Align Pilates® Minneapolis

You know what’s great? Expiration dates. I mean, wouldn’t life be grand if more than just dairy products could tell you when they’ve passed their prime, say a questionable boy friend or your skinny jeans? While you can’t, unfortunately, flip over Mr. Maybe and look for an end date like a tub of yogurt in your fridge, the show must go on. So thank goodness life provides smart things like these: Beauty Alerts. It’s kind of like using a grown up (and less repulsed looking) version of Mr. Yuk. Slap one on a new beauty product and pencil in the date of first use. Now you’ll know when it’s time to ditch it like last month’s sour cream, or blind date, as the case may be.

Vitamins. There’s always a different story. Today, a supplement is good for something, and tomorrow it’s out like last year’s jeans. I give you Exhibit A: yesterday’s CNN post on fish oil. Despite recent popular opinion, fish oil (among other vitamins) apparently does nothing for mental clarity. Okay, so I always knew that the omega 3’s in fish oil are good for the ol’ heart (or so I have been told). But admittedly, I was never aware that it maybe, sort of, almost potentially had the powers to cure what our mother refers to as senior moments. Confused? Well, maybe this will help: Information is Beautiful. This site not only paints a pretty picture, but it sheds some light on the vitamin debacle, illustrating the “tangible health benefits of dietary supplements when taken orally by an adult with a healthy diet.” The hierarchy of bubbles is continually updated based on the latest research for or against a vitamin. The higher the bubble, the greater the sway is toward its effectiveness. Still confused? That’s okay. It’s still nice to look at.

It takes approximately 450-1000 years for the average plastic bottle to biodegrade.

Whoa. Think of that next time you reach for your favorite laundry detergent, soda or cleaning product in the Target aisle. And just to make matters a little worse, the timeliness of plastic biodegradability is also affected by the type of bottle (the reusable hard kind, or the non-reusable soft type) as well as the actual size of bottle.

But none of this matters if you turn to New Soap, Old Bottle. Just as the name suggests, the smarty pants behind this company sell new soap in old plastic soda and water bottles as well as glass beer bottles. Each bottle is cleansed, sanitized and devoid of all cooties, allowing you to cleanse, sanitize and de-cootie your body, home AND environment. You can even go a step further by selling your own old bottles for soap-filling. After all, it’s what’s on the inside that counts.

Chocolate is good. But the unattractive side effects of a steady consumption of chocolate? Not so much. But hang on, choco-lovers. We’ve got good news. Say goodbye to the unsightly relatives of chocolate: overindulgence, stomach ache and the ever-popular, back fat. Dean & Deluca, the “purveyors of fine food, wine & kitchenware,” have introduced a healthy brand of chocolate: Moo Kids Chocolate Bars. Okay, so they may have been made for children. But these yummy morsels are created from nutritious Swiss milk chocolate, natural grains and other all-natural, absolutely scrumdiddlyumptious ingredients. And there’s nothing childish about a wholesome snack, now is there?

We hereby give you permission to unleash the kind in moo. I mean you.

So long, February! At long last, we have reached March. So far, it has arrived like a docile lamb. Although we know that winter’s lion will have at least one last roar before we enter into full-on spring, we have absolutely no complaints about the upper 40 degree temps we are reveling here in the Twin Cities. (Could we reach 50 degrees by Friday?!) And even though Ms. Nature is probably being a horrible tease right now, this does not mean we can’t start planning for spring. To that end, here is a helpful list of timely March to-do’s.

‘Tis the season to whip out your mops and brooms, start driving away the dust and grime that Old Man Winter tracked in under his boots and prepare to let a little sunshine in. It’s also a good time to not only prepare your home, but prepare your body and mind for the upcoming season: start stocking up on spring foods, get those pesky finances in order and ditch a day at the gym to work out in the fresh air.

After all, there is a time for all things—a time for work, a time for play and a time to clean your dryer vents.

The shower. Most of us have one every day, maybe even twice a day. Heck, why not? Besides keeping you squeaky clean, it’s often the only time during your day that you can actually have a moment to clear the head, wash the grime away and belt out that favorite Gloria Gaynor song. So I bet you think you’ve got this cleaning thing down, huh? Well you might want to think again. Turns out what you do between the tiles and loofah could use some improvement.

