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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5 Barre Moves You Can Do at Home
A post-Thanksgiving round-up of the most interesting and thought-provoking stories of the week.
The Workout: A Woman in Nascar A neat story about a Crossfit champion and NASCAR tire changer. NYT
How to Prevent Aches and Pains For Stress-Free Travel If you're heading out for the holidays, don't miss this story! Fit Sugar
5 Barre Moves You Can Do At Home Barre classes are effective but often expensive. Learn some moves to do at home for free! Self
Posted 11/30/2013 12:00:00 AM By: : 1 comments 18,312 views
The Football Workout
A round-up of the most interesting and thought-provoking stories of the week.
The Football Workout Football fans will love this workout! Self
Eating Nuts Tied to Fewer Cancer, Heart Disease Deaths A handful of nuts a day could be making a larger impact on your health than you realize. Reuters
Breakfast Plates around the World An interesting peek into what people eat for breakfast around the world. USA Today
13 Essential Kitchen Items For Anyone Trying To Get Healthier Want to stock your kitchen with appliances and items to make healthy eating easier? Start with this list. Mind Body Green
Posted 11/23/2013 12:00:00 AM By: : 2 comments 13,151 views
A Pro Athlete Shows Off Her Real-Life (Un-Photoshopped) Body
A round-up of the most interesting and thought-provoking stories of the week.
Keeping it Real.
A fitness model and pro athlete shows you what her real body REALLY look like. Spoiler alert: Even she has cellulite. Ask Lauren Fleshman
Crayons Down. Now Dig Into That Healthful Parfait. NYT
This new program is teaching kids to love fruits and veggies even before they can spell the words.
Bust Out of Your Life Rut Fitness magazine
Bored with life? Here are six great ideas to try when you feel stuck in any area of life.
Drinking three litres of water a day took TEN YEARS off my face Mail Online
It's no secret that SparkPeople values water--we recommend you drink at least 8 cups daily. This woman found an added benefit when she started drinking more water: Her face looked 10 years younger.
Posted 11/16/2013 12:00:00 AM By: : 11 comments 415,194 views
How to Make Today Better
A round-up of the most interesting and thought-provoking stories of the week.
Why Are Kids Who Get Less Candy Happier On Halloween? NPR
This story is fascinating! According to a recent study, kids might be happier with one really good treat rather than one good treat and another not-so-good treat. This same concept might apply to holiday gift giving.
Top Chef's Padma Dishes on Her Workout Secret Weapons Fitness magazine
The host of the popular chef showdown dishes on how she maintains her weight and slims down between seasons.
Why Are My Hamstrings Always Tight? Fit Sugar
Do you struggle with tight hamstrings? If so, you'll want to read this!
10 Surprising Healthy Habits from Around the World Shape
From France to Japan, Ethiopia to India, get the scoop on what people around the world do to stay healthy.
5 Things You Already Did Wrong before 9 a.m. Huffington Post Healthy Living
The bad news: You might have done at least a few of these already today. The good news: It's not too late to turn things around!
Posted 11/9/2013 12:00:00 AM By: : 1 comments 12,177 views
What You Need to Know about Kids' Food Allergies
A round-up of the most interesting and thought-provoking stories of the week.
CDC sets food allergy guidelines for schools
For the first time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are providing schools with guidelines on how to deal with food allergies. USA Today
Those People
A mother opens up about her experience relying on food pantries for assistance, as a way to foster compassion and empathy. Scary Mommy blog
Recipe for Strong Teen Bones: Exercise, Calcium And Vitamin D
The human skeleton is 90% formed by age 15 or so, which is why it is imperative for kids to not only consume adequate calcium and vitamin D but also get enough exercise--especially jumping and running. Are your child's bones at risk? NPR
The 4-Week Plan to Swimming Your First Mile
Want to learn to swim for fitness but not sure how to get started? Check out this plan for newbies. FitSugar
Home Barre Workout: Ballet Belly, Buns, and Thighs
You'll feel the burn with this workout from fitness expert Jessica Smith. Shape
Posted 11/2/2013 12:00:00 AM By: : 6 comments 13,643 views
Happy Anniversary, SparkPeople Radio!
This week, our on-demand healthy living program, SparkPeople Radio, celebrated one year of bringing you all the news that's fit to share! We are thrilled that so many of you have supported the show and listened in over the last 52 weeks--and we can't wait to bring you more entertaining, informative healthy living broadcasts!
Share Your Thoughts!
