Striving4Zen

We all know sitting at a desk all day doesn't burn up the calories. There are simple ways to exercise at work, like disappearing into a restroom stall to do some squats, but what about getting some cardio? To work out while on the job, you might have contemplated a treadmill desk, but the size of both the price tag and the desk itself prevents you from asking your boss to spring for one.

Here's another, much cheaper option — an under your desk, wheel-less, mini exercise bike. You can stow this model, made by by Stamina ($49), under your desk and pedal with your feet without your co-workers knowing. Or you can place it on top of your desk to conspicuously work your upper body. You can adjust the tension to make it easier or more difficult, and it also comes with an electronic monitor to time your workouts. There are even protectors on the legs to prevent it from slipping on the floor. What a great way to burn some calories while working or watching TV.

Thanks Fitsugar!

Labels: exercise, great idea, healthy living, innovative, Stamina

Any of Alabama's more than 35,000 state employees will be charged $25 per month for insurance that's usually free if they're too fat and don't work on losing the extra weight by January 2010, the Associated Press reported Monday.

While other states reward workers who meet criteria for what's considered healthy, Alabama would be the first state to penalize those who qualify as obese. The monthly charge would apply to any state employee with a body mass index (BMI) of 35 or greater who "doesn't make progress" in slimming down, the wire service said. The state has yet to determine how much progress an employee would have to demonstrate.

A BMI of 30 or higher is considered obese. A person who is 5-feet, 6-inches tall and weighs 220 pounds would have a BMI of 35.5, the AP said.

The wire service cited statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showing that Alabama ranks second in the nation behind Mississippi as the state with the biggest weight problem. Nearly one-third of Alabamians are obese.

The director of Alabama's State Employees' Insurance Board said that a person with a BMI of 35 to 39 faces about $1,750 more in medical expenses each year than a person with a BMI of less than 25.

Alabama already charges a premium to state workers who smoke.

Source

Labels: great idea, health trend, innovative, Obesity, study

Pitching the next great idea to prospective business partners, investors, service providers and fellow entrepreneurs just got easier with Vator.tv — a new venture that combines online video and networking. Based on the proverbial elevator pitch—the notion that you should be able to sum up a new business venture in the few minutes it takes to ride an elevator—Vator.tv is an online marketplace for new ideas.

Here's how it works: users sign up for a free account. Create pitches for their ideas, projects or businesses by uploading video, images, PPT or PDF files. Choose to share pitches with a personal network or the entire Vator.tv community. The website includes tips on creating compelling pitches, such as how to pack the most punch into a three-minute video clip.

Launched in June 2007, Vator.tv has some big names behind it, including angel investors Peter Thiel, co-founder of PayPal, Richard Rosenblatt, former Chairman of MySpace, and Georges Harik, a former Google executive who helped build Google's AdSense technology.

Source

Labels: entrepreneur, great idea, innovative, Vator.TV

Between the weather and my weight changes my rings are constantly swinging and wrapping the wrong directions.

If the gap is too small for a ring resize then I end up finger swapping unless I’m needing an inbetween. Oh the madness.

Instead of an ugly band aid or those awkward ring guards, there’s Ring Guard Solution. A gel that is applied to the inside of a band before wear, takes care of rings that slip, slide or fall off your finger. The temporary gel dries to a clear plastic to secure the ring in place. Best of all, you just peel it off after removing the ring.

P.S. Ring Guard can be added to clip-on earrings also to keep them from pinching so much.

SOURCE

Labels: great idea, innovative, new product, ring guard

Health-food supermarkets are nothing new. But a South African newcomer is expanding the notion well beyond food and vitamins—and even spa services—to include products that support virtually every aspect of a healthy lifestyle.

Cape Town-based Wellness Warehouse, which launched last fall, aims to provide South African consumers with a total solution for healthy shopping. With three stores, Wellness Warehouse offers not just the usual assortment of natural and healthy foods, organics and related products. Also at its stores are a natural medicine dispensary and pharmacy; spa services including facials, body treatments and packages; a cafe serving up sandwiches, salads, smoothies and more; and fitness machines for sale, along with sleep products such as mattresses, pillows and massagers.

All Wellness Warehouse stores emphasize eco-friendly, organic, biodegradable and ethical products and services, with an experience that's inviting, inspiring and informative. Targeting affluent, eco-minded consumers, Wellness Warehouse aims to provide one-stop shopping for everything a healthy lifestyle requires.

Last year we wrote about a Dallas Whole Foods' expansion into spa and concierge services, and this takes the concept another step further, embellishing even more on such stores' experience-based retail. It may not be within the reach of every contender right now, but this could represent the next model for competition in the space. One to watch!

Source

Labels: cool new place, great idea, living holistically, Wellness Warehouse

"Rompibollo" is a chocolate board which can be divided in pieces of different dimensions. On the relief of each piece is the calorie count. The cool thing about this idea is that with the different dimensions, you can choose how many or how few calories you take in.

Thanks!

