FabSugar

How Clean Is Your Beach?

FitSugar — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 12:00:26 PDT

If you're heading to the beach soon to beat the Summer heat, you might want to see how clean it is. Recently, we learned that playing in the sand can increase your risk of developing gastrointestinal ailments, and the water might not be too clean either.

The National Resource Defense Council just released its annual report on the cleanliness of our beaches, and unfortunately some did not pass muster. Let's start with the top ranked beaches based on water quality and frequency the water is tested - the cleanest are in California, Minnesota (land of 10,000 lakes), and New Hampshire. The dirtiest are in the Northeast and Florida. Both water and sand become polluted from runoff water that drains into the ocean after a storm. The runoff collects pesticides, pet waste, road grease, etc., and all this ends up in the water. The polluted water can lead to a variety of health problems from skin rashes to neurological disorders.

You can check out your beach with this NRDC chart or this interactive map from the Environmental Protection Agency. Unfortunately, with budget shortfalls in most states, the beaches are not being monitored as closely as they once were. Just remember to steer clear of the beach after a heavy rainstorm.

Reminder! Target GO International Private Label Summer Line in Stores

FabSugar — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 02:00:22 PDT

If you're skipping town for the long weekend, try to fit an excursion to Target into your plans because the Go International Private Label Summer line has hit stores. If there isn't a Target where you're going, shop online. Fresh floral prints are the main attraction but there are plenty of other options, too. There are also a couple cute bikinis just in time for your Fourth of July!

Source

Sneak Peek! Target GO International Private Label Summer Collection

FabSugar — Wed, 21 May 2008 13:00:22 PDT

Target is on fire, and there are no firefighters around to put out the flames! As a follow-up to its first in-house Target GO International Private Label Spring collection, the company has come out with a Summer collection set to hit stores June 29. The collection of bikinis, one-shoulder ruffled tops, volume-sleeve tunics, and floral-print rompers will set you back a mere $14.99 to $44.99. Layering continues to be a significant trend. I don't know about you, but I'm digging all the vibrant floral patterns. What a fresh interpretation of the moody floral trend.

To see more from Target's GO International Private Label Summer collection,

View 15 Photos ›

Source

Sneak Peek! Kate Moss For Topshop High Summer Collection

FabSugar — Tue, 20 May 2008 15:00:22 PDT

Rejoice because Kate Moss's High Summer collection has landed at Topshop! Among all the goodies you'll find are frilly frocks, romantic blouses, short shorts, and basically everything you need to keep your Summer stylish.
The pieces I'm crushing on are the Indian Printed Dress ($89) and the Aztec Blouse ($69). Which piece from Kate Moss's latest collection will be your Summer companion?

To see more from the Kate Moss For Topshop High Summer collection,

View 5 Photos ›

Source

Sneak Peek! Lauren Conrad's Summer in the City Collection

FabSugar — Mon, 05 May 2008 10:00:08 PDT

Is it me or does Lauren Conrad come out with new collections faster than you can say "Brody Jenner"? I'm not doing the hard work so she can keep it coming as long as she likes!

Her Summer in the City collection is not vastly different than the Spring line - shocking, I know! - but it does have some cute pieces. You'll continue to find jersey dresses, but also in the mix are butterfly prints, ruffles, bows, and an adorable strapless jumper (left) that I'm eyeing.

To see more from Lauren Conrad's Summer in the City collection,

View 12 Photos ›

Shawn Johnson Talks Weight Loss and Learning to Love Her Body

espnW — Fri, 25 May 2012 03:05:26 PDT

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from espnW here on FitSugar!

By Shawn Johnson

Shawn Johnson is blogging for espnW throughout her training for the Olympics in London this summer. Follow hers other Olympic hopefuls' journeys on espnW.com.

Four years ago, I was standing on an Olympic podium, wearing a gold medal, and still thinking to myself how I could have been better. It had nothing to do with my performance - it was all how I looked. Back then, I always felt like I could have been a few pounds lighter. But the irony is, when I look back at the pictures, I look unhealthy and too thin. It's easy to get into a trap as an elite athlete, because you're made to feel that you're never perfect, that you can always be better. That's how you improve in your sport, but it's also tough because you aren't satisfied with yourself ever - it's second nature not to be. I'd always think, "Just get a little stronger, a little lighter," until it was completely ingrained in my mind.

Shawn Johnson takes us inside training camp

It's easy for people to blame gymnastics for this mentality, but I feel like the sport has improved a lot. The horror stories we heard from generations ago (think Joan Ryan's infamous book Little Girls in Pretty Boxes), you don't hear at all anymore. But I do believe it can improve further and that good nutrition could be a key to all of this, if it were only taught at a young age. Many gymnasts go into the elite level at 13 or so, and a 13-year-old isn't going to go to the library to read some book on nutrition! She needs to be given the right information on how to eat well. Otherwise, it's not until she's out of the sport that she realizes the damage she's done to her body by not eating enough over the past 20 years.

Shawn Johnson in the driver's seat

I see all the success we have as a country where the gymnasts aren't 100 percent healthy, and I imagine how amazing we could be if we were doing it in the healthiest way possible. I don't think it's a failure on anybody's part; the education just isn't there right now, and it's just not thought about in our sport. My parents have told me since I was little, "You're given your body for a reason. It's OK to be different. Being unique is a good thing." But I always struggled to believe it. I'm stocky, muscular and short, and I wanted to be thin and flexible so bad! My mom would say, "You're not made that way, and you're not going to become that, so you have to learn to accept and love the body you're in." Well, some people are born with that appreciation, and some people have to work really hard to get there. Put me in that second camp.

