As I blew out the candles on my 22nd birthday cake two weeks ago, I felt part of my youth blowing away and the onslaught of maturity setting in. Now I know everyone needs to grow up a little bit as they get older, and I feel like I'm embracing my new-found maturity. And now when I occasionally go to dinner and make a trip to Blockbuster for a completely satisfying Friday or Saturday (sometimes both) night, I wonder why the heck I ever did some of the stupid stuff me and all my friends did in high school and early college. Why did it seem like a good idea to let somebody do donuts in my Mustang on a baseball field at 2 in the morning? Or throw a party at my parent's house, when I knew I would get caught (I was that kid that got caught for EVERYTHING)? I'm thankful I never got into any real trouble or make any lasting mistakes in my younger days (wow, I feel like my grandma right now), but I do wonder why.
In CNN's Dr. Gupta's blog I came across a possible answer to teenagers occasional lack of sanity: brain development. After the age of 13, the brain in a young outwardly looks like someone in his or her late 20s; however, inwardly, it does not process information as well. The part of the brain that makes decisions is not fully developed until the early to mid 20s (Does this mean I have a few more freebie bad decisions ahead of me until I hit 25 lol) Since this part of the brain is not fully developed, it can't handle stress and decision-making as well as an adult. This part can overload, which can lead to judgments an adult brain might not make (I can't see my mom doing donuts in her SUV on the baseball field at 2 a.m.). According to the blog, scientists say good judgment comes and goes until the brain completely develops.
Luckily for me and millions of others who survived their teen years, we never made rash decisions with far-reaching consequences. However, teenagers brain immaturity could contribute to problems with long-term effects such as heavy
drinking, smoking, doing drugs, having unprotected sex and even thinking of suicide. Because the teenage brain is a complex "mish-mash" of anxiety and confusion, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh are now trying to map how the teen brain functions in hopes of pinpointing some of the irregularities so they can prevent some of these potentially damaging behaviors from ever taking place.
I should tell my mom about this. Maybe she'll forgive for that time in high school when she found a bottle cap in the chandelier from my friends inventive drinking game.
Link to: http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/blogs/paging.dr.gupta/2007/11/do-teenagers-think-rationally.html
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
How many calories are you really burning on cardio machines?
I'm trying to get back into shape after my surgery, and I've been hitting the elliptical machine a lot. A few days ago, I was talking to my boyfriend about my workout, and he shook his head when I told him I had burned about 500 calories on the elliptical. He works at the UF gyms and sees people working out all the time. All these girls think the elliptical machine is the greatest thing ever, he said. But that calorie counter is not accurate. I, of course, defended the elliptical machine and told him that it was a fine workout ... but I wasn't really sure. Was he right? How many calories was I burning?
Unfortunately, there isn't a clear answer. From my Internet research I found that treadmills and stationary bikes have the most accurate calorie counters because they've been around the longest and have been researched and revised. Elliptical and other newer cardio machines have less accurate calorie counters because they haven't been researched a lot yet.
I found some basic tips to think about when working out on cardio machines:
The machines that ask for your weight will give a more accurate account. If you don't give a machine your weight, it usually bases its calculations on a 154-pound male. So if you weigh much less or much more than that, the calories reading you get ont he display console could be way off.
Your individual metabolism affects how many calories you burn. If you have a higher lean body mass you will burn more calories.
The machine assumes you're going at a certain speed or intensity. If you hang on the rails, do "baby" steps on the treadmill or otherwise "cheat" in your workout, the machine doesn't know it. If you put your feet on the rails of the treadmill, slalom skiing style for three of your 30 minute workout, you will have burned less calories than the machine says. Don't cheat.
Equations used by the manufacturers to determine calories burned may have been based on people who are not yet comfortable with the machine. You burn more calories doing something new than something you've done for a while. So the longer you work on a particular machine the less calories you may burn.
I felt better about myself after my research. Although I didn't get the straight answer I was hoping for so I could prove the boyfriend wrong, I did feel more educated and ready for more workouts. However, I will take my workout summaries with a grain of salt next time I hit the gym.
Unfortunately, there isn't a clear answer. From my Internet research I found that treadmills and stationary bikes have the most accurate calorie counters because they've been around the longest and have been researched and revised. Elliptical and other newer cardio machines have less accurate calorie counters because they haven't been researched a lot yet.
I found some basic tips to think about when working out on cardio machines:
The machines that ask for your weight will give a more accurate account. If you don't give a machine your weight, it usually bases its calculations on a 154-pound male. So if you weigh much less or much more than that, the calories reading you get ont he display console could be way off.
Your individual metabolism affects how many calories you burn. If you have a higher lean body mass you will burn more calories.
The machine assumes you're going at a certain speed or intensity. If you hang on the rails, do "baby" steps on the treadmill or otherwise "cheat" in your workout, the machine doesn't know it. If you put your feet on the rails of the treadmill, slalom skiing style for three of your 30 minute workout, you will have burned less calories than the machine says. Don't cheat.
Equations used by the manufacturers to determine calories burned may have been based on people who are not yet comfortable with the machine. You burn more calories doing something new than something you've done for a while. So the longer you work on a particular machine the less calories you may burn.
I felt better about myself after my research. Although I didn't get the straight answer I was hoping for so I could prove the boyfriend wrong, I did feel more educated and ready for more workouts. However, I will take my workout summaries with a grain of salt next time I hit the gym.
Cold v. Flu: The neverending conundrum
I woke up Monday morning feeling under the weather. My stomach didn't feel right, my body ached, nose ran, and overall icky feel had come over me. On Tuesday morning, it was worse. I spent the majority of my day in bed watching TV; I was so tired that instead of getting up and doing something, I watched a Lifetime movie, now that's bad.
But as I lay in bed feeling sorry for myself, I began to self-diagnose myself. Do I have the common cold, or do I have the flu? EEK!
In case you are in the same boat this winter, here are some ways to distinguish cold from flu.
Fever is rare in colds, but 80 percent of people with flu have fever. A temperature of 100°F or higher for 3 to 4 days is associated with the flu.
A mucus-producing (lovely isn't it) cough usually comes with a cold, but a non-mucous producing cough comes with the flu.
Slight body aches come with the common cold, but severe body aches accompany the flu.
Stuffy nose goes with the cold but not the flu.
The chills go with the flu but rarely with colds.
Tiredness is mild with cold but severe with flu.
Sneezing common with the cold but unusual for the flu.
Headache is not usually associated with the cold, but is present in 80 percent of flu cases.
Sore throat is common with the cold, but it's not common with the flu.
Chest discomfort is mild with cold but severe with flu.
Lastly, the common cold develops over a few days so you know it's coming. However, the flu has a rapid onset of 3-6 hours and brings sudden symptoms such as high fever and aches and pains.
After examining these symptoms, I believe I have a cold. For now, I'll keep drinking my orange juice and trudging along with general ickiness.
But as I lay in bed feeling sorry for myself, I began to self-diagnose myself. Do I have the common cold, or do I have the flu? EEK!
In case you are in the same boat this winter, here are some ways to distinguish cold from flu.
Fever is rare in colds, but 80 percent of people with flu have fever. A temperature of 100°F or higher for 3 to 4 days is associated with the flu.
A mucus-producing (lovely isn't it) cough usually comes with a cold, but a non-mucous producing cough comes with the flu.
Slight body aches come with the common cold, but severe body aches accompany the flu.
Stuffy nose goes with the cold but not the flu.
The chills go with the flu but rarely with colds.
Tiredness is mild with cold but severe with flu.
Sneezing common with the cold but unusual for the flu.
Headache is not usually associated with the cold, but is present in 80 percent of flu cases.
Sore throat is common with the cold, but it's not common with the flu.
Chest discomfort is mild with cold but severe with flu.
Lastly, the common cold develops over a few days so you know it's coming. However, the flu has a rapid onset of 3-6 hours and brings sudden symptoms such as high fever and aches and pains.
