Late-Week Lazy Links

Hey, it's Friday, whaddya expect?

Photo: Roozbeh Rokni

What have we got this week?  Well, something that may be even better for you than green tea, sunscreen alternatives, why people made miserable by allergies may actually be lucky, and the usual half-assed "health research lite" from Crabby McSlacker!


Let's get this party started, shall we?

First off, I'm making yet another plea for reader help!  You guys were so awesome about helping out the Cranky Fitness Facebook page .  Every new "like" brings joy to this Crabby ol' heart! So I feel a bit guilty asking for another favor.  But what the heck, here goes:

If in your webtravels, any of you run across a recent health and fitness post or article at another website that you think Cranky Fitness folks might enjoy, wanna send me an email or leave me a comment about it?  I'd like to start including reader suggestions in the weekly lazy links post since I'm so crappy at research you folks are so well-informed.  I know there are tons of great health and fitness bloggers out there and I'm not getting around as much as I used to, and I don't want to be stingy with the link love.

This week in Blogland:  

So I confess I'm intrigued by the Diet Blog post on Matcha vs. Green Tea.  Sounds like Matcha could be even healthier, and better tasting?  Anyone tried it yet?  Is it hype or something worth looking in to?

Do you have the vague sense that Greek yogurt is good for you, but can't remember why the heck that is?  Marsha at Fit Woman has you covered with the nutritional nitty gritty on why Greek yogurt rocks.

Love watermelon?  Find out why you can feel smug eating it at Fit Bottomed Girls. 

At Vitamin G there's a sneaky trick for staving off hunger without eating any extra calories.

More links? Sure!  There's a Healthy Candy link roundup that includes foods that fight fat, ways to get more out of your workout, and suggestions from some obvious crackpot on how to make smoothies.

And remember a couple weeks ago when I wrote about my Stand Up Desk experiment?  Well, I'm still standing as I write this, and I'm just gonna trust that I'm getting all those nifty longevity benefits. (Though as to the supposed calorie burn? I haven't exactly been plagued with drastic unstoppable weight loss). But I was pleased to see that Carrie at FitApproach also decided to take a stand for fitness! Check out her post for some more ideas on how to stand more and sit less.

Next up: this week's health and fitness research on Twitter:

Another reason to get strong & muscular, besides feeling all bad-ass & confident: you can lower your risk of diabetes. http://bit.ly/oi7dMZ

Loss of Memory Due to Aging May Be Reversible: http://bit.ly/rmewys. Best news I heard all day! But heck, its the only news I can remember.

Only 15% Use Calorie Info at NYC Fast Food Chains http://on-msn.com/q9PLRn

Well duh: Smoking After Heart Attack Raises Risk of Dying. http://on-msn.com/nTpHQ2

Seriously? No cure for cancer yet but there's funding for: "Medieval Armor Drained Soldier's Energy, Study Finds" http://on-msn.com/mUmDuF

Just got lectured by my dermatologist, so I'm not gonna ditch sunscreen. But @Mark_Sisson has natural alternatives: http://bit.ly/oAReSp

Allergies driving you nuts? Silver lining: research suggests you may have lower cancer risk. http://nyti.ms/pDeqVL

Glad Dr. Mike is dissing "detox" diets in Shape magazine: http://bit.ly/omo2Us. But "cut out caffeine?" Ain't happening!

Is there some conspiracy afoot to get me to try yoga? Studies show yoga can cut hot flashes by 31%. http://ow.ly/5JvFI

Mmm, a great excuse for apple pie? Cinnamon compound may help prevent alzheimers: http://bit.ly/pvgD6x

This week in "Weird Ways People Found Cranky Fitness," we have the somewhat creepy: "circuit training ideas for two year olds," "cannibal rice ball," and "whales having sex."  But low-carbers may relate to this one: "atkins cranky how long?"

And finally, the most hilariously terrible public service campaign ever is apparently still ongoing! But don't ignore the message behind it.  Read this vintage CF post so you don't die this summer please.

One last reminder: Don't forget to enter this week's New Balance UV workout wear giveaway!  And I won't spoil the surprise, but next week's giveaway is really awesome: not only is it for a great, gender neutral fitness product, but Canadians will be included too. Hooray!

Happy Friday, everyone. Got any thoughts, advice, fun weekend plans, jokes, complaints? It's all good!

