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Fittingly Mad: Super Bugs Are Super Scary

FitSugar — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 02:30:00 -0700

A super bug with a super long name is getting a lot of press lately. Necessary press too, I think. I am not talking about a six legged creature that crawls on your skin. No, I am talking about a strain of staph bacteria that are incredibly resistant to antibiotics. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (that is the super long name), but referred to as MRSA, has caused more deaths each year in the US than AIDS.

MRSA was believed to be prevalent only in hospitals and nursing homes, but after a high school football player recently contracted the deadly strain of bacteria, investigations have found it at day care centers, gyms, and lockers rooms. The major culprit behind the spread of the MRSA is hygiene! The bacteria are easily thwarted by hand washing and proper hygiene. Although this strain of staph does not respond to penicillin or related antibiotics (it can be treated with other drugs), when on the surface of the skin or in the nose it is fairly harmless. It is when the bacteria enters the blood stream through an open wound that the infection can become deadly.

Since MRSA is actually fairly common, high school athletes are being told to wash their uniforms regularly, not to share uniforms and to shower. These measures should help prevent the bacteria spreading from athlete to athlete.

Over 85% of MRSA infections occur in medical settings, and hand washing standards will need to be increased to help keep the bacteria contained. I still think that 15% of the infections coming from outside medical facilities is way too high. I also think that 19,000 annual deaths are way too many. Hopefully, some new antibiotics will be coming our way soon to deal with these ever evolving super bugs!

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On Our Radar: Colette Pop Up Store

FabSugarUK — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:30:21 -0800

Everytime I go to Paris, I make sure I have time to visit Colette. The super cool boutique offers the latest must have designer wares alongside contemporary books, music and funky gadgets. This festive season, I won't have to travel across the channel to get my fix as the boutique is coming to London.

Fittingly, the hip district of Shoreditch will play host to the pop-up store which will be packed with quirky items including furniture, Christmas gifts, and kitchenwear! The so-called Cube Store opens later this week and will remain open until 3rd January 2010.

To gain access to special events at the boutique you need to apply online or speak to the driver of a Nissan Cube car which will be dotted all over London. The store will be located at the Boilerhouse, The Old Truman Brewery, London, E1 6QL.

Sir Rowf: Spoiled Sweet or Spoiled Rotten?

PetSugar — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 04:00:13 -0800

Would you put Sir Rowf front and center in your home? The Royal Animal Candles ($32–$36) come in a horse, bunny and this dog - appropriately named for his regal appearance - but would your pups be happy looking eye to eye with this waxy invader? (And, definitely, don't let them take a nibble.)

Personally, I think the designs are super detailed but watching the animals melt away (on a two-hour burn time) sounds a bit sad . . . and messy. I can imagine this bust and pillar fitting somebody's wish list, is it yours?

My Favorite Nintendo News From the E3 Keynote

GeekSugar — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 14:15:44 -0700

This morning at Nintendo's press conference at E3, Gizmodo followed all of the announcements on their liveblog, and I couldn't help but get excited about three in particular.

The first one is the new multiplayer Super Mario Bros. for the Wii, appropriately titled New Super Mario Bros. The game sadly won't be in 3D, but it will come with fun new powerups (like a propeller suit) and an autozoom feature that will keep all four players on screen while flying. The New Super Mario Bros. for the Wii will be available right in time for Christmas this year.

To find out what other Nintendo announcements I'm excited about, just read more.

Nintendo also announced photo functionality on the DSi, where users will be able to take pictures and easily upload them to Facebook.

And last but not least, the next installment in the Wii Fit craze will be called Wii Fit Plus, which will include six new strength and yoga activities as well as 15 new balance games. The best part? There's going to be a facet to the game that will let you feel like you're Super Mario - whoa! This game will make its way to store shelves this Fall.

Gear Review: slotRadio by Sansa

FitSugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:20:25 -0800

I love my iPod, but there is a new music player vying for my heart: the slotRadio ($79) by Sansa.

The two-inch-by-two-inch clip-on music player comes with a data card with 1,000 songs from the Billboard music charts, with prearranged playlists by music genre. I tried the additional Health and Fitness mix, which includes the mixes for warmup, cardio, roadwork (cycling), power (lifting), yoga, cooldown, and the even more mellow spa mix.

To see what I thought of this music player, just read more.

I must admit I am a bit technically challenged - ironic since I am a blogger, I know. Even with my latent Luddite ways, I found the slotRadio super easy to use. The instruction manual was simply written with helpful graphics. Open the box, charge the radio, which took about an hour, put in your music card, and go. My inaugural run with the slotRadio was great. It clips onto your clothes and is so small and light you don't even notice it. The volume button is easy to find, as is the skip button. You can easily skip genres, too. I warmed up with Lady Gaga and Nelly and moved onto cardio with a few bands I have never heard of, like VHS or Beta. The slotRadio feels like a pop music education in a good way. This little player is a great way to introduce yourself to new music. However, I had to remove the foam covers from the earbuds to keep them from falling out of my ears.

