BuzzSugar

The Best Game Shows of My Childhood

BuzzSugar — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 06:30:45 PDT

Ever want to "grab a piece of that glowing rock"? Or "take the physical challenge"? Some of my fondest TV memories from the late '80s and early '90s come from the spate of kiddie game shows that filled many of Nickelodeon's programming hours and even helped launch Fox. With game shows making a surge on TV, I wanted to take a look back at some of the competitions I remember so fondly from my childhood - both classic and ridiculous. Did anyone else obsessively watch GUTS or dream of battling video game heroes in Nick Arcade? To see all of my nostalgic flashbacks, just hit "Start."

5 Surprising Health Benefits of Being a Sports Fan

Prevention — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 04:19:15 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Prevention here on FitSugar!

By Cristina Goyanes, Prevention

It’s no wonder your friends aren’t available to hang out on Sundays in the Fall and Winter - according to a 2005 Gallup Poll, 64 percent of Americans claim to be professional football fans, and as of 2010, women make up 44 percent of the NFL fan base.

Being a sports fan doesn’t mean you’re expected to know all the players and stats of your hometown teams and destined for a beer gut - it’s about coming together in the name of good times as part of a community.

“Bonding over sports - the highs and lows of the game - strengthens ties, helps us feel supported, and makes it easier for you to open up about personal things,” says Renee Clauselle, PsyD, who runs a private psychology practice in Long Island, NY.

Seventeen Unexpected Side Effects of Exercise

Rooting for the same team creates an immediate sense of family, says Daniel Wann, PhD, a Murray State University professor who has been studying the psychology of sports fans for over 20 years. “If you identify with a local team, you build an instant connection to others around you,” he says.

Beyond the bonding aspects, watching sports can motivate you to pump up your own workouts - and even burn a few extra calories when you jump, cheer, and clap during the highlights of the game. Find out more ways being a sports fan is a winning situation for your health.

Keep reading to learn how being a sports fan benefits your health.

Pilot Scoop: Scandal

Shannon Vestal — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:30:51 PST

With ABC's midseason drama Scandal, Shonda Rimes, the mastermind behind Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice, moves out of the hospital and into Washington DC. Kerry Washington heads up a team of consultants who specialize in defusing political scandals, and if you're wondering if the new show will be juicy enough to make room for on your DVR, I've got a few opinions that may help you.

What it's about: Washington plays Olivia Pope, a brilliant and ambitious political "fixer" who runs her own firm to clean up PR messes. Though she relies on her gut and is incredibly successful helping others, her personal life is kind of a mess. Columbus Short and Lost's Henry Ian Cusick also star as part of her team.
Where it works: Lost fans will be happy to see Cusick as a dapper consultant (and on safe, dry land). Washington is also a beautiful asset as the leading lady, and there seem to be a lot of complicated relationships just under the surface.
Where it doesn't: While Olivia's interesting relationship with the fictional president (Tony Goldwyn) is certainly scandalous, her chemistry with Goldwyn leaves something to be desired.
You might like this show if: You watch Grey's Anatomy but have never particularly loved the medical setting.
When it's on: Thursdays at 10 p.m. on ABC, starting April 5

To see a preview and some photos from Scandal, just keep reading.

Winter-Proof Your Gadgets: 6 Tips You Need to Know

Kristy Korcz — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 06:21:48 PST

Winter is in full effect, and I don't know about you, but it's getting pretty cold in my neck of the woods. While I do travel with my gadgets quite a bit, I've learned that cold weather is not always tech-friendly. You may not realize it, but freezing temps can be just as dangerous - if not more so - to gadgets than the Summer heat since there are hidden dangers you can't see. Check out these six Winter weather tips that will help ensure your gadgets see the light of Spring this year.