Giveaway: New Balance Workout Outfit with UV Protection

Wrap Skirt: just one of two thingies you could win.

Yep, in a continuing effort to bribe folks back to Cranky Fitness after a long blogging hiatus, I've got more giveaways coming. God forbid I should try to write informative blog posts about health and fitness--that's a lot more work! The winner of last week's set of 10 DVD's will also be announced below. But if it ain't you, don't give up, because there are quite a few more giveaways in the works before sponsors get wise to the fact that Cranky Fitness is not exactly a serious and influential health and fitness blog.

UPDATE: CONTEST IS OVER!  Winner's name can be found in the Aug 3 P90X giveaway post. 

This giveaway just requires a comment to enter, but it also includes a plea to help poor befuddled Cranky Fitness enter the 21st century and get a Facebook page going. If you're on Facebook and are up for helping out, you can have two chances to win. Or you can just help out because you're a really nice person, which I believe is a synonym for "Canadian."


Anyway so this week's giveaway features workout wear with UV protection from New Balance. And what's so awesome about that?

Well, if you're like me, you may have had occasion to notice a funny bump or a suspicious mole or two, and found yourself clad in a skimpy paper robe in a dermatologists office.

Even if your bump or mole turns out to be Nothing Bad, it's hard not to think about the What If's. (It also doesn't help if you, like me, are too cheap for premium cable and are just now starting to watch The Big C, in which the adorable Laura Linney is diagnosed with Stage 4 melanoma.)

Now of course the nice dermatologist's advice on skin cancer prevention was essentially to hide myself in a deep dark hole my entire life and never expose myself to sunlight. And um, that's not happening. Failing that, the doc advised UV protective wear, hats, and barrels and barrels of sunscreen.

As it happens, I'm good about putting sunscreen on exposed areas of skin, but I've never bothered to slather it under my clothes and somehow doubt I'm going to start now. So workout gear with built-in UV protection? Seems like an excellent idea!

You've got the UV stuff? Good for you!

Here's all the high tech stuff that goes into the fabric:

"Icefil® fabrics are antimicrobial and wick moisture away, dry quickly and cool the body by using larger dimension yarns to physically absorb heat given off by the body. A NAC (Nano Aqua Chem) treatment of the fabric blocks the sun’s infrared rays, providing UV protection, while the application of Xylitol further enhances the process by producing a chemical reaction with moisture to maximize the cooling effect. Available in high visibility colors to ensure safety at any time of day, the Icefil® Short Sleeve and Sleeveless will keep an athlete cool and dry during a long run."

Hello? Hello? HEY WAKE UP!!!! Be honest: you got about as far as "antimicrobial" and then your head fell onto your desk, did it not?

Anyway, bottom line, the stuff keeps you cool and dry and protects against UV.

Hi there, skimpy little workout top!

You've got UV protection too? Sweet!

The only reason I didn't try to snag this outfit for myself, is that the bottom piece is a skirt. A skirt! I'm afraid I'm just too butch for a skirt. And yeah, it's a wrap skirt equipped with a new-fangled moisture wicking boy-short underneath, but dang it, it's still a skirt. However, if you're a skirty girl, or want the top and have a skirty-girl as a friend, then you're good to go.

Alas, this is U.S. only giveaway, so poor international folks can only enter if they can scrape together a U.S. mailing address. However, we do have some more giveaways coming in which Canadians can win, so if hail from up north, don't give up!

Oh, and I almost forgot: last week's winner of the 10 DVD Set is: the 10th Commenter, Jill! Please email me and claim your prize by the end of day Friday the 29th or I'll have to draw another winner. And I'll need a mailing address.

Now, on to this week's contest details:

To enter: leave a comment below. Winner will be picked by a random number generator. You can also leave your email address, but I have no idea about spambots that may troll the site. Do so at your own risk. The main reason you might want to do this is that if you win, I can email you and let you know you won and you'll have a better chance of meeting the tight deadline for claiming your prize before I pick another winner.

To enter again: "Like" the poor pathetic Cranky Fitness Facebook page I just set up, then come back and comment again to let me know that you did. You can type crankyfitness.com in the Facebook search box, or I think it's at this ugly url. (The page can't even have a name until I get 25 people to like it). So far, it just contains  recent Cranky Fitness blog posts, but eventually if folks actually sign on, I might add some random nonsensical rambling "bonus content." Plus I think you can also suggest links or say hi or whatever. But who knows? Facebook is still mysterious to me.


