Silicon Valley Fitness

Betty White's birthday cake from Betty Crocker

2012-01-16T10:42:00.000-08:00

I'm not quite sure why I'm so taken with the fact that Betty White's birthday cake was baked by Betty Crocker, but I am. Maybe because Betty Crocker was first created in 1921, and Betty White was born in 1922 so they are both enduring ladies. Or maybe just because I grew up with both. Whatever, here's a picture of the cake with Betty White. According to the press info, the three-tiered Triple

ACE surveys fitness trends for 2012

2011-12-01T09:53:00.000-08:00

Every year The American Council on Exercise announces the top Fitness Trends to Watch as identified by its extensive network of personal trainers, exercise scientists, group fitness experts, allied health providers, and lifestyle and weight management coaches. The following is an overview of ACE’s 2012 Fitness Trends to Watch. Obesity awareness: Losing weight will continue to be the

Biggest Loser Turkey Breast with roasted pear gravy

2011-11-25T08:39:00.000-08:00

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Thanksgiving with The Biggest Loser season 12- Spinach Salad with Pears and Pomegranate

2011-11-20T14:30:00.000-08:00

This recipe from The Biggest Loser:Where Are They Now Special, November 23, 2011 is one of the featured recipes for Thanksgiving. And it looks terrific to me, especially because I've got some beautiful, organic locally grown (actually, from neighbors trees) pomegranates and pears. (Read the article about the show on San Jose Fitness Examiner) UPDATE - I made this for Thanksgiving, 2011 and it

Biggest Loser Thanksgiving recipe - Orange-Cranberry Relish

2011-11-20T14:22:00.000-08:00

Be sure to check out the article on San Jose Fitness Examiner and see the other recipes being featured from the November 23, 2011 The Biggest Loser: Where Are They Now Special. The Biggest Loser Thanksgiving meal: Orange-Cranberry Relish. Photo: Christopher Kalima /Food Styling: Aida Mollenkamp. Orange-Cranberry RelishMakes about 2 1/2 cups (10 (1/8 cup) portions)Prep Time: 10 minsCook

Roasted 'Candied' sweet potato casserole from The Biggest Loser

2011-11-20T14:15:00.000-08:00

Roasted "Candied" Sweet Potato Casserole from Biggest Loser Thanksgiving. Photo: Christopher Kalima; food styling: Aida Mollenkamp. As promised in the article on San Jose Fitness Examiner, here is one of the Thanksgiving recipes featured on The Biggest Loser: Where Are They Now special, November 23, 2011. More recipes from the episode: Spinach Salad w/Pear and Pomegranate; Orange-Cranberry

Biggest Loser Quick & Easy Cookbook - includes faux 'fried' Mushroom Parmesan Bake

2011-11-08T09:52:00.001-08:00

Biggest Loser Quick & Easy Cookbook “Fried ” Mushroom Parmesan BakeThis is a great vegetarian entree or a fun side dish to accompany an Italian entree. It’s super quick and easy to throw together, too.When cleaning mushrooms, don’t run them under water. Instead, peel them or rub them with a damp paper towel to remove any dirt. Mushrooms are like sponges, so if you run them under water, they’

Easy-Breezy BBQ Pot Roast Dinner from Biggest Loser Quick & Easy Cookbook

2011-11-08T09:50:00.001-08:00

The Biggest Loser Quick & Easy Cookbook Easy-Breezy BBQ Pot Roast DinnerThe most important rule when it comes to cooking lean cuts of meat is to not overcook it. Meats continue cooking when they emerge from the oven, especially large roasts. So, if you want this roast to be medium rare (130o to 135oF), remove it from the oven when a meat thermometer reads 125oF. Another important strategy is

recipe from Biggest Loser Quick & Easy Cookbook - Sweet Potato No-Skins

2011-11-08T09:49:00.000-08:00

Biggest Loser Quick & Easy Cookbook I saw a note that one of the local Y's (I think Page Mill) is having a Nutrition Night, with a bring-your-own healthy appetizer which got me thinking about holiday foods. Then presto! The PR person from Rodale Books emailed that on November 8, 2011 there's a new Biggest Loser Quick and Easy Cookbook. With their permission, I'm sharing some of the recipes

Meb Keflezighi and his Skechers GOrun shoes (pictures from San Jose)

2011-10-04T09:00:00.000-07:00

The team at Skechers sent a picture of Meb Keflezighi winning the Rock 'n' Roll San Jose Half Marathon in his SKECHERS GOrun shoes. I had intended to try on a pair at the RnRSJ Expo last week but didn't, so today I did a little checking around and saw that Skechers has stores locally and they are sold in a number of other local retailers in the Silicon Valley area. So if you've been wanting

Rock 'n' Roll San Jose Half Marathon 2011 on San Jose Fitness

2011-10-01T18:00:00.000-07:00

I got on a roll while writing about this year's Rock 'n' Roll San Jose Half Marathon primarily inspired by my opportunity to interview Meb Keflezlezighi, who is very personable. It was tough for me going in - so far as media he is everywhere, and has been for some time. After about 20 hours of research I realized there was very little that was new to say, so I focused on the things that

Dodge Rock n Roll San Jose 2011 - favorites are Deena Kastor and Meb Keflezighi

2011-10-01T11:06:00.000-07:00

The 2011 Dodge Rock 'n' Roll San Jose Half Marathon takes place tomorrow, October 2 and this year there are two favorites fans are watching: Deena Kastor and Meb Keflezighi American record-holder and 2004 Olympic bronze medalist Deena Kastor, 38, headlines the elite field, running her first half-marathon since giving birth to her daughter, Piper, earlier this year. “The Dodge Rock ‘n’

