TO DO: ZUMBA FITNESS PARTY AT THE PERFORMANCE GARAGE

Dance yourself lean with this two-hour workout.

Posted by Julianne Mele on 1/27/2012 at 1:07PM | No Comments

Weekend partying doesn’t have to end after Saturday night. Break it down at the Zumba Fitness Party on Sunday evening from 5:30 to 7:30 with Vaughnda Hilton and guest instructors Z-Maniacs. Hilton’s feisty attitude facilitates a fun and high-energy environment where you can blast up to 1,000 calories. Light refreshments and Zumba wear for sale will follow the event. Buy your (discounted) advance ticket here.

$15 online and $20 at the door, January 29, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., the Performance Garage, 1515 Brandywine Street.

>> Have a health or fitness event to share with Be Well Philly readers? Email eleaman@phillymag.com with details.

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ARE YOU ‘THAT GUY’ WHEN YOU HAVE THE FLU?

A recent survey found that two-thirds of people admit to being “That Guy” who continues to go about daily activities despite feeling under the weather.

Posted by Emily Leaman on 1/27/2012 at 11:16AM | No Comments

She's totally That Guy.

Full disclosure: I’m sitting in my home office as I tap out this blog post. My throat felt scratchy earlier this week, and by yesterday afternoon, I was all but a walking zombie. So this morning when I woke up to a massive sinus headache, a nose that couldn’t be more clogged, and a back that felt bruised it was so achy, I decided to save my coworkers from my germs (magnanimous, aren’t I?) and work from home.

Today, I am not That Guy. But yesterday? Yup, I totally was. (I apologize to my coworkers and fellow passengers on the 48 bus for all the sneezing.)

A new survey on flu etiquette describes “That Guy” as the person who continues to go to work, or parties, or happy hour, or church—any public place besides the doctor’s office, really—despite showing symptoms of the flu. The survey found that while 81 percent agree that people with the flu should stay home, two-thirds (64 percent) admit to being That Guy and carrying on with daily activities—and spreading germs while they’re at it—as if they’re perfectly healthy.

Only a third of respondents say they call their doctor when experiencing flu-like symptoms (count me among the majority who doesn’t seek medical attention—whoopsie), even though the flu is super contagious and accounts for thousands of deaths every year. And only four out of 10 Americans say they feel comfortable telling That Guy (a.k.a. me) to stay away when he’s sick. I guess my husband is one of those four Americans—he all but barred me from going to the office this morning.

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TOP DENTISTS 2012: PHILLY FOODS TO AVOID

Which local foods are wreaking havoc on your teeth? Hint: Not cheese steaks. Here are the goodies dentists hate most.

Posted by Kathryn Siegel on 1/27/2012 at 10:19AM | No Comments

>> We’re previewing content from our Top Dentists 2012 issue all week long. Want to see it in print? Check out the February issue of Philly Mag on newsstands today!

Soft Pretzels
Apparently, carbs are as bad for your teeth as they are for your love handles.

 

 

Wawa Iced Tea
With all that citric acid, you’re in the dental danger zone.

 

 

 

Tastykake Jelly Krimpets
Your enemy here: all that tooth-rotting  sugar. Double shame: chasing one with a Frank’s Black Cherry Wishniak soda.

 

 

Shriver’s Salt Water Taffy
The sticky factor keeps the taffy in your mouth too long. Especially perilous for the braces set.

 

Rita’s Italian Ice
“Philly water’s fine; Rita’s water ice—not,” says Rittenhouse Square dentist Kathryn Ames.

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THE CHECKUP: HOW TO EXERCISE WHILE CLEANING YOUR HOUSE

Sofa lifts! Vacuum lunges! Believe it or not, two people have fitness plans that teach these multitasking moves.

Posted by Emily Leaman on 1/27/2012 at 8:38AM | No Comments
Vacuum cleaner

Photo from Digital Vision

• I’m all about killing as many birds with one stone as possible. So the idea of getting in a good workout while cleaning my house is pretty attractive, actually. Stevie Markovich and Carolyn Barnes, who each have exercise programs designed around housecleaning, are banking on lots of multitaskers like me. The Wall Street Journal posted a story earlier this week about Markovich and Barnes and their fitness programs, which teach moves like vacuum-cleaner lunges, window-washing squats and sofa lifts. There’s even a video demonstrating some of the moves. (Spoiler alert: it’s pretty hilarious.) While I think the cleaning workout is a great idea in theory, I’m not sure I’d actually do it in my own house. I think I’d feel too self-conscious—even if my cat were the only one watching.

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has charted a nearly 30 percent rise in home births between 2004 and 2009. Driving the trend, according to the report, are the 36 percent of white women who’ve opted to give birth at home; the CDC says 1 in 90 births to white women now occur in the home.

• Here’s something you probably could have guessed: Working too much puts you at a greater risk for depression. A new study of British government employees found that people who work 11 or more hours a day are twice as likely to suffer from depression than those who work seven to eight hours a day. Something to think about next time you find yourself burning the midnight oil at the office. Read more here.

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TOP DENTISTS 2012: NEW TECHNOLOGY TO MAKE YOU SMILE

Philly brainiacs are busy cooking up cool new gadgets to make your next trip to the dentist a lot more pleasant. Here, four ouch-inducing practices that are going out of fashion (buh-bye, anesthetic needle) thanks to innovations worth smiling about.

Posted by Annie Monjar on 1/26/2012 at 3:45PM | No Comments

>> We’re previewing content from our Top Dentists 2012 issue all week long. Want to see it in print? Check out the February issue of Philly Mag on newsstands Friday!

Out: Heavy Scalpels and Scrapers
In: Lasers

The horrible scraping administered by your hygienist could soon be made much less cringe-worthy. Joseph Roberts, a dentist in Rittenhouse, says lasers can zap bacteria with more precision and are especially promising for patients with periodontitis, an infection that can break down bone and a tooth’s connective tissue; left untreated, it destroys the tooth.

“Instead of having to peel the gum off the tooth, the laser allows for just the slightest opening,” says Roberts. “Then it goes back at the end and creates a thick blood clot, to allow bone to regrow with fewer complications.” Other benefits: less pain immediately following the procedure, and a speedier recovery. Only a few area specialists are using the technique now, but Roberts is hopeful it will become standard practice in a few years.

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DID SCIENCE UNLOCK THE MYSTERY OF ‘GAYDAR’?

It's all about symmetry, people!

Posted by Emily Leaman on 1/26/2012 at 2:15PM | No Comments

Over on G Philly, editor Natalie Hope McDonald wrote a post yesterday about research at Albright College in Reading on face symmetry and sexual orientation. Researchers found that self-identified heterosexuals had more symmetrical features than their gay counterparts. And when it came to assessing onlookers’ perceptions of sexual orientation—i.e., gaydar—researchers found that the more likely onlookers were to think a person was heterosexual, the more symmetrical that person’s face turned out to be.

Cue the money quote:

“We were surprised to find that symmetry played a larger role than masculine/feminine features in assessing sexual orientation,” says Hughes. “But it appears that individuals use cues of symmetry to make assessments about one’s sexual orientation and may be one of the features that comprise a person’s ‘gaydar’ abilities.”

Read more about the study here.

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TOP DENTISTS 2012: KISS-AND-TELL TOOTHPASTE TASTE TEST

What product could kill your next make out session? Bacon toothpaste.

Posted by Emily Leaman on 1/26/2012 at 12:32PM | No Comments

>> We’re previewing content from our Top Dentists 2012 issue all week long. Want to see it in print? Check out the February issue of Philly Mag on newsstands Friday!

Bacon toothpaste, beer lip balm—we couldn’t believe some of the products meant to spruce up a smile. We enlisted Cort Day and Kate Egan, the husband-and-wife owners of the Rittenhouse jewelry boutique Egan Day, to try them out and test their kissability. Spoiler alert: Bacon breath is not an aphrodisiac.

Bacon Toothpaste
Archie McPhee, $4.50, mcphee.com
She said: “This is so wrong. It’d be better than beef jerky as an appetite suppressant.”
He said: “Wow, weird. It’s like kissing a plate of bacon.”
Verdict: For those who want to live with their moms—forever.

Beer-Flavored Old Chub Stick Lip Balm
William’s Brewing, $2.90, williamsbrewing.com
He said: “There’s beer in this? Can’t taste it.”
She said: “Your lips are glowing! Just stunning.”
Verdict: No beer buzz, but high marks for aesthetics.

Antiplaque Toothpaste
with Fennel, Propolis & Myrrh Trader Joe’s, $2.29
He said: “Refreshing and pleasant. I really like it.”
She said: “This is a good first-date toothpaste—subtle, different, slightly unusual. The ultra-cool hipster of toothpastes.”
Verdict: A surprising keeper.