Giveaway winner will be announced next Wednesday August the 3rd. The winner will have until Friday the 5th to claim the prize or I'll pick another winner.

The Prize: The UV wrap skirt plus one of the two UV tops shown above. (Go to New Balance for more info on these and other New Balance products).

Thanks for stopping by, and Good Luck!

Healthy Smoothie Recipes: From Foofy to Fierce

Photo: echo0101

Admittedly, not everyone has joined the Cult of the Smoothie. Some people prefer not to drink their calories, some folks don't have a blender yet, and still others just don't see the point of tossing a bunch of perfectly good whole food items together and pulverizing them into an unrecognizable viscous substance that may vary in hue from a pretty pink to a repellant grayish brown.

But, for the rest of us: aren't smoothies awesome? You can drink 'em for breakfast or have one as a snack and, if made properly, they allow you to consume a bunch of virtuous healthy stuff without gagging! Or conversely, you can enjoy a tasty beverage that resembles a milkshake without feeling too guilty about it.

Funny thing, though: some folks may start innocently sipping milkshake-like fruity concoctions. But then concerns about sugar/fructose content, or the desire to snag potential health benefits from more adventurous ingredients, can lead to an obsessive quest for the healthiest smoothie possible that is still actually drinkable without holding one's nose.

Are you looking to start easing your way into the Smoothosphere with some sweet, creamy, pretty foofy smoothies? Or are you already well down that road and are now looking to create a fierce blender beverage that will shock family and friends with its outrageous healthiness and seemingly unappetizing combination of disease-fighting ingredients? Or maybe you've perfected your own smoothie recipe and wouldn't mind sharing some tips?


Well, let's get crackin'! Here are some tips for healthy smoothies, along with recipes and resources.

Smoothie Tips:

1. Buy a blender. Much more convenient than a sledgehammer or a wood-chipper for pulverizing produce.

2. If you're new to smoothies, start Foofy. It's more important that you LOVE your smoothie; if you start off with a recipe that calls for rutabagas, seaweed, and raw eggs you may incorrectly come to the conclusion that smoothies are not for you. Frozen fruit + reasonably healthy liquid and you're good to go. Don't have frozen fruit on hand? Fresh fruit + ice + liquid works too.

3. Other typical "starter" ingredients for smoothie newbies besides fruit are things like milk (cow/goat/almond/soy/rice etc), yogurt, fruit juice, coconut water, peanut or almond butter, sweeteners (sugar/honey/stevia etc.), vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, mint, cocoa powder, or whatever you can think of that isn't outright unhealthy but might make the smoothie more of a treat.

4. Proportions? Well, this depends on whether you like 'em icy or just cool, thick or thin, sweet or not so sweet... check out the recipe links below for suggestions, but really, when it comes to smoothies, it's best to experiment with your own favorite ingredients until you find the right consistency and flavor.

5. Found a smoothie you like? Now add protein! If you're one of those meat-loving primal folks, then sure, go ahead and throw in a rack of lamb. But for many, the idea is to have the protein part be unobtrusive. You can use dairy products like milk or yogurt (greek yogurt in particular is high in protein). But there are alternatives too, like pasteurized egg whites (flavorless and undetectable) or protein powders. There can be drawbacks to protein powders: some are expensive, some have a grainy texture, some taste gross, and some are surprisingly high in sugar and calories. I shied away for ages, but after reading a bunch of research about the health benefits of whey protein, I finally succumbed. My favorite is the vanilla whey protein at Whole Foods, the house brand called "365." It's cheaper than most, and sweetened with stevia (which may be good or bad depending on your Stevia views).

6. Go green! The next step is adding veggies. Same advice as above: go slowly and let the fruit dominate until you start acclimating to the vegetable taste. (Weirdly enough, you do get used to it, and even start to enjoy a little bit of veggie complexity poking its head out of the fruity sweetness). It helps to start with a little bit of something mild, like romaine lettuce or spinach, or something sweet, like carrots. Then gradually add more; when it tastes yucky, back off or you'll suddenly find yourself craving poptarts for breakfast and your healthy smoothies ritual may become a thing of the past.

7. Optimize and exoticize! See how many healthy things you can sneak into your smoothie without rendering it too disgusting to drink. Antioxidant powerhouses like blueberries, cruciferous veggies,  arugula or cabbage, green tea, healthy herbs, probiotics, spices, eye of newt... (Oh wait, wrong potion recipe.  Skip the eye of newt unless you're trying to turn your boss into a cockroach).