Keep them out of the trunk - Keep your laptops, cell phones, and tablets out of the trunk for extended periods during cold days to prevent damage to screens and to keep your hard drive from freezing.
If you must trunk it, keep it bundled up - If you absolutely must leave your gear in your car in freezing temps, wrap it up in layers - like a jacket or sweater - to keep it warm. You can also find laptop warmers (which are specifically made for laptops) to keep them from getting icy if you live in cold conditions.
Turn them off - Letting your laptop or tablet remain in sleep mode may keep it warmer (since it is still working), but it also increases your chances of damage if you're on the move. Be sure to power down all the way to keep your data safe.
Warm up before booting up - If your machine is on the cold side, let it warm up to room temps slowly before turning it on. This will keep condensation and dew at bay, which can ruin your computer's sensitive guts.
Carry a charger - Cold weather sucks the life out of your batteries, so be sure to carry extra chargers in your car for emergencies.
Watch out for sensitive screens - Cold weather makes a smartphone screen extra sensitive, so be sure to keep it close to your bod if you're out in the snow, or consider a warm accessory - like a smartphone wallet, sock, or sleeve - to keep it cozy.

A Ruggedly Refined Bachelor Flat From KGB Limited

Elka Karl — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 05:00:53 PST

Whether New York-based architecture and furniture design firm Khouri Guzman Bunce Limited is tackling a renovation of a large estate or a city flat, its signature style and attention to detail always distinguishes its impeccable work. Recently, the firm took on a gut renovation of a one-bedroom apartment in New York's Flatiron District. Not only did the firm complete the architectural needs of the project, it also integrated many pieces from the KGB line of furniture, as well as pieces designed by KGB specifically for the project.

When I asked David Khouri about the project, he told me, "The client pretty much offered us free rein, acknowledging that he trusted us to give him something that he would be happy with. In repayment for this vote of confidence, we strove to offer him something that melded with his lifestyle, which included a lot of travel, participation in a variety of sports, and frequent entertaining."

Keep reading to tour this beautifully designed New York bachelor's apartment.

8 Small Ways to Lose Big Pounds in 2012

Prevention — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 04:06:22 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Prevention here on FitSugar!

Quadruple your weight loss by making one easy tweak to your routine per week
By Alyssa Shaffer

If your goal is to lose weight and exercise more, forget the deprivation diet and marathon workouts. New research shows that taking baby steps - not giant leaps -is the best way to get lasting results. A study published in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine found that participants who made one small, potentially permanent change in their food choices and/or physical activity each week (such as drinking one fewer can of soda or walking five more minutes each day) lost more than twice as much belly fat, two and half more inches off their waistlines, and about four times more weight during a four-month program, compared with those who followed traditional calorie-restriction and physical-activity guidelines.

"When you focus on just a couple of small changes at a time, you begin to ingrain some healthy habits that last for a lifetime, rather than trying an all-or-nothing approach that more often than not fails because it's too hard to follow," says Lesley Lutes, PhD, an assistant professor in the department of psychology at East Carolina University. We've uncovered these simple steps (with proven results) to help you move more, eat less, and look and feel better than ever. Add just one or two a week to your regular routine and you can lose nearly three inches off your waistline and be about 10 pounds lighter come in a few months. Even better: Once these healthy habits become second nature, they'll benefit you for a lifetime.

1. Pick Up a Pen After Every Meal
Mindlessly munching on a bag of chips could result in easily polishing off the whole thing; write down how much you've eaten and you're more likely to practice portion control. Keeping a food log helps control extra calories in two ways: the combination of plain old reality check (I just ate 30 minutes ago!) and awareness that what you're putting in your mouth will soon be recorded for posterity. In a recent study, people who kept a food journal lost twice as much weight as those who didn't. When they combined it with a moderate diet and exercise plan, they lost an average of 13 pounds in 6 months. Journaling also gives you insight on your eating habits, says Lutes. Do you skip meals? Eat the same during the week as on the weekend? Binge when you're feeling stressed? "Knowing your routine helps you figure out what changes are right for you," she adds.

Avoid these 14 "health food" diet disasters.

2. Limit High-Fat Foods to One Per Week
Tag the high-fat/high-calorie foods that are typically your favorites (our top five: cookies, candy, ice cream, potato chips, and fries) and gradually downshift. "If you're eating six of these foods a week, try to go down to five," says Lutes. Each week, drop another until you're at no more than one or two; at the same time, add in a good-for-you choice like baby carrots, sautéed broccoli, oranges, and other fresh fruits and veggies.