So here are some shower tips to make the most out of your cleansing experience. My personal favorite: “Just like the sponge in your kitchen sink, your washcloth can attract unsavory characters faster than Cancun during spring break.”

So tart showering wisely and who knows? Maybe you’ll have a little more fun while you are at it. And remember, what happens in the shower stays in the shower.

Has the avocado stolen the apple’s job as the daily warden of health, the guardian of the body, the friendly protector against Mr. or Ms. Doctor? Perhaps. At least according to yesterday’s Star Tribune.

Despite its reputation as the misunderstood fruit, the avocado is a good guy, not a bad guy. For starters, avocados are high in MUFAs (monounsaturated fatty acids), which lower the naughty cholesterol and increase the goody-goody cholesterol. MUFA’s are also key component of the Flat Belly Diet.

Our pal the avocado is also very versatile. Whether it’s a healthy sandwich spread you crave, or a tasty dip (who doesn’t like guacamole?) to go with your low cal snack of choice, the avocado is the man (or woman) for the job. Apparently, avocado can even double as a face moisturizer. Can your Granny Smith do that?

Hit the road, apple. A new fruit is in town.

Bonus: Check out these tips and tasty recipes and catch the avocados while they are in season.

When it comes to snack calories, 100 is the magic number. You name the snack, there’s probably a 100 calorie pack for it. (My current favorite is the Blue Diamond Whole Natural Almond 100 Calorie Pack.) But when it’s not tied up in a neat and convenient package, it’s hard to eyeball how much of your favorite treat adds up to 100 cals. Well, my mother always said when in doubt, take a quiz. Ergo, I give you the 100 Calorie Quiz. It tests your snack savvy by presenting two different amounts of the same kind of food. Your job is to decide which quantity adds up to 100 calories. Are you a Master Snacker, or just a Smart Snacker? Who knows? So choose wisely, my friends, and you may even learn something along the way. You can thank my mother later.

Look ahead to the 2010 you. Are your thinner, healthier, sexier? If you are like millions of other new year’s resolutioners out there, you’ve probably made a commitment to start eating better or shaping up this year. It makes perfect sense. Who doesn’t want to be fit and look great for the upcoming year? So why can it be so hard to make fitness goals and stick to them for the duration? Hmm. Good question. What better place to go with this quandary than HungryGirl.com? Her common-sense tips and tricks to leading a healthy AND fulfilling life are right on the money. Check out her TOP ATE tips to successful eating in 2010.

Do eat-right lists freak you out? Don’t fret. When the number one tip is Don’t go on a diet, it’s pretty easy to keep reading. And if you do, you’ll find that Hungry Girl is also a big fan of keeping a food journal. Committing to writing down your consumption habits every day can be a big hurdle to jump over in January, when the holiday comfort-food coma has fully set in. But, if you follow Hungry’s advice and allow yourself be okay with missing a day or two (and even “cheat”), the t-totaling becomes a lot less threatening. To get you started, we found this hand dandy Fitness.doc notebook, where you can track your food and weight goals in one swoop. And because it’s the same size as a checkbook, you can easily tote it around from home to work to gym and back again.

No problem. You can thank us later…like when you fit into your favorite skinny jeans.

Oh Martha. I want to dislike you but I can’t. Especially when you throw me a bone like this Wake-Up Scrub recipe. It sounds delightful and will definitely be brewing up a batch this weekend.

Tools and Materials

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup pure turbinado sugar
• 15 drops peppermint essential oil (Mentha piperita)
• 1/2 cup used coffee grounds from a freshly brewed pot

Wake-Up Scrub How-To
1. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl; using a fork, thoroughly blend. Transfer the scrub to a wide mouthed jar, and store in a cool place until ready to use. The scrub will keep for one to two weeks, longer if refrigerated.

2. While showering, apply handfuls of the coffee scrub to wet skin in circular motions, starting at the feet and working up. The scrub contains oil, so it’s best to do this over a rubber mat to avoid slipping. Pay particular attention to rough spots such as heels, ankles, knees, and elbows.

3. After scrubbing, cleanse skin as usual using a mild natural soap or body wash. Pat skin dry with a fluffy towel, and follow with lotion to seal in the moisture.