Do you know someone who claims genetics is to blame for their obesity? That’s just not true according to a new study from UK’s Telegraph.

They report that “people could work off around 40 per cent of the extra weight that ‘fat genes’ laid on them by exercising.”

It goes on to say add that although some people do have a predisposition to be overweight or even obese, scientists at the Medical Research Council’s Epidemiology Unit in Cambridge discovered that having an active lifestyle could go a long way to countering a person’s genetic inheritance.

What do you think of this new study? Agree/Disagree? Please share.

Source:here

On a recent trip to Target I picked up the Elle Workout Yoga DVD starring Brooklyn Decker and have been using it ever since. It’s a great DVD and Tara is an amazing yoga instructor. Love her. Two thumbs way up. Oh and my DVD came with a free year subscription to Elle magazine as well. How can you beat that?

About the DVD:

Elle workout yoga, featuring celebrated instructor Tara Stiles, has two dynamic yoga workouts created to both lengthen, stretch and tone your body. You’ll be left with a lean, toned, and sexy body that you’ll feel great in and be excited to show off.

Available at Target for: $12.99

Have you tried any of the Elle Workouts before? What were your thoughts?

Morning Ladies. How’s your week going so far? Mine’s good.

This morning I want to tell you about an amazing book for new or expecting mothers. It’s called Inyengar Yoga for Motherhood: Safe Practice for Expectant & New Mothers.

This book is fabulous. While I’m not a mother yet I know this book will come in handy in the future. It’s a beautifully done book that provides you with guidance as you continue your yoga practice throughout your pregnancy and into the first 18 months of motherhood.

It offers:

• More than 350 easy to follow color photographs that depict the safe form of each pose
• Instructions on the best pose for relieving common pregnancy symptoms
• A check yourself sidebar that allows you to perfect each pose
• Ayurvedic recipes and health tips
• And much much more

This book is indispensable in my opinion!  A must own book for my fellow yogis.  Two thumbs way up for this beautifully done book.

Available at Amazon for: $22.05

A press sample of this book was sent to us for review purposes.

“People keep asking me how I get in shape, and this is what I do.” –Bethenny Frankel

Unleash your best body as you work out with Body By Bethenny.

Body By Bethenny is a new workout video by Bethenny Frankel, celebrated natural food chef, TV star, and New York Times bestselling author of Naturally Thin and The Skinnygirl Dish. In it she works with yoga instructor, Kristin McGee. Kristin, a Celebrity instructor, joins Bethenny for a 40-minute yoga program that stretches and strengthens the entire body.

What do you think? Will you be picking up Body By Bethenny? Please share.

Available at Amazon for $12.49 on May 4th.

I don’t know about you, but I think Demi Moore looks amazing these days. At 47 Demi looks better than ever.

The actress recently spoke to Instyle Magazine about her must have beauty products and they were….

• La Mer The Lip Balm: “I like to keep a great balm in every handbag.”
• Redken Extreme Deep Fuel: “Moisture is key for keeping hair glossy.”
• Maybelline New York Great Lash Mascara: “So simple. You can’t go wrong with it.”
• Kevyn Aucoin Beauty Sensual Skin Enhancer: “When you work this foundation in with your fingers, it gives an incredibly natural finish.”
• Chris McMillan Rejuvenating Shampoo: “I change up my shampoo so that my hair doesn’t get used to it. This is what I’m using now.”

I’d love to know if she really uses Maybelline Great Lash Mascara. La Mer I can see, but Great Lash? Hmmmm….

Any dancers out there? I don’t know about you, but this girl loves to dance. As a matter of fact growing up I was sure I would be a backup dancer for the King of Pop himself Michael Jackson.

Forget the fact that I’m not the best dancer….that sorta thing doesn’t matter to a kid….haha. Besides, It’s not like I’m a horrible dancer. Any Seinfeld fans out there remember this classic moment?

So when I saw the video Dance With Julianne: Cardio Ballroom on Amazon recently I was extremely excited. It contains a mix of three 10 minute routines – a sexy cha cha, rockabilly – style jive, and paso doble.

It’s a 30 minute workout and is said to burn 225 calories. What better way to lose weight than from dancing? It’s so much fun and you don’t even realize your working out. And hey if you or I end up looking like Julianne then that’s ok too right?

Has anyone tried this dvd yet? Please share your thoughts. I’m fixing to place my order.