Hmm, not bad--just needs a tad more mouse.
Photo credit: Malingering

8. So what's in my smoothie these days? Let's see, this morning it was: frozen blueberries, a few stalks of asparagus, a little arugula, a whole crap-load of fresh spinach, some carrot juice, coconut water, egg whites, ice, and a scoop of the above-described stevia-sweetened vanilla whey protein powder.  Sure, it may look like a toxic oil spill. And sadly, house guests tend to flee the kitchen if they catch me concocting one, fearful that I may offer them a sample. But I swear, it tastes great (to me!)

Recipes and Resources

For new smoothie enthusiasts, who are looking for lightweight type smoothies, here are some Foofy ideas:

There's an Orange Creamsicle smoothie, and tons more recipes at Smoothieweb.

Oprah's magazine unearthed a pair of smoothie-making twins and among their recipes you'll find the Watermelon Agua Fresca Smoothie.

There are a whole bunch of foofy smoothie recipes in Good Housekeeping too, a magazine which probably contains all kinds of good stuff but has that problematic title--at least for those of us who are Stubbornly Bad Housekeepers.

And if you like audio/visual aids, Allrecipes.com has a video on how to make smoothies. (Did I watch it? Um, no. So if half-way through it turns into an infomercial for cuticle cream or a zombie movie or something, sorry about that).

And Fitness Magazine also has some healthy yet user-friendly smoothie recipes, including one for a Honeydew-Kiwifruit Smoothie.

For the more hardcore smoothie fan, here are your Advanced, Death-defying smoothie recipes:

Raw Family not only has recipes and videos but they even have a free green smoothie App for your iPhone or Droid or whatever. Their smoothies contain ingredients like dandelion greens, aloe vera, and stinging nettles, so you know they mean business!

Blisstree and That's Fit, two well-respected health blogs (which, since I've come back from hiatus now seem be sleeping together or something, it's a little confusing), featured the same smoothie article full of suggestions for healthy power ingredients that will boost your metabolism.

And of course I have to mention Vitamix, which is a company that makes high-end blenders and is a great source of green smoothie recipes.   Oh, and should some vitamix PR rep be searching the web for  health bloggers who drink smoothies to review one of those babies?  YES, PLEASE, CRABBY IS YOUR GAL! YOU HAVE FOUND THE RIGHT PLACE!

So, do you guys have any good recipes or links? Do you even drink smoothies or do you prefer your produce some other way? Are you Foofy or Fierce when it comes to making smoothies or other healthy concoctions?

This Week in Lazy Linkage

Photo: Zenera

Seems only fitting that this week's "lazy links" post would be a couple days late, right?

First up, if you haven't entered the Cranky Fitness giveaway for a set of 10, count 'em, 10, workout DVD's, it's not too late!  Just go the workout dvd giveaway post and leave a comment.


What else have we got this week? Well, keep reading if you'd like to prevent cancer, keep from getting killed on vacation, sharpen up your brain, or, find out why that crazy unpredictable Dr. J is saying "you should overeat and be underactive at night."

Wait, what was that last bit?   Isn't Dr. J that sensible physician over at Calorie Lab who reminds us to get our exercise, eat healthy foods, and watch our portions?  Why yes, he is! So of course that quote was taken out of context. However, it's part of a great post on intermittent fasting, and if you're curious about skipping meals you should read his post.

Are you a woman looking for a shoe that will change the amount of arch support it offers depending on where you are in your menstrual cycle?  Well the Asics folks are happy to provide one. (Thanks Vitamin G and Blisstree for alerting me to such dumbassery revolutionary technology).  But for $140? I'm thinking shoes that know where women are in their menstrual cycle better be able to run out to the store all by themselves and bring back tampons, ibuprofen and big bottles of wine!

This week in Twitter:

Jealous of tall folks? Consider this odd finding: Taller People Have Higher Cancer Risk http://mnt.to/3YqZ

This amazing veggie may make your brain sharper http://glmr.me/qOt7LA (But, oh crap, it's celery! I hate celery!)

Creepy interactive trauma care map shows vacation spots where you're screwed if you have an accident: http://ti.me/r15VhG

When restaurants post calorie data, is it accurate or total bulls#t? Study says it's mostly true, but some items are way off. http://bit.ly/n0SxGT

Ears ringing? Promising new treatments for tinnitus: http://n.pr/phFHmt (Thank god, 'cause I stupidly keep listening to loud music).

