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We’ve raved about the benefits of kettlebells before on our blog…which is why we at elements living were extremely excited when we got a chance to review Kettlenetics, the new DVD workout program from kettlebell master Michelle Khai.

Kettlenetics is a 5-DVD set that comes with a unique 4-lb kettlebell (apparently the only one of it’s kind in the world), an instructional wall chart of moves, and several weight loss and healthy eating guides. 

The first DVD teaches you the basic moves, and then each DVD builds on that to include a full-body workout, a target toning workout, a cardio and two 15-minute workouts that focus on Strength & Stretching and CardioFit Ballet.

In addition to being an elements Advisory Board member, Michelle has extensive experience in kettlebell training and dance fitness and injury prevention, so we have a feeling the DVD is going to be fast and fun even before we get it in the machine. 

Michelle does a great job of clearly displaying the fluid motions and showing correct form. While the moves do take a little getting used to since you must do them in one non-stop motion, after a few tries we got the hang of it and were swinging right along with her. All of the workouts (even the demos in the kb elements DVD) got our heart rates up and had us sweating, but the Cardio Balanced workout especially kept us moving!

Touted as “The Most Effective Hand-Held Gym” and highly-recommend by us here at elements living, Kettlenetics is a totally new way to get in shape.  

Visit www.getkbells.com for more information.

Going out without sunscreen during the summer is just asking for trouble. But dealing with bottles, tubes, messy applications and slimy creams can be a nightmare. So what’s the solution? Get your sun protection in easy-to-use wipes, of course!

 

Here at elements we love the convenience of the Shady Day Daily Sun Protection Wipes. They smell great, leave skin feeling soft, and provide long-lasting protection (we very scientifically tested them on a very scientific beach day spent on the sands of South Beach!).

 

Defending skin with an SPF of 30 and completely free of parabens, artificial ingredients and fragrances, the wipes are water-resistant and include natural ingredients like vitamins A and E, organic aloe vera and mango fruit extract. Just wipe one on skin and enjoy long-lasting protection in a snap (not to mention smooth skin and a delicate fragrance). With 15 wipes to a resealable package, you’ll be able to toss a pack into your purse or gym bag and be ready for whatever the day throws at you.

 

How did the Shady Day creators come up with something so ingenious? Simple. By having kids. After dealing with the messiness of applying sunscreen to their non-stop children at the beach, the owners of Shady Day decided to create a better way to apply sunscreen and hit on the idea of formatting it in easy-to-use wipes. Years later, the line has won several awards, including the 2008 NAPPA Honors Award, and been featured in Parents, O, Redbook, Conde Nast Traveler, iVillage, The Big Idea and My Fox Philadelphia.

 

So until the day they finally build that giant umbrella to shield us from the sun, we’re sticking with Daily Sun Protection Wipes.

 

Find out more at www.shadydayinc.com .

Summer’s the perfect time to finally capture that slim, svelte figure. After all, there’s great weather, there’s great beach activities to try out (volleyball, anyone?) and there’s always that  (loved and hated) bikini to get you motivated to lose weight. But when you need that extra push to shed those extra pounds you can always turn to….your computer?

According to recent medical studies, people (and women in particular) were more motivated to lose weight and get active when they received constant support through the convenience of online diet programs….making this the perfect time to try out the all-new, stylish BalanceD diet program.

BalanceD provides members with online 24/7 nutrition and weight loss support. The online portal provides  cool features like access to hundreds of delicious recipes, meal planners, workout tips, exercise examples, and even a Virtual Assistant to show you how to get started. Members are also able to write in to fitness and diet experts and receive a personal answer via email, and also share success stories and tips with other members. The custom diet, fitness tools and diet coaching are all available for a lifetime membership price of $99.

Sure, we might be a bit biased (elements launched this amazing diet program), but with this total approach to weight loss that includes diet, fitness, beauty and mind, who wouldn’t get excited about it?

BalanceD is available online at www.balanceyourelements.com and will also soon be available in elements clubs across the country.

We might already be at the mid-point of summer, but there’s still plenty of time to get the body you want. Are you ready to get BalanceD ?

On a hot summer day, is there anything more refreshing than a sparkling ice cube?