When the power goes out - what food to throw out

2011-08-15T13:34:00.000-07:00

Homefoodsafety.org, is running a blogger awareness campaign, which strikes me as a pretty smart way to get the word out about the site, which is a collaboration between American Dietetic Association and ConAgra Foods. I hadn't paid much attention to the contest or the site, but today I noticed the front page article had a story on what food to throw out when the power goes out.Personally, I'm

Team Walk On asks you to "Like" them and help promote a community for people with spinal cord injuries

2011-08-04T13:03:00.000-07:00

LA-based “Team Walk On” has set its sights on building a community to help those who have suffered paralysis and spinal cord injury through public awareness initiatives, merchandising and fund raising campaigns. To do this, it's asking people to start out by "Liking" them on Facebook. At the age of 16, a sprinter and prodigy in the pole vault, Team Walk ON founder John Thomas Hall

Help Diablo Ballet at 2011 Gourmet Gallop

2011-07-30T11:57:00.000-07:00

On Thursday August 11, 5 p.m.– 8 p.m. there's an opportunity to sample gourmet food and wine at nine locations in downtown Walnut Creek. The event benefits the Diablo Ballet and its acclaimed PEEK Youth Outreach Program. The PEEK Youth Outreach Program brings arts education to 5,000 under-served elementary school children each year in Contra Costa County. Photo: Ashraf With arts

Walk for Farm Animals 2011 to raise $1 million

2011-07-29T09:13:00.000-07:00

FarmSanctuary.org I just posted an article over on San Jose Fitness about the 2011 Walk for Farm Animals. This is a great cause, an opportunity for those who want to stop animal abuse and help farm animals and who are concerned with the cruel and horrific practices of factory farming to take a stand in support of compassion for all! This year the fund raising goal for the 35 walks that take

Finding reputable alternative health providers

2011-07-21T19:04:00.000-07:00

A press release today by Consumer Reports Health provided information about the widespread use of alternative treatments, used now by three out of four adults. (See information about the study in the post: 3 out of 4 adults use some sort of alternative therapy). Finding reputable providers, I've found, can be tricky. Consumer Reports made the following information available, about where to

3 out of 4 adults use some form of alternative therapy

2011-07-21T18:53:00.000-07:00

A new reader survey published in the September, 2011 issue of Consumer Reports says three of four adults use some form of alternative therapy for general health. No surprise, really, but interesting I think, yes? Readers rated prescription drugs as helping the most for the majority of 12 health problems, but chiropractic, deep-tissue massage, and yoga, dominated the lists of helpful

Junk Food Day, Wellness Week, and San Jose people live longest

2011-07-21T18:14:00.000-07:00

The in-box is an amazing assortment of information. I used to love getting my daily mail in the mail box, but I gave up mail about 15 years ago and never looked back. Now I love opening my in-box of email (well, for the most part). In today's email were three pieces that I thought a funny juxtaposition, and so I wrote an article for San Jose Fitness Examiner combining all three: National Junk

Jamba Juice nabs Venus Williams as spokesperson and franchisee

2011-07-21T18:04:00.000-07:00

I'm a fan of the Williams sisters - Venus and Serena that is -- for a number of reasons that pretty much center on on the same reasons that most people like celebrities: they seem like people who have a good mix of raw talent and exceptionally hard work, people who really love what they do. So I was interested to see that Silicon Valley-based Jamba Juice signed Venus Williams as celebrity

Loving these fitness articles: great foods, greatly disgusting foods, and ideas on spending your fitness bucks

2011-06-17T16:03:00.000-07:00

Friday afternoon and I'm waiting for the mechanic to call and tell me how much it will cost to ransom my car -- and I'm trolling the web. Here's some of what I've found - hope you enjoy them too: A Superfood for (Almost) Every Letter of the Alphabet From Fit Bottomed Mamas, one of those lists you just love to read and reinforce what you probably already know. And who knows, maybe you'll pick up

Terrific art supports terrific cause: AIDS Walk SF

2011-06-17T14:40:00.000-07:00

I got the following email from Lori Myers - (see her blog: As the World Twirls) - and I agree with her: this art is pretty amazing, and it's a great way to support the AIDS Walk SF. Dan Jones drew some pretty amazing charcoal portraits and is donating them to help Jimmy Gale raise money for the AIDS Walk SF. If you want to bid on them, check out the link below. It's an online auction! And

Cookouts Veggie Style - a cookbook that's made for California living

2011-06-17T13:58:00.000-07:00

Oh YUM. I just got a new cookbook - more of an idea book actually - that I can't wait to start to try out. (I was headed to the Farmer's Market today but got waylaid by car troubles - otherwise I'd be shopping instead of writing). Anyway, I'm sharing it here to pass along the good word: It's titled "Cookouts Veggie Style" and is by Jolinda Hackett, who is the About.com Guide to Vegetarian

For injuried knees: walk backward

2011-06-04T12:04:00.000-07:00

Interesting news from the American College of Sports Medicine Annual Meeting: for those recovering from knee injuries, people who pedaled backward on treadmills and elliptical machines tended to do better than those who pedaled forward, as measured by muscle strength and cardiovascular fitness. DENVER – Those recovering from knee injuries might do well to heed research being presented

Half off Rock n Roll Marathon, TriRock and Muddy Buddy on June 1

2011-05-31T20:56:00.000-07:00

Apparently getting half off registrations for the Rock n Roll marathons (and Muddy Buddy, TriRock, Rock n Roll 5k and other CGI races) isn't news worthy - at least according to Examiner which just turned it down from going into the Google news stream. However, given that the half off price is good on June 1 only, I think it deserves better than being buried by never getting to see the light