Striving4Zen

One gadget that gets my stamp of approval is the bodybugg from Apex Fitness. Basically the bodybugg is an armband device that you wear on your triceps throughout the day. This smart little bugg measures how many calories you use in a day based on some very scientific calculations of body heat, motion, gravity and skin response.
It gets way cooler -
After you go about your day, you then upload all the information from the bugg to your computer and watch the magic happen. You'll be able to see charts showing how many calories you burned and when, to the hour. I would look at it and say, "Oh, that is when I walked to the bus, and oh, that's when I had a meeting. Look, that's when I went to the gym!" After that, you enter your calorie intake information (i.e. what you ate). This part can take a little bit of time but the database on bodybugg.com has a lot of food uploaded already, so most stuff is instantly recognized. Once you do that, you'll be able to see if you're at a surplus of calories (who's up for a quick walk around the neighborhood before dinner?) or if you're at a loss of calories (did someone say ice cream sundaes?) for the day.
I especially loved that the bodybugg is also a pedometer, so I was able to track my steps -- If I hadn't made it to 10,000 by dinner; I was doing a few laps around my house during American Idol. While my husband was less than thrilled that my Type A personality was being fed like a wildfire, I was thrilled. The only things I did not love about the bugg were that it hardly matched my outfits and that it only works with a PC (as of now at least). The pros definitely outweigh the cons though, so check it out on bodybugg.com.
This thing is addictive, but for good reason, never before have I been able to see (with such detail) my personal input and output of calories. The bugg does not come cheap; it's $399 for the bodybugg, a 3-month membership and two private phone sessions (with very helpful coaches, might I add). After that the membership is monthly (or yearly, depending how hooked you are). I would highly recommend this for anyone trying to lose weight because it really lays it all out there, making it easy: To lose weight you need to consume less calories than you use, plain and simple.

It always sucks to buy something in a store, come home, and realize that it was available online or at another store for $50 less. You bonehead. Way to do your research.

Well, a service called Frucall will allow you to be impulsive yet still protect yourself from overpaying. Simply call the toll-free number (1-888-DO-FRUCALL), punch in the barcode number from the product you're planning on buying, and it'll give you the cheapest prices at which it's available. Soon the service will start allowing text messages and mobile Web price checking, but it doesn't get much easier than calling. So go ahead, go to Best Buy with no prior knowledge of how much you should spend. It's still not the brightest way to shop, but at least now you're somewhat protected. –Adam Frucci

Thanks Gizmodo!

Labels: bargains, shopping

Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore's Dilemma, has an article in the NYT today about the relationship between the farm bill and the production of cheap, unhealthy food.
From the NYT:
Compared with a bunch of carrots, a package of Twinkies, to take one iconic processed foodlike substance as an example, is a highly complicated, high-tech piece of manufacture, involving no fewer than 39 ingredients, many themselves elaborately manufactured, as well as the packaging and a hefty marketing budget. So how can the supermarket possibly sell a pair of these synthetic cream-filled pseudocakes for less than a bunch of roots?
For the answer, you need look no farther than the farm bill. This resolutely unglamorous and head-hurtingly complicated piece of legislation, which comes around roughly every five years and is about to do so again, sets the rules for the American food system -- indeed, to a considerable extent, for the world's food system. Among other things, it determines which crops will be subsidized and which will not, and in the case of the carrot and the Twinkie, the farm bill as currently written offers a lot more support to the cake than to the root."
This is one of those absurdly well-written articles that makes you want to go read a book and become much more intelligent than you currently are. Then, with your massive intellect, you will reform the food system and solve the childhood obesity epidemic. Sadly, you will probably just go eat your cheap Twinkie and cry. Or is that just us? —MEGHANN MARCO
You Are What You Grow [NYT]