 

A community of ice chewers think not! This large group of munchers have proclaimed their love for the practice of chewing ice (www.icechewing.com) and praise it as a calorie-free treat that they engage in pretty much at all times of the day. Some buy cups and even bags of ice from fast food places. Some have special ice machines installed in their houses. There are even "teeth-friendly" ice cubes being manufactured that are easier to chomp on.

 

It does offer a quick, calorie-free alternative to popping in a stick of sugary gum or sucking on a sugary popsicle. But is ice chewing bad for your teeth? The American Dental Association says that ice chewing can lead to gum and tooth injuries. They recommend sucking slowly on ice or allowing it to melt on the tongue. And many medical professionals now link excessive ice chewing to pagophagia , a type of pica associated with anemia and iron deficiency. (Many people who chewed ice constantly found they no longer had the obsessive desire once iron levels were restored within their bodies through supplements or their diets.)

 

But whether you're new to this trend, a confirmed ice chewer, or think the whole idea is crazy, you can still cool down this summer with an icy treat. Try this cool and refreshing trick: Combine 100% fruit juice with 50% water. Pour into ice cube tray. The next time you have a craving for something sweet, pop one of these cubes into your mouth and savor the natural sweetness without the sugar!

Picture this: a recuperating loved one reclines on a bed, surrounded by sky-clogging helium balloons, wilting flowers and massive gift baskets that contain 90% overripe apples and pears and 10% candy, all sent to help them “feel better.”

We’ve always thought there was something wrong with this scene…and we’re glad someone else did, too. Introducing AntiOXinabox, the “healthy gift alternative”!

Founded by two cancer survivors who were tired of receiving gift baskets crammed with sugary, fatty treats, AntiOXinabox creates gift boxes filled with healthy, antioxidant-rich foods and spa products, which are shipped in recyclable, reusable boxes.

Gift boxes are stuffed full of goodies like Dark Chocolate Antioxidant-rich Cocoa mix, Tulip and Sweet Clover Dark Honey, Organic Acai Berry White Tea, dried berries and fruits, and an array of luxurious RejuvaHeal spa products. (Here at elements, we’ve got a major craving for the Dark Chocolate Covered Dried Cherries and Antioxidant Raspberry Rhubarb Spread!)

Items are also sold individually, and you can even send gift cards or create your own gift box combination for the perfect present.

Boxes start at $25, which is as much as you’d expect to pay for a halfway decent bouquet of flowers. And as if this isn’t reason enough to give them a try, AntiOXinabox also donates a portion of each sale to cancer research.

AntiOXinabox is a great gift idea for friends and family whether they’re sick or not. And maybe they’ll get the hint the next time you’re feeling under the weather (and no, a bad hair day is not enough to get you hospital time). 

Find out more at www.antioxinabox.com and receive an exclusive 10% discount by entering ELEMENTS at checkout. 

 

Question: What do an 18th century Russian weightlifter and Jennifer Lopez have in common?

Answer: They’ve both used kettlebells for a full-body workout.

 

Kettlebells, the cast iron weights with u-shaped handle, are the hottest workout tool to sweep the fitness market. Which is kind of funny, since they’ve been used by Russian athletes and weightlifters since the 18th century. And it’s not just J-Lo that’s been collecting the benefits of this tool; kettlebells have become the hottest fitness trend among the Hollywood elite. Everyone from Matthew McConaughey to Lance Armstrong have been using these unique balls to tone their bodies.

 

The kettlebell (also called “girya”) comes in a variety of weights, and gives your cardio system a work out, while also building strength. By lifting and swinging weights and controlling your natural momentum, you can toneyour abs, arms and legs through a series of exercises and improve strength, balance and flexibility.

 

Kettlebells are the preferred exercise tools for dancers, as they help tone muscles without causing the body to bulk up. In fact, elements Advisory Board Member Michelle Khai is Chief Science Officer and Master Trainer of Kettlebell Concepts , a company that sells kettlebells in many sizes, equipment and instructional videos. Michelle has a long history of dancing professionally, and has been featured on Lifetime TV’s “Real Women” for her work with dancers. She also advises on performance enhancement and injury prevention for clients such as NYC Ballet principal, Jack Soto.

 

So start throwing your weight around. You won’t be disappointed!

For more info, visit www.kettlebellconcepts.com.