One big health change that I’ve made in the last year is that I’ve given up fake sweeteners and I’ve cut way back on using sugar. Artificial sweeteners (including Splenda) have a lot of suspect ingredients that I refuse to put into my body anymore. You’ll have to do your own research on the issue, but I found I couldn’t continue using artificial sweeteners knowing what I knew. So what’s a girl to do?

Two great alternatives in the sweetener game are Agave Nectar which is great to drizzle on oatmeal or cereal and Stevia. Stevia is the product I use the most and the one I’ll be discussing today. Recently I was sent some wonderful products by NuNaturals and I wanted to share my thoughts on them with you.

The first product I received was NuStevia White Stevia 100 Packets ($9.99)

I love these individual packets of Stevia. I keep these in my purse so I’m never without them. They’re convenient, easy to use and they taste great. Oh and did I mention the fact that Stevia is zero calories?

Pure Liquid Clear Stevia ($11.99)

You can also get liquid Stevia which is the one I get the most use out of. I use this product every single day in my tea. The problem I’ve found with other Stevia products is that they are bitter and therefore an acquired taste for some. The NuNaturals products are not bitter and they taste wonderful. If you are new to Stevia I would recommend this product as your first purchase. It tastes great and blends easily. This will be a staple in my household from now on.

I received this NuStevia Sweetener Stevia Baking Blend($9.99) just in time.

My husband’s birthday was last week and the one thing he loves more than presents is cake (I swear he has the world’s biggest sweet tooth). I decided to swap the sugar in the recipe with the Baking Stevia and see if he noticed. He said the cake tasted amazing and he couldn’t tell a difference at all. I’d say that makes this product a winner wouldn’t you?

Pure Liquid Vanilla Stevia($14.99)

This is a fun product for you coffee drinkers out there. Add a couple of drops of this to your coffee or tea and yummmmm!! Love it.

Pure Liquid Cocoa Bean Extract ($13.99)

If you’re a chocolate lover then you have to try this product. You get all the health benefits without the fat & sugar. Did you know the average 40 gram bar of dark chocolate contains 250 calories and 14 grams of fat? If the chocolate bar uses Dutch processed cocoa, some of the polyphenols will be destroyed. Polyphenols are antioxidants found in plants that many believe have a substantial amount of health benefits. NuNaturals Cocoa Extract contains 15% of the polyphenols and 10% theobromines in Cocoa. You can add this to your favorite beverage or just drop it directly onto your tongue. I like to put a few drops of this in my Rice Milk to create a delicious cup of chocolate milk.

Pure Liquid CoQ10 Max Absorb($25.49)

I’m sure you’ve all noticed that skincare companies like Serious Skin Care and Avalon Organics are creating products with CoQ10. CoQ10 helps protect the tissues and cellular components in the body from free radical damage. In one Mayo Clinic article I read it said studies have shown reduction in fine wrinkles around the eyes with no side effects. Other studies show that application of CoQ10 before sun exposure protects against sun damage. Max Absord is a highly absorbable liquid form of CoQ10. This product is 5 times more absorbable than capsules or tablets. You can either add 20 drops of this product into your favorite food or beverage or add it to your favorite skin creme. I have used it both ways and I love it. I think this is a must have product for you beauty addicts out there.

The verdict:

I’ve tried a lot of Stevia products in the past year, but NuNaturals has to be my favorite one. This is the only non bitter Stevia product that I’ve ever found. If you’re new to Stevia give NuNaturals a try you won’t be disappointed.

What’s behind Kristen Bell’s killer bod, glowing skin, and shiny hair? Find out below.

Kristen is a vegetarian and loves a good salad. One of her favorite salads is called “Garbage Disposal Salad”:

“Oh my gosh, it’s the best! I usually start with spinach, then put in almonds, pine nuts, dried cranberries, blueberries, apples, broccoli, cucumbers, carrots and celery. Believe it or not; it tastes good together. Put some feta or Parmesan on top and you don’t even need dressing.”

Another thing she loves is Kale Chips.

“A great way to get everything the superfood kale has to offer. Break off the stems and break the leaves into potato chip size pieces. Then drizzle them in olive oil, put sea salt on them, and bake em for 10 minutes at 400 degrees. Tasty.”

Wen Cleansing Conditioner

“It feels like a conditioner, but it actually cleanses your hair. And it doesn’t make you an oily mess.”

Kiehl’s Cucumber Toner

“It cleans your skin, but it doesn’t strip your skin.”

The Solution Moisturizer

“It’s completely natural-so much so that it goes bad after a couple of months. It’s that healthy.”