GeekSugar

Colorful DS Bundles Available on Black Friday

GeekSugar — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 02:00:26 PST

I know I don't need an excuse to buy a new Nintendo DS, but if you don't have one yet (side note: Why?), then Black Friday is the perfect time to dive in. Starting November 28, you can pick up a DS in one of two new colors: Mario Red and Ice Blue. This is great news since the majority of you like your gadgets with a little hue on them. But the best part isn't just the new shades. Just like we saw last year, these hot new handhelds are being bundled with two of my favorite games to get you started - Super Mario Bros, and Brain Age.

The bundles will set you back $150 bucks, but the price is totally right for a limited edition color. I'm getting up early to snatch one up as a Christmas gift, although I'm not sure yet who will be the lucky recipient. But really, who wouldn't love a new DS? And if they don't, then it's more DS action for me. Merry Christmas, indeed.

America Ferrera Gets Brainy With Her Pimped-Out DS

GeekSugar — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 11:00:41 PDT

Who knew America Ferrera was all about the bling? While getting brainy with Brain Age, America battles a pal to see who can complete the math portion quicker (and find out who has a younger brain) in this upcoming spot for Nintendo. I love how she has pimped out her metallic rose DS with all that bling - how geek chic! See how old her brain really is in this exclusive sneak peek at the commercial that will start airing this week.

Brain Age 2 Released: Twice The Fun, Twice As Hard?

GeekSugar — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 03:30:56 PDT

Earlier this summer Nicole Kidman had signed on as Nintendo's television ad spokesperson in Europe for More Brain Training from Dr Kawashima: How Old Is Your Brain?, prompting a renewed interest in the series here in the U.S. Of course Brain Age, was already a bona fide hit with Nintendo DS fans around the globe, so everyone has been abuzz about the series' next US feature.

Yesterday, Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day was released for DS, and let me tell you, it does not disappoint. It may make you feel a little dumb, but it does not disappoint. Designed to give your brain a workout, Brain Age 2 featured 15 new activities - from playing simple songs on a piano keyboard to monitoring the photo finish of a footrace.

When you start a new game, you take a series of tests and get a score that tells you how "old" your brain is. That number is your "DS Brain Age," and the idea is that with daily practice your score will lower. Activities include serial subtraction, word scramble, change maker, calendar count, and my personal favorite, Rock, Paper, Scissors, where you speak the symbol that beats the one on the screen. I consider myself to have at least moderate mental accuracy and the game still made me scramble. It's great for anyone who likes Sodoku, puzzles, Pictionary and crossword puzzles - even if you're not a hardcore gamer.

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A Doctor Dishes: Which "Superfoods" Are Worth the Cost?

LearnVest — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:15:00 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy!

Most people you speak to these days are trying to stretch every dollar as far as possible - even the ones they spend buying apples and oranges.

Food prices are expected to increase yet again this year, and food manufacturers are making portions smaller without reducing prices. Not surprisingly, a recent Rasmussen poll found that 93 percent of adults report paying more for groceries now than they did a year ago.

So how can we supercharge our grocery dollars and get them to do overtime for us?

Yes, some foods are obviously a better nutritional deal than others (think apples vs. potato chips), but there’s another class of foods that blows the rest of the field away in terms of nutrients and health-protecting qualities: superfoods.

Superfoods can help prevent diabetes and heart disease, repair damage to your body’s cells, and more. But before you go piling them into your cart, know that some superfoods are better nutritional bargains than others. As a doctor and a mom, I’ve sleuthed out which ones are worth the extra cost in terms of their long-term health benefits. Below is the scoop on which ones may help you age better, ward off cancer, and more.

What to Know Before Buying Superfoods

Before we dive into what to buy, there are a few important things to remember about consuming these foods:

Eating foods fresh and in their natural state, especially fruits and vegetables (rather than in pill or powder supplement form), usually allows us to absorb the greatest amount of their nutrients. The way a superfood is processed or cooked can significantly lower its antioxidant content.
If the superfood can’t be eaten fresh, look for easy and appetizing recipes containing it. No matter how “super” a superfood may be, if you don’t know how to cook it, you’ll probably let it go to waste.

Are Superfoods "Good Buys" If I’m Shopping on a Budget?

Read on to find out.

5 Reasons You Need More Sleep

Shape — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 04:14:00 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar.

Whether you admit you need help nodding off or are still in denial about the major suitcases under your eyes, chances are you could use an intervention: a full two-thirds of Americans say they have trouble getting enough shut-eye at least once a week. That’s pretty harrowing, considering that sleep is absolutely essential for health and normal functioning. If you need a reason to hit the sack early read on. You’ll be surprised how much skipped sleep impacts your well-being.

You'll Live Longer
Chronic insomniacs are more likely to suffer a heart attack than those who sleep well, according to new research in the journal Circulation. Other studies have linked lack of sleep to a higher risk of dying from a stroke and developing breast cancer.

