Take a look at this Playtex tampon ad. One of these women is not like the others.

This popped up on my Pandora page, and I couldn’t help but be distracted by it.  Playtex’s current ad campaign is based on the idea that “every woman’s body is different,” and at first glance it’s a pretty standard tampon ad. Lots of pink and girly girls – note the skirts and long hair. But if you look at this ad, you’ll see that two out of the three female figures depicted here are almost identical, just posed differently. The woman in the middle and the one on the right are both very slim. They are ideal according to the “thin is in” mentality glorified in the media, but in all likelihood quite a bit smaller than the average American woman. The woman on the left is the only who looks “different,” as her silhouette is significantly more curvy than the others featured in the ad. (I’ll be using “curvy” as a very relative term – obviously, the “curvy” woman here is really pretty average, but she’s rather curvy in comparison to the other women in the ad.)

This is a tampon ad, and obviously a woman’s physical appearance has nothing to do with what type of tampon is right for her. But because it presents a picture of female silhouettes, in which we can see only the superficial outlines of three bodies, the focus of this ad becomes female body size and shape. Read More »

 3 healthy facts for weight loss

The best workout playlists

Ways to make your breakfast better for you

So here’s how you get a hot Hollywood bod

Best and worst breakfasts at Starbucks

How to organize your kitchen

Maintain a healthy weight!

6 bikini friendly burgers

How to get started with health training

Eat to beat stress

Okay, okay. I didn’t mean this kind of planking. And no, I didn’t sit there flipping through all of the pictures and laughing. Although this one is my absolute favorite. Umm…anyway. As I’ve mentioned in my past posts, planks are great for strengthening your core. It also uses every single muscle in your body, so you can call it a full body toner!

Since I know you’re an expert at planks, I challenge you to bring it to the next level with this move.

Single leg plank with leg pulses

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There’s an app for that.

For what? Well, just about everything these days. From finding the perfect shirt to getting directions to that restaurant you’ve only ever been to once to planning your wedding. There’s an app for it.

And most of the time, I think that’s a good thing. I pride myself on welcoming new technology, embracing these changes and seeing them as good technological advancements, rather than unnecessary complications. But today I just might have to make an exception. Because after spending some time in the app store I’ve made some discoveries that have led me to question not only my love of technology, but my love of humanity.

Have you seen what’s out there? It’s okay if you haven’t. Because I’ve brought it here for you. Partly to inform you, but also so you can commiserate with me. These are the apps our guys are downloading? No wonder they screw up so often!

1. Breastimate. An app that can tell you the bra size of every women in the room. You can either upload a picture, if you’re really curious about an old flame, or take a photo right there on the spot. Just point and click and there you have it. A “breastimated” bra size.

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I had a really happy moment recently: I tried on my bikini and it not only FIT, but I felt really PROUD of my body. The nagging critic in my head was speechless and all I could hear was internal praise. I mean, I better get some kudos after working my ass off, literally, for the past 2 months!

But somehow I feel like I’ve only won the battle, not the war, aka, Summer BBQs. With Memorial Day just around the corner, they’re a-comin’ and with them, beer, hot dogs, potato salad, chips and dip… It’s all going to tempt me beyond belief, especially once I have a few cocktails. So in an effort to maintain what I’ve worked so hard for, I’ve come up with a BBQ Game Plan.

This may sound deep, but setting an intention before I begin my day has really helped me stay on track. So why not set one before I head to any summer gathering where not-so-healthy food is involved?

Promise yourself to be kind to your body. Treat it like a temple; after all, it is what allows you to function normally everyday. Doing this will keep you conscious of your noshing choices.

Be sure healthy options are available. Find out if your friends, especially guy friends, are serving anything other than artery clogging fare. If they’re not, bring a veggie platter, and maybe some chicken or shrimp. That way you won’t be forced to eat a greasy cheeseburger. Read More »

It’s strange, but for some reason spending 45 minutes on the elliptical feels unnatural when the weather starts warming up. It’s like lying in a tanning bed when it’s 80 degrees and sunny outside.

Clearly, I’ve already grown tired of my normal workout routine for the year.

The solution? Exploring outdoor activities that will provide me with a sense of adventure as I tone up. Now you may be wondering, “Hmm, is there really anything fun out there that will burn lots of calories?” I felt the same. But the reality is, YES, YOU ABSOLUTELY CAN! Check out these options below. Read More »

So (healthy) sushi!

