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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Just 99 Days Until the Winter Olympics
The countdown is on.
Just 99 days left until the 2010 Winter Olympics begin in Vancouver. Having spent a couple of days in that fair city last month, I can tell you that the excitement is already palpable.
I love the Olympics, both Winter and Summer. Sports don't exist in my world normally. (If you ever see me in the vicinity of a ball, duck and run! And if I've got a bat or a racket, run faster. I'm not violent--just really clumsy!) But from the Opening Ceremonies to the Closing, I'm glued to the TV. Suddenly, sports are really exciting to me. It makes me proud to be an American--and even prouder when I watch athletes from other, smaller countries win when they truly deserve it. During the Olympics, there's such a love-thy-neighbor mentality. Unlike during other sporting events, there's no hostility, no swearing, no smack talk. It's just peace, love and good sportsmanship. (That's probably not 100% correct, but just let me live in my fantasy world, OK?)
Two of my favorite winter sports are figure skating, with its simultaneous grace, strength and beauty, and hockey, which takes a level of guts that I don't possess.
As a preview of our Olympic coverage, today I'm sharing with you two videos of Olympic athletes showing off their best moves, which I took last month in Vancouver:
Posted 11/5/2009 4:13:53 PM By: : 113 comments 15,785 views
Vote for Your Favorite Un-Chained Recipe
Thanks to all those who entered the SparkRecipes Un-Chained Recipe Contest. The contest ended on Monday night, but the fun is just beginning!
We had more than 40 entries, from fast food and casual restaurants. Fast food breakfast meals and casual dining salad monstrosities were among the more popular foods to be made over. We can't wait to get started and try these dishes.
But first, we need your help.
Posted 11/3/2009 2:54:24 PM By: : 36 comments 23,185 views
Happy Halloween from Around the Web
Happy Halloween, dailySpark readers! I hope you're all enjoying your Halloween so far. What's does the crystal ball hold for you today? Candy? Trick-or-treating with the kids? Pumpkin carving? Perhaps a pumpkin-flavored treat?
To help you get through this spooky day with minimal temptations, I've got plenty of distractions, in the form of links.
But first, check out this awesome photo of the SparkPeople tech team all dressed up for Halloween:
Posted 10/31/2009 12:01:38 PM By: : 50 comments 15,486 views
10 Treats For Under 100 Calories--No Tricks!
Scared of Halloween candy? Don't be! Unlike all those terrifyingly rich and heavy pumpkin-flavored treats that are everywhere this time of year, these Halloween treats are so low in calories that you'll think you're being tricked!
Posted 10/30/2009 4:15:44 PM By: : 88 comments 21,482 views
Make Over Your Favorite Restaurant Meal, Win a Vita-Mix
Last week, we unveiled the first-ever SparkRecipes contest: The SparkRecipes Un-Chained Recipe Contest.
The contest is easy: Pick a favorite unhealthy food from a chain restaurant (fast food or casual dining), and make it over, using healthy ingredients.
So why haven't you entered? Get out there and get cooking!
We've already received plenty of great entries, so you can start making and voting on your favorites now.
Still haven't made up your mind? You've got plenty of time left. We've extended the deadline to enter!
Posted 10/28/2009 12:01:40 PM By: : 17 comments 16,641 views
Meet the Members: Meeting (and Exceeding) Goals is Possible!
As I told you a couple of weeks ago, one of my goals for this second year of the dailySpark is to get more of your stories published on the blog this year. In addition to your Success Stories, food reviews and tales of Spreading the Spark, I'm also going to be sharing your best tips.
Here is another round of tips and stories from some of our "Spark" preorder prize winners. These SparkPeople members won our daily T-shirt giveaways, and now they're Spreading the Spark in return by sharing their best tips.