Cinnamon Clove Healthy Mouth Mouthwash
Jason, $9.99, Whole Foods
She said: “I wanted to like this, but it’s too strong. Two hours from now, when it wears off, my breath will be perfect.”
He said: “Bitter. And there’s some sort of industrial-cleaner taste at the end.”
Verdict: Repellent. Our testers kept their distance—from each other.

 

 

 

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LOSING IT: ‘FANCY NANCY,’ THE UNLIKELY EXPERT

Robin wonders why people think she's the weight-loss expert all of a sudden. Plus—she joins a gym!

Posted by Robin Raskin on 1/26/2012 at 10:32AM | 8 Comments

So wait, what does it take to become an "expert" in something?

So I was reading Fancy Nancy, Explorer Extraordinaire to my daughter “O” the other day …

(What? Don’t tell me that fine piece of literature isn’t dog-eared on your bookshelf.)

This particular volume was not just about a precocious little girl in way-too-sparkly dresses randomly speaking French, but also had an educational component: Nancy was talking about lepidopterists, or butterfly experts. In typical O fashion, my daughter then asked what makes someone an expert. I started saying things about school and degrees and publishing articles, and may have started foaming at the mouth explaining that she, too, could be a lepidopterist if she just put her mind to it. I grabbed her by her shoulders and asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up and if by starting her in swim class at six months I had given her a leg-up in this life. In her mind, was I succeeding as a mother, giving her the right tools to succeed in the world? Did she feel loved? Supported?

Woah … one minute I was talking about “tres chic” gardening gloves and the next I had come completely unglued. Damn you, Fancy Nancy!

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TO DO: CITY SPORTS SUBURBAN SQUARE GRAND OPENING AND 5K FUN RUN

Celebrate the new City Sports store in Ardmore on Saturday.

Posted by Julianne Mele on 1/26/2012 at 10:17AM | No Comments

Like free stuff? Stop by City Sports’ Grand Opening of its relocated store within the Suburban Square complex in Ardmore this Saturday. The first 100 people to enter the store receive a free gift bag and the chance to win a $250 City Sports shopping spree. There will also be a DJ, yummy treats from local vendors, and raffles worth over $1,000 of in-store merchandise. Fit your workout into the event by participating in the open-registration 5K fun run at 10:30 a.m.

January 28, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Suburban Square Complex, Ardmore.

>> Have a health or fitness event to share with Be Well Philly readers? Email eleaman@phillymag.com with details.

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THE CHECKUP: YOUR NEW FITNESS ROUTINE: WALKING IN PLACE DURING TV COMMERCIALS

A new study shows it's actually a pretty good workout.

Posted by Emily Leaman on 1/26/2012 at 7:23AM | No Comments

Photo from iStockphoto

• I’m all about fitting in a few minutes of calorie-torching around everyday activities. After all, not everyone has hours and hours to spend at the gym each week. Researchers at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville ran a study recently to see if walking in place or around the house during television commercials could be a good workout. They recruited 23 adults for the study, who represented a range of body types, from normal to obese. They found that walking in place during the commercial breaks of hourlong TV programs added up to about 25 minutes of walking and an average of 148 calories burned; the subjects took an average of 2,111 steps in that time. By contrast, sitting and doing nothing while watching TV for an hour burned only 81 calories. So think about it: say you watch three hours of TV a night. You could get in 75 minutes of exercise and burn about 450 calories—without missing a minute of that Law & Order marathon.

• Here’s a bit of a fun fact with the 2012 Summer Olympics just a few months away: Researchers at Penn State found that sprinters have different foot structure than us regular folks. The results of the study, which looked at the bone and tendon lengths of eight sprinters and eight nonsprinters, concluded that sprinters have significantly longer big toes and metatarsals and significantly shorter Achilles tendons than nonsprinters. More details here.

• Ladies, would you love it or hate it if your man busted out in song while you’re lying in the hospital, about to have a baby, and having contractions? I can’t imagine my sense of humor would be at its best, but bravo for this new mom, who got a kick out of her husband’s impromptu baby-delivery rap. Using the beeping from the fetal heart monitor to keep the beat, dad-to-be Charles McDaniel started rapping about everything from the cervix to dilation to … trash cans. Oh, and he taped the whole thing. Watch the video here.

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