I’m gonna get really real right now.

We’re college women. We’re busy studying, we’re lazy, we want an excuse to not have to cook… and we eat out. A lot. And when we do, it’s really easy to convince ourselves that we are eating healthy. (It’s one of the many skills we’ve mastered over the years.)

We’ve all been there: we’re out to dinner at our favorite Mexican place with the girls and, wanting to be healthy, we ordered a salad with chicken and used salsa as our dressing. We were so proud of ourselves, thinking we were Bethenny Frankel approved. But, of course, we didn’t factor in the margarita OR the basket of chips. “I only had a few,” we reason. “It must not count.”

But guess what? Every ten chips is 100 calories… and that is without the guac! And let’s face it, chips with out guac (and who stops at ten, BTW?!) is like Backstreet without the Boys. It just doesn’t work. Except guac (and only 1/4 cup of it) packs on another 100 calories. Sigh. Can’t a girl catch a break? Read More »

Honey removes dirt from pores and dead skin cells from the surface of your body, while yogurt is an incredible moisturizer.  Strawberries have lots of folic acid and vitamin C, which help clean your skin and close pores.  Milk is great for softening the skin, vinegar will make your hair shiny, and using honey as a conditioner will increase your hair’s moisture.

So why should I go out and spend $10 on face lotion, $17 on under eye cream, and $10 more on body lotion when I already have all of those things in my kitchen?

Duh, I shouldn’t, and either should you. Instead, let’s all use everyday food and other products we’ve already got lying around the house to do the same things as all those expensive beauty products. Here are 5 at-home remedies to start with that are fun to make, all-natural and easy on the wallet. I think this is what Charlie Sheen would call ‘Winning.’ Read More »

These days the type of milk to put in your cereal or pair with your latte is confusing. I hear more and more people in line with me at the ‘Bucks ordering their lattes with soy. At the grocery store, I see those around me grabbing for soy “chicken” nuggets, soy “sausage,” soy ice-cream and soy based cheeses and coffee creamer. I’m surprised that soy hasn’t infiltrated our pre-games with soy-tinis or soy beer. Though I’m sure that’s next.

On one hand, it feels like a GREAT move for people; stepping away from non-organic dairy and meat, both of which are often pumped with hormones and antibiotics and really are just not good for you (or the animals and the environment). But is switching everything out for soy products the answer?

Soy is found in just about EVERYTHING these days. So much so that soy consumption in the U.S. has skyrocketed since the early 1990s. Sales climbed from $300 million in 1992 to over $4 billion in 2008. It’s cheap to produce (mainly because the government subsidizes its growth) and is in tons of packaged products. Seriously, check your food labels in your cabinet; I’m willing to bet Soy Lecithin or Soy Protein Isolate (SPI) is in a lot of things you wouldn’t even think would have soy in it! Read More »

I have something to share with you. Something many of you don’t want to hear (ignorance is bliss, right?), but something you all need to hear. Something that goes against everything we’ve been taught our whole lives. Something that is going to rock your world. You ready for it?

Zero calories doesn’t always equal healthy.

If your favorite dessert is claiming to be calorie free, or you’re reaching daily for that “skinny vanilla latte” thinking skinny latte = skinny jeans, think again. The truth is all of these things are loaded with artificial sweeteners. Chemicals. Things your body doesn’t recognize and are actually poisonous for your bootylicious bod.

Hard to swallow, right? Girl, I know it. Every time I try to convince my friends that artificial sweeteners turn into formaldehyde in their body, are the furthest thing from natural and that it’s actually better for us all to have a little of the REAL stuff then this fake crap that millions of us are now putting in our bodies multile times a day, I get the same response: “Everything is going to cause cancer eventually so why not at least look good now?!”

Well, what if I told you that your artificial sweeteners are actually making you FAT? Gasp! Shudder! The horror!

I know, but it’s true.

Studies have shown that artificial sweeteners actually make you… EAT MORE, When you’re sipping on chugging Diet Coke (or whatever other artificial sweetener laden food or drink you enjoy) it confuses your body and convinces your brain that food is coming. To prepare, your body produces insulin, which actually drives up your appetite, slows down your metabolism and leaves you with a few extra pounds around your midsection. Studies have shown that people who drink diet soft drinks at meals end up consuming more food than those drinking water.

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