 

There’s never been a better time to become more environmentally conscious. Recycling, making our homes (and businesses!) more energy-efficient, and cutting down on waste are top priorities, and at elements we encourage people to follow a healthy, natural lifestyle that takes care of their bodies and the planet. (For great Earth Day tips, check out www.earthday.gov ).

But while you’re busy exchanging those incandescent light bulbs for energy-efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) or carpooling to work, why not take some time to show your body a little love with an all-natural body scrub that won’t hurt your skin or the planet? This simple little body scrub recipe is a terrific pick-me-up and best of all, uses natural ingredients that you can find in any organic food store.

Natural Body Scrub Recipe

Ingredients:

½ cup of sweet almond, sunflower or jojoba oil

1 cup of sea salt or brown sugar

1 tablespoon honey

5 drops essential oil (rosemary, lavender or chamomile work great)

   1. Combine oil, sugar or salt, and honey in bowl.
   2. Slowly add essential oils and mix well.
   3. Apply to dry skin of body using gentle, but firm strokes.
   4. Rinse off with warm water and pat skin dry.

CAUTION: Do not use salt scrub if you have any cuts or shaving nicks on your body.

And for even more planet-friendly, natural skin, body and hair products, check out Burt’s Bees and Juice Beauty .

We know that cold weather has its pluses: adorable sweaters, snowboarding, getting cozy by the fire. But let’s get serious: for every brisk, sunny, blue-sky day, there’s about 20 lead-gray ones that make you want to crawl back under the covers and never come out.

 

Luckily, the good folks at Sunlight Saunas can bring the sunshine back into your life. Utilizing far infrared sauna technology, Sunlight Saunas creates beautiful home and commercial saunas from cedar and basswood to rejuvenate the body and detoxify the system. So what the heck is “far infrared sauna technology”? It uses heat generated by infrared rays to provide heat therapy that helps relieve everything from arthritis to muscle tension to stress (not to mention it feels pretty darn good, too!).

 

Although you can find Sunlight Saunas in high-end spas and health clubs across the country (including our very own elements Fitness Clubs), one of the coolest (er…or ‘hottest’?) company features is that they also sell solo, portable units which can be set up in your very own home! It’s just one more reason not to leave your house until May.

 

For more information about Sunlight Saunas, visit their website at www.sunlightsaunas.com.

 

In case you hadn’t noticed by now, we’re kind of crazy for fitness (and if you haven’t, shame on you! Head to elementsliving.tv and start reading!). So when we come across a site that is just as excited as we are about getting people motivated to live healthier, we want to tell everyone about it!

 

Which brings us to Fitizens.com . Aside from a very clever name (we wish we’d thought of that one), Fitizens.com is a great resource for fitness fans and trainers alike. With helpful forums, workout tips, expert advice and reviews of everything from products and equipment, to apparel and workout DVDs, it’s a ton of helpful information for all levels. But don’t worry: it’s all easy to navigate, too.

 

In founder Debra Strougo ’s own words:

 

Now our fitness can constantly be redefined, we can try new things, work with new people and explore new boundaries. I hope that you'll find fitizens.com is a place that not only provides enthusiasts with firsthand knowledge and promotes fitness experts, but brings more fitness (and fit connections) to your local community.

 

So whether you’re a trainer looking to change up your work outs or an enthusiast that just wants to complain about your new raw foods diet, Fitizens.com is a great resource for fitness buffs everywhere!

We pride ourselves on having an open, relaxed atmosphere at elements-not just in our clubs, but also at our corporate offices, too. But sometimes women need to get something off their chests so embarrassing, so spectacular that there's no way they'd be able to tell someone and look them in the face again. Which is why we are totally enchanted with PostSecret.com, a website and book collection comprised of anonymous messages detailing the weird, wonderful and wistful messages and secrets of complete strangers.

It's simple: someone writes a secret on a handmade postcard, and then mails it to the PostSecret address. That's it. Secrets range from heartbreaking confessions ("By the time you get this, I will already have made a huge mistake."), to completely hilarious notes ("Philadelphia: I am tired of cheering for your sports teams!").

With more than 180,000 secrets recorded, new books being released, and tour dates being scheduled, PostSecret is one of the least-kept secrets on the Internet. But whether the secrets make you laugh or make you cry, we at elements applaud the chutzpah it takes to get it out there!