Labels: activism, Farm Bill, nutrition

Common ingredients in anti-wrinkle creams:
The effectiveness of anti-wrinkle creams depends in part on the active ingredient or ingredients. Here are some common ingredients that may result in slight to modest improvements in wrinkles.
Retinol. Retinol is a vitamin A compound and is the first antioxidant to be widely used in nonprescription wrinkle creams. Antioxidants are substances that neutralize free radicals — unstable oxygen molecules that break down skin cells and cause wrinkles. Retinol is less potent than the vitamin A derivative tretinoin, a prescription topical treatment approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treating wrinkles. Avoid vitamin A derivatives if you're pregnant or may become pregnant because they increase the risk of birth defects.
Hydroxy acids. Alpha hydroxy acids, beta hydroxy acids and poly hydroxy acids are all synthetic versions of acids derived from sugar-containing fruits. These acids are exfoliants — substances that remove the upper layer of old, dead skin and stimulate the growth of smooth, evenly pigmented new skin. Because hydroxy acids increase your susceptibility to sun damage, wear sunscreen during use and for at least one week afterward.
Coenzyme Q10. Coenzyme Q10 is a nutrient that helps regulate energy production in cells. Some studies have shown reduction in fine wrinkles around the eyes with no side effects. Other studies show that application before sun exposure protects against sun damage.
Copper peptides. Copper is a trace element found in every cell. In products applied to the skin, it's combined with small protein fragments called peptides. Copper peptides enhance wound healing. They also stimulate production of collagen and may enhance the action of antioxidants.
Kinetin. A plant growth factor, kinetin may improve wrinkles and uneven pigmentation with minimal irritation. It's unclear how it works, but it may help reduce wrinkles by helping skin retain moisture and by stimulating the production of collagen. It may also be a potent antioxidant.
Tea extracts. Green, black and oolong tea contain compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Green tea extracts are the ones most commonly found in wrinkle creams.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/wrinkle-creams/SN00010

Labels: skincare

April 18, 2007 -- The imbalance of fatty acids in the typical American diet could be associated with the sharp increase in heart disease and depression seen over the past century, a new study suggests.
Specifically, the more omega-6 fatty acids people had in their blood compared with omega-3 fatty-acid levels, the more likely they were to suffer from symptoms of depression and have higher blood levels of inflammation-promoting compounds, researchers from Ohio State University College of Medicine said.
http://www.nypost.com/seven/04182007/news/nationalnews/fatty_health_clue_nationalnews_.htm

Labels: nutrition, Omega-3s

Walking through the office the other day I overheard our associate fashion editor, Ann Brady, deep in conversation with one of our stylists, Tiffany Pasqualone. I passed by just as Ann said, "You really have to try it, it's so amazing," and naturally, I had to know what they were talking about. So Ann tipped us both off to a certain dry shampoo from the French beauty brand Klorane. On days when she doesn't wash her hair, Ann sprays on some of the product and rubs it into her scalp. "It absorbs oil, and lifts my roots to give me great volume and texture," she said. "And it's translucent, so you never have to worry about leaving marks on your pillowcase or under your fingernails, the way that pigmented powder versions do." Seeing her hair was all I needed to convince me—although she claimed she hadn't washed it in 2 days, it looked as full and shiny as could be.
http://www.luckymag.com/magazine/blogs/style/2007/04/walking_through.html

Labels: hair, products, shampoo

WHAT: Frédéric Fekkai MORE All-Day Density Styling Whip

WHY: Thin may be in on the runway, but when it comes to your goldilocks, less is definitely not more. Maybe it was all those years of trying to tame those strands into submission, but don’t be ashamed—one in four women experience thinning hair—and now Frédéric Fekkai has come to the rescue. Yes, the head honcho himself has developed yet another line of hair care products called MORE that improves hair density. And this product’s got the research to back it up—the National Institute of Health even helped fund the research for NIAPLEX, a Fekkai-patented niacin complex that thickens your tresses. The range includes shampoo, conditioner, nighttime treatment, and the standout so far, the All-Day Density Styling Whip. This mousse makes the most of what you have, plumping and protecting each of your fine follicles, and in true Fekkai form, it looks fantastic and smells delicious. If only whipping your body into shape was this easy.
PRICE: $25
AVAILABLE: http://www.sephora.com/

Labels: beauty, hair