Labels: chocolate, great idea, innovative, Rompibollo

Early last month, when we first wrote about nvohk—an eco-friendly, surf-inspired clothing manufacturer—we noted it was a good example of a crowd-funded business model. Hoping to build a brand from scratch, the Los Angeles-based company launched a drive to recruit 5,000 “owner managers” who will each contribute USD 50 annually. In exchange they’ll get a voice in deciding everything from the clothing styles to the advertising of nvohk’s line of environmentally responsible clothing. Plus, they’ll receive discounts along with 35% of the company’s profits, the latter doled out in the form of reward points that can be used to buy clothing items.

Nvohk’s crowd-funded approach appears to have been right on the money. The company recently announced that 1,250 people have signed up to become members. An appealing and perhaps unexpected element to nvohk's approach is that the brand will be global from the start. "With about 40% of future members coming from outside the US to date, nvohk is a great example of how the internet and globalization are changing the business landscape forever," comments Brendan T. Lynch, co-founder of nvohk.

Source

Labels: entrepreneur, great idea, innovative, Nvohk

Wegmans Said Now Requiring Tuna Suppliers to Test for Mercury. Hopefully, all restaurants and supermarkets will follow Wegmans lead!

Labels: great idea, tuna, Wegmans

Customers of You Bar can choose every ingredient that goes into their nutrition bars: the base, protein powders, nuts and seeds, fruits and berries, sweeteners, seasonings, grains and infusions.

One consumer might select cashew butter with shredded coconut, organic molasses and nutty rice cereal, for example; another might choose dates, soy protein, walnuts, ground cinnamon and dried banana. Special requests for organic ingredients or "extra crunchy" can also be accommodated.

Consumers can choose a name for their specially designed bars, and You Bar will print it on each wrapper. For those feeling overwhelmed by the list of choices, on the other hand, You Bar offers three popular bar styles—"Honey Cashew," "Great Date with Chocolate" and "Breakfast Bar"—that are still customizable, but based on set ingredients. All bars are freshly made to order in You Bar's kitchens; pricing is $40 plus shipping for 12 fully customized bars, or $30 plus shipping for 12 of one of You Bar's popular styles.

Los Angeles-based You Bar was founded about two years ago by a mother-and-son team frustrated with the limited choices on the retail shelves. They're certainly in good company, as consumers have begun to expect having it their way, all the time. Because the bars fall into the realm of snack foods, they also lend themselves particularly naturally to use as gifts—promotional or otherwise. It's hard to imagine a health club, for example, that couldn't delight its members with specially concocted and self-named nutrition bars.

Thanks!

Labels: customization, great idea, health food, innovative, nutrition

How many times have you played peek-a-boo with your bra straps? Strap Couture has made that game more interesting by creating a line of luxurious bra straps that attach to your strapless bra for a new way to accessorize. They work like real bra straps–without looking the part–and are designed specifically to peek out from your tank top, strapless dress, or wide neckline. Proceeds from the pink and gold ribbon bra straps go towards The City of Hope Organization to benefit breast cancer research. If someone points out that your straps are showing, you can say that you’re showing them off with–and for–a purpose.

Labels: great idea, innovative

So those ubiquitous new iPod nano commercials with the ridiculously catchy Feist soundtrack almost have you convinced that you really do need video in your pocket?
But you also think that $1.99 for TV-show episodes you're only going to watch once is kind of a ripoff?
The smartly designed iRecord, from a company called Streaming Networks, lets you load up your iPod—or iPhone or Sony PSP—with video content, for free, directly from your TiVo, cable box, DVD player, or even a VCR.
In other words, no computer or external software is necessary. It comes with the required cables, and it's got only two buttons: for on/off and record. Ingenious—and insanely simple to use.

$199.99 at J&R.

Labels: great idea, innovative, iPod, iRecord, new product, NY Mag

July 12, 2007 -- WHO says video games will make you fat? Nintendo's hoping to change the image of gamers as pasty, Cheetos-eating basement dwellers with "Wii Fit," a device for a wired workout.
Early next year, the company plans to release a "Balance Board" that connects to its popular Wii video-game console. When stepped on, the pressure-sensitive board will measure your weight and body mass index, or BMI, then tailor your virtual character - called a "Mii" - to look as thin or fat as you are.
Nintendo plans to incorporate the board into a variety of games, including yoga, step aerobics, dancing and soccer. In the future, it could be used for skateboarding, snowboarding and other sports where the flexible board can be used as a virtual stand-in. No price has been set yet.
GREAT IDEA!