Meet Judy, Lori and Jeff:
Posted 10/26/2009 3:07:34 PM By: : 51 comments 15,592 views
Breaking News: 'Smart Choices' Program Halted
Last month, Coach Dean blogged about the Smart Choices program, which puts little green checkmark on "healthier" foods in the supermarket. Products like… Froot Loops, Cracker Jack and frozen meals that contain up to 25% of your daily sodium recommendation.
Dean had doubts about the program, which is sponsored by a group of 10 major food producers, including Kellogg’s, General Mills, ConAgra Foods, Tyson Foods, and PepsiCo. As it turns out, he wasn't the only one.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which is examining issues with the front-of-package labeling system, has halted the program, according to an Associated Press report.
Posted 10/24/2009 12:43:56 PM By: : 183 comments 22,682 views
A Butt-Kicking Workout with Nike Trainers
I was that girl who would fake cramps and feign random injuries to get out of gym class in high school. (Sweat? Me? No--not after all the time I spent straightening my hair. I'll read a book on the bleachers, thankyouverymuch!) These days, I'm no wilting flower when it comes to exercise. I run. I Spin. I practice yoga. I do Pilates. I love the strong, toned body that exercise affords me.
(Almost) nothing scares me. Except squats and lunges. They annoy me. I don't feel coordinated and get bored doing them. On the rare occasion I incorporate them into my strength training, I don't really get very creative with them. I just do 'em and move on.
During the Nike Women’s Training Spring 2010 Media Summit in Vancouver, we had the opportunity to work out with Nike trainers.
On Wednesday we had been warned that we would be doing some moves that were similar to those used by the Olympic athletes we'd met.
They had Julia Mancuso stand on a stability ball, and Katherine Reutter did some complicated hip stabilizing exercises, so I was a bit worried.
It would be hard, but a few women who had attended the Summit last year said it was nothing we couldn't handle.
Little did I know how many squats and lunges were in my future!
Posted 10/21/2009 6:12:02 PM By: : 72 comments 30,145 views
Results Not Typical: FTC Agrees, Changes the Rules for Diet Ads
It's late at night, and you're channel surfing. You land on a flashy infomercial for the latest workout or diet craze. On the screen, real people share stories about how they saw impressive results--losing 50 pounds in 5 months with no exercise, dropping 3 pants sizes in a short time with just 10 minutes of exercise a day, chiseling their bodies without changing their eating habits. At the bottom of the screen are three tiny words: results not typical.
Celebrities and regular Joes alike tout various supplements, diets and workouts on TV, the Web and in magazines. This one product transformed their lives and bodies, we're led to believe.
I've purchased a few workout gadgets over the years after being drawn in by the impressive results of the models in the informercials. Did I see results? Nope, at least not like the people on TV. As we all know, losing weight and getting in shape is not a one-step process. Neither diet nor exercise alone will do it, and no pill, powder, or product could transform my life--only I could.
Since 1980, the last time the Federal Trade Commission updated its rules regarding endorsements and testimonials, products were protected by that ubiquitous phrase: results not typical. But this month that changed, which means celebrity diet endorsers might soon be out of a job.
Posted 10/20/2009 6:07:33 AM By: : 178 comments 25,227 views
This Week, Ban the 'Fat Talk'
Think back to the last time someone paid you a compliment.
How did you respond?
"Thanks, but I've still got a long way to go."
"Thanks, but my butt is gigantic."
"Thanks!"
When you look in the mirror, do you zero in on the flaw or focus on the positives?
Do you lament your hips or admire your strong legs?
Do you curse your flat chest or notice your slim wrists?
Do you fret over a few fine lines or appreciate your bright smile?
Most of us have trouble accepting compliments and silencing the nagging voices inside our heads. How often do you respond with a self-deprecating or humble comment when someone says something flattering to you?
While those comments might seem innocuous, they're not. (Keep reading for some ALARMING statistics!) I'm guilty of it, and just about everyone I know is, too, from time to time.
And this week, we're all going to do something about it.
