But road trips aren’t only about getting in the car and driving off in the sunset. They can also be about looking for change, looking for answers, and clearing the mind.

And that’s really what the book ‘Road Trip Guide to the Soul’ is all about. I can guarantee that by the time you’ve finished reading it and following some of the ideas and action plans, you’ll be feeling as exhilerated as when you got into the car and took off.

One lucky Healthbolt reader will be able to discover this for themselves. The winner of Sadie Nardini’s Road Trip Guide to the Soul is…

Brandlyn

Congratulations Brandlyn. I’ll be sending you out an email with instructions on how to claim your prize.

Post from: Healthbolt

Thanks to everyone who entered, especially those who helped list all the singers who sung ‘Behind Closed Doors’. I had no idea that so many singers had recorded it. Here’s what you all came up with – Charlie Rich, Tom Jones, Dolly Parton, Percy Sledge, Bobby Goldsboro, Tommy Overstreet, Diana Ross, Steve Ivey, Don Estelle, Little Milton, Perry Como, Hank Thompson, Loretta Lynn, Ronnie Milsap.

Of course, now I can’t get the song out of my head.

But on to more important things.

The winner of Behind the Bedroom Door, thanks to the faithful random number selector, is…

Shannon Baas

Congratulations Shannon. I’ll be sending an email shortly with instructions on how to claim the book.

As for everyone else, don’t forget that there’s still another book giveaway – Take a ‘Road Trip to the Soul’: Book Review and Giveaway – up for grabs.

Post from: Healthbolt

- Behind Closed Doors, Charlie Rich, 1973

Okay, so it’s not something that we freely admit but let’s face it, we all have a little bit of curiosity as to what goes on in other people’s bedrooms. After all, we live in a world that seems to be obsessed with sex. But when it comes to talking about the intimate details of one’s sex life, it’s something that seldom happens, especially among women.

Writer and editor Paula Derrow thinks this is because of fear…

‘fear of being exposed as inadequate, or worse, of being boring. Living in an all-sex-all-the-time culture may be liberating in many ways, but it can also breed shame – shame for not keeping up, for not being invited to the party.’

So Paula set out to open up the door by getting a number of well known women writers ranging in their twenties to their seventies write about, well, their sexual experiences. The result – Behind the Bedroom Door - a collection of extremely frank, truly honest, and often hilarious essays that literally offer exposure to the other side of the bedroom door.

The result – a real page turner of a book that will hold your attention in it’s truly illuminating and deeply honest discussion about sex that’s seldom found. You’ll nod, laugh, despair, and empathize as you read essay topics range from illicit affairs, one night stands, sex toys, and sex addiction to dealing with sex in pregnancy, monogamy, lesbian affairs, and living in a sexless marriage. Nothing is left unsaid in this book that shatters many of the deeply entrenched myths about women’s intimate lives. Covering a wealth and variety of female sexual experience,  Behind the Bedroom Door will leave you questioning conventional notions about women, sex, and sentiment. 

Having read the book, I got to say I was really curious as to how Paula managed to put this book together. So I asked her.

Healthbolt: How did you choose these particular writers and was it easy to persuade them to write about their experiences? 

Paula: I turned to the best writers I know, both from working at Self over the years, and from all the reading I do. Some writers led me to other writers. I also called some favorite writers cold (or their agents), and tried to pique their interest with this juicy topic.

Healthbolt: How in the world did you manage to get these writers to lay open such personal aspects of their lives for public display?

Paula: As an editor at Self and a teacher focusing on personal essay writing, I’m used to pushing writers to go deeper, to search themselves for the real meaning of what they are trying to say.

Healthbolt: Any problems along the way?

Paula: Of course. Given the personal nature of this topic, there were some challenges: Some writers dropped out; Some husbands objected and persuaded their spouses to drop out.

Healthbolt: I guess that’s understandable. After all the writers are not using aliases and are really exposing themselves and often their spouses or partners in these essays. And yet, they were willing to be extremely frank and honest in their essays.

Paula: Mostly because I tried to emphasize that these stories weren’t about betraying a partner or airing dirty laundry or simply about voyeurism – each one is about the women herself – what she feels, experiences, desires and worries about in bed. Making sure that we were keeping the focus on that helped make it easier for each writer to feel comfortable and deliver.

Healthbolt: Well, you certainly succeeded. Anyone reading Behind the Bedroom Door will get a much better understanding on the variety and extreme differences that each of us experience behind the bedroom door. It’s definitely got Healthbolt’s seal of approval.

….

Healthbolt’s got one copy of Behind the Bedroom Door to give away. All you need to do is leave a comment here by 31st January to be in to win.  And when you leave the comment, if you know, tell us who else sung the Charlie Rich song ‘Behind Close Doors’.

Post from: Healthbolt

The lucky winner of this book is….

Sagan

Congratulations Sagan. You’ll be receiving an email shortly explaining how to claim your prize.

As for everyone else, head on over to Pat’s website to find out what she considers the ‘10 Steps to Loving Your Body’ .

Don’t forget that ‘every day is a give away’ this month at Healthbolt.

Post from: Healthbolt

But just in case you do, here’s your chance to win a copy of not only The 2009 CalorieKing Calorie, Fat & Carbohydrate Counter but also the companion CalorieKing Food & Exercise Journal.

This edition of the Calorie Counter has been completely reformatted and revised to reflect current popular food trends and products. The pocket-sized 2009 Counter not only contains food data and over 11,000 meals found at 200 chain and fast food restaurants, but also features a variety of convenient diet and lifestyle tips, including:

• Fats & Cholesterol Guide
• Hints to Reduce Fat
• Calcium & Osteoporosis Guide
• Diabetes Guide with Meal Planning Tips
• High Blood Pressure Guide with Sodium Counter
• Tips for Overweight Kids & Parents
• Fiber Guide & Counter
• Protein and Iron Counter

Leave a comment by 28th Dec telling us why these should be yours.