After examining these symptoms, I believe I have a cold. For now, I'll keep drinking my orange juice and trudging along with general ickiness.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Drinking and pregnancy
All my sister-in-law wants is an icy, salty margarita. She's not a big drinker. She's a 31-year-old stay at home mom, but everyone needs a drink now and then, especially when you have two screaming toddlers running around, she told me. However, she is pregnant with her third child and it's taboo for her to indulge in alcohol.
But is it really that bad if my sister-in-law has a few drinks while pregnant?
A new Reuters article suggests that occasional binge drinking while pregnant won't cause birth defects, but the research is not conclusive. A recent review of 14 studies, said that binge drinking throughout a pregnancy does stunt growth, and cause birth defects and brain development problems. However, little substantive evidence of binge drinking once and a while during pregnancy causes problems such as miscarriage, stillbirth, abnormal birth weight or birth defects.
"When pregnant women report isolated episodes of binge-drinking in the absence of a consistently high daily alcohol intake, as is often the case, it is important to avoid inducing unnecessary anxiety as, at present, the evidence of risk seems minimal," according to the researchers in the Reuters article.
This comes as somewhat of a relief to me and my family. My sister-in-law, well, actually most pregnant women think that the tiniest thing will hurt their baby. Don't eat this, do eat that, the list goes on and on. And while I'm certainly not encouraging drinking while pregnant, I find this research encouraging because it let's pregnant women breathe a little easier. If my sister-in-law craves a margarita, then she should just drink it and not feel terribly guilty about it.
While the link between alcohol and pregnancy may not be a myth, here is top 20 list of pregnancy myths.
But is it really that bad if my sister-in-law has a few drinks while pregnant?
A new Reuters article suggests that occasional binge drinking while pregnant won't cause birth defects, but the research is not conclusive. A recent review of 14 studies, said that binge drinking throughout a pregnancy does stunt growth, and cause birth defects and brain development problems. However, little substantive evidence of binge drinking once and a while during pregnancy causes problems such as miscarriage, stillbirth, abnormal birth weight or birth defects.
"When pregnant women report isolated episodes of binge-drinking in the absence of a consistently high daily alcohol intake, as is often the case, it is important to avoid inducing unnecessary anxiety as, at present, the evidence of risk seems minimal," according to the researchers in the Reuters article.
This comes as somewhat of a relief to me and my family. My sister-in-law, well, actually most pregnant women think that the tiniest thing will hurt their baby. Don't eat this, do eat that, the list goes on and on. And while I'm certainly not encouraging drinking while pregnant, I find this research encouraging because it let's pregnant women breathe a little easier. If my sister-in-law craves a margarita, then she should just drink it and not feel terribly guilty about it.
While the link between alcohol and pregnancy may not be a myth, here is top 20 list of pregnancy myths.
Sport camp on crack!
From about age 12 to 18, I was a pretty intense athlete. I played competitive softball 12 months out of the year, trained often, and practiced three to four days a week. I even had a separate batting coach that used to play for the Blue Jays. But I was still a teenager. I still went out with my friends, hit the beach every now and then and spent time being a kid.
My class recently took a field trip to IMG Academies in Sarasota, Fla. At IMG, I feel like some of the kids lose their teenage years, but it may be worth it. IMG Academies is a campus devoted to the training of athletes. It began as the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Sarasota, Fla. This tennis academy became famous for training players like Andre Aggassi and Monica Seles. In 1987, IMG bought Bllettieri's academy and expanded the academy to take a comprehensive training approach to encompass additional sports. Today, IMG trains students in tennis, golf, soccer, baseball, basketball and mountain sports
The academy focuses its training on six key components: physical conditioning, mental conditioning, sports medicine, communication, nutrition and regeneration. These components work together to make a complete athlete.
I found the communication component to be the most interesting aspect of the program. A mediocre actor, Steve Shenbaum, and a former broadway performer, Blair Dalton, worked together to teach the athletes to communicate. For us, they played improv games and talked a lot. They teach the athletes to find coins when talking to people. Blair's example of a coin was scuba diving in the Keys for lobsters. They encourage the athletes to get to know people through these coins by asking questions and listening. However, as I left that day and saw the craziness that is IMG, I had to wonder, how can these kids gain coins when all they do is train?
My class recently took a field trip to IMG Academies in Sarasota, Fla. At IMG, I feel like some of the kids lose their teenage years, but it may be worth it. IMG Academies is a campus devoted to the training of athletes. It began as the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Sarasota, Fla. This tennis academy became famous for training players like Andre Aggassi and Monica Seles. In 1987, IMG bought Bllettieri's academy and expanded the academy to take a comprehensive training approach to encompass additional sports. Today, IMG trains students in tennis, golf, soccer, baseball, basketball and mountain sports
The academy focuses its training on six key components: physical conditioning, mental conditioning, sports medicine, communication, nutrition and regeneration. These components work together to make a complete athlete.
I found the communication component to be the most interesting aspect of the program. A mediocre actor, Steve Shenbaum, and a former broadway performer, Blair Dalton, worked together to teach the athletes to communicate. For us, they played improv games and talked a lot. They teach the athletes to find coins when talking to people. Blair's example of a coin was scuba diving in the Keys for lobsters. They encourage the athletes to get to know people through these coins by asking questions and listening. However, as I left that day and saw the craziness that is IMG, I had to wonder, how can these kids gain coins when all they do is train?
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
New Year's Resolutions In November?
Although the ball doesn't drop in Times Square for another two months, I find myself reading New's Years fitness resolution articles daily.
About six weeks ago, I had shoulder surgery. On Sept. 20, I went from running a few miles every day to none. I finally got the ok from my physical therapist about two weeks ago to do cardio on the elliptical trainer after I showed off my obscene strength with the dog bone weights. But now that I've got the ok to workout again, I'm lost. I know I'm not able to do what I used to do right away, but I'm also frustrated because I can't do what I used to do right away.
A Resolution Health article recently ease my worries. "Easing Back Into Your Fitness Routine" recommends the 1-1 rule. If you've been out three weeks, then it'll take three weeks to get back to where you were. So for me, it's going to take six weeks (hopefully). In addition, the 50-50 rule applies. Do 50 percent of your standard activity before you were out 50 percent of the time. For me, I used to run for about 45 minutes a day. So now I should do 22.5 minutes (but I haven't gotten the ok to run yet so I'll just apply that to the elliptical).
Using the information from this article, I'm going to try to get back on track and slowly move up to where I was.
When the ball drops on New Year's, I should be wearing my skinny jeans again ;)
About six weeks ago, I had shoulder surgery. On Sept. 20, I went from running a few miles every day to none. I finally got the ok from my physical therapist about two weeks ago to do cardio on the elliptical trainer after I showed off my obscene strength with the dog bone weights. But now that I've got the ok to workout again, I'm lost. I know I'm not able to do what I used to do right away, but I'm also frustrated because I can't do what I used to do right away.
A Resolution Health article recently ease my worries. "Easing Back Into Your Fitness Routine" recommends the 1-1 rule. If you've been out three weeks, then it'll take three weeks to get back to where you were. So for me, it's going to take six weeks (hopefully). In addition, the 50-50 rule applies. Do 50 percent of your standard activity before you were out 50 percent of the time. For me, I used to run for about 45 minutes a day. So now I should do 22.5 minutes (but I haven't gotten the ok to run yet so I'll just apply that to the elliptical).
Using the information from this article, I'm going to try to get back on track and slowly move up to where I was.
When the ball drops on New Year's, I should be wearing my skinny jeans again ;)
What I learned from Dr. Oz
Dr. Mehmet Oz, "America's Doctor," was kind enough to have a video conference with my class last week. I'd seen him on Opera in the past and was curious as to what this acclaimed doctor would talk about.
The lasting message made my day: Journalists do make a difference.