Today marks the beginning of Fat Talk Free Week, an international, five-day body activism campaign that draws attention to body image issues and the damaging impact of the thin ideal on women in society. This annual public awareness campaign is organized by Delta Delta Delta fraternity. I read about this motivating effort on a few healthy living blogs, and I knew I wanted to share this challenge with you.
Posted 10/19/2009 5:14:35 PM By: : 134 comments 24,767 views
Enter Our Recipe Contest for a Chance to Win a $450 Vita-Mix Blender
Chain restaurants are convenient, and their large menus are full of tasty temptations that try to veer us off our healthy path. Salt, sugar and fat are their ingredients of choice.
You've learned how to maneuver the calorie jungle and avoid chain restaurants' fat bombs and salt-laden landmines. Now we want you to share your secrets!
Introducing the SparkRecipes Un-Chained Recipe Contest.
Posted 10/19/2009 6:00:21 AM By: : 46 comments 18,861 views
On the Web: Healthy News Links
How Good Are VitaminWater 10's New Flavors?
Not a fan of VitaminWater--too sweet. Are you?
Diet-Blog.com
Michael Pollan's Food Rules: Your Dietary Dos and Don'ts
I especially liked "If you're not hungry enough to eat an apple, then you are not hungry."
From NYTimes.com
Posted 10/18/2009 2:00:00 PM By: : 20 comments 10,324 views
Just Did It: My Trip to Vancouver with Nike
As I told you last week, I spent about 48 hours in Vancouver, Canada, with the Nike Women’s Training Spring 2010 Media Summit.
The trip was great fun, and I thank Nike for very generously hosting me the entire time I was there. In addition to meeting amazingly inspiring Nike athletes and Olympic hopefuls (they're in the photo Nike provided that's above), I got a sneak peek of Nike's innovations in women's shoes and apparel for 2010--and did a butt-kicking workout with Nike trainers. Plus, I met 30 other writers and editors in the fields of fashion and fitness.
While I had a wonderful time, and I was hard at work the entire time (OK, most of the time) I was there. In the coming weeks and months, I'll be sharing interviews with the athletes, videos of their workouts, plus a sneak peek at the Nike Zoom Fly Sister One+ shoes, set to launch on Jan. 1, 2010. But first, take a look at the timeline of my trip.
Posted 10/13/2009 4:30:09 PM By: : 77 comments 21,006 views
Meet the Members: These Women are Spreading the Spark!
Last week, I wrote about the BIGGEST ever giveaway in the history of SparkPeople. While that giveaway ends today, that doesn't mean the prizes stop! Through Jan. 1, we'll be giving away prizes to people who preorder copies of "The Spark"!
Because the dailySpark is YOUR Healthy Lifestyle Blog, I like to share the stories of as many of you as possible. I love hearing tips on how you stay on track, anecdotes about learning to love fitness and all the ways you Spread the Spark. It's really one of the best parts of this fabulous job of mine.
So starting today, I'll be featuring brief interviews with some of our "Spark" prize winners on the dailySpark. These SparkPeople members won our daily T-shirt giveaways, and now they're Spreading the Spark in return by sharing their best tips.
Meet Janet and SaConda!
Posted 10/12/2009 12:16:24 PM By: : 55 comments 16,453 views
Speedy Suppers: Comforting and Light Chicken Casserole
Who's hungry?
Me, too!
In today's installment of Speedy Suppers, we bring you Chef Meg's Healthy Chicken-Vegetable Casserole, a makeover of those dump-and-bake comfort recipes we all remember from childhood. This healthy meal has far less sodium and fat than a traditional creamy chicken casserole, and it's packed with vegetables, too.
Chef Meg uses a standard--but lighter--white sauce instead of canned, condensed soup, and she uses whole-wheat pasta for a burst of fiber. Bell peppers add another layer of flavor.
Even better--this homemade meal will be on the table in under 30 minutes, and it serves 6. That means you've got lunch ready for the next day!
Posted 10/8/2009 12:00:00 PM By: : 129 comments 56,874 views
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