Read on for more on what Shawn Johnson has to say about body confidence and how she feels in her gymnastics leotard.

Hope Springs Trailer: Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones Spice Things Up

BuzzSugar — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 09:49:58 PDT

As she's proved time and time again, Meryl Streep is a pro. Just ask her cabinet of Oscars, Emmys, and Golden Globes. But in the new trailer for Hope Springs it appears her character Maeve has lost her touch, or at least she has with Arnold (Tommy Lee Jones), her hubby of 31 years. After concluding that their marriage has lost its spark, Maeve and Arnold head to Great Hope Springs for an intensive couples therapy retreat, led by Dr. Bernie Field (Steve Carell). Along the road to reconciliation, the two encounter roadblocks, hijinks, and a banana.

Many Meryl Streep fans might be excited about this movie, but if this trailer were a person, I would be like "TMI, man." I know Jones was hot back in the day, but I do not want to picture him having a threesome with Streep and their neighbor. Having said that, the non-sexy stuff does look pretty cute, and given that it's being directed by David Frankel, who was behind 2006's The Devil Wears Prada and 2008's Marley & Me, it might be one of the feel-good movies of the Summer. Hope Springs comes out August 10, so watch the preview after the jump.

Jessica Hardy: "I'm on the Right Track For This Year"

espnW — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 04:18:38 PDT

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from espnW here on FitSugar!

By Jessica Hardy
Jessica will be blogging for espnW in the lead-up to this summer's London Olympics. Follow her journey on espnW.com

Going through a moment of crisis transformed me, humbled me, and brought out what mattered most in my life. During my suspension from competing, I probably would have lost my spirit completely if I didn't have a loving group of family and friends there, supporting me through it all. Giving up my spot on the Olympic team was extremely traumatic. But more than anything, I needed to fix it and I knew I couldn't do it alone - though I wanted to. For the first time in my life, I was forced to let my guard down and let people help me.

Jessica Hardy Getting Better Not Bitter

Janet Evans Comeback Whirlwind

My mom is a practicing, licensed psychotherapist, but I'm sure it wasn't easy for her to play the role of my mom and therapist. She was so good at talking me through emotions, calming me down, pumping me up, and helping me process my own thoughts. My sister, Amanda, who was a junior national team-level athlete in water polo, and stepdad, Bill, who's a lawyer, were amazingly understanding, too. Luckily, I had the perfect support group for an unlucky situation. I couldn't have survived the ordeal without them.

As supportive as my family was, it was my fiancé, Dominik, who encouraged me to seek help outside of my family. At one point, I was depressed, feeling really negative and taking it out on him. He sat me down and urged me to see somebody. Looking back, I realize I had put him in a really uncomfortable position. Every time he tried to cheer me up, I'd shoot him down. So it was a reality check and definitely the right thing to do. When I told my mom, she suggested I revisit my childhood family therapist - the one I used to see after my parents' divorce. I also sought the services of the US Olympic Committee's sports psychologists.

Amber Neben turns challenges into opportunities

Read on for more on Jessica's road back to competition after the break.

Shawn Johnson Takes Us Inside Training Camp

espnW — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 12:04:59 PDT

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from espnW here on FitSugar!

By Shawn Johnson

Shawn Johnson is blogging for espnW throughout her training for the Olympics in London this summer. Follow her journey and other Olympic hopefuls on espnW.com.

Say "camp" to an ordinary kid and she'll probably tell you about bonfires and sing-alongs and arts and crafts. Say it to an elite gymnast, and she'll tell you camp is every four weeks outside New Waverly, Texas, at "the ranch" - the national team training center.

Shawn Johnson in the Driver's Seat

The ranch is a lot different than it sounds. Yes, there are animals (camels, peacocks and lots of deer!), but it's also fully equipped with multiple gyms, a row of cabins for gymnasts, a separate row for their coaches and dining facilities. It's an honor to be asked to attend the national team camps, but spending a few days there is also really hard work, especially for a slightly older body like mine. I'm used to it, though - after all, I've been going to camp since I was 12 years old, and I'm now 20.

When we're there, we wake up around 6:45 a.m. and head straight for breakfast. Most of the girls grab eggs and coffee before we go back to our cabins and get ready to hit the gym. National team coordinator Martha Karolyi has an unwritten rule: If you're not 30 minutes early to practice, you're late. So although practice starts at 8:30, we all get there at 8. We get heat packs, get taped and do whatever we need to get ready, then sit in a loose circle on the floor and wait. At 8:30 on the dot, Martha walks out of the office. It's a signal - we stand up, line up and address her. She gives our assignments for the day, and we start practice.

My last camp, three weeks ago, was just a check-in for me. I'm not competition-ready yet, but it was good to be in the gym, working alongside all of the other girls. I'm impressed by them all, but I try not to watch too much because it makes me nervous. I don't want to compare myself to them yet; because of my knee injury and rehab, I'm not where they are right now.

Shawn Johnson Rehabbing, Eyeing London

Read on for more of a day in the life of Shawn Johnson at training camp.

Justin Timberlake Has a Sweet Dinner Date With Fiancée Jessica Biel

Allie Merriam — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 06:33:53 PDT

Engaged Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel were spotted out to dinner with friends while on a European vacation Tuesday evening. They met up after Jessica arrived in France last week. Biel shopped in Paris with a friend, and may have been looking for her wedding dress. She and Justin got engaged over the holidays, and according to reports, are planning for a big Summer wedding. This was just Jessica and Justin's latest trip to Europe. Justin and Jessica's Roman getaway in 2008 was full of sweet PDA. Their romantic excursion has wrapped up already, though, as Jessica was spotted solo pushing her luggage through LAX last night.