Photo by Jleighbum

CafeMoms in the Running Moms group recently challenged each other to go one whole week without coffee (or other caffeinated drink like tea, soda, etc.).

So why would they willingly choose to put themselves through this?

Hula hooping is becoming more and more popular as a weight-loss and toning workout. It's less like exercise, more like play—and you can do it with the kids!

Even Michele Obama is hula-hooping!

Photo by KerriAndAustin

As busy moms, it's easy to blame exhaustion on the kids and all the things that need to be done...but not so fast. Yahoo Shine has six things (beside our hectic lives) that might be causing fatigue. Some of them I had never even thought about!

A writer for the Huffington Post was sick of eating an unhealthy diet and having no energy. She forced herself to like leafy greens by committing to eat 90 salads in 90 days. That's a ton of salad!

Do you think you could do that? I love salad, but that seems like too much even to me.

How did she do it?

I always find that I can make it through a workout a little easier with Lady Gaga and Black Eyed Peas in my ears.

Which songs get you moving?

For me, a good, fast workout playlist keeps me from getting bored when I'm exercising. The songs also provide something for my brain to relax and zone out on—instead of focusing on the relentless pain in my body party and the burning in my lungs.

Turns out there's scientific reasons why listening to music can improve exercise results...

Ugh. This weekend I could barely make it through my jogging workout. I think the 90 percent humidity had something to do with it. But I also just felt tired. Not the "usual workout" tired, but the "I want to get into my bed and never get out of it" tired.

After reading this article, I'm wondering if maybe I don't have enough quercetin in my daily diet...

Leafy greens can improve your mood!

Recently I've noticed that whenever I snack on lots of sugary foods—candy, cookies, non-diet soda, etc.—I often feel down in the dumps. I thought this was just a coincidence until I read about how diet can affect mood swings.

I'm afraid to even write about this because my right eyelid just stopped twitching last week after about two week of twitches. It happens every so often and it drives me nuts!

My brother-in-law's eye was twitching for over a week, too.

What the heck is up with eye twitching?

Photo by Lynette

So, how's your summer going? Or, as back to school is still about a month or more away, maybe I should I ask: How is your EMOTIONAL health going?

Are you walking around the house, bored out of your mind, counting the days before the kids go back to school and you can get some time to yourself?

Or, are you relaxing and savoring the days free from the homeschooling curriculum, chauffeur duty to sports practices, and late-night homework sessions?

Tell me ...

The following is a guest post by Monica Brady (aka Mommy Brain) for EA SPORTS Active:

EA SPORTS Active^TM lets participants tackle their fitness goals at home with the fun and motivating fitness program designed exclusively for the Wii.^TM To help get people started, EA SPORTS Active includes a guided 30 Day Challenge  --  a fitness roadmap that tailors workouts to the participant's level of fitness, tracks progress, and provides a "trainer" to give clear instruction, motivation and positive encouragement throughout the journey.

EA SPORTS Active 30 Day Challenge Day 1, 2 & 3

So, I started the 30 Day Challenge on Saturday. I weighed in at 218, filled out my journal entries, and started the workout for the day.