Oz told us that it was our patriotic duty to improve health care in America. He spoke about the need for journalist to report accurate, fun health stories.
The two ways he suggested to improve health writing were 1) using humor. People love to laugh and humor makes a story even about a dry topic enjoyable. 2) Busting myths. People love to hear about myths and if they're fact or fiction. It's a tried and true story and it works.
Throughout the questions and answer period, Oz gave insightful answers on a number of different topics from possible pregnancy to journalists role in health and continually gave more tips as to how to get health messages to the public through writing.
Metaphors work great, he said. Almost everyone thinks in metaphors.
Lastly, how do you know if you're a good health writer? When someone shares your information with someone else you've done your job.
Thanks Dr. Oz
The lasting message made my day: Journalists do make a difference.
Oz told us that it was our patriotic duty to improve health care in America. He spoke about the need for journalist to report accurate, fun health stories.
The two ways he suggested to improve health writing were 1) using humor. People love to laugh and humor makes a story even about a dry topic enjoyable. 2) Busting myths. People love to hear about myths and if they're fact or fiction. It's a tried and true story and it works.
Throughout the questions and answer period, Oz gave insightful answers on a number of different topics from possible pregnancy to journalists role in health and continually gave more tips as to how to get health messages to the public through writing.
Metaphors work great, he said. Almost everyone thinks in metaphors.
Lastly, how do you know if you're a good health writer? When someone shares your information with someone else you've done your job.
Thanks Dr. Oz
Feelings ...
Feelings ... for some the words conjures thoughts of love and happiness, for other it's fear because we do NOT want to talk about them.
Feelings have become somewhat of a dirty word in my opinion. Americans talk about every ache and pain they have from stubbed toes to brain tumors, but when somebody actually asks how you really feel, what do you say?
It seems simple. But when Doug Newburg, who holds a doctorate in sports psychology and is involved with cutting edge technology for patient care, asked me, "How do you feel today?" I suddenly had no idea. I stuttered "good" out and hoped he would move on to someone else, but he didn't. Instead he asked, "Why do you feel good?" Once again, I was at a loss for words.
For the duration of our lecture, Newburg explained his philosophy on feel and feelings and explained how important the way a person feels affects how a person performs.
Feel is a skill, he said. It's not just a state of being.
"Happiness is like peeing in your pants. Everyone can see it, but only you can feel it."
Well put.
Any number of things affect how you feel: what you eat, who you're around, what you're doing, etc. But what it really comes down to, in my understanding of the lecture, is finding that one thing that gets you going.
Newburg interviews tons and tons of people to find out what gets them going. He said he can talk to someone for hours and mention one subject and watch the person light up. They sit up in their chair and tell you all about that subject for a few minutes and then sit back as the conversation progresses to the next topic. Newburg likes to go back to the topic later in the conversation and ask more, and most of the time the person doesn't realize how much they enjoy the subject.
Newburg and his partner, Dr. Curt Tribble, are using the feel technique to help with patient care. They have developed a system, where a patient comes in with pictures of things they love and people they love before surgery. Newburg and Tribble put the pictures together and put the patient's music with it. In addition, they want to put doctor's recommendations and procedures with it so the patient has all the information necessary. Once it's all together they make it an AppleTV production and make sure it is in the patient's hospital room when they come out of surgery.
The patient emerges from anestassia to the sights of the family and favorite things and the sounds of their favorite music.
It makes a big difference, Tribble said. Patients seem to be very happy about it.
If feeling good is a skill, Newburg and Tribble are working to train patients to feel good and recover better and happier.
The technology is still new, but I wouldn't be surprised to see this type of service offered in hospitals throughout the nation in the next decade.
Check out Esquire's "A theory of high performance" for an inciteful look at Newburg.
Feelings have become somewhat of a dirty word in my opinion. Americans talk about every ache and pain they have from stubbed toes to brain tumors, but when somebody actually asks how you really feel, what do you say?
It seems simple. But when Doug Newburg, who holds a doctorate in sports psychology and is involved with cutting edge technology for patient care, asked me, "How do you feel today?" I suddenly had no idea. I stuttered "good" out and hoped he would move on to someone else, but he didn't. Instead he asked, "Why do you feel good?" Once again, I was at a loss for words.
For the duration of our lecture, Newburg explained his philosophy on feel and feelings and explained how important the way a person feels affects how a person performs.
Feel is a skill, he said. It's not just a state of being.
"Happiness is like peeing in your pants. Everyone can see it, but only you can feel it."
Well put.
Any number of things affect how you feel: what you eat, who you're around, what you're doing, etc. But what it really comes down to, in my understanding of the lecture, is finding that one thing that gets you going.
Newburg interviews tons and tons of people to find out what gets them going. He said he can talk to someone for hours and mention one subject and watch the person light up. They sit up in their chair and tell you all about that subject for a few minutes and then sit back as the conversation progresses to the next topic. Newburg likes to go back to the topic later in the conversation and ask more, and most of the time the person doesn't realize how much they enjoy the subject.
Newburg and his partner, Dr. Curt Tribble, are using the feel technique to help with patient care. They have developed a system, where a patient comes in with pictures of things they love and people they love before surgery. Newburg and Tribble put the pictures together and put the patient's music with it. In addition, they want to put doctor's recommendations and procedures with it so the patient has all the information necessary. Once it's all together they make it an AppleTV production and make sure it is in the patient's hospital room when they come out of surgery.
The patient emerges from anestassia to the sights of the family and favorite things and the sounds of their favorite music.
It makes a big difference, Tribble said. Patients seem to be very happy about it.
If feeling good is a skill, Newburg and Tribble are working to train patients to feel good and recover better and happier.
The technology is still new, but I wouldn't be surprised to see this type of service offered in hospitals throughout the nation in the next decade.
Check out Esquire's "A theory of high performance" for an inciteful look at Newburg.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Echinacea won't keep the winter colds away
I threw away my bottle of echinacea last Thursday.
The herbal supplement has not been proven to work and can be dangerous to your health, according to the knowledgeable graduate students of Writing for Health and Fitness.
Since I was one of the many people under the false impression that echinacea was the super herb that would make sure I never got sick and if by some slim chance I couldn't dodge the flu bullet, echinacea would cure me instantly like when Superman gets shot (well, maybe not that instantly), I decided to look deeper and find out how I had been duped.
According to ConsumerLab.com, echinacea is believed to help reduce the symptoms of colds and flu-like illnesses through short-term stimulation of the immune system. However, the drug has NOT been proven in preventing disease and is not recommended for long term use.
CL tested five echinacea products themselves and found the following results:
- One product had excessive lead contamination, containing more than 2.5 grams of lead per daily serving exceeding the California state limit above which a warning label is required. While this amount does not trigger a health problem for adults by itself, it unnecessarily contributes to lead exposure. In addition, this product contained higher than expected amounts of cichoric acid and lower than expected levels of echinacoside. This suggest that the product was made with either the wrong plant species or the wrong part of the echinacea plant.
- Four products CL test were low in phenols, the plant chemicals used to judge the quality of echinacea. The belief is high phenols equals higher potency.
- One product contained less than 5 percent phenols, and 50 percent and the third 75 percent of the claimed phenols. Ever though that last two contain the minimum amount required by the CL test, they still mislead consumers into believing that the product is more potent.
- The fourth product claimed to contain .8 percent to 1.2 percent echinacide and 3 percent to 4 percent total polyphenols. Yet consumer lab found .5 percent echinacide and .7 percent polyphenols, which are concentrations lower than the minimums expected for good quality echinacea.
In addition, echinacea can contain microbes that can cause disease - not prevent it.
So the knowledgeable graduate students were right, supplements are not always the super drugs they're cracked up to be. They can be expensive, ineffective and sometimes harmful. Even though half the population takes at least one supplement, according to Brittany and Adam, the FDA does not regulate these products before they reach stores.
In the words of Dane Cook, " ... when you see somebody walking down the street wearing a Superman t-shirt, you just want to shoot them in the chest ... when they start to bleed go, "I guess not" ... "
Just like a Superman t-shirt doesn't make you immune to bullet wounds, echinacea won't make you immune to colds or the flu.
The herbal supplement has not been proven to work and can be dangerous to your health, according to the knowledgeable graduate students of Writing for Health and Fitness.
Since I was one of the many people under the false impression that echinacea was the super herb that would make sure I never got sick and if by some slim chance I couldn't dodge the flu bullet, echinacea would cure me instantly like when Superman gets shot (well, maybe not that instantly), I decided to look deeper and find out how I had been duped.
According to ConsumerLab.com, echinacea is believed to help reduce the symptoms of colds and flu-like illnesses through short-term stimulation of the immune system. However, the drug has NOT been proven in preventing disease and is not recommended for long term use.
CL tested five echinacea products themselves and found the following results:
- One product had excessive lead contamination, containing more than 2.5 grams of lead per daily serving exceeding the California state limit above which a warning label is required. While this amount does not trigger a health problem for adults by itself, it unnecessarily contributes to lead exposure. In addition, this product contained higher than expected amounts of cichoric acid and lower than expected levels of echinacoside. This suggest that the product was made with either the wrong plant species or the wrong part of the echinacea plant.
- Four products CL test were low in phenols, the plant chemicals used to judge the quality of echinacea. The belief is high phenols equals higher potency.
- One product contained less than 5 percent phenols, and 50 percent and the third 75 percent of the claimed phenols. Ever though that last two contain the minimum amount required by the CL test, they still mislead consumers into believing that the product is more potent.
- The fourth product claimed to contain .8 percent to 1.2 percent echinacide and 3 percent to 4 percent total polyphenols. Yet consumer lab found .5 percent echinacide and .7 percent polyphenols, which are concentrations lower than the minimums expected for good quality echinacea.
In addition, echinacea can contain microbes that can cause disease - not prevent it.
So the knowledgeable graduate students were right, supplements are not always the super drugs they're cracked up to be. They can be expensive, ineffective and sometimes harmful. Even though half the population takes at least one supplement, according to Brittany and Adam, the FDA does not regulate these products before they reach stores.
In the words of Dane Cook, " ... when you see somebody walking down the street wearing a Superman t-shirt, you just want to shoot them in the chest ... when they start to bleed go, "I guess not" ... "
Just like a Superman t-shirt doesn't make you immune to bullet wounds, echinacea won't make you immune to colds or the flu.
Women over 30 struggling with eating disorders too
A friend broke down in tears while we were on our way to dinner one night freshman year and confessed she had an eating disorder. She had been struggling with anorexia and bulimia since high school, and she asked me to help her. Twice a week for a few months I accompanied my friend to the mental health center and sat in the waiting room while she spoke with a nutritionist/counselor. She began to feel better about herself and her body and slowly began to eat like a healthy young woman again. Today, she says she still struggles with this problem occasionally although it's not as bad. Anytime I think about her, I wonder if eating disorders stay with people forever or if it's possible to completely recover.
New research suggests eating disorders, which have often been thought of as a disease for teens and earlier 20s, may remain an issue in a person's life through their 30s, 40s and even 50s. Additionally, more women are developing eating disorders later in life, according to an Associated Press article, "More women over 30 battling eating disorders."
"The epidemiology is pretty clear that anorexia and bulimia both peek in the late teens, early 20s," said Dr. Donald McAlpine, director of an eating disorders program at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., in the AP article, yet "a lot of (patients) continue to be symptomatic right on through to middle life."
Although national statistics are difficult to find, data from some treatment centers suggest a steady increase, according to the article. For the first six months of this year, 35 percent of the patients were over 38 years old at the Park Nicollet Health Services' Eating Disorders Institute in the Minneapolis suburb of St. Louis Park.
That's 500 women over 38 seeking treatment in one institute!
Holly Grishkat, who directs outpatient programs at the Renfrew Center, a network of treatment centers in the eastern U.S., said in the AP article that women over 30 who seek treatment fall into three categories: women that have had an eating disorder for years, women who had an eating disorder in remission that resurface because of new stress in life, such as divorce or loss of a parent, or women who develop an eating disorder late in life (the smallest group).
People who study eating disorders say that growing public awareness, social pressure to be thin and an aging group of baby boomers may be reasons for the over 30 crowd to be seeking treatment for something that is typically a young woman's problem, according to the article.
Whatever the reasons, I hope that my friend does not have to seek help into her middle age years.
For more information on eating disorders and what you can do it you or a friend is in need of help visit the National Eating Disorders Web site.
New research suggests eating disorders, which have often been thought of as a disease for teens and earlier 20s, may remain an issue in a person's life through their 30s, 40s and even 50s. Additionally, more women are developing eating disorders later in life, according to an Associated Press article, "More women over 30 battling eating disorders."
"The epidemiology is pretty clear that anorexia and bulimia both peek in the late teens, early 20s," said Dr. Donald McAlpine, director of an eating disorders program at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., in the AP article, yet "a lot of (patients) continue to be symptomatic right on through to middle life."
Although national statistics are difficult to find, data from some treatment centers suggest a steady increase, according to the article. For the first six months of this year, 35 percent of the patients were over 38 years old at the Park Nicollet Health Services' Eating Disorders Institute in the Minneapolis suburb of St. Louis Park.
That's 500 women over 38 seeking treatment in one institute!
Holly Grishkat, who directs outpatient programs at the Renfrew Center, a network of treatment centers in the eastern U.S., said in the AP article that women over 30 who seek treatment fall into three categories: women that have had an eating disorder for years, women who had an eating disorder in remission that resurface because of new stress in life, such as divorce or loss of a parent, or women who develop an eating disorder late in life (the smallest group).
People who study eating disorders say that growing public awareness, social pressure to be thin and an aging group of baby boomers may be reasons for the over 30 crowd to be seeking treatment for something that is typically a young woman's problem, according to the article.
Whatever the reasons, I hope that my friend does not have to seek help into her middle age years.
For more information on eating disorders and what you can do it you or a friend is in need of help visit the National Eating Disorders Web site.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Alcohol and Breast Cancer?
Booze and Boobs sounds like the headline for a Girls Gone Wild video, not a breast cancer fundraiser.
Last week, students flocked to Bar One, not for $1 drinks, but to raise money for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, reported the Alligator. In theory, this seems like the best fundraiser yet, especially in a college town. But did you know that women who are heavy drinkers are 30 percent more likely to get breast cancer? 30 PERCENT.
Tavis Glassman, of GatorWell Health Promotions at U.F., informed me today about these risks and how much he thought these students' event contradicted their cause.
According to a Sept. 27 AP article about a study on alcohol and breast cancer, women who drink one to two drinks a day have a 10 percent higher chance of breast cancer, and women who drink more than 3 drinks a day have that startling 30 percent higher chance of breast cancer. Although, factors such age, genetics and overall health play bigger roles in breast cancer chances, there is definitely a link between alcohol and breast cancer. Additionally, the type of alcohol doesn't seem to matter. Red wine, contrary to many health debates, is not better for you than beer or hard liquor for breast cancer. The Sprecher Institute for Comparative Cancer Research at Cornell University, says that the evidence suggests the actual alcohol in the drinks are the root of the problem, not the other stuff.
More research needs to be done on the subject to see how alcohol stands up against other cancer culprit,but for now, Girls Gone Wild and breast cancer probably shouldn't mix.
Last week, students flocked to Bar One, not for $1 drinks, but to raise money for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, reported the Alligator. In theory, this seems like the best fundraiser yet, especially in a college town. But did you know that women who are heavy drinkers are 30 percent more likely to get breast cancer? 30 PERCENT.
Tavis Glassman, of GatorWell Health Promotions at U.F., informed me today about these risks and how much he thought these students' event contradicted their cause.
