What SparkPeople's Employees Can't Live (or Work Out) Without

For this month's installment of "Stuff We Love," the round-up of products that make healthy living easier and more fun, we reached out to a half-dozen SparkPeople employees. We asked: "Which product makes working out more enjoyable or fun for you?" Keep reading for their fun and healthy responses.
 
 

Wireless Headphones
 
Two employees recommended these wireless headphones, which easily sync with your phone so you can listen to your workout tunes without the hassle of any cords. Plus, if you get an incoming call while you’re exercising, you can answer it without taking off the headphones! They have a long battery life, too.
-- Sarah, Marketing & Megan, Editorial
 

WATCH: Tracy's Weight-Loss Story Featured on TV!*

Many of you will remember Tracy (TRACY31502), the stay-at-home mom from South Bend, Ind., who lost 200-plus pounds (100+ shed using SparkPeople). We shared her story a couple of weeks ago, and the outpouring of support was incredible!
As a result, Tracy, who had "always been obese," has been featured on her local news. A journalist who is friends with another SparkPeople member reached out to her to ask her to share her story with her hometown after reading about her on the SparkPeople Blog. Tracy made her TV debut recently, and we wanted to share it with you:

"I'm still pinching myself from all of this," she said. And Tracy has lost another three pounds, bringing her total to 215 pounds gone!

Summertime Favorites: Stuffed Burgers

Who doesn't like a game of hide-and-seek? The usual burger-and-fries dinner is hiding loads of fat. Seek out ours instead, which has secrets of its own. Extra lean beef can be dry, so we stuff it with onion and herbs for a juicy, tasty burger.

Compare a typical home-cooked burger meal to our lightened-up version.

How Carley Got Healthy--Mentally and Physically*

We just heard great news about one SparkPeople member: Carla "Carley" Cooper (SPARKYCARLEY) was featured on Huffington Post Canada this week. Carley lost 60 pounds and has kept it off. Way to go, SparkyCarley!

*Weight loss results will vary from person to person. No individual result should be seen as a typical result of following the SparkPeople program.
 

Links Roundup: Low-Calorie Pasta Recipes

A round-up of the most interesting and thought-provoking stories of the week.

Give It a Twirl: Low-Calorie Pasta Recipes
Pasta lovers, take note. All of these recipes--from Lemony Carrot Risotto to Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Shells--have 500 calories or less. From Fitness magazine
 
New Studies Validate Benefits of Yoga
We never had a doubt, but these new studies bolster our belief in yoga as a stress-relieving mind-body practice. From Yoga Journal

Plant-based diets take root in U.S. among athletes, exercisers
Vegan and vegetarian diets are gaining in popularity among those who take fitness very seriously, including tennis star Venus Williams. From Reuters

Join 'The Spark Solution' Summer Challenge and Win Prizes While You Lose Weight

To celebrate the start of summer, we're launching The Spark Solution Summer Challenge on June 21. Lose weight while using the comprehensive 14-day program from SparkPeople's new book--and be entered to win prizes, including a $250 Visa gift card.
 

Lose up to 5 pounds in 14 days,
enter to win great prizes,
and say goodbye to diets forever!

Learn Lisa's Secret to Weight-Loss Success*

After a family health scare on Valentine's Day in 2006, Lisa Thompson (C_ANEMONE) set out to change her life. And she succeeded! Today, Lisa is 100 pounds lighter, and she's sharing her story on Huffington Post Healthy Living. Check it out here.

23 Ways to Top Your Popcorn (for Under 150 Calories)

My favorite snack of late is air-popped popcorn. A whopping 3 cups of air-popped popcorn is a mighty filling whole-grain snack yet only has 92 calories, plus 19 g carbs, 3 g protein, and 4 g fiber. But have you ever eaten plain air-popped popcorn? It can be rather bland and dry. As the saying goes, the secret's in the sauce. For under 150 calories, you can flavor your popcorn in plenty of ways. Salty or sweet, spicy or savory--it's up to you.

Once you've popped your popcorn, it's time for the seasoning. To get your dry herbs, spices and other seasonings to stick, you'll need a little liquid, usually in the form of a fat. A little goes a long way, but you can even have butter on your popcorn without going over 150 calories!

