The End is Near

This is it: my last blog entry for JOU 4930 Health and Fitness Writing. It’s bittersweet, and I'll miss cruising the Internet for health/fitness news that I can relate to my life (or just make fun of). All in all, I'd say for the two or three of you (including Professor Spiker) who take the time to read though the wonder that is Health and Fitness Across the Board, it's been fun. Thanks mom.

Since I have limited experience in magazine and feature writing, I was cursing myself for signing up for this class in August, but it has been surprisingly painless. From Core Performance to Stiff, last minute news stories to the dreaded final project, we've shared some laughs, partied like rock stars and showed a trainer at IMG our fantastic lack of fitness knowledge. Oh, and I've learned a lot too.

I can say that I've never spent so much time reading health and fitness news, and I had no idea that these areas covered so much ground. The blogging itself has improved my writing, and, though there were a few times I've cursed writing two entries a week, now that I look back, I'm pretty proud of the work I've done. I hope my insights into the health and fitness world have been a worthwhile read; it's been fun.

Weight Watchers Meets Bible Study

I know people try all different, at times strange, things to lose weight-diet pills, fad diