BuzzSugar

Movie Preview: Crossing Over

BuzzSugar — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 10:34:13 PST

Despite some moments that seem a little overwrought, this trailer for Crossing Over (not to be confused with the TV show about talking to dead people) is one of the most riveting previews I've seen in a while. It looks a bit like Crash (several storylines weaving together in various ways), but with the subject matter being illegal immigration (and what it means to be an American and what's right and what's wrong, etc. etc.).

The other intriguing aspect of the trailer is the impressive cast: Harrison Ford, Ashley Judd, Ray Liotta, Alice Braga (I Am Legend), Summer Bishil (Towelhead) and Alice Eva.

Oh, did I forget to mention Jim Sturgess?

Crossing Over opens sometime in 2009. This trailer really sucked me in, so to watch for yourself,

Photo courtesy of The Weinstein Company

Nighttime Fasting: A New Way to Lose Weight?

Shape — Thu, 24 May 2012 04:09:52 PDT

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar. This week Shape turns to Cynthia Sass, a registered dietitian with master's degrees in both nutrition science and public health.

If you couldn’t let anything cross your lips from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m., but you were allowed to eat anything you wanted for eight hours a day and still lose weight, would you try it? That’s the apparent bottom line of a rat study published in the journal Cell Metabolism, which recently stirred up the weight loss pot.

Top 50 Summer Diet Foods for Weight Loss

Scientists put groups of mice on different diet regimens for 100 days. One group of rodents ate healthy food while animals in two of the groups chowed down on high-fat, high-calorie feed. Half of the junk food eaters were allowed to munch whenever they wanted to while the others only had access to feed for the eight hours they were most active. The conclusion: even though they ate a fatty diet, the mice who were forced to fast for 16 hours were almost as lean as those who ate the healthy fare. Interestingly, the round the clock junk food eaters became obese and developed health problems, even though they consumed about the same amount of fat and calories as the time-restricted junk food fed mice.

See if a nutritionist thinks nighttime fasting works after the break!

One Woman's Quest for the Best: The Fastest, Farthest Female Inline Skate

Fitness Magazine — Tue, 22 May 2012 04:23:05 PDT

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from Fitness Magazine here on FitSugar!

Over the next few months, families will travel across the U.S. via plane, train or car during summer road trips. Kacie Fischer will be covering the same distance (nearly 4,000 miles, on her route), but on inline skates. . . and in just 74 days. If she reaches her goal, Fischer will also be breaking five Guinness World Records in the process.

We caught up with Fischer, a Promax DOer, after a long day of skating to get the backstory about her fit trip which has been two years in the making.

How did you get started with inline skating?

I started skating when I was 7, but didn’t start skating longer distances until I was cross training as a college runner. I found that I could travel a lot farther and see a lot more, plus it was a lot more exhilarating-try flying down a hill at 40+ miles per hour! Inline skating is like running on steroids.

More of Kacie's interview after the break.

4 Wine Varietals You Should Know

Susannah Chen — Mon, 14 May 2012 11:48:47 PDT

With the United States officially surpassing France in total wine consumption, wine drinkers aren't just about Chardonnay and Cab - they're into New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, Argentinian Malbec, and Australian Shiraz, too.

But beyond the usual suspects, there are plenty of grape varietals out there are that have flown under the radar. Take the time to seek them out, as they've got distinct flavor characteristics and are generally awesome values. For some of our favorites, keep reading.

Meet Baumkuchen, Germany's Glorious Cake on a Spit

Susannah Chen — Fri, 11 May 2012 12:12:11 PDT

I'm not much of a German food aficionado, but a few years ago, I read a New Yorker article about Germany's "king of cakes" that's been forged in my mind ever since. In the story, Mimi Sheraton embarks on a fervid quest for baumkuchen, a ringed, hollow cake that's made on a spit with layer after painstaking layer of batter, then iced with a coating of chocolate or sugar.

Source: Flickr User RuckSackKruemel

Her pursuit of the dying art led her to Lutz Café and Pastry Shop, which she proclaimed to be "the closest to Kreutzkamm's famous German bakery that I have found." When I was in Chicago last weekend, I made a trip to Lutz to see what the hype was all about.

Despite the busy street it's on, the Germanic bakery was quiet and unassuming, which allowed all of its baked goods to speak for themselves. Of course, I made a beeline for the baumkuchen. While Lutz makes its cakes on the premises, I wasn't able to see the rare spit machine in action. But I did admire the whole baumkuchen, over a foot tall, in their completed state; the sugar-glazed and chocolate-coated versions were treelike in stature.

Photo: Susannah Chen

But it was cutting into a cross-sectioned slice that truly revealed the cake's intricate construction: crepe-thin layer after crepe-thin layer formed delicate concentric circles, not unlike a California redwood. The composition factored into the texture of the baumkuchen, which was both springy and dense. Its flavor - mildly sweet vanilla with a almond aftertaste - called for a cup of coffee. As I left Chicago, I prepared to mourn my new breakfast ritual - that is, until I learned that Lutz ships across America, even overnight.

Have you ever tried baumkuchen?

This Mother's Day, Try These Eco-Friendly Floral Arranging Tips

Guest Writer — Wed, 09 May 2012 04:30:46 PDT

When it comes to buying cut flowers, sometimes it's hard to remember that behind those beautiful blooms sometimes lurks something more sinister - namely thousands of miles of shipping and herbicides and pesticides. That's why Deborah Prinzing, the author of the new book The 50 Mile Bouquet, recommends that you buy local and sustainable flowers for those you love (like your Mom this Mother's Day). Keep reading for Deborah's great tips on local and beautiful bouquets, and if you're in the San Francisco Bay Area, check out Deborah's event at Flora Grubb on Mother's Day.

As more florists and designers discover the negatives of that green foam block (also called florist's foam or Oasis), they are returning to some tried-and-true techniques for stabilizing stems in a vase. The problem with the foam is that it is a formaldehyde-based product that does not break down in landfills. Many designers I've interviewed express concern about breathing and/or exposing their skin to the material.

Alternatives to Floral Foam

Vintage and new flower frogs. I started collecting these years ago and they're easy to find at tag sales and vintage flea markets for under $5 or $10. Use and reuse!
Pebbles, glass beads, and marbles.
Excelsior fibers. Also called wood aspen, you can find this packing material through craft stores or wine shops. Insert a tangle of the fibers in your vase and then you can stick stems through the fibers to stabilize. When you're finished with the arrangement , the excelsior fibers can go into the compost pile with other clippings.
Chicken wire.I have a $15 roll of 15 inch by 5 foot-long poultry fencing that I use over and over again. Just use wire clippers to cut off a 12-inch section of the wire so you have an approximate square. Form it into a loose ball to fit the interior dimensions of your container . If the container is shallow, use sticky clay (available in the floral department at Michael's or other craft stores) to anchor the chicken wire in place.
Twigs and branches. I learned this technique from several designers I interviewed for The 50 Mile Bouquet. As a first step. arrange a framework of decorative twigs inside your vase, placing each one at an angle that crosses over the next. This interior matrix is then perfect for inserting other floral branches and foliage - and the twigs become part of the design.

Keep reading for more eco floral design tips!

CrossFit Workouts Anyone Can Do

Leta Shy — Mon, 07 May 2012 11:35:58 PDT

Want muscles like Cameron Diaz and Jessica Biel? You may want to try CrossFit. The workout has many devoted fans, not just incredibly fit celebrities, who love it not only for its scalability - workouts are tailored to your current ability, and the difficulty increases as you get better - but also for the mental challenge that comes from pushing yourself further with each workout.

So, what exactly is CrossFit? The workout uses simple exercises involving body resistance, gymnastics, aerobics, weight lifting, and other moves, which are done at a high intensity. While the exercises are simple, that doesn't mean you'll be bored - CrossFit is all about mixing up exercises and ramping up difficulty over time so you don't do the same workout twice in a row.

If you've been curious about CrossFit, read on for a few workouts to try.

Beginner's workout: CrossFit Games champ Mel Ockerby takes us through a simple workout of squats, sit-ups, and push-ups that anyone can try. You probably know how to do these moves already; get the beginner's CrossFit workout here.

Outdoor workout: Who needs a gym when the weather's this nice? Brick gym owner and CrossFit coach Jarett Perelmutter shows us a total-body outdoor CrossFit workout that you can do outside; all you need is a park bench. Get the CrossFit bench workout video here.

Eight-minute workout: CrossFit is all about high-intensity intervals to get results fast. This Tabata workout video from CrossFit trainer Shirley Brown uses 20-second intense intervals of squats and push-ups to whip you into shape in only eight minutes.

Mad Men's 5 Maddest Moments: "Lady Lazarus"

Becky Kirsch — Mon, 07 May 2012 06:30:14 PDT

Megan and Pete have been center stage for much of this season of Mad Men, and they're back in the spotlight this week. Pete's journey to rock bottom continues with more self-destructive behavior, while Megan makes a major life change that affects Don and her co-workers.

We haven't seen a lot of Don and Peggy standoffs lately, but Megan's decision throws them back together - and not necessarily in a good way. There's a lot to chew on, so let's get into it when you

The lying game: Megan receives a call at work that's suspiciously from someone who's using her maiden name. That night, she tells Don that she's working late, but then tells Peggy that she's going to dinner with Don. It doesn't take long for their wires to get crossed, with both Peggy and Don realizing that something isn't quite right.
Pack your ads and go: As it turns out, Megan's basically the only character on this show that's not sneaking around with someone else; rather she was at a late-night callback for an off off Broadway play, and comes clean to Don about the lie almost immediately. That's only the tip of the iceberg though: she also admits that she's not happy at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, despite her obvious talent for advertising. Don tries to talk her out of quitting, but eventually succumbs and says he's willing to help her chase her dreams. Joan draws the obvious connection between Betty's background as a model and Megan's acting, but Don's disappointment really shows the differences between his two marriages. He truly wanted Megan to succeed as a copywriter rather than be relegated to a trophy wife; will his feelings toward Megan change now that he's realizing she's not the complete anti-Betty?
Getting the shaft: Despite his endorsement, Don's obviously not that excited about Megan's decision to leave SCDP, and he gets a creepy omen when Megan leaves the office for the last time: an empty elevator shaft. Not only is it an unsettling sign, but the moment is reminiscent of the Mad Men season 5 poster that featured a falling man.
Gilmore girlfriend: Pete's obnoxious train buddy Howard brags about his new floozy in the city over a morning chat about life insurance. Right on cue, Pete finds Howard's wife Beth (it's Gilmore Girls' Alexis Bledel!) stranded at the train station waiting for her husband, and asks if Pete will give her a ride home. It doesn't take a genius to predict what happens next: she's vulnerable, he's desperately unhappy, so they end up doing it. Though Beth tells Pete she doesn't want to see him again, Pete becomes fixated on her and even worms his way into their household at dinnertime. He proposes that she meet him for a hotel rendezvous, but she stands him up. However, when he sees her later in the car with Howard, she sends him a very mature message: a heart drawn in her steamed-up window. Pete seems to be looking for anything to latch onto these days, but with the casual mentions of suicide and life insurance, I'm a little worried about what will happen to him if he plays into Beth's mind games.
Just try it: Don's not just emotionally affected by Megan's decision to leave; she also leaves Don hanging with his new campaign for Cool Whip. Peggy is once again caught in the middle, this time tasked with playing Don's wife for their little skit for the "head of desserts." Peggy mucks up the bit, leading to an all-out bickerfest between her and Don that feels a lot more like an authentic married couple than their skit. They blame each other for Megan's departure, and Peggy eventually shuts him down.

