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    Ditch the excuses. New research suggests forcing yourself to hit the gym—even when you don’t feel like it—can earn you serious perks. Need a little help getting off the couch? Here are tips to help you work out…

    • 3 Ways to Beat Carb Cravings

      Source: 3 Ways to Beat Carb Cravings

      It's hard to stick to a healthy diet when all you can think about are high-carb foods to snack on all day. To help you out, here are three ways to cut carb cravings from your daily routine.

      Have a better option handy:
      The downfall for many good diet intentions is often behind the cabinet door. When you're ravenous, the full bag of potato chips or the slice of cake in the fridge is often the easiest option to choose. To steer yourself clear of temptations, have a few healthy, low-carb options ready when hunger strikes; cut-up vegetables and dip ready in the fridge, or make a batch of tuna salad to serve atop sliced cucumbers or tomato. Get more high-protein, low-carb snack ideas here.

      Identify the craving:
      The more you eat crackers and chips, the more you'll crave them. This can be for many reasons; your taste buds may crave sweetness or saltiness, you like a snack with a bit of crunch, or you do it out of habit. Knowing why you're craving

      Read More »from 3 Ways to Beat Carb Cravings
    • 7 reasons why your kids SHOULD play video games7 reasons why your kids SHOULD play video gamesConventional wisdom suggests that time spent playing video games is time wasted. The common perception is that few video games exercise the brain and, if there is any physical activity involved, it's usually the occasional wave of a controller rather than anything that will work up a sweat. And shouldn't kids be outside playing, rather than sitting in front of yet another screen?

      Not so fast, say many parenting experts and researchers. Studies have consistently shown that the benefits of video gaming can far outweigh the perceived negatives. Although video gaming should certainly be supervised, there are good reasons why you should let your kids spend a few hours a week building cities or battling aliens. Here's why:

      1. Video games teach problem solving
      Video games get kids to think. There are dozens of video games that are specifically geared towards learning, but even the most basic shooter game teaches kids to think logically and quickly process large amounts of data. Rather than

      Read More »from 7 Reasons Why Your Kids Should Play Video Games
    • As a former teacher, and the parent of three kids, I've had lots of experience cleaning up messy spills. It's not always as easy as it looks, and, done incorrectly, it's possible to turn a spill into an even bigger mess by using the wrong tools or technique.

      Never fear. With a little bit of know-how, clean up's a snap. Here's how to handle some of the most common kid-related spills.

      Milk and Ice Cream: If you don't clean dairy spills right away, you may end up smelling sour milk in your car or living room for days (and anyone with kids can tell you how much fun that isn't). Keep a supply of clean, disposable rags or paper towels handy, just in case.

      Soak up any liquid by blotting gently and, by all means, do not rub it into your upholstery or rugs. Don't pour water on the spill, even if you're tempted, or you'll end up with a bigger mess and water stains. Avoid the use of hot water or a steam cleaner; instead, use a wet-vac to get up the remainder of the spill, and allow it

      Read More »from Cleaning Tips for Common Kid-Spills
    • How much do parents influence their kids' taste?How much do parents influence their kids' taste?Over on the excellent food blog Stay at Stove Dad, John Donohue wonders about the ramifications of exposing his daughter to things like Gruyere cheese, or teaching her the difference between cuts of meats. He mentions a friend who's a music snob who's worried about his influence on his kid's listening habits.

      Being that I'm a bit of both a food and a music snob, I can relate. It used to crack people up when Felix would say that the Spanish goat cheese Manchego was his favorite, and that he'd prefer hip-hop to kid music. Say "lodi dodi" to him, and he'll bust back with "who likes to party?" He's a regular lil' Slick Rick.

      Related: Why having a "second personality" makes me a better parent

      Living in an affluent section of Brooklyn, having strong opinions on food and music does not put him off the norm. It's not until we visit my parents, who live in the 'burbs, that I notice how different my son is from other kids. He doesn't watch commercial television. He doesn't often eat

      Read More »from A Matter of Taste: How Your Food Choices Influence Your Kid's Palate
    • Don't overdo it!Don't overdo it!We all know how important it is for women and mothers to get regular exercise. And while trying to keep a kid with a cup full of cranberry juice off your new Berber carpet SHOULD qualify as an Olympic sport, running is a real, heart-healthy way to get in shape.


      I am always happy to write about my friend Summer Sanders, and she has some particularly useful advice when it comes to running and preparing for races. Summer is blogging over at espnW about her 12 week preparation for the Disney Princess Half Marathon. In her latest post, she talks about the challenges of the mental game, but how it's important to listen to your body too, especially when it's telling you that things don't feel right. Here are a few ways we can get over injuries specific to our sport.

      1. REST: It seems only logical, but there are a lot of people who will still try to get in a run even if they think they have pulled something or are in pain. The body at minimum needs time to recover. If time doesn't

      Read More »from On Your Mark, Get Set: How to Prep Your Body for a Run
    • Are You One of Those Mothers?

      Image: Patrik Giardino/Getty ImagesWith the kids being on school vacation, we decided to head to the Boston Children's Museum on Monday. It was loads of fun, but also pretty chaotic with so many kids out of school in our area. A friend decided to join us since she had the day off too. She doesn't have any children but is expecting her first and is a doting aunt who is quick to get involved in entertaining the kids. But we weren't at the museum for ten minutes before she looked at me and said, "Do other moms drive you crazy?" And while I felt bad saying it, my honest answer was "yes."

      Read More: 6 Things to Eliminate from Your Life so You Can Focus on What Matters

      Don't get me wrong, not all other mothers drive me crazy. But when you are in a busy place and there are dozens of high-strung mothers circling, they can ruin everyone else's good time. I understand that keeping your eye on your little ones in a busy public place is a big deal, but bowling over everyone in your path with your stroller to reach your child who

      Read More »from Are You One of Those Mothers?

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