According to a Sept. 27 AP article about a study on alcohol and breast cancer, women who drink one to two drinks a day have a 10 percent higher chance of breast cancer, and women who drink more than 3 drinks a day have that startling 30 percent higher chance of breast cancer. Although, factors such age, genetics and overall health play bigger roles in breast cancer chances, there is definitely a link between alcohol and breast cancer. Additionally, the type of alcohol doesn't seem to matter. Red wine, contrary to many health debates, is not better for you than beer or hard liquor for breast cancer. The Sprecher Institute for Comparative Cancer Research at Cornell University, says that the evidence suggests the actual alcohol in the drinks are the root of the problem, not the other stuff.
More research needs to be done on the subject to see how alcohol stands up against other cancer culprit,but for now, Girls Gone Wild and breast cancer probably shouldn't mix.
Avoid Halloween Diet Mishaps
Knee-high, white pleather boots, a psychedelic mini-dress, huge, white hoop earrings and a head of teased blonde hair will transform me into a 60s Go-Go Girl for Halloween this year. I look forward to dressing up, going to the parties and the CANDY and TREATS every year.
But this year, I don't want to fall into the Halloween traps that kill my diet. So I went on the hunt for healthy alternatives to festive snacks. Although they're probably not as tasty as the candy corn, Snickers, Twix and Butterfingers (and all of the other types of yummy, chocolate candy), I know eating healthy this Halloween will help me in the long run. One fun size Butterfinger packs 100 calories, 4 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 50 milligrams of sodium and 15 grams of carbs - and who can really eat just one?
Here are my festive treats!
Spooky sandwiches
- Peanut butter and jelly can be a healthy stand by.
- Use whole grain wheat bread, reduced-fat peanut butter and sugar-free jelly (I love Smucker's Strawberry Preserves with Splenda)
- Once you've made your standard sandwich with a healthy kick, use Halloween shaped cookie-cutters to make the sandwich into festive shapes.
- You can also use the same method with grilled cheese. Just make sure to use reduced-fat cheese, whole wheat bread and cooking spray instead of butter in the pan.
Orange Jack-O-Lanterns
- Draw Jack-O-Lantern faces on oranges with a sharpie
- Cut out the pulp.
- Mix some of the pulp with vanilla yogurt, and add some swirls of green Jell-O and raisins.
- Pour the mixture into the oranges.
- Place the oranges in a muffin tin and put them in the freezer.
But this year, I don't want to fall into the Halloween traps that kill my diet. So I went on the hunt for healthy alternatives to festive snacks. Although they're probably not as tasty as the candy corn, Snickers, Twix and Butterfingers (and all of the other types of yummy, chocolate candy), I know eating healthy this Halloween will help me in the long run. One fun size Butterfinger packs 100 calories, 4 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 50 milligrams of sodium and 15 grams of carbs - and who can really eat just one?
Here are my festive treats!
Spooky sandwiches
- Peanut butter and jelly can be a healthy stand by.
- Use whole grain wheat bread, reduced-fat peanut butter and sugar-free jelly (I love Smucker's Strawberry Preserves with Splenda)
- Once you've made your standard sandwich with a healthy kick, use Halloween shaped cookie-cutters to make the sandwich into festive shapes.
- You can also use the same method with grilled cheese. Just make sure to use reduced-fat cheese, whole wheat bread and cooking spray instead of butter in the pan.
Orange Jack-O-Lanterns
- Draw Jack-O-Lantern faces on oranges with a sharpie
- Cut out the pulp.
- Mix some of the pulp with vanilla yogurt, and add some swirls of green Jell-O and raisins.
- Pour the mixture into the oranges.
- Place the oranges in a muffin tin and put them in the freezer.
Monday, October 22, 2007
I'm back!
Today I lifted weights the size of dog bones -- not the type of dog bones you would give a St. Bernard or a Great Dane, the kind you would give a shitsu. And WOW, it was hard.
It was my first time lifting anything since my shoulder surgery about a month ago. I was a competitive softball player for over a decade, and my body still pays for it. This was my second shoulder surgery (and hopefully my last). But the crazy thing is, if you saw me today, you wouldn't know anything was wrong thanks to my minimally invasive procedure. My doctor made three incisions, each about 2 centimeters long, in my shoulder and used tiny instruments and cameras to fix the tissues and tendons inside my shoulder.
Today more and more procedures are being done using minimally invasive procedures. Not only can doctors perform surgery on most joints in this fashion, but according to the Mayo Clinic Web site, doctors are able to use this method for many surgeries that previously were invasive such as hearts, colon and rectal, gastroenterologic and general,gynecologic, neurosurgery, orthopedic, otorhinolaryngology (ear, nose and throat), thoracic, urology and vascular.
The benefits of this type of surgery are numerous -- less trauma to the body, less blood loss, smaller surgical scars and less need for medication.
The bad part about minimally invasive surgery -- when you and the people around you can't see your itty bitty scars, you forget how much work a dog-bone sized weight can be to lift.
(Left) You can see the two, tiny scars on the front of my shoulder. (Right) You can see me sporting my trendy sling just last week.
It was my first time lifting anything since my shoulder surgery about a month ago. I was a competitive softball player for over a decade, and my body still pays for it. This was my second shoulder surgery (and hopefully my last). But the crazy thing is, if you saw me today, you wouldn't know anything was wrong thanks to my minimally invasive procedure. My doctor made three incisions, each about 2 centimeters long, in my shoulder and used tiny instruments and cameras to fix the tissues and tendons inside my shoulder.
Today more and more procedures are being done using minimally invasive procedures. Not only can doctors perform surgery on most joints in this fashion, but according to the Mayo Clinic Web site, doctors are able to use this method for many surgeries that previously were invasive such as hearts, colon and rectal, gastroenterologic and general,gynecologic, neurosurgery, orthopedic, otorhinolaryngology (ear, nose and throat), thoracic, urology and vascular.
The benefits of this type of surgery are numerous -- less trauma to the body, less blood loss, smaller surgical scars and less need for medication.
The bad part about minimally invasive surgery -- when you and the people around you can't see your itty bitty scars, you forget how much work a dog-bone sized weight can be to lift.
(Left) You can see the two, tiny scars on the front of my shoulder. (Right) You can see me sporting my trendy sling just last week.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Diarrhea vaccine may help travlers
As spring break planning season, many students cut out Mexico and many other countries where the water is, well, not up to par because as much fun as it would be to wear sombreros and shoot tequilla for a week, the consequence are not always worth it. We've all heard the stories of those students who partied the week away in Cancun, but they are still feeling those margaritas a week later because of unclean water that causes - diarrhea.
It's an icky subject to talk about because no one wants to say they have ... diarrhea.
A new study found that a vaccine for travelers' diarrhea shows promise.The study found that travelers who took the Iomai Corp. vaccine were significantly less likely to sickened compared to the travelers who took the placebo, according to "Diarrhea vaccine shows promise, maker says" on Sept. 19.
Iomai's patch-based vaccine is designed to stimulate an immune response using the so-called ETEC toxin, Iomai said.
Of the 59 people who received a patch-based vaccine, only two suffered moderate and one suffered severe diarrhea. Whereas 23 of the 111 people who received the placebo suffered moderate or severe diarrhea, 12 of those people suffered severe diarrhea.
Iomai plans to begin a late-stage program for the vaccine in 2008.
But for the time being, spring breakers must still beware of those alluring Latin American beach getaways ... don't drink the water.
It's an icky subject to talk about because no one wants to say they have ... diarrhea.
A new study found that a vaccine for travelers' diarrhea shows promise.The study found that travelers who took the Iomai Corp. vaccine were significantly less likely to sickened compared to the travelers who took the placebo, according to "Diarrhea vaccine shows promise, maker says" on Sept. 19.
Iomai's patch-based vaccine is designed to stimulate an immune response using the so-called ETEC toxin, Iomai said.
Of the 59 people who received a patch-based vaccine, only two suffered moderate and one suffered severe diarrhea. Whereas 23 of the 111 people who received the placebo suffered moderate or severe diarrhea, 12 of those people suffered severe diarrhea.
Iomai plans to begin a late-stage program for the vaccine in 2008.
But for the time being, spring breakers must still beware of those alluring Latin American beach getaways ... don't drink the water.
Are 100-calorie packs friends or foes?
I recently walked into my sorority house and noticed one of my friends eating an Oreo cookie thin crisp 100-calorie pack. I was intrigued and had never tried these snacks so I asked my friend what she thought of the snack.
"They're really tasty," she said. "The only problem is this is the third one I've eaten ... so I believe it's not a 100-calorie pack anymore."
Oops. My friend had great intentions, and she was attempting to make good decisions about her health. But do these snacks merit the nutritional value to satisfy?
Suzanne Farrela, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, said in Snacking in the Line of Duty "most prepackaged 100-calorie snacks don't pack the nutritional punch of alternatives like a cup of yogurt, a handful of nuts, a bag of cherry tomatoes or a piece of fresh fruti, and they tend to be more expensive per serving than buying the same product in regular-size packages."
However, she said the advantage of these snacks merit some value because the way we snack can definitly make or break a diet. For example, if you substitute one of these 100-calorie pack for a 240-calorie candy bar each day, that results in a 16-pound weight loss in a year. And some of these 100-calorie snacks pack some nutritional value.
Here are some of the best choices of 100-calorie pack items:
Quaker's Chewy Peanut Butter Chocalate Chip Granola Bar
- Why? The main ingredient is whole grain, contains 10 percent of the daily requirement of calcium, 3 grams of fiber (10 percent of the daily value) and only 3 grams of fat. The tasters also thought it was tasty.
Special K Vanilla Snack Bites and 90-calories Chocolatey Drizzle Bar
- Why? They had the largest amount of vitamins with 15 percent of the daily requirement of iron and folic acid. And one of the taster's kids even liked this snack.
Hershey's 100 Calorie Dark Chocolate Bar
- Why? They allow chocolate lovers to indugle in moderation, and dark chocolate contains more healthy flavonols that relax blood vessels, improve blood flow, decrease blod clotting and reduce inflammation.
And just so you know, the Oreo Thin Crisps passed Farrel's test because they have zero saturated and trans fats, but its sodium level is higher than many other snacks at 160 mg. Farrel recommended Quaker Crunchy Chocolate Granola Bites as a better choice because of the added calcium and whole grains.
If you have a crazing for junk food that you just can't resist, 100-calorie packs are a good option. But routinly eating these packs will not get you to your ideal weight goal because they often are just empty calories, even if they are low-fat, Farrel said.
Just as my friend eating the three packs of Oreo Thin Crisps learned, eating a more satisfying snack or meal will help you in the long run not to overeat.
Here are some more 100-calories snack ideas with a nutritional bang:
* 3 cups popped low-fat popcorn (use an air popper if possible, and add only a little salt and butter spray)
* 10 baked tortilla chips with 1/3 cup salsa
* 3 oz baby carrots (about 20) with 2 tbsp lite ranch dressing
* ¾ cup minestrone soup
* 1 6-oz. container nonfat yogurt
* 1 container nonfat sugar-free pudding
* 4 mini rice cakes with 2 tsp peanut butter
* 6 oz tomato juice, ¾ oz lite cheese, 6 mini wheat crackers
* Apple with 1 oz low-fat cheese
* 30 grapes
* ½ cup edamame
* 14 almonds
"They're really tasty," she said. "The only problem is this is the third one I've eaten ... so I believe it's not a 100-calorie pack anymore."
Oops. My friend had great intentions, and she was attempting to make good decisions about her health. But do these snacks merit the nutritional value to satisfy?
Suzanne Farrela, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, said in Snacking in the Line of Duty "most prepackaged 100-calorie snacks don't pack the nutritional punch of alternatives like a cup of yogurt, a handful of nuts, a bag of cherry tomatoes or a piece of fresh fruti, and they tend to be more expensive per serving than buying the same product in regular-size packages."
However, she said the advantage of these snacks merit some value because the way we snack can definitly make or break a diet. For example, if you substitute one of these 100-calorie pack for a 240-calorie candy bar each day, that results in a 16-pound weight loss in a year. And some of these 100-calorie snacks pack some nutritional value.
Here are some of the best choices of 100-calorie pack items:
Quaker's Chewy Peanut Butter Chocalate Chip Granola Bar
- Why? The main ingredient is whole grain, contains 10 percent of the daily requirement of calcium, 3 grams of fiber (10 percent of the daily value) and only 3 grams of fat. The tasters also thought it was tasty.
Special K Vanilla Snack Bites and 90-calories Chocolatey Drizzle Bar
- Why? They had the largest amount of vitamins with 15 percent of the daily requirement of iron and folic acid. And one of the taster's kids even liked this snack.
Hershey's 100 Calorie Dark Chocolate Bar
- Why? They allow chocolate lovers to indugle in moderation, and dark chocolate contains more healthy flavonols that relax blood vessels, improve blood flow, decrease blod clotting and reduce inflammation.
And just so you know, the Oreo Thin Crisps passed Farrel's test because they have zero saturated and trans fats, but its sodium level is higher than many other snacks at 160 mg. Farrel recommended Quaker Crunchy Chocolate Granola Bites as a better choice because of the added calcium and whole grains.
If you have a crazing for junk food that you just can't resist, 100-calorie packs are a good option. But routinly eating these packs will not get you to your ideal weight goal because they often are just empty calories, even if they are low-fat, Farrel said.
Just as my friend eating the three packs of Oreo Thin Crisps learned, eating a more satisfying snack or meal will help you in the long run not to overeat.
Here are some more 100-calories snack ideas with a nutritional bang:
* 3 cups popped low-fat popcorn (use an air popper if possible, and add only a little salt and butter spray)
* 10 baked tortilla chips with 1/3 cup salsa
* 3 oz baby carrots (about 20) with 2 tbsp lite ranch dressing
* ¾ cup minestrone soup
* 1 6-oz. container nonfat yogurt
* 1 container nonfat sugar-free pudding
* 4 mini rice cakes with 2 tsp peanut butter
* 6 oz tomato juice, ¾ oz lite cheese, 6 mini wheat crackers
* Apple with 1 oz low-fat cheese
* 30 grapes
* ½ cup edamame
* 14 almonds
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Stressing out?
Have you ever had one of those days, weeks or months when stress seems to be taking over your life? Well, stress has recently taken over my life. First, there's school. Although it's only the beginning of the semester, it seems as though everywhere I turn, someone is asking me what I'm going to be doing in May ... when I graduate. Next, there's friends and roommates. Needless to say my hopes of living in the "Friends" lifestyle and going to the coffee shop with Peobe, Monica and Rachel everyday began with a rocky and start. And since, things come in three's, there's also the upcoming surgery I will have next week on my shoulder to ice the cake. But everybody has stress. Some people deal well with it, others don't. When I mention the word stress to my brother who has two toddlers, a pregnant wife, a corporate executive job and bills out the wazoo, he doesn't have much sympathy, but stress is all relative.
For me, my stress became a problem this month, when my personality became snappy and irratable. I'm usually a happy, easy-going gal, and I have just not been myself.
So after one last emotional breakdown this past week and the epiphany that I anything would be more interesting than spending my next three years in law school, I decided to change my stress into motivation and enjoy the present.
In my quest to turn my stress into positive energy, I realized I'm not alone. Stress causes physical, mental and social problems for millions of people every day. For college students, our stress is a bit different. Yes, we don't have the stress of taking care of a family and making tons of money, but we do have the stress of doing well in school, social engagements and the dreaded future.
According to the Villanova University Web site, senior stress can be attributed to uncertainty about the future and the loss of a sense of predictability. In addition, seniors tend to see a dividing line with graduation between youth and adulthood.
In 1983, Time magazine called stress the No. 1 health problem. Many experts today still agree with this bold statement. According to the American Heart Association, stress can cause a variety of health problems including high blood pressure and cholesterol levels, smoking, physical inactivity and overeating, as well as social implications.
So what can you do to manage stress and retain a healthy life?
There are many ways people recommend reducing stress from yoga to laughter, different techniques will work for different people.
Here is a top 10 list of stress relieving techniques that I found helpful from http://www.optimalhealth.org:
1. Take a deep breath.
2. Are you a type A personality?
3. Communicate.
4. Write it all down.
5. Stop using stimulants.
6. Get organized.
7. Take a hike.
8. Lose yourself in a daydream.
9. Get a pet.
10. Stand up for yourself.
For me, my stress became a problem this month, when my personality became snappy and irratable. I'm usually a happy, easy-going gal, and I have just not been myself.
So after one last emotional breakdown this past week and the epiphany that I anything would be more interesting than spending my next three years in law school, I decided to change my stress into motivation and enjoy the present.
According to the Villanova University Web site, senior stress can be attributed to uncertainty about the future and the loss of a sense of predictability. In addition, seniors tend to see a dividing line with graduation between youth and adulthood.
In 1983, Time magazine called stress the No. 1 health problem. Many experts today still agree with this bold statement. According to the American Heart Association, stress can cause a variety of health problems including high blood pressure and cholesterol levels, smoking, physical inactivity and overeating, as well as social implications.
So what can you do to manage stress and retain a healthy life?
There are many ways people recommend reducing stress from yoga to laughter, different techniques will work for different people.
Here is a top 10 list of stress relieving techniques that I found helpful from http://www.optimalhealth.org:
1. Take a deep breath.
2. Are you a type A personality?
3. Communicate.
4. Write it all down.
5. Stop using stimulants.
6. Get organized.
7. Take a hike.
8. Lose yourself in a daydream.
9. Get a pet.
10. Stand up for yourself.
And if you're the kind of person that needs a good laugh to keep your mind of the things that are bothering you, here's another Top 10 List of stress relieving techniques from Your Daily Fun Dose:
- Use your mastercard to pay off your visa.
- Pop some popcorn without putting the lid on.
- When someone says,"Have a nice day!", tell them you have other plans.
- Make a list of things you have already done.
- Thumb through a National Geographic and draw underwear on the natives.
- Go shopping, Buy Everything, Sweat in them, Return them the next day!
- Drive to school in reverse.
- Read the dictionary backwards and look for subliminal messages.
- Bill your doctor for the time you spent in his/her waiting room.
- Get a box of condoms. Wait in line at the check-out counter an ask the cashier where the fitting rooms are.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Childhood obesity: Is advertising to blame?
Children are exposed to $13 billion of food advertising every year, according to a professor of food and resource economics at the University of Florida.
Yet only one food product advertised during 743 commercials would be recommended food according to the USDA's new food pyramid, said Lisa House, who holds a doctorate in food and resource economics. The one food was Rice Krispies, the healthy kid cereal that talks back.
House had hopes of running an experiment to document the number of healthy versus unhealthy foods on children's television, such as Saturday morning cartoons. However, she could not run this experiment with her students because there was only one healthy food on all of childen's tv, she said. Most of the foods advertised to children are high in sugar and/or fat and offer little nutritional value.
In addition to promoting food that's unhealthy, no advertisements for fruits and vegetables have been aired on Saturday mornings in 25 years, House said.
Does advertising make that big of a difference in what children eat?
In my personal experience, I would say yes.
I have three nieces. The oldest one, Taylor, is almost 4 years old, and she loves the Disney princesses more than anything else and hates fruit. Her mom is extremely worried about letting her children follow the trend of childhood obesity so she restricts what they eat fairly strictly, but she has had the worst time getting Taylor to eat fruits. Recently, she found grapes packaged with Disney characters at the grocery store. Taylor ate them up. If the Disney princesses were eating grapes then she wanted to eat grapes and thus my sister-in-law was able to get her to consume fruit.
According to House, Taylor is not the only child influenced by advertising. Children who watch more tv have less nutritional knowledge and request more unhealthy foods than children who watch less tv. Taylor watches a fair amount of tv, especially anything on the Disney Channel, and her favorite place to eat in life is Sonny's barbecue restaurant. It could have been a catchy commercial that made her love this place so much because it's not someplace her parents would go often. It's not that close to her house that the aromas of barbecue sauce and baked beans could draw her in. Yet anytime you ask this child where she wants to eat it's the same answer, Sonny's. And for a while she wouldn't eat chicken at all unless it was from Sonny's. A lot of time we would just say the chicken was from Sonny's and she would then be hungry for it and eat it.
Proponents of these food advertisements might say that children who are watching tv are less active and that's why they're obese and that's a whole different problem than advertisements and that's a valid point. But I can't help but wonder how large the role of advertisements play in a child's desires.
Yet only one food product advertised during 743 commercials would be recommended food according to the USDA's new food pyramid, said Lisa House, who holds a doctorate in food and resource economics. The one food was Rice Krispies, the healthy kid cereal that talks back.
House had hopes of running an experiment to document the number of healthy versus unhealthy foods on children's television, such as Saturday morning cartoons. However, she could not run this experiment with her students because there was only one healthy food on all of childen's tv, she said. Most of the foods advertised to children are high in sugar and/or fat and offer little nutritional value.
In addition to promoting food that's unhealthy, no advertisements for fruits and vegetables have been aired on Saturday mornings in 25 years, House said.
Does advertising make that big of a difference in what children eat?
In my personal experience, I would say yes.
I have three nieces. The oldest one, Taylor, is almost 4 years old, and she loves the Disney princesses more than anything else and hates fruit. Her mom is extremely worried about letting her children follow the trend of childhood obesity so she restricts what they eat fairly strictly, but she has had the worst time getting Taylor to eat fruits. Recently, she found grapes packaged with Disney characters at the grocery store. Taylor ate them up. If the Disney princesses were eating grapes then she wanted to eat grapes and thus my sister-in-law was able to get her to consume fruit.
According to House, Taylor is not the only child influenced by advertising. Children who watch more tv have less nutritional knowledge and request more unhealthy foods than children who watch less tv. Taylor watches a fair amount of tv, especially anything on the Disney Channel, and her favorite place to eat in life is Sonny's barbecue restaurant. It could have been a catchy commercial that made her love this place so much because it's not someplace her parents would go often. It's not that close to her house that the aromas of barbecue sauce and baked beans could draw her in. Yet anytime you ask this child where she wants to eat it's the same answer, Sonny's. And for a while she wouldn't eat chicken at all unless it was from Sonny's. A lot of time we would just say the chicken was from Sonny's and she would then be hungry for it and eat it.
Proponents of these food advertisements might say that children who are watching tv are less active and that's why they're obese and that's a whole different problem than advertisements and that's a valid point. But I can't help but wonder how large the role of advertisements play in a child's desires.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Gym Germs
I made my first trip back to the Southwest Rec this past week. I knew that there had been an influx of freshmen, and I would not be able to enjoy the gym at my leisure as I did over the summer when I simply walked on to an open machine. The place was packed. I even went a little later, around 9 p.m., in hopes of avoiding the crowds.
I thought I had lucked out, and I got onto an elliptical right away. However, a small, probably freshman girl came up to me 15 minutes into my work out to inform me that I was on “her” machine. I graciously got off the machine and picked up the filthy towel and spray bottle and “cleaned” the machine. I walked away and found another machine to finish my workout, but I had to wonder, how many germs are at the gym?
So I did a little research on this and found out that fungi and bacteria thrive at the gym because of the hot, sweaty environment. In January 2005, a microbiology professor at NYU investigated several New York City gyms and found a number of disturbing germs, including Staphylococcus, Streptococcus viridans, diphtheroids, and E. coli on dumbbells, candida albicans, a known to cause yeast infections, on exercise bikes, and E.Coli on the shower floors. University of Arizona research also found the flu viruses could survive on equipment for up to 72 hours, making the gym a sick day waiting to happen.
What can you do to about the germs at the gym? Wash your hands often and use the gym wipes. The ones provided by student government are a better bet because they do not hold the germs from the person before you, but UF is fading these gym wipes out because they are expensive. When that happens, do the best you can with the not so clean towels and make sure to wash your hands thoroughly after a workout. Also, try not to touch your eyes, nose or mouth after working out.
Information taken from:
“Germs at the Gym” by Michael D. Shaw
How to Avoid Germs at the Gym
I thought I had lucked out, and I got onto an elliptical right away. However, a small, probably freshman girl came up to me 15 minutes into my work out to inform me that I was on “her” machine. I graciously got off the machine and picked up the filthy towel and spray bottle and “cleaned” the machine. I walked away and found another machine to finish my workout, but I had to wonder, how many germs are at the gym?
So I did a little research on this and found out that fungi and bacteria thrive at the gym because of the hot, sweaty environment. In January 2005, a microbiology professor at NYU investigated several New York City gyms and found a number of disturbing germs, including Staphylococcus, Streptococcus viridans, diphtheroids, and E. coli on dumbbells, candida albicans, a known to cause yeast infections, on exercise bikes, and E.Coli on the shower floors. University of Arizona research also found the flu viruses could survive on equipment for up to 72 hours, making the gym a sick day waiting to happen.
What can you do to about the germs at the gym? Wash your hands often and use the gym wipes. The ones provided by student government are a better bet because they do not hold the germs from the person before you, but UF is fading these gym wipes out because they are expensive. When that happens, do the best you can with the not so clean towels and make sure to wash your hands thoroughly after a workout. Also, try not to touch your eyes, nose or mouth after working out.
Information taken from:
“Germs at the Gym” by Michael D. Shaw
How to Avoid Germs at the Gym
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Is competitive eating a healthy sport for America?
A newly popular sport could be bringing down an already unhealthy America.
Competitive eating gained more media attention this summer, with 50,000 people showing up to the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island in New York, and even more people tuned into ESPN to watch the competition.
Joey Chestnut, 23, ate 66 hot dogs in 12 minutes to take the title. Chestnut trains for these events by eating mass quantities of the food he is about to be challenged with, such as hot dogs, hot wings, cheesecake and more. He drink massive amounts of water to make the food sink to the bottom of his stomach so he can get the maximum amount in. At 6 foot 1 inches and 220 pounds, Chestnut runs to keep the weight off. But according to "Competitive Eating: How Safe is it?" by Richard Sine, dieticians worry about the health risks associated with this behavior as well as the image to the public in a country that is already obese, is publicizing gluttony at its finest a good idea?
The binge eating associated with competitive eating can cause stomach perforations in people with undiagnosed ulcers, says Shanthi Sitaraman, MD, PhD, a gastroenterologist at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta. In addition, because of the immense amounts of water the competitors consumer, they are at risk for water intoxication, a deadly syndrome that results from dilution of electrolytes in the blood.
Dr. David Metz has been studying competitive eaters and found that they have a special ability to expand their stomach and stomach muscles.
So couch potatoes beware if you're looking for a new sport to try, competitive eating is not a sport that anyone can do, nor is it one that will keep you healthy. As far as summer sports go, health experts seem to believe Americans should stick to the classics, baseball, volleyball, swimming and the norm.
Competitive eating gained more media attention this summer, with 50,000 people showing up to the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island in New York, and even more people tuned into ESPN to watch the competition.
Joey Chestnut, 23, ate 66 hot dogs in 12 minutes to take the title. Chestnut trains for these events by eating mass quantities of the food he is about to be challenged with, such as hot dogs, hot wings, cheesecake and more. He drink massive amounts of water to make the food sink to the bottom of his stomach so he can get the maximum amount in. At 6 foot 1 inches and 220 pounds, Chestnut runs to keep the weight off. But according to "Competitive Eating: How Safe is it?" by Richard Sine, dieticians worry about the health risks associated with this behavior as well as the image to the public in a country that is already obese, is publicizing gluttony at its finest a good idea?
The binge eating associated with competitive eating can cause stomach perforations in people with undiagnosed ulcers, says Shanthi Sitaraman, MD, PhD, a gastroenterologist at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta. In addition, because of the immense amounts of water the competitors consumer, they are at risk for water intoxication, a deadly syndrome that results from dilution of electrolytes in the blood.
Dr. David Metz has been studying competitive eaters and found that they have a special ability to expand their stomach and stomach muscles.
So couch potatoes beware if you're looking for a new sport to try, competitive eating is not a sport that anyone can do, nor is it one that will keep you healthy. As far as summer sports go, health experts seem to believe Americans should stick to the classics, baseball, volleyball, swimming and the norm.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Intro
Hi Everybody!
My name is Tracy. I'm a fourth-year journalism major at UF, and I will be graduating Spring '08, yikes. I was born in Orange County, Calif., and I grew up in Clearwater, Fla., so I love to the ocean, the beach, boats, fishing and anything to do with the water. I also have been an athlete my whole life. I skipped ballet practice to go play softball with my dad one day in third grade and never made it back to ballet. In high school, I was a state champion volleyball player and played competitive softball for about 12 years until I injured my shoulder and my back, which forced me to give the sport up when I came to college. Once I got to UF, I joined a sorority and have really enjoyed my time there, but I have never lost my love of sports. I grew up with two older brothers, and one of them played football at UCF, so sports have always been a part of my life. I try to play any intramural sports I can from flag football to volleyball. And I don't think there is a better college to be a sports fan, go Gators.
In addition to an interest in sports as a part of fitness, I also have a great interest in general health and fitness. I have a family history of heart disease. My mom has had three heart attacks and my dad has had one heart attack. Therefore, I am always looking for the latest news on cardiovascular health and how to maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle. My family also is in the medical equipment business.
This class seemed perfect for me because it combined to things that I feel strongly about journalism and health. I have interned with a local newspaper in Clearwater for two years, and I have written freelance articles for the Alligator and the Florida Frontier. As you can see my interest in health and fitness comes from a variety of places. Ulitmately, I am a proponent of health living and staying informed about health, and journalists play a huge role in this goal. I'm looking forward to a great semester.
My name is Tracy. I'm a fourth-year journalism major at UF, and I will be graduating Spring '08, yikes. I was born in Orange County, Calif., and I grew up in Clearwater, Fla., so I love to the ocean, the beach, boats, fishing and anything to do with the water. I also have been an athlete my whole life. I skipped ballet practice to go play softball with my dad one day in third grade and never made it back to ballet. In high school, I was a state champion volleyball player and played competitive softball for about 12 years until I injured my shoulder and my back, which forced me to give the sport up when I came to college. Once I got to UF, I joined a sorority and have really enjoyed my time there, but I have never lost my love of sports. I grew up with two older brothers, and one of them played football at UCF, so sports have always been a part of my life. I try to play any intramural sports I can from flag football to volleyball. And I don't think there is a better college to be a sports fan, go Gators.
In addition to an interest in sports as a part of fitness, I also have a great interest in general health and fitness. I have a family history of heart disease. My mom has had three heart attacks and my dad has had one heart attack. Therefore, I am always looking for the latest news on cardiovascular health and how to maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle. My family also is in the medical equipment business.
This class seemed perfect for me because it combined to things that I feel strongly about journalism and health. I have interned with a local newspaper in Clearwater for two years, and I have written freelance articles for the Alligator and the Florida Frontier. As you can see my interest in health and fitness comes from a variety of places. Ulitmately, I am a proponent of health living and staying informed about health, and journalists play a huge role in this goal. I'm looking forward to a great semester.
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