Whey to lose weight! Turns out whey protein powder helps lower ghrelin levels. http://bit.ly/nTs4z0

What? A new healthy tasty snack? Sign me up! http://t.co/7TVOo8q (Sorghum popcorn! Anyone tried it yet?)

Got non-melanoma skin cancer already & don't want to get melanoma? Study: Vitamin D plus calcium reduces risk 50%: http://bit.ly/o7HKeq

Cell phones now classified as possibly carcinogenic by official-sounding agency. http://bit.ly/oyila5 Note to self: Headset! Headset!

Those who are chronically sick and use antibiotic soap appear to get SICKER. http://bit.ly/l2gNn2

Study: replacing saturated fats with unsaturated better for heart than going low fat: http://bit.ly/qyNGyS Hooray for olive oil & avocados!

Want more random health links, to find out, for example, what body part you should wash thoroughly to keep from attracting mosquitoes?  College Candy has a weekly round up.

Do what I say, not what I do:  So it might seem ironic that when people google "proper elliptical form," they often end up at Cranky Fitness.  But this week's  "blast from the past" post does actually contain some elliptical trainer form tips, along with the usual whining.

And speaking of internet searches, what are the "keywords of the week?"  Two terms people used to find Cranky Fitness this week:   "Porn for Crabby People," and "Shaved Gorilla."

So how's your Friday, folks? Doing anything fun this weekend?

Giveaway: Set of 10 Workout DVDs!

So Cranky Fitness is just recently back from a long hiatus, and not surprisingly, has lost a bit of its previous readership.  Despite the obvious advantages of a health blog full of cursing, whining, skepticism and laziness, short-sighted readers seem to have found alternative, earnest, upbeat sources of health and fitness information.  What's up with that?!   Also, with perfect timing, Cranky Fitness has started up again in the somnolent depths of the summer season--when most sensible folks flee the fitness blogosphere for actual real-life getting outdoors and exercising. Silly readers!  Wouldn't you rather plop your butts back in your chairs and read about getting in shape?

However, this ill-timed Cranky Fitness re-launch may be excellent news for the 200,000 two folks who still manage to visit Cranky Fitness on a regular basis.  Thing is, I want to bribe welcome people back to the blog, and so I'm working on some giveaway opportunities for the next few weeks. This means if you bother to show up to Cranky Fitness and enter, your chances are pretty darn good of winning something!


So this week, you could win a set of 10 "Top Trainer DVD's valued at $89.95.-- UPDATE: THE CONTEST IS OVER AND THE WINNER HAS ALREADY BEEN CHOSEN. To find out if you won, and enter the next giveaway if you didn't, please visit the New Balance UV Workout Apparel Giveaway.

About the DVD's:

So an email arrived in the Cranky Fitness inbox last week asking: HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TEN TOP PERSONAL FITNESS TRAINERS IN A BOX?

And I thought: "Wow, that sounds cool, but what would I feed them? And if these guys are small enough to fit inside a DVD box, can they use regular indoor plumbing like we do? Or would I have to have a really awkward conversation with the guy at the hardware store trying to fashion facilities small enough so that they couldn't fall into the toilet bowl and drown?"

However, since this a giveaway, the feeding and hygiene needs of 10 four-inch-tall personal trainers will be your concern, not mine. The cool thing about these DVD's is that there are a bunch of different work outs for variety, highlighting Cardio, Thighs, Core, Buns, Abs, Yoga, Ballet, Pilates, Latin Dance Plyometrics, Interval Training, and Kickboxing. You can learn more about these videos at HealthyFitBodies.com (but turn off your audio unless you enjoy the mellifluous sound of an infomercial voiceover accompanying you as you browse).

Sadly, the winner must have a U.S. mailing address to send the DVDs to. But if you don't live in the U.S., you can still enter if you can think of anyone in the U.S. you might like to give the prize to if you win. Someone will be very grateful and it will make a nice deposit in the Good Karma bank.

To enter: just leave a comment below. Winner selected by random drawing, the results of which will be announced next Wednesday the 27th. To claim your prize, email me by the end of day Friday the 29th or I'll draw another winner.

So, want to win a set of workout DVD's, or just say hi on a summer day? All comments welcome.