Keep reading for more simple tip to help you lose big.

Best of 2011: What Parenting TV Show Was Your Fave?

Kate Stahl — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 08:32:07 PST

You're living through middle-of-the-night diaper changes, homework issues, and sibling rivalry, and so are the families on some of our favorite shows of 2011. The Bravermans deal with weighty issues like autism, infertility, and parent breakups on Parenthood, while the Pritchetts, Dunphys, and Tuckers bring a gut-busting amount of humor to everyday family life on Modern Family. Newcomer Up All Night put a hilarious spin on the life changes that Chris and Reagan Brinkley experience after welcoming their daughter, Amy, and Raising Hope's dysfunctional Chance family does their best to bring up Hope. So which series is the first priority on your DVR? Let us know below.

Know Your Ingredients: Porchetta

Susannah Chen — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 11:15:17 PST

If there's one ingredient that may be able to oust bacon as the prized protein of the moment, it's porchetta. It's been appearing everywhere in farmers markets, Italian restaurants, and sandwich shops around San Francisco.

Pronounced "por-ketta," porchetta is an Italian specialty of slow-roasted suckling pig. A young, milk-fed piglet is gutted, deboned, stuffed with a mixture of garlic, herbs, and seasonings, then roasted whole in a wood-burning oven.

Porchetta originated in Lazio, a region of west central Italy, where it was probably a mountain food eaten during wintertime feasts. The specialty has since become entrenched in much of the country's culinary tradition. In Umbria, porchetta is flavored with fennel in garlic; in Rome, rosemary and garlic; in the Marches, wild herbs; and in Sardinia, myrtle leaves.

Sometimes referred to as "Italian pulled pork," porchetta is succulent, extremely fatty, and savory. In Rome, it's popular for street vendors to serve it sliced and sandwiched between a roll. Have you ever tried porchetta?

Source: Flickr User Pedro Angelini

Sit-Ups Three Ways

Susi May — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 15:21:08 PST

Whether you love 'em or hate 'em, sit-ups are here to stay. But like all staple exercises, they can lose their luster and shine. Bust the boredom as you bust your gut, and give your sit-ups a makeover. After mastering the basic sit-up, experiment with these three variations using a medicine ball that I just learned from my Equinox trainer.

Get Medical
Once the basic sit-up feels rote, add a 4 kg medicine ball (a little over 8 lbs) to the move to take it to the next level. Hold the ball close to your chest as you sit up and roll down. The ball makes it more challenging for two reasons, the obvious one being that the medicine ball increases the amount of weight you're working against. Secondly, holding the ball to your chest means you can't throw your arms forward and use momentum to reach the top of the sit-up. Do 20 reps for three sets.

Toss It
Rolling up to sitting holding a medicine ball is fun, but tossing the ball once you make it to the top doubles your pleasure. Throwing the ball once you're sitting up not only means you're now working your arms along with your abs, but your core is forced to stabilize itself as you throw the ball. This is more work and makes for a stronger torso, and a stronger you! Do 20 reps for three sets.

Learn my favorite move when you read more.

Happy Thanksgiving Digestion Tips: Before, During, and After

Anna Monette Roberts — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 11:09:23 PST

You know it's Thanksgiving when your gut is bloated, the top button of your pants is undone, and a terrible heartburn sends you to bed. Overeating might be causing some of these digestive pains, but there are several other measures you can take to avoid a post-Thanksgiving belly as well as help your body break down the fatty meal.

Before the Thanksgiving dinner: Wait to eat until you are sitting down. It may be tempting to pick at the buffet of offerings in the kitchen before you take your place at the table, but it's harder to control portions if you're standing up and snagging bites here and there. By waiting, you actually prime your body for digestion. The smells and sights of the delicious buffet trigger the production of extra saliva and digestive acids to help break down food. If you don't give your body enough time to produce these natural digestive aids, you will feel some discomfort and bloating later, as your body works harder to break down the food.