Healthy Living

If you're celebrating New Year's with a drink in hand and a diet in mind, you might want to consider the calorie counts of some popular alcoholic beverages.

Photo by Jleighbum

CafeMoms in the Running Moms group recently challenged each other to go one whole week without coffee (or other caffeinated drink like tea, soda, etc.).

So why would they willingly choose to put themselves through this?

New research from the University of California, San Francisco suggests that drinking diet soda may reduce your risk of forming kidney stones.

Most of us probably don't consume the recommended three to five vegetable servings a day even when we're dieting. But according to a new study (funded in part by the Campbell Soup Company), drinking at least one glass of low sodium vegetable juice every day may help overweight dieters lose more weight.

A study published in the April 1st edition of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition linked weight loss to a reduction in liquid calorie consumption. The study was cited this week in an MSNBC report, "Liquid calories, a bigger diet-buster than food." Apparently, sugar-sweetened beverages (soft drinks, sodas, fruit drinks) are the biggest hindrance to weight loss. (Hmm...I scream for ice cream!)

On Sunday, I posted about the benefits of drinking tap water and I was thrilled to see over 40 comments on the story, so thank you for sharing your opinions! Your comments varied of course, and they got me thinking.

I feel like giving TMI today, so I'm finally going to write a 25 Random Things list.

I'm fessing up to all the unhealthy things I've done or still do.

Are you getting a lot of these lists from friends? I've learned many important tidbits about my friends: One has had sex in a bus stations and another finally got rid of her crabs. Usually, the lists are 25 Things I Don't Need To Know, but I'll admit it. I'm so into reading them that I have forgotten to feed my kids for the last three days.

I'm not the only one. I just read that 5 million of these notes—that's 125 million facts—have appeared on Facebook just in February.

Check around Daily Buzz. I hear all of us editors are oversharing today.

Intak by Thermos

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Thanks to everyone who commented, and check back soon for more giveaways.

I've been on a mission to find the perfect water bottle to keep me hydrated from the gym, to nursery school, to Piggly Wiggly and everywhere in between.

Carting kids around makes me thirsty, and so does my hip hop class where I try not to hit anyone in the head during Closer by Ne-yo.

My mission is accomplished. I found a water bottle, the Thermos Intak, that fits my dream water bottle criteria:

1. Comes in pretty colors--pink, blue, purple & green

2. Doesn't leak

3. Dishwasher safe

4. BPA-free

5. Kid-proof, as in, my little ones cannot open it, and cannot contaminate my water with their slobber.

I asked Thermos to share the love. They've agreed to giveaway 5 Thermos Intak ($9.99) water bottles to you.

To win one, tell me...

It dawned on me this week that I am not 21 anymore. I do not know how this happened. I was 21 just 13 years ago. Back then, I could drink shots till 5 a.m. Now, I rise with kids at 5 a.m., and I only do shots of Yoga Bunny Detox. If you ever see this drink, you've got to try it. It's so good.

See? I'm old!

I'm having trouble wrapping my head around my age because I'm starting to plan my 35th birthday. I want to celebrate because I've been in a pregnancy or baby haze since I was 30, and I haven't marked my birthday in 5 years.

To feel better, I went to RealAge to see if I am, at the very least, "Living Life to the Youngest," as their slogan promises.