As we head into our second year, we want to make the show even better! So we'd like to know what you think about the show. What is your favorite segment? What do you like most? What would you like us to change? We want to hear from you! Leave your thoughts in the comments below or email me: stepfanie (at) sparkpeople (dot) com. Subject line: radio feedback
Our Favorite Segments
In honor of this milestone, we're sharing some of our favorite segments from the past year, brought to you by our co-hosts, Lily and Karen. (Click the link to listen to the individual segments.)
Posted 10/31/2013 12:00:00 AM By: : 10 comments 9,765 views
Tasting 'Game' Helps Kids Accept New Veggies
A round-up of the most interesting and thought-provoking stories of the week.
At-home 'tasting game' helps kids accept vegetables
A really cool idea to get kids to chomp on new-to-them foods! Reuters
Real Beauty Doesn’t Need Retouching, But How Do We Really Make Change?
Inspiring blog with sound advice and suggestions. Fit Bottomed Girls
Toledo man grows, sells produce in urban lot
How neat--turning an abandoned lot into an urban garden! The Review
Step-Inspired Bootcamp Workout
Get your sweat on with this fun workout! Peanut Butter Fingers blog
Posted 10/26/2013 12:00:00 AM By: : 4 comments 9,535 views
A Must-Read Tale of Beating the Odds--and Winning Big
A round-up of the most interesting and thought-provoking stories of the week.
Wheelchair Racer Could Be First to Win 3 Major Marathons in a Season
What a feel-good story! Born with spina bifida, Tatyana McFadden spent her early years in a Russian orphanage. With no wheelchair, she walked using her hands. Now she's a decorated long-distance wheelchair athlete who has taken up skiing! If you've ever had someone tell you "you can't do that," you'll love this story of perseverance and triumph! (Update: She won Chicago, too!)
Feeling the Burn: How I Dealt with Mean Girls in Spin Class Fitness magazine
This blog shares an interesting first-person tale of grown-ups bullying at the gym. Have you ever experienced "mean girls" (or boys) at the gym?
ELLE Magazine Under Fire for Melissa McCarthy Cover Yahoo! Shine
While ELLE has been praised for putting a plus-size actress on the cover, critics say the wardrobe choice (oversized trench coat) is an insult and a missed opportunity? What do you think about the Bridesmaids star's magazine cover?
Do customers overshare on Instagram? Restaurant Hospitality
While this story is aimed at restaurant owners and operators, read it to find out interesting new info about the effect of food photos on your appetite. Contrary to what you might think, the longer you look at food (on Instagram or other social media platforms), the less desirable eating that food becomes. Is this a viable weight-loss tactic?
Posted 10/19/2013 12:00:00 AM By: : 4 comments 11,113 views
Can Fat Cells Be Healthy (or Unhealthy)?
A round-up of the most interesting and thought-provoking stories of the week.
The 'Healthy Obese' and Their Healthy Fat Cells NYT
Thin isn't a synonym for healthy, and now researchers are looking into people they call "metabolically healthy obese," meaning they are overweight but have normal blood pressure and cholesterol levels. What sets these people apart is their fat tissue, which reacts differently.
How Sitting Too Long Affects Your Body Mind Body Green
Get up on your feet! You'll think twice about sitting down after seeing what happens to your body when you take a seat.
School Pulls All-Beef Burgers From Menu, Citing Complaints NPR
After last year's outrage over burgers containing 26 ingredients, a school stopped serving them. But when served all-beef burgers, students complained about the look and taste. The original burgers are back on the menu. Do you think the school gave them a fair shot?
Just what is in that chicken nugget? Reuters
Wondering what's in your chicken nuggets? According to researchers, they might contain less than 50% muscle (meat). Do you eat chicken nuggets?
Posted 10/12/2013 12:00:00 AM By: : 7 comments 16,304 views
Everything You Need To Know About Back Pain (News Roundup)
A round-up of the most interesting and thought-provoking stories of the week.
Everything You Need To Know About Back Pain (Infographic)
The headline pretty much sums it up: This infographic shares everything you need to know about back pain. Mind Body Green
How to Feel Better Every Day
These 21 tips will help you boost energy and feel better every day--starting today! Real Simple
How Your iPhone Is Harming Your Health (INFOGRAPHIC)
Another informative and self-explanatory infographic, this one about how your phone harms your health. Huffington Post Healthy Living
Groceries Are Cleaning Up in Store-Brand Aisles
Posted 10/5/2013 12:00:00 AM By: : 2 comments 17,004 views
Cerise Lost 61 Pounds--Read Her Story in 'First for Women'*
SparkPeople member Cerise Wade (RENCHERRY) lost 61 pounds--and she's sharing her secrets of success in the latest issue of First for Women magazine. Cerise used a form of exercise that's effective and appropriate for people of all fitness levels. Pick up a copy of the magazine and get the scoop on how this 33-year-old mom from Texas shed the pounds for good!
