Stepfanie Romine is a writer, recipe developer, published author and certified yoga teacher who has lived--and cooked--on three continents. She currently calls Asheville, North Carolina home. 
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Speak Up and Be Heard, Win $100 SparkCertificates
As we like to say, small steps can yield big results. You've got the chance to do something small and achieve something great while helping SparkPeople!
Do you have ideas on how to make the world a better, healthier place? Do you like trying new products and taking surveys? If so, we would like to invite you to join our NEW SparkPeople Supporter Survey Team.
Posted 2/18/2010 6:00:00 PM By: : 140 comments 15,377 views
Your Life Changes Are Changing the Lives of Others
Every time we take the stairs instead of the elevator, choose water over soda or cook at home instead of picking up takeout, we're setting an example. Our co-workers might chide us for skipping the pizza buffet for a brown bag lunch in the office, but they notice how much weight we've lost as a result. Our partners sometimes ask us to skip the gym and stay on the couch, but they love how much more energy we have. And our kids--little sponges that they are--might groan when they see grilled chicken instead of chicken nuggets on the dinner table, but they're eating it just the same.
No man is an island, and every step we take creates a ripple effect in the universe. We might not be a CEO of a big company, a rich and powerful celebrity or even a blogger with a huge audience, but we're all influencing other people each and every day.
The big news in the health world last week was the unveiling of "Let's Move," the childhood obesity initiative led by First Lady Michelle Obama that unites federal, state and local governments with the nonprofit and business worlds. While most people said they were happy to see someone taking the lead on such a widespread problem--1 in 5 children and teens in America is obese, according to government statistics--some felt that it wasn't the government's place to step in.
From what we've read, Let's Move is crossing political, socioeconomic, business and geographical boundaries. Each and every one of us, from the mom who's trying to get her son to eat his vegetables to the company president who's trying to cut his health-care costs, can make a difference--and we will!
As Chris "SparkGuy" Downie said in his blog post last week, SparkPeople is not only ready and willing to help, we've already been making strides to help end childhood obesity, one member at a time.
As the old adage goes, "even the longest journey begins with one step." Our successful members recognize that, and they know that after even a few steps, they're not alone. Before telling the stories of how two parents changed their families' lives along with their own, I first want to share some comments from some SparkFriends who answered the questions I posed yesterday: How has your family's life changed since you joined SparkPeople? Have you kids been influenced by your healthy choices?
Posted 2/15/2010 9:45:22 AM By: : 79 comments 23,604 views
Oprah Takes on Type 2 Diabetes, the 'Silent Killer'
Turn on the TV or set your DVR today for a very special episode of “The Oprah Winfrey Show” on the topic of Type 2 diabetes, which Oprah calls "a silent killer."
According to the American Diabetes Association, the disease affects 7.8% of the population (more than 23 million people), and it was the seventh leading cause of death in 2006.
From Harpo Productions:
Today Oprah, Dr. Oz, Bob Greene, Art Smith, Dr. Ian Smith and more reveal the staggering human cost of the growing diabetes and pre-diabetes epidemic on a special episode of “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” Before a studio audience comprised entirely of diabetics and their families, Oprah and Dr. Oz reveal the latest facts and figures, share stories of those affected, and hold a no-holds-barred, revealing conversation about risk factors, diet and lifestyle.
Says Winfrey, “Diabetes is a ticking time bomb. It's a silent killer. It’s annihilating the African American community. Literally. It’s killing almost 100 of us every single day in the African-American community.”
Posted 2/4/2010 10:04:11 AM By: : 103 comments 25,306 views
How Sweet and Innocent are Those Girl Scout Cookies?
My mom resurrected the Girl Scout program at my elementary school when I was a Daisy.
We moved and she was the co-leader of my Brownie troop.
I was a Junior, a Cadette and a Senior.
Though I wasn't the most active Girl Scout in later years, I proudly wore my sash and uniform for 13 years.
My mom was involved in Girl Scouts for 25 years, and my grandmother for about 20.
Needless to say, I like Girl Scout Cookies. We always had several boxes in the pantry and plenty more in the freezer. Because those cookies were always around, it wasn't a big deal when cookie time came around. Sure, I was excited to sell them. (And by sell, I mean call my family members and send the forms to work with my parents. I wasn't the most aggressive saleswoman.) But my appetite for them didn't grow.
Fast forward to college, and a life without Thin Mints, Samoas and Tagalongs.
When I came home for a weekend and found the familiar green box of my favorite cookies. I ate an entire sleeve of them in two days!
