The food you eat -- from wrinkle-fighting antioxidants in fruits and vegetables to hydrating healthy fats in fish -- may matter to your skin almost as much as it does to your waistline.
Is your way of noshing helping or hurting your complexion? We asked top docs for their take on the face-friendliness of six popular diets.
Read on to see if yours passes the beauty test, and find out how you can alter what you eat for A-plus skin.
Health.com: 8 steps to healthy skin at every age
More...Cnn.com

Half of Americans sip sugary drinks daily

Americans get 8% of daily calories from sugary drinks, a study from the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics says.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Half of U.S. population over age 2 consumes sugary drinks daily, CDC says
• Report says the drinks have been linked to weight gain, obesity and diabetes
• Beverage makers say their products have not fueled obesity and diabetes
• Male teens are most frequent consumers of sugary drinks, report says

(CNN) -- When it was first invented, soda pop was a treat most people had once in a while for special occasions.
Now it's a daily fixture in American life -- in bright containers glowing inside vending machines, chugged from 32-ounce bucket-like containers at self-service stations and served as the default beverage in fast-food meals.
In today's carbonation nation, half of the U.S. population over age 2 consumes sugary drinks daily, according to a report released by National Center for Health Statistics.
The sugary drinks include sodas, sweetened waters, and energy, sports and fruit beverages. Not included in the total were diet drinks, 100% fruit juices, sweetened teas and flavored milk. The report states that sugary drinks have been linked to "poor diet quality, weight gain, obesity, and in adults, type 2 diabetes."More....Cnn.com

Plate icon to guide Americans to healthier eating

(CNN) -- The food pyramid has been dismantled in favor of a simple plate icon that urges Americans to eat a more plant-based diet.
One half of your plate should be filled with fruits and vegetables, with whole grains and lean protein on the other half, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Low-fat dairy on the side, such as a cup of skim milk or yogurt, is also suggested.
The new icon, MyPlate is designed to remind Americans to adopt healthier eating habits, in a time when more than one-third of children and more than two-thirds of adults in the United States are overweight or obese.
What's your ideal MyPlate? Show us!
"It's an opportunity for Americans to understand quickly how to have a balanced and nutritious meal," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "It's a constant reminder as you look at your own plate whether your portion sizes are right, whether you've got enough fruits and vegetables on that plate."
Vilsack, first lady Michelle Obama and Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin spoke at a Thursday press conference to unveil the new plate icon.
Obama has led a national campaign for healthier diets and more physical exercise, called Let's Move, which aims to reduce childhood obesity in the United States within a generation.
The goal of MyPlate is to simplify nutritional information, Obama said.
"When it comes to eating, what's more useful than a plate?" she asked. "It's a quick simple way for all of us to be mindful of the foods we're eating."
She warned that the new icon won't end the obesity epidemic alone.
"It can't ensure our communities have access to affordable fruits and vegetables," Obama said. "That's still work we need to do."
She said kids still need to be active and that parents still need to be vigilant on making good food choices.

17 million US households lack proper diet: report

A shelf in the food pantry at the Bridgeport Rescue Mission is seen nearly empty …

Over 17 million US households -- or 14.5 percent -- were unable to eat properly in 2010, either due to small portions, or chronically unhealthy diets, a government report said Wednesday.

Households living near or below the poverty line, single-parent households, and black or Hispanic households, were mostly affected, said the report from the Department of Agriculture.

Among those affected, some 6.4 million homes (5.4 percent) were particularly affected by food insecurity, said the report, facing smaller portions, unhealthy diets, hunger and weight loss.

Some 9.8 percent of households with children faced similar food insecurity, down slightly from 10.6 percent of the same demographic in 2009, the report said.

The "study underscores what we know, that the food security remains a serious problem," said USDA under secretary Kevin Concannon in a conference call with reporters.

The USDA last month noted that nearly 46 million people, or one-in-six Americans, were in April this year living with government-issued food stamps. Sourced By: Yahoo news

3 Nutrients to Accelerate Muscle Recovery

By: StacyAtZeel Allowing your muscles to recover between workouts is as important as the exercise itself. After all, there’s a reason why you’re achy for a day or two following back-to-back Read More »

Weight Loss Secrets from The Biggest Loser's Olivia Ward and Hannah Curlee

By Jenna Autuori-Dedic For Biggest Loser: Couples winner Olivia Ward and her sister-teammate, Hannah Curlee, the real secret to shedding a combined 249 pounds -- and Read More »

5 Ways To Help Your Parents Lose Weight

Eveyone I know is on a diet. They are trying to fit into a pair of jeans, a new dress, or a suit they have had in their closet for six years. Some of them buy a pair of True Religion Jeans in a smaller size and hang them up in a noticeable area as an incentive (the incentive is no doubt the price… Read More »

25 simple ways to get more steps in your day

Getty Images

By Su Reid-St. John So you’ve heard it a million times: Walk more! Aim for 10,000 steps a day! But taking the stairs instead of the elevator will only get you so far.… Read More »

5 Health Slip-Ups—Remedied

By Denise Schipani
We’ve all taken one pain reliever too many or not finished a round of antibiotics. But how bad are these mistakes, really? The answers, and what you should know for next…
Read More »