Nectresse Monk Fruit Sweetener Giveaway Winners
And the winners of the monk fruit sweetener are....
AzusMom
AnnF
RunnerGrl
Congrats all!
Please email me (at address on schmooze page) with your mailing info by end of day Monday April 15th. Not that there's anything else you may want to take care of by that deadline that could be slightly more important...
Note: if you missed the giveaway post, here it is in case you are still curious about alternatives to stevia. (And, for those of you with blogs striving to be sneakier, did you catch the shameless example of using "artificial sweeteners" to help innocent strangers find your posts? Though I know most of you pro...
Source: Cranky Fitness - April 11, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Crabby McSlacker Source Type: blogs
Bored on the Elliptical?
Note: this photo is courtesy of HerCampus, which has even more tips for avoiding elliptical boredom.
(And how come I just realized after writing the word boredom that I think I pronounce it as though it were spelled "boredRum" when it seems there is only one R in the word? Crap. I've been doing that for about 50 years now, wonder if anyone noticed?)
Anyway...
Does Anyone Else "Play" on the Elliptical Machine?
If you are a person who uses an elliptical machine, you may have discovered that you need to experiment to keep it from getting excruciatingly tedious. The HerCampus article above has more of a...
Source: Cranky Fitness - April 10, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Crabby McSlacker Source Type: blogs
Monk Fruit: A Stevia/Splenda Alternative Sweetener That Doesn't Suck? (Review & Giveaway)
So how did I not hear about monk fruit until now? Duh. I somehow missed the whole thing.
Well, actually, I did recognize "luo han guo," a name that monk fruit also goes by, as one of the ingredients in the sinisterly addictive protein bars I've been scarfing down ever since the Quest Bar Review. But I hadn't really noticed the squat orange jar or packets on the grocercy store shelf until I got a PR email on behalf of the folks at Nectresse. I just thought of it as some obscure ingredient only food manufacturers had access to.
In brief, monk fruit is a natural sweetener with almost no calories or glycemic impact. An...
Source: Cranky Fitness - April 8, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Crabby McSlacker Source Type: blogs
Do You Bother With Baselines? April Goals & Giveaway
So for those who are new here, this is a monthly Cranky Fitness feature in which Cranketeers check in about goals, or maintenance, or life in general, and offer each other support and encouragement by replying to each other's comments.
We've got a couple of nifty MOVband activity monitors as a giveaway at the end of the month, for those who like to measure stuff to see how they’re improving. (Though sadly, this is one of those "U.S." only giveaways, sorry).
And, in my usual awkward attempt to link the giveaway items with some sort of theme, I thought I’d offer a couple quick thoughts on whether or not to bother e...
Source: Cranky Fitness - April 2, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Crabby McSlacker Source Type: blogs
Pranks A Lot
Our "goals" post for April will be up tomorrow, and that's when the Polar HRM winner from last months post will be announced. We're in the car today, traveling back from a fun and busy visit with friends and relatives in the SF bay area--too short, as we didn't get to visit many folks we'd have liked to! On the other hand, even unplugging for a few days has gotten me hideously behind on all things internet. (I may be a slacker, but at least I like to keep it fresh with new excuses every week for not getting sh-t done).
But anyway, even though I'm not really blogging today, I do feel it my duty to warn those li...
Source: Cranky Fitness - April 1, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Crabby McSlacker Source Type: blogs
Glute Activation and Strengthening: Ask the Trainer
Let's talk about asses, shall we?
Feet don't fail me n... oh. Never mind.
So the question for this installment of Ask The Personal Trainer is:
What's the deal with "glute activation," is something you work with people on? And if so, why is important and what's your approach?
"Glute activation" was a term I'd been hearing tossed around on various websites, and curious about the difference between active and lazy asses, and how to have one of the former rather than the latter, I thought I'd ask a couple of our trusty personal trainers. Plus, I'll weigh in, just 'cause I have an ass myself and it's m...
Source: Cranky Fitness - March 27, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Crabby McSlacker Source Type: blogs
Workout Work-Arounds
Perhaps your reliable ol' gym just closed for construction.
Or maybe you fell down and broke your crown, or alligators and brain-eating amoebas have infested the swimming pool at the local Y, or your favorite Zumba teacher just converted to a religion in which ass-shaking is strictly prohibited.
What happens when you are forced to switch to an entirely new way of exercising? Some people quit, that's one option. Others figure out a way to suck it up and forge on ahead.
Cranky Fitness regulars know that I've written this same "take lemons and make lemonade" post 90 bazillion times before. Whatever! When li...
Source: Cranky Fitness - March 25, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Crabby McSlacker Source Type: blogs
Do Just One Thing... Less!
So originally this was going to be an "Ask the Trainer" post, until I realized I'd actually forgotten to Ask one of the Trainers! So later I guess on that.
And then I thought, hey, what about a Wordless Wednesday post, that'll be quick! But that would require finding a copyright-free image so earth-shattering it would shut me up entirely, and that quest would not ultimately be any sort of time-saver.