I will admit that wasn't the last time I ate an entire sleeve of Girl Scout cookies, but it's an event that hasn't happened lately. I can exercise self control around my beloved Thin Mints, and I keep them in the freezer for slower eating.
Wonder what kind of caloric damage those little cookies can do?
Posted 1/28/2010 5:50:34 PM By: : 433 comments 27,941 views
I Have a New Fitness Goal
When I took inventory of my life for 2010 and shared it with you, there's something I didn't tell you. I hope you can forgive me. I didn't intentionally leave it out, and it was really firmly planned then. However, it's something I think you should all know about.
See, I have trouble labeling myself as athletic or fit. For the first 26 years of my life, I loathed running ("I only run when chased," I said.) and couldn't really ride a bike. I worked out to keep my weight in check, but I hadn't yet found a form of cardio that I enjoyed. Yoga was the only form of exercise I liked then.
In the last two years, much has changed. I rode 85 miles in one day on my road bike, became a yoga teacher, did 10 "boy-style" pushups, conquered my fear of headstands, and ran my first 5K, a second 5K and my first 10K.
Though I work out six or seven days a week, run regularly and teach yoga to others, I have never really considered myself to be an athlete--or a runner.
This new challenge I've set for myself will change that.
I am training for my first half-marathon.
Posted 1/27/2010 5:58:47 AM By: : 131 comments 25,754 views
7 Easy Ways to Relax on the Job (without Getting Fired)
Your boss just dropped another project on your desk. Your co-worker spends more time at the water cooler than at his desk. The phone won't stop ringing, your email inbox is so full it's about to burst, and you've got a meeting with a client in an hour.
Yep, you're stressed.
So how can you present your most cool, calm and collected self and accomplish all the tasks you have to do today?
Take a breather, and try a few minutes of yoga.
Most of us can't unroll a yoga mat and drop into down dog at the office, but that doesn't mean we can't take time for a bit of relaxing and energizing stretches. (Note: These poses are also appropriate for people with mobility issues.)
The next time you need to chill out, try some or all of these poses:
Posted 1/25/2010 12:09:24 PM By: : 122 comments 62,421 views
RECSCHEDULED: Girlfriendology Online Radio Show
Hello, dailySpark readers! If you're near a computer this Friday afternoon, take some time to listen to my radio interview with dailySpark Guest Blogger and Girlfriendology.com founder Debba Haupert.
(Last week, Debba experienced technical difficulties, and we had to reschedule.)
For about 20 minutes, starting at 2 p.m. EST, Debba and I will be discussing how to integrate fitness and healthy living into your friendships, and we'll be taking your calls! I wrote a guest blog for Girlfriendology to promote the radio show.
Posted 1/20/2010 2:00:00 PM By: : 18 comments 13,845 views
Lead with Your Heart; the Rest of You Will Follow
Like most of the other girls on the third floor of Treudley Hall, I plastered the walls of my freshman-year dorm room with prints of famous works of art, pictures from home and quotations, lots of quotations.
Song lyrics, tidbits from favorite books and words of wisdom gleaned from movies, my roommate and I wrote in flowery script on colored notecards with a rainbow of markers. Stuck to the wall with blue bits of sticky tack, those notecards were like stars in the sky for me. I'd lie in my top bunk, gaze at them and think about those words.
The overwhelming theme: Unrequited love and its accompanying desolation, concepts that at 18, we felt we knew well. It was, after all, the era of Jane Austen movies, Baz Luhrmann's "Romeo and Juliet" and "Titanic."
As the years passed by, quotations took on a different meaning. As a journalism major, I relied on quotes from sources to make a story. And as a French major, I peppered my papers with them, analyzing them until their meaning had been sucked dry.
Posted 1/19/2010 10:02:30 AM By: : 269 comments 54,763 views
Call In to the Girlfriendology BlogTalkRadio Show
Hello, dailySpark readers! If you're near a computer on Friday afternoon, take some time to listen to my radio interview with dailySpark Guest Blogger and Girlfriendology.com founder Debba Haupert.
For about 20 minutes, starting at 2 p.m. EST, Debba and I will be discussing how to integrate fitness and healthy living into your friendships, and we'll be taking your calls! I wrote a guest blog for Girlfriendology to promote the radio show.
Posted 1/14/2010 10:00:00 AM By: : 29 comments 11,482 views
A Mighty Big Thanks for Sharing the Love
It's truly a world wide web, but it can feel mighty small and cozy some days. Like today, when we at the dailySpark are thanking all of those bloggers and websites who have taken the time to review and feature The Spark.