Labels: exercise, great idea, Nintendo, Wii

In a variation on online dating, two new concepts allow people to connect online after first meeting (briefly) in the physical world. Canadian Admit an Attraction prints Attraction Tickets for members (CDN 9.95 for a twelve-pack). Members hand out a ticket to someone they meet in public. A ticket receiver can then go online to check out the member's profile using a unique access code, and get in touch if the attraction is mutual. Since the tickets don't contain any personal information, both parties are guaranteed a level of privacy they wouldn't have if they exchanged phone numbers or email addresses.
Hitchoo, which recently launched in Singapore, works on the same principle, sending members cards with a friendly "You made my day" on the front, and access details on the back. The first 8 cards are free; 12 additional cards can be bought for SGD 18.
How is the carding system different from regular online dating?
Physical chemistry is established up front, not after endless online chats and emails. And since the receiving party doesn't have to be a member of an online service, members have access to a larger pool of potential mates. Of course, a simpler route would be to ask for someone's phone number. But for shy consumers or those who don't want to divulge personal details to total strangers, dating cards could definitely work. One to start up locally, or to add to your offerings if you’re already in the matchmaking business.

Labels: dating, great idea, innovative

A patent pending package design, the VIZcap allows consumers to release vitamins and other supplements into water just before they drink it. The technology was developed in response to what VIZdrinks considers to be underperforming sport and health drinks, which lose their potency while bottles and cans sit on store shelves.
VIZcaps avoid that problem by storing the vitamins and supplements in a sealed chamber in the cap. To prepare their drink, consumers remove a seal, press the cap's plunger, hear a 'pop' and watch the ingredients fizz their way into the water. (The website has a video showing the action.)
The cap works with standard bottle sizes and can be installed on any bottling line. Not just for sports drinks, VIZcaps can also deliver syrups, freeze-dried crystals, baby formula and even over-the-counter medicines. To reduce the number of plastic bottles used, multiple VIZcap closures can be used with a single, refillable water bottle.
Springwise usually only features products and services that have already been launched. But since AGFL (VIZcap's inventors and designers) are actively seeking partners, we thought those of you in F&B might like to explore the concept. Make sure to drop us a line if you're about to market the first VIZzy drink!
Thanks!

Labels: drinks, great idea, innovative

After having thoroughly established that shoppers are willing to pay premium prices for natural and organic products, Whole Foods is adding premium services to match: an in-house spa and concierge services that include personal shoppers.
A Whole Foods store in Dallas is the first to incorporate a full-service spa. Located on the store’s second floor, ReFresh has seven treatment rooms, its own retail space (a store within a spa within a store) and a private veranda balcony ‘for outdoor relaxation, spa meals and retreat’. The spa is run by Whole Foods, not outsourced to an existing spa brand. The spa applies the same quality standards as the grocers downstairs do, opting for fresh, plant-based and naturally derived ingredients and only using products that haven't been tested on animals. Catering to customers pressed for time, the spa offers quick options like a mini manicure and a 25-minute Swedish massage, along with a wide range of more indulgent treatments.
Allowing customers to multi-task, Whole Foods’ concierge service offers personal shoppers. After handing over their shopping list, customers can go for a spa treatment while a Whole Foods employee dives into the aisles to gather their groceries. The shopping service is priced at USD 20/hour. Other concierge services include special (bulk) orders, dietician consultations, catering and event services and menu planning. If the spa takes off at the Dallas store, Whole Foods will add it to other locations. Concierge services are offered at a number of markets. Opportunities? Naturally, not every retailer is positioned to add a spa or concierge team to their offerings. Whole Foods Markets are mostly located in affluent areas, where consumers are willing to spend on a bit of pampering and convenience. And the company’s focus on natural products meshes well with natural spa services. Still, the focus on creating a good experience and offering consumers a combination of ease and pampering is one to learn from if you're in retail.
THANKS!

Labels: great idea, Spa, Whole Foods

LOVE THIS!

As much choice as there may be in the cereal aisle, nothing beats made-to-order, especially if you can mix and match 70 different ingredients. Which is what Mymuesli offers through its online cereal store.
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First, they pick a foundation (oats and other grains), then add fruits, nuts and seeds, and finally extras like organic gummi bears and alfalfa.
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Customers can name their mix, which is also assigned an ID that's printed on the muesli box. This makes it super easy to reorder a specific mix, or recommend it to friends. Those who aren't feeling creative can order one of the German start-up’s personal favourites, like tropical Copacabana Days, or Alte Freunde, a choc and nuts mix. Mymuesli only uses organic ingredients (which helps explain the hefty price tag), and offers exotic fruits like goji berries and sour cherries to spruce up the most important meal of the day.

Labels: customization, great idea, made-to-order, start-up

Honestly, this is getting so frustrating. I have so many ideas and yet someone else is always the one to do something about it! I discussed this idea with a neighbor about 3 or 4 years ago!!

Flexpetz recently launched in Los Angeles and San Diego, and offers consumers the option of having a dog for just a few hours or days a week. Which is a good solution for people who'd love to have a dog, but are too busy, travel frequently, or live in buildings that don't allow dog ownership.

The dogs come from breed rescue shelters, who take in specific breeds and help pick animals that are well-suited to life as Flexpetz. When they're not spending time with members, the dogs live in a cage-free facility that provides a safe and steady base. The company's founder, Marlena Cervantes, views Flexpetz like an extended family: "When our dogs spend time with their extended family members, they are lavished with love and undivided attention. We feel our this concept allows our dogs more love and attention than single ownership can often provide."

Labels: great idea, opportunity, pets