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.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
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.
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