Blog Posts by Vitamin G, Glamour Magazine

Are you suspicious about full moons? I know people who swear that more crimes are committed, more babies are conceived and born, and more people are admitted to hospitals on nights where the moon is full. And when my sister told me her prediction--that my baby would be born on December 12 (next Friday!), when a full moon is predicted, I wondered what research had to say on the topic--and what you thought, too...

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Let me preface this by telling you that I am probably the least superstitious person I know. Cemeteries don't even freak me out. But I was a little spooked at what I read about full moons and how they affect human behavior.

Past studies suggest that some wacky things happen when a full moon is in the sky. For instance, University of Miami researchers analyzed crime data over the course of 15 years in the Miami area and found that violent crime was more likely to be committed on--you guessed it--full-moon nights. Still more studies have suggested that full

Read More »from Health folklore: Do you believe in the power of a full moon?

Have you ever had a killer headache--the kind that Advil and aspirin just don't seem to touch? Dehydration, stress and your period can bring them on--and then there are those dreaded migraines. When your usual over-the-counter pain pills don't cut it, here's some new thinking from researchers about what will...

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Get ready to get poked!

Researchers say that acupuncture, an ancient Chinese therapy where a trained practitioner inserts needles into specific pressure points on your body, may be more effective than common pain meds like aspirin when tackling the pain and frequency of chronic headaches. Duke University scientists reviewed data from 4,000 headache sufferers and found that 62 percent of those who received acupuncture treatment reported pain relief, while those who only took pain medication reported a 45 percent improvement. (Try these 3 natural cures that work.)

The researchers, who were already encouraged by past studies that have linked acupuncture

Read More »from Do you get bad headaches? New advice from health experts

Hi everyone! I hope you had a lovely holiday weekend--I did! So, with all the talk about holiday eating last week, I'm curious how you fared. Too much pumpkin pie? Gravy overload? Speaking of holiday eating sins, I'll tell you mine, if you tell me yours ...

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While I enjoyed a delicious--and healthy!--feast prepared by my brother's girlfriend (still thinking about that roasted butternut squash soup with tarragon oil/puree ... yum!), I really did screw up on Friday, when I found myself alone in a room with a plate full of chocolate-espresso cookies. (I recall a post that Margarita wrote recently about cookie cravings. One leads to two. Two leads to three. And then, well, you know.) Yes, I had more than I should have, but at least I managed to go easy on the pie! Speaking of cookies, did you see this recipe I posted for sesame-almond cookies that sound divine?

How about you? What holiday food did you go a little too ga-ga over? Misery loves company.

By the way, do you

Read More »from Confession Time: How Much Pumpkin Pie Did You REALLY Eat?

It's hard enough maintaining your weight loss during normal times of the year, but then come the holidays, and it's like we all need body armor to ward off temptations. So, it could seem like a good idea to bring some healthy meal option to grandma's house for Thanksgiving, right? The logic: If you fill up on your own healthy meal, whatever it may be, maybe you'll avoid the buttery mashed potatoes. But, really, is it rude?

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FitSugar posted something on the topic recently: "If you're invited somewhere for Thanksgiving, you know there's going to be a lot unhealthy dishes on the table that are loaded with butter, heavy cream, salt, and sugar. So bring along a dish that you know is healthy."

It sounded like a good idea to me, but I wondered what an etiquette expert would say, so I had a conversation with Anna Post, the great-great granddaughter of the grand mum of etiquette, Emily Post, and a spokesperson for The Emily Post Institute. Her answer? Tread

Read More »from What do you think: Is it rude to bring your own low-cal food to Thanksgiving?

What do you think of "mantras"? You know, the kind of new-agey belief that if you say something enough--out loud--you can convince yourself of anything. While I am a believer in the power of positive thought, when it comes to fitness, I'm not sold on the idea that what you say can make you thin. Then I heard this story ...

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Food psychologist Brian Wansink told this story: "Over coffee, a new friend commented that he had lost 30 pounds within the past year. When I asked him how, he explained he didn't stop eating potato chips, pizza, or ice cream. He ate anything he wanted, but if he had a craving when he was not hungry he would say--out loud--"I'm not hungry but I'm going to eat this anyway."

OK, so could this work for the rest of us? I think, maybe. But I like this mantra better (also a tip I learned from Brian, who wrote a fabulous book a few years ago: Mindless Eating): "Sure I want INSERT NAME OF WHAT YOU'RE CRAVING. I'll let myself have some, but I have to eat a piece Read More »from The Magic Words That Helped This Person Lose Weight--Do You Have a "Diet Mantra"?

Do you have a neglected piece of exercise equipment in your home? Maybe it resides in a lonely back bedroom. Or perhaps it's collecting dust in a closet somewhere. Not exactly what you intended when you bought the thing right? Researchers now have an explanation for why we get hot and cold about our fitness equipment ...

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Researchers call it "unrealistic optimism"--and maybe you have a case of it? According to a study published in the Journal of Consumer Research, here's how our minds work:

"Consumers adopt the tentative hypothesis that they will behave in an ideal fashion when predicting their future behavior," the authors explain. "Unrealistic optimism by consumers may have negative consequences for both marketers and consumers. For example, if a consumer holds unrealistically optimistic beliefs about how often they will work out in the future, then they may overpay for home exercise equipment."

This makes absolute sense to me--it explains the baby jogger stroller

Read More »from Is your treadmill collecting dust? Here's why

Leave it to the stars to find ways of working out that actually sound like fun (when the rest of us slave away on the treadmill!). Take Reese Witherspoon's lively yoga classes for instance. And now Angie's super-fun way to break a sweat. Read on for the details ...

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The sexy mama of five--yikes, or is it six? I'm losing count--has had three biological babes. One can do a number on your bod, but three? Angie looks amazing, so of course we want to know what's she's doing to stay fit, and the answer sounds like a lot of fun.

According to some reports, Angie likes to use the Nintendo game console Wii to burn calories. Her favorite, some say, is the "Let's Pilates" game, which she reportedly uses three times a week. Sounds like fun to me!

How many of you already love Wii? Anyone planning to add it to their wish list this holiday season, or do you think gaming and exercise is kind of a weird combo?

P.S. Read this past Vitamin G post about why the song "Dancing

Read More »from Angelina's fitness secret sounds like a lot of fun!

We've talked about raw food diets here on Vitamin G--everything from health cautions to tales of amazing weight loss. One blogger decided to give the "diet" a try for herself. The kind of interesting results, revealed ...

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Merry, over at Cranky Fitness subsisted on a diet of 90 percent raw fruits and vegetables or 30 days. Brave woman, don't you think?

The results were interesting: She reported skin problems (acne breakouts--not fun!), a new love for veggies (you'd think she'd get sick of them), less pain with cramping during her period, no more meat cravings--and the kicker ... she's back in her skinny jeans!

Merry is quick to point out that she doesn't believe this diet is something she or anyone should do on a permanent basis, but she does see some benefits of a temporary raw food kick.

Check these past Vitamin G posts for more details on the veggie lifestyle: The Vegan Next Door and Hatchoo! Is Vegetarianism Contagious?

Could you go raw for a while?

Read More »from One Woman Dishes About 30 Days on the Raw Food Diet