Photo courtesy of AMC

7 Money Mistakes Women Often Make

LearnVest — Fri, 04 May 2012 00:15:55 PDT

We all make mistakes - we're all human after all. LearnVest shares some of the common money mistakes that women often make so readers will learn not to make them, too.

Some of us handle our money flawlessly, perfectly, brilliantly, all of the time.

But most of us don't.

Most of us make mistakes here and there. We make some mistakes more than others, because of our personalities, or our upbringing . . . or sometimes even our gender.

It's ridiculous, but true.

We've heard it firsthand - from our readers. In fact, we went through hundreds of reader submissions and found examples of the most common stories that cross our desks every day.

Let's be clear: Not all women make these mistakes. Not all men avoid them. But in our experience, these are a few female financial problem areas that can lead to major debt and lots of stress.

RELATED: Are You a Social Shopper?

Ever bailed out an ex? Indulged in a little more retail therapy than you meant to? Or woken up one day and realized you didn't know as much as you thought you did about managing your money? You just might recognize yourself.

Of course, if you don't, good for you. We're just saying, bad money snafus happen to good people. But read on: We'll show you the top seven mistakes women make - and what to do instead.

Feeling Guilty

"When we were together, I let my ex stay with me rent-free until he found an apartment, lent him my furniture and paid for every date because I had a job and he didn't. When I lost my job, he paid for my rent for a few months and bills, etc. Now that we're broken up, he wants me to pay him back for the rent he insisted on covering. I am still on unemployment and barely getting by. I feel so guilty because we didn't end up as the forever couple and while I can't (nor would I . . . ) calculate all of my assistance getting him settled in NYC, he can quite easily."

A 2011 study from Eversave.com found that 67% of women have felt guilt about a purchase. But that's not the only opportunity for guilt: There's also staying in a job you feel guilty about abandoning, giving someone money because you feel guilty about their situation and, oh, doing the opposite of what you want when it comes to working after having children because you feel guilty about being a good mom (more on that here).

This guilt effect might not be limited to finances, either. Some studies suggest that women are more inclined than men to feel any kind of guilt. And we'd argue, more likely to bail out their exes, too.

Read on for more.

5 Ways to Challenge Your Tree Pose

Jenny Sugar — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 07:38:15 PDT

In celebration of Arbor Day this Friday, I can't help but think about the peaceful and majestic Tree pose. If you've mastered the basic pose already, here are some ways to challenge your Tree.

Arch: When doing the traditional Tree pose, balancing your torso straight over your standing leg allows you to stack your bones on top of each other to create a stable pose. Make balancing on one leg harder by leaning toward your bent knee, resting your forearm on your thigh, and gazing up toward the ceiling. Aside from strengthening your legs, you'll also feel a deep stretch on the side of your torso.
Twist: While in Tree pose, twist toward your bent leg, resting the opposite hand on the outside of your knee. Extend your other hand behind you and gaze over your shoulder for a nice spinal twist.
Stretch the upper back: Traditionally, the palms are pressed together in front of your heart center, or the arms are lifted overhead. For a variation, cross one elbow over the other and then bring your palms together, just as in Eagle pose. This variation offers a wonderful stretch for the upper back and shoulders.
Turn your Tree on its side: The next time you're in Sage (side plank), balancing on your hand and the outside edge of your flexed foot, lift the leg that's on top into the air, bend the knee, and - you guessed it - come into Tree. This variation, appropriately named Sage Tree, targets your upper body, core, and hips all at the same time.
Close your eyes: While in regular Tree, or while trying one of the above variations, try closing your eyes. It allows you to bring your awareness inward and focus on your breath, which can help you stay balanced.