We're excited to read the reviews of The Spark from our esteemed peers--and our wonderful members as well!
If you missed one, you should definitely check these out, if you haven't already.
To start, we got a great review at Diet-Blog.com, a great source for health and fitness news. "Look for this to be a bestseller in 2010," they wrote.
We were over the moon to see that Lisa "Hungry Girl" Lillien, who has already endorsed the book, wrote about us in her popular daily email. We feel the love: "The four-stage plan combines eating right, getting exercise, setting goals, and other positive stuff to motivate you. We feel energized just writing about it... And we LOVE SparkPeople.com. YAYAYAYAY for this book!" Right back at you, HG!
MizFit not only gave us her exclusive "MizFit Seal of Approval," but she also did a fabulous video review as well!
Posted 1/10/2010 6:41:09 AM By: : 31 comments 18,712 views
I DARE You to Learn to Love Veggies
In my free time, I like to read healthy living blogs, and one of my favorites is Healthy Tipping Point, which is written by Caitlin, who also writes OperationBeautiful.com. Caitlin is a vegetarian who eats very balanced meals, so I was surprised to learn that she didn't really love
vegetables. As soon as I took a closer look at her meals, I realized why: She was eating them plain!
I issued her the Learn to Love Veggies Challenge. She took up the gauntlet and commenced the vegetable adventure.
Now, it's your turn!
Choose a few of these tips and implement them into your weekly meals. They're all pretty simple and affordable.
Posted 1/6/2010 5:40:21 AM By: : 202 comments 67,703 views
Share Your Resolutions to Stay Accountable
At SparkPeople, we frequently talk about setting goals and holding yourself accountable. But if you set a goal and don't tell anyone about, will you stick to it? We know (and research has proved) how important and effective a supportive network of friends can be when you're trying to live a healthier life. So when you set your New Year's resolutions, be sure you share them with others. In addition to telling your SparkTeams, posting on the Message Boards and creating a Vision Collage, we've found another cool way to share your goals and stay on track.
Posted 1/5/2010 9:00:00 AM By: : 73 comments 22,848 views
Taking Inventory for 2010: What's in Stock for You?
Last year, I shared with you my New Year's ritual: taking inventory of my life. Unlike resolutions, which to me are about changing things that are wrong with your life, an inventory is about making sure you're on track to meet goals you've already set and evaluating your station in life.
My greatest fear is waking up one day and realizing I've wasted time, energy or potential. I try to live each day to its fullest, taking pleasure in the moment, and removing unnecessary stresses. I believe in the Power of Now, and I try to keep myself from dwelling on the negative or painful aspects of life. I try to move forward, looking back less and less.
To me, an inventory is a chance to check in with my goals and gauge my progress. It's a chance to reflect on what I want to do with my life and to ensure I'm on the right path.
I don’t want to wake up in five, 10, or 20 years, my heart heavy with regret, trapped in a life created by indecision and fear of change. So I take inventory.
Posted 1/1/2010 10:00:00 AM By: : 92 comments 29,448 views
SparkPeople's Best Day Ever
Thanks to all of you for your kinds words, encouraging messages and excited notes about the launch of "The Spark."
Here at SparkPeople headquarters in Cincinnati, we celebrated the launch with a trip to a local bookstore to see the book on display and a group lunch. We were so excited that we actually got there as we the employees were bringing the new books out. By later that afternoon, we were getting emails, texts and tweets from friends, fans and members who had seen the book (and bought it)!
"The man checking me out asked if the book was featured on a show today because he has been selling them like crazy," Tanya told us when she went to buy more copies of "The Spark" for friends and family.
Posted 12/30/2009 4:00:00 PM By: : 152 comments 30,813 views
EXCLUSIVE: Joy Bauer Shares Her Best Nutrition Tips and Tricks
If you've turned on the Today show or perused the New York Times Best Sellers list in the last few years, you probably know who Joy Bauer is. Bauer, a registered dietitian with a master's in nutrition from New York University is the author of Food Cures and Joy's LIFE Diet. She also hosts Today's popular weekly series called the “Joy Fit Club,” which celebrates determined people who have lost and kept off 100 pounds or more through diet and exercise alone.
Now she has a new book coming out on Dec. 29: Your Inner Skinny (Your Inner Skinny was previously published as Joy’s LIFE Diet.
I recently got the opportunity to connect with Joy, and she offered to answer some questions from you--and our readers.
Posted 12/29/2009 6:03:12 AM By: : 81 comments 37,287 views
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