See even more benefits of sleep after the break!

How to Get Your Metabolism Moving

Health — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 03:03:06 PST

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Health.com here on our site.

Does your metabolism grind to a halt after 35? Can certain foods rev it up? Answers ahead — and they're good.
By Paige Greenfield

Here's something to feel good about: your body is a calorie-burning machine. You'll even torch a few while reading this article. The point is, every single thing you do — from breathing to eating to sleeping — uses energy. The number of calories it would take just to lie in bed all day is called your resting metabolic rate. And just like your curly hair or warm personality, yours is unique.

"There are so many factors that determine your metabolic rate," says Janet Rankin, PhD, professor of human nutrition, foods, and exercise at Virginia Tech. Among them: your height and weight (bigger people burn more calories), your gender (women have slower metabolisms than men), your age (your metabolic rate declines as you get older), how much muscle or fat you have (muscle burns more calories than fat does), and your DNA.

Health.com: Little Ways to Lose Big Pounds

Although you can't rewire your double helix or switch back the clock, there's still plenty you can do to be a fast burner, Rankin says. All you need to do is remember these four research-backed truths.

Cardio Revs Your Metabolism For Hours Afterward
Resistance training often hogs the metab-boosting spotlight. It's no wonder, since a pound of muscle at rest fries three times as many calories as a pound of fat. However, cardio is every bit as crucial for keeping your metabolism humming.

New research explains why: In a study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, people pedaled a stationary bike as hard as they could for 47 minutes.
The finding: They slashed 190 calories above their resting metabolic rate for 14 hours after their workout. Add that to the 519 calories, on average, the cyclists scorched from the workout itself, and that's one heck of a sweat session.

"If you do just two to three vigorous bouts of exercise per week for 45 minutes, you could lose a pound of fat every two weeks from the combination of calories expended during exercise plus what you burn afterward," says study author David Nieman, PhD, a professor of exercise science at Appalachian State University.

So how can you tell if you're pushing hard enough? Any sweat-inducing activity you can sustain for 45 minutes will do the trick.

More useful tips after the break.

4 Surprising Things You Don't Know about Calories

Prevention — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 04:12:55 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Prevention here on FitSugar!

Only 12 percent of Americans can estimate the calories they eat in a day! Find out why we're so clueless and get easy ways to stop calorie confusion.
By Mara Betsch, Prevention

You know what calories are, and you probably know that if you eat too many, you’ll gain weight. But do you know how many are in your favorite deli sandwich? Or how many calories you should really eat each day? Most Americans don’t. Only 12% can accurately estimate the number of calories they should consume in a day someone their age, height, weight, and physical activity, according to a 2010 survey by the International Food Information Council Foundation. So what is it about calories that keeps us baffled? Here are 8 reasons you’re confused about calories and the simple steps that will help you do the math.

8 Healthy Foods That Help Fight Disease

1. Portions Sizes Are Out of Control
You’ve all heard about the rapidly expanding serving sizes of restaurant and fast food portions, but just how bad are they? Portions sizes in restaurants may contain double or triple the calories of home-cooked meals, and studies show eating out is associated with a higher BMI. Unfortunately, those portions affect our waistlines. When there’s more food on the plate, people eat more-up to 30% more, according to an analysis of several studies.

Stop the confusion: Use this cheat sheet of portion sizes. We know it’s hard to look at your plate as decks of cards, tennis balls, and all the other, so start by measuring out your food servings at home and take a good look at what a half-cup of pasta looks like. Until the serving sizes are engrained in your brain, when dining out, aim to eat half of your meal, saving the leftovers for lunch the next day.

Comfort Food That’s Actually Good for You

2. Serving Sizes Are Deceiving
"There really aren’t standard serving sizes for packaged foods, which makes them confusing," explains Elisa Zied, RD, author Nutrition at Your Fingertips. She gives the example of cereal. A standard serving size of breakfast cereal is approximately 50 g, but depending on the cereal, that could mean a cup and a half of flakes or half a cup of heartier granola. Depending on the type of cereal you’re eating, just eyeing how much you put in the bowl, like most people do, can lead to inaccurate calorie counts.

Not only that, but larger-than-life snack foods may seem like single servings even though they often contain two to three servings per packet. Buy a 16-ounce bottled Coca-Cola, and the nutrition label reads 100 calories . . . for one of the two servings in the bottle. Drink the whole thing, as many people do, and you’re really getting 200 calories. Eat the whole bag of Austin Zoo Animal Crackers, commonly found in office vending machines, and you’re getting 230 calories, nearly two servings, instead of just one.

Keep reading to learn even more about calories!

The 5 Worst Habits That Damage Your Immune System

Prevention — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 04:19:31 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Prevention here on FitSugar!

Kick these surprising habits to keep colds, flu and other bugs at bay.
By The Editors of Prevention.com

Staying healthy isn't just about using hand sanitizer and avoiding coughing co-workers. It turns out some pretty surprising daily habits - like how you fight with your husband or whether you stay up late for Letterman - can impact how well your body fends off colds, flu and other pesky bugs. Here's a list of science-backed tips to add to your stay-healthy arsenal today.

1. You Avoid the Water Cooler
Friendship may be Miracle-Gro for your immune system. Research shows that the fewer human connections we have at home, at work, and in the community, the likelier we are to get sick, flood our brains with anxiety-causing chemicals, and live shorter lives than our more sociable peers. In one study, researchers who monitored 276 people between the ages of 18 and 55 found that those who had six or more connections were four times better at fighting off the viruses that cause colds than those with fewer friends.

What to do: Don't let a jam-packed workday or hectic schedule get in the way of your friendships. Stop by a co-worker's office for a quick Monday morning catch-up, or e-mail/text your friends at night to stay in touch when you're too busy for phone calls.

7 Ways to Work Out at The Office

2. You Often Feel Tired
Scrimping on sleep has a powerfully detrimental effect on immunity. The perfect example: college students who get sick after pulling all-nighters cramming for exams. Poor sleep is associated with lower immune system function and reduced numbers of killer cells that fight germs. In fact, University of Chicago researchers found that men who had slept only four hours a night for one week produced half the amount of flu-fighting antibodies in their blood (jump-started by a flu shot) compared with those who slept 7 1/2 to 8 1/2 hours.

Keep reading to learn how to keep your immune system strong after the break.

3 Strategies to Increase Your Brain Power

Emily Co — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 18:00:21 PST

I've always believed that with hard work, anything is possible. It's nice to know that inflating your IQ can be done if you just try hard enough, according to recent research by the Wellcome Trust Center for Neuroimaging at the University College London. The study, which monitored 33 British teenage students over the course of four years, found that scores can change after cognitive training. The Wall Street Journal names a couple of ways for you to raise your IQ:

Keep doing new tasks. It's new tasks that stimulate the brain the most, says a study by University of Hamburg that found improvement in the brains of participants after one month of intense juggling. After a while, you'll probably get the swing of things at work, so try to start new projects if it makes sense. Alternatively, you can start volunteering at organizations, which will then expose you to different responsibilities. You can also try to pick up a new skill or hobby that will challenge you.
Go to school. Taking classes and going to school have been found to raise IQ by several points every year, says research done by Cornell developmental psychology professor Stephen Ceci. If you're not eager to enroll in higher education, you can always take supplemental courses at your local community college or university. There are plenty of classes to suit every interest from language and psychology to computer programming courses.
Take music lessons. Seems like there's something to the trend of mothers making their children take music lessons. In fact, research by E. Glenn Schellenberg, a psychology professor at the University of Toronto, showed that six years of lessons will heighten children's IQ by 7.5 points. Another study by the University of Kansas showed that musicians who practice throughout adulthood will keep increasing their IQ scores even past the age of 60. Maybe it's time to take up the piano again.

Sarah Jessica Parker on Marriage, Kids, and Being a "Realist" About Her Looks

Allie Merriam — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 06:42:48 PST

Sarah Jessica Parker went with a simple black dress last night for the Brain Trauma Foundation's 2011 Gala at the Pierre Hotel in NYC. She mingled with Sigourney Weaver and His Highness Maharaja Gaj Singh II of Marwar-Jodhpur at the philanthropic bash instead of trekking to the West Coast for the LA premiere of New Year's Eve. Costars like Michelle Pfeiffer, Lea Michele, Ashton Kutcher, Katherine Heigl, and Zac Efron gathered at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood to celebrate their film, which arrives in theaters across the country on Friday.

Sarah Jessica has been keeping up a busy schedule of public appearances ahead of the opening. SJP and husband Matthew Broderick attended the Kennedy Center Honors event in DC on Sunday, and she was solo for last week's UNICEF Snow Ball. Sarah Jessica's also done interviews, including one in which she addressed marriage and her looks. Sarah Jessica Parker told the UK Telegraph:

On being married: "We’ve been together for 20 years, and you have good days, you have decent days, and you have bad days. That’s a marriage. That’s a relationship. That’s a friendship, even - relationships outside the marriage run the same course. If you’re in it for the long haul and you want meaningful relationships, you are going to go through lots of different periods."
On how kids can change a marriage: "'Kids can really distract you from your relationship. Maybe in good ways and bad ways. It’s important to have all eyes on all parts of the relationship. It’s something you really have to pay attention to. But you figure it out."
On insecurities: "I try to dress appropriately for my age and I’m a realist about what I look like. But if those physical things were my insecurities, I’d be thrilled. What wonderful problems. My insecurities are more substantial than that. I worry first and foremost about my children and their health. My husband and his. I worry about what work opportunities will come up. My own creative satisfaction. How will I pursue things and will the work be good?"