Posted 10/4/2013 12:00:00 AM By: : 8 comments 23,835 views
'Pin' SparkPeople Content, Get SparkPoints!
You might have already known that by "liking" a SparkPeople article or tweeting it, you could get up to three points per day. Now, we are offering the option of "pinning" for those points. If you click the "Pin It" button on any piece of SparkPeople content (still up to three per day), you will be awarded one SparkPoint. (See all eligible SparkPoints tasks here.) To receive your points, be sure to click the "Pin It" button on the share bar at the left of any page.
We think that sharing your favorite SparkPeople content on social media is one of the best ways to "Spread the Spark" and help us help you get healthy for free!
Thanks for your support, and let's start pinning! (And don't forget that the healthy living inspiration doesn't stop here--join us on Pinterest for more free support and inspiration!)
Posted 9/25/2013 6:00:00 AM By: : 9 comments 26,226 views
Join Our Photo-a-Day Challenge in October
As you know, we're now on Instagram, the photo and video sharing app! We love how easy Instagram is to use and that it allows us to share fun, healthy tidbits from behind the scenes at SparkPeople every day. While we do love writing about healthy living, it's true that a picture is worth a thousand words.
Over the last few months, we've loved seeing your photos documenting your healthy living habits. From your daily lunch photos to selfies after the gym, we love witnessing the proof that healthy living is possible--and fun!
You know how much SparkPeople likes challenges. We had such fun with our #backontrack consistency challenge in August that we're doing another one--on Instagram this time!
Posted 9/23/2013 12:00:00 AM By: : 17 comments 65,464 views
How to Become a Group Fitness Instructor
A round-up of the most interesting and thought-provoking stories of the week.
How to Become a Group Fitness Instructor Blogilates
Coach Nicole shares her best tips for those interested in pursuing a career in fitness, in a guest post on our friend and YouTube star Cassey Ho's blog. By the way, don't miss Cassey's guest chef recipe collection on SparkRecipes: Cheap Clean Eats!
Teens who beat obesity at risk for eating disorders USA Today
One third of children and teens are overweight, and as we told you last week, there are few treatment options available. Now we've learned that when teens shed the weight, they're at risk for eating disorders.
How Physical Fitness May Promote School Success NYT Well blog
The secret to good grades might not be studying more or extra time with tutors. It might involve more time spent in gym class and playing sports.
Gut Bacteria From Thin Humans Can Slim Mice Down NYT
More research is surfacing about the importance of gut bacteria. In addition to helping keep you healthy, it turns out that your GI microbes might be responsible for your waist size--and a slim person's gut bacteria could help others she pounds.
Hong Kong Marathon may ban mobile phones after 'selfies' caused accidents South China Morning Post
We know a lot of people love taking "selfies" while reaching their goals--including when they're running, biking or taking a yoga class. Before you say cheese during a workout (especially a race), read this story about how many people were injured during a marathon by the photo opps of others!
Posted 9/21/2013 12:00:00 AM By: : 3 comments 23,450 views
Which Type of Yoga is Right for You?
These days, yoga classes are more popular than ever. The practice is popping up in gyms, schools, and even some stores, not to mention actual yoga studios! With so many varieties offered, how do you know which practice is right for you? Even for a veteran yogini such as myself, it can be difficult to keep them all straight, and my own students and friends often ask me to compare the different styles.
There's no time like the present to begin a yoga practice, which I firmly believe can benefit every single person regardless of age, fitness level, or physical ability. That which we know as yoga is but one limb of the practice--asana. The benefits are bountiful and deep and do not require you to be physically fit or flexible.
Most yoga studios allow you to take your first class for free any time of year. You can also find donation-based or community classes at most studios, and if you live near a Lululemon, those stores offer free yoga classes, too.
Here is a list of 12 of the most common varieties of yoga. I offer a short description of each branch, along with guidance on who might like such classes--and who might not. If you hate to sweat, for example, Bikram and other hot classes aren't for you. And if you want to move and get strong fast, you might not feel satisfied in a Yin class.
And, since many of the branches overlap, I include a list of other forms of yoga you might like.
Posted 9/19/2013 6:00:00 AM By: : 76 comments 173,611 views
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