This giveaway is open to US residents only.

The winners will be announced on 29th December and sent an email with the subject heading ‘Healthbolt Giveaway Winner’ with instructions on how to claim their prize.

And don’t forget it’s ‘every day a giveaway’ this month at Healthbolt.

Post from: Healthbolt

But luckily for us, there are people like Helene Bryne from BeFit Mom around to provide assistance and guidance.

And the lucky Healthbolt reader who gets her -“Exercise After Pregnancy: How to Look and Feel Your Best” (Celestial Arts, 2001) – and  DVD, “Bounce Back Fast!: Post Natal Core Conditioning”  – is…

Cee

Congratulations Cee. You’ll be receiving an email shortly with directions on how and where to provide your mailing address.

As for the rest of us, have a listen to Helene’s radio interview at the Total Fitness Radio Show to get some tips on How to Flatten Your Abs After Pregnancy

Post from: Healthbolt

Probably not.

After all, how can we be when we are constantly bombarded with images that fuel our discontent with our bodies.

As a result, we often put ourselves at risk to obtain a perfect body in the hopes of having a perfect life.

Enter Pat Ballard, the Queen of the Rubenesque Romances. She writes writes romance novels and short stories with Big Beautiful Heroines to show that plus-size women are just as sexy, romantic, and exciting as their slim sisters.

But Pat wasn’t always this comfortable with the large body. As a young woman, she almost died trying to starve her body into a societally approved size. But having, through the years, made peace with the fact that she was a ‘perfect size twenty-two!’ Pat has written a book to help you do the same.

In 10 Steps to Loving Your Body (No Matter What Size You Are) she shares the steps she created ―and took―to heal the damage of years of dieting. Join her in celebrating size diversity, self esteem, positive body image, and health at every size.

The book is a mixture of personal coach and cheerleader for anyone looking to discover how to accept their body as it is, not as you want it to be. Complete with guidelines and worksheets, this book is aimed to help you stop fighting with your body.

Healthbolt’s got one copy of 10 Steps to Loving Your Body (No Matter What Size You Are) to give away.

Just leave a comment by the 25th Dec and this could be yours.

This one’s a worldwide giveaway.

The winners will be announced on 26th December and sent an email with the subject heading ‘Healthbolt Giveaway Winner’ with instructions on how to claim their prize.

And don’t forget it’s ‘every day a giveaway’ this month at Healthbolt

Post from: Healthbolt

Congrats to all the winners so far. There will be plenty more to add to the list by the end of the month.

And so you don’t miss a chance to enter all the great giveaways, here’s a roundup of what’s still going this week. Just click on the picture to find out how to enter.

A little tip – the Perfect Pushup Mobile Unit giveaway ends today, so better be quick.

Good luck….

Post from: Healthbolt

Pink Ribbon Review has been running a month long series of giveaways in recognition of Breast Cancer Month.

Lively Women has an October Prizepalooza going as they clean out the prize closet. Definitely worth checking out.

WebMD has a Wii Fit prize package and $1000 Amex gift certificate to giveaway, but you have to work for it by taking a daily health IQ quiz. The more often you take the quiz, the more points you win, and the better the chance to win this prize package that includes a Wii console and Wii Fit. US Residents only. Contest continues until 31 December 2008.

Cranky Fitness has Workout Wear Giveaway for anyone looking to update their gym clothes. Open to everyone (even us internationals). Entries close 14th October.

My travel blog, Traveling the Green Way, is giving away a copy of Lonely Planet’s Vounteer, A Traveler’s Guide to Making a Difference Around the World. Entries close 17th October.

And of course, Healthbolt’s running the Baron Bob’s Grossest Halloween Candy Giveaway until 16th October 2008.

Did I miss any? Let me know.

Post from: Healthbolt

- three times more likely than men to suffer from some types of back pain
- more susceptible to a whiplash injury
- prone to low back pain

And that bra straps, high heels, and hormonal swings add to the chances of women suffering from an aching back.

Christine Lasich MD knows all this and more. Having suffered from chronic low back pain herself and acutely aware of the lack of gender-specific information on preventing and dealing with back pain, Christine has written the highly informative and entertaining High Heels to Hormones: A Woman’s Guide to Spinal Care.

Featuring short easy to read chapters illustrated with pencil stick cartoons, High Heels to Hormones is an effective self help guide for woman. The contents include information on how everything from bras, hormones, and high heeled shoes to convenience foods, smoking, exercise, high-achieving, and multitasking lifestyles will affect your back.

And while it is all evidence based information, there is a distinct lack of med-speak in this book. Instead, the tone is fun and light. For example, here’s Christine’s take on the importance of good posture: “Did I threaten your sense of decency by telling you to stick your chest out with the shoulders back? Don’t be shy, because shyness creates an unhealthy, slouched posture.”

Women of all shapes, sizes, and ages will benefit from the advice that Dr Lasich dispenses. It could easily be the best resource yet to help women say goodbye to sore necks and aching backs and instead be able to enjoy strong, healthy spines.

High Heels to Hormones has the Healthbolt Seal of Approval and therefore, we are happy to be able to offer a copy to one lucky reader.

Simply leave a comment by end of day Friday 25th July and we will do pick a winner using the trusty random number selector.

By the way, you can increase your chances of winning by heading over to Alzheimer’s Notes where another High Heels to Hormones Giveaway is being run.

Post from: Healthbolt