Part of the reason I got a late start posting is I was having fun swingin' in the park, and then got caught up in email, which I get a lot of, and I was pondering the thought-provoking Just One Thing missive I...
Source: Cranky Fitness - March 20, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Crabby McSlacker Source Type: blogs
Quick Personality Test!
So being the world's most half-assed Twitter participant, I rarely catch cool stuff as it scrolls on by. Which is too bad because there are all kinds of great Tweeple Twittering away all kinds of Tweemendous links.
And yep, every time someone writes one of those "what not to do on Twitter!" lists, I hit pretty much every bullet point. Swear words and offensive tweets? Check! Failure to RT or engage in conversations? Check! Just tweeting if and when I feel like it instead of on a sensible schedule? Check!
But here's a cool thing: I stumbled upon on a fun blogger/health writer on Twitter last week.
And so, i...
Source: Cranky Fitness - March 18, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Crabby McSlacker Source Type: blogs
New Directions!
And no, I'm not referring to the "New Directions" choir, featuring the fictional misfits of Glee. But hey, wouldn't it be fun to have costumes and professionally choreographed musical numbers to celebrate every new direction we take in life?
"Honey, I wonder if we should think about switching to a 'greener' toilet bowl cleaner? This stuff is probably pretty toxic..."
Cue music and lights... roll in the tile bathroom backdrops and 80 ft tall shower curtain and giant 3 story toilet, and then ... let's all dance and sing about the virtues of environmentally friendly cleaning products while dressed as scrub brushes amidst cl...
Source: Cranky Fitness - March 13, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Crabby McSlacker Source Type: blogs
Greedy and Grateful..."Naturally!"
So, I'm back from the Natural Products Expo West with an exciting report about everything that's new and hot and happening in the industry!
OK, let's be honest. I'm really back with some vague impressions and a bloated belly and the vestiges of a sugar coma and some random business cards and a HUGE CRAPLOAD of free samples.
Ah, life is good.
And yes, we did stick to the "one bag" rule, but there were two of us and we also had backpacks. Plus we were determined and relentless. While other members of the media were out interviewing natural product purveyors in order to obtain helpful information for their readership...
Source: Cranky Fitness - March 11, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Crabby McSlacker Source Type: blogs
Showtime!
So tomorrow I'm headed to the Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, and I'm psyched!
Crabby goes "Au Natural"!
Although oddly enough, no purveyors of natural products have even tried to recruit me as a brand ambassador for anything.
Seems awfully short-sighted, don't you think? Just imagine the cachet a natural product could obtain by having a frequently foul-mouthed health blogger who goes by the name of "Crabby" spreading the word to millions... er, thousands, or, well... literally several regular readers who might buy something someday!
Well, their loss I guess.
However, even though I may be unsponsored,...
Source: Cranky Fitness - March 7, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Crabby McSlacker Source Type: blogs
Confession: Crabby is a Secret Swinger
You can't really blame me, can you, after so many years? So yeah, maybe I wanted to mix things up a bit.
As I recall my first experience was on a lovely warm evening, after a glass of wine or two, accompanied by seductive music--what can I say? I couldn't resist!
I thought the Lobster might think my proclivities were too, well, weird and embarrassing, but once I explained she was surprisingly accepting, even if she didn't often want to join me.
And hell, now I'm shameless. I'll do it in the morning, in a park, in broad daylight! Even though technically what I'm doing there is against the park ...
Source: Cranky Fitness - March 4, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Crabby McSlacker Source Type: blogs
Alzheimer's Diet Giveaway Winners
Here are the first three winners of The Alzheimer's Diet: A Step-by-Step Nutritional Approach for Memory Loss Prevention and Treatment.
Jody
Ellen Rent
Laura
And what about the fourth winner? Well, here's the thing: I said I'd set aside one copy for a Canadian reader, and I forgot to ask you all to say where you're from!
So the first Canadian reader who leaves a comment here who wants it gets the fourth copy.
And winners, please email me at the address on the Schmooze page to let me know your mailing info, thanks! If I don't hear by end of day Friday March 8 new winners will be chosen. (Source: Cranky Fitness)
Source: Cranky Fitness - March 3, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Crabby McSlacker Source Type: blogs
Goal Setting From the Heart; Polar HRM Giveaway
Yep, this is another Goal Post!
Which means it's time for another chance for clever and inspiring Cranketeers to chat and offer support around our various goals.
Are your goals perennial old favorites that you return to time and again? Or are they all fresh and new and shiny? Are they easy-peasey no-brainers, or are they awe-inspiring challenges or are they just plain crazy-ass outrageous?
It's all good! I'll be very curious about how the last part of February went and what you're all up to in March.
As it happens, my thoughts on goal setting aren't really all that "from the heart." It's honestly more of ...
Source: Cranky Fitness - February 28, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Crabby McSlacker Source Type: blogs