Wondering how these varieties stack up against the tins of gourmet popcorn we're all bombarded with during the holidays? While these all have 150 calories or less, the cheese, buttered or caramel versions can have up to 300 calories in a little more than a cup, with 18 g fat!

Let's get popping!

How Does Your Hometown Stack Up Among Fittest Cities?

A round-up of the most interesting and thought-provoking stories of the week.

How does your hometown stack up among fittest cities? We just checked out the list of fittest/healthiest and least fit/unhealthiest cities in America. Cincinnati, home to SparkPeople HQ, is #13 on the list--WooHoo! The top 5: Minneapolis-St. Paul, DC, Portland, San Francisco and Denver. From USA Today

‘Fat Talk’ Compels but Carries a Cost Stop commiserating with your friends about your body. Research shows that while most women neither like nor admire “fat talk,” it is contagious. (93% of college women have engaged in body hating with their peers.) From NYT’s Well blog
 
18 Things You Can Get Rid of Today Sure, summer’s almost here, but that doesn’t mean it’s too late for spring cleaning and decluttering. It feels great to rid your life of unwanted objects, making way for things you really do need. From Family Circle
 
25 Ways to Burn 100 Calories Just Like That Get more than two dozen tips to boost your metabolism, including a great one from our very own dietitian, Becky Hand, co-author of The Spark Solution. From Redbook
 
Decadent Desserts—150 Calories and Under! With recipes like these, you can have dessert every night! From Self

13 Ways to Get Moving at Work

Like so many of you, I suffer from back pain, which I keep in check by taking care of my body with daily yoga, weekly Pilates classes, and being conscious about my posture. And though my job is pretty awesome, I do spend my days in front of a computer. I love writing and editing, but I don't love sitting. I am fortunate that the SparkPeople offices have not only a treadmill desk but some standing desk options as well.

When I'm working on large projects, I've been known to spend hours and hours sitting--without much movement. As soon as I do stand up, my body feels it. So I avoid staleness of mind and stiffness of body by finding creative ways to move throughout the day.

Here's what works for me:

Weekly Menu: Gluten-Free Dinners

Per your requests, our recipe ideas come in a handy, downloadable calendar packed full of meal ideas that are healthy and delicious. (It's printable, too!) Whether you use this calendar every day or just use it for ideas is up to you. We hope we've inspired you to get into the kitchen and get cooking!

Each week we'll choose a different theme: our favorite no-cook summer recipes, 7 days of meatless meals, or a week of diabetes-friendly dinners, for example. If you have a special dietary request, let us know in the comments, and we'll do our best to devise a recipe plan that might suit your needs.

By posting a weekly calendar, we think it's easier for you to save and even reuse these recipe collections over time.

This week's theme is Gluten-Free Dinners.

Nutrition Group Says Chocolate Milk Is OK, No Need For Aspartame

A round-up of the most interesting and thought-provoking stories of the week.

Nutrition Group Says Chocolate Milk Is OK, No Need For Aspartame
The dairy industry has been pushing for the FDA to allow milk containing artificial sweeteners to be labeled simply as “milk,” but the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is urging the FDA to reject the petition. Among the reasons they cite: chocolate milk. (Read the story from NPR to find out!)

What Can’t You Make With Chickpeas?
Mark Bittman shares several tasty and unexpected ways to use the mighty garbanzo bean. These recipes are gluten-free, too! His recipe for socca (chickpea flatbread) is one of my favorite savory sides.

8 Easier Alternatives to Pull-Ups
Fellow SparkPeople editor Melinda, a CrossFit fanatic, showed off her pull-up skills the last time I was at SP HQ. She’s really strong! For those of us who can’t quite manage one yet, the Huffington Post shares some less challenging alternatives.

Get Fit in Middle Age to Cut Heart Failure Risk, Study Says
It’s never too late to get fit, according to a new study. If you’re overweight or out of shape in your 40s and 50s, you can still get healthy and help heart health, says Health Day. (My gramma lost 50 pounds just before she turned 70 a few years ago. She looks great—and feels wonderful!)

Clover Lost 128 Pounds--and Gained Boundless Energy*

SparkPeople member Clover (CLOVERROSE) lost 128 pounds—and now she’s featured on Huffington Post Canada. Find out how this mother of two got healthy and found the energy for herself, her family—and the toddlers she teaches all day.
Read more on Huffington Post Canada Healthy Living.

Congratulations, Clover!