The video screen features graphics of exercises and lets you know the next song up on the playlist so you can advance easily to find motivational music. The slotRadio is also a real radio. As an NPR junkie, I love that I can switch over to radio and catch up on news or Fresh Air while working out.

I enjoyed the Health and Fitness music card much more than the standard Billboard artist music card. Thankfully, the data cards are easy to change, and there are many options to choose from, including Christmas tunes, '80s and '90s music, Latin, and classical. The extra data cards cost $40. The slotRadio bundle comes with headphones, charger, and Billboard music card. These make a great gift for the musically impaired fitness fanatic in your life.

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All Kinds of Gifts For Bikers

FitSugar — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:00:32 -0800

Nothing beats heading out for a ride on Christmas day decked out in new gear with all sorts of new biking accessories. From full fingered, padded cycling gloves - a wintertime must have - to entry level biking computers, this list has something every cyclist wants. If your biking friend has everything, splurge and give them a biking computer with a built in heart rate monitor for the full fitness riding experience. Fancy cycling knickers are a perfect gift too. Even if there is snow on the ground, these padded knickers will be great for early Spring rides after the thaw. Don't forget the urban cyclist either. I have found a great set of panniers and a super cute bike basket as well. Take a gander at the gifts and tell me what cycling gear you covet for Christmas.

PetSugar's Street Team: Cube

Pet Community — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 04:00:29 -0800

This post comes to us from our Community Member WizeFroggy.

There is an awesome new pet product that you have to check out. It's called Cube. Basically, it's sheets of sturdy cardboard that can be fitted together with built in tabs and slots to create custom designed cat condos. And because it's cardboard, it's super green, light-weight, inexpensive and cats love it. Super affordable, too - only $19.95!

There's lots of fun stuff going on in our community - join it, check it out, share your posts or advice in the great groups and maybe we'll feature it here on PetSugar!

Sugar Shout Out: Best Bared & Covered Pregnant Bellies on TV

PopSugar — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 23:55:00 -0800

Smarter Eats: Gwyneth Reminds Us to Get a Healthy Dose of D

FitSugar — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:30:31 -0800

Gwyneth Paltrow's dishing out some healthy advice on GOOP this week - get your daily dose of vitamin D. The super-fit star points to Dr. Frank Lipman's healthy tips for getting our fair share of the vital D, who reminds us that, especially this time of year -when we head into the colder season and see less sunlight - it's even more important to supplement our diets with the vitamin, and avoid a vitamin D deficiency.

If you're wondering why it's so important, just remember that vitamin D was first recognized for its importance in maintaining healthy calcium levels for our bones. According to Dr. Lipman, it's now becoming increasingly apparent that we've underestimated the value of the vitamin, and a lack of it has been associated with obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, and breast cancer - to name a few.

Since we rely on the sun to generate the most reliable way of getting vitamin D, it's a good idea to up your intake of foods that can naturally deliver the goods - try fortified milk in your cereal, dried shitake mushrooms with your stir fry or salad, and wild fatty fish, like salmon and halibut. Just be aware that only 10 percent of your vitamin D intake can come from food, so to really eat smarter and healthier, it might just be a good idea to supplement with the active form of the vitamin, D3. Be sure to read all of Dr. Lipman's great tips, and until we see some sunlight this Spring, make sure you're getting your daily dose with fortified foods.

Ashley Wants to Go From Cullen to Bond Girl

PopSugar — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:30:22 -0800

Looks like there's another familiar Twilight face at the newsstand - Ashley Greene struck a sexy pose for the cover of December's Maxim. She participated in another scantily-clad photo shoot recently for Men's Fitness, as she tries to move beyond her innocent image. Ashley chatted with the magazine about New Moon, her career ambitions, and her super famous dog Marlo. Here's more:

On the Twilight craze: "It's crazy, right? I think my dog is more famous than a lot of stars out there. I bet some people in Hollywood are like, 'I can't get my picture in a mag, but Ashley's pooch [Marlo] does?' It's mind-boggling."
On getting the part of Alice Cullen: "Oh, my God, I wanted this part so badly! I worked my butt off for it because I absolutely love Alice, my character. She's sweet, sexy, and a killer! So when they told me I got it, I tried to play it all cool, you know, for about a minute. . . Suddenly the Twilight blogs started picking it up, and then fans were there taking photos, and I'm on the news, and I was like, 'What?' And then I got really nervous."
On what she'd like to do next: "I want to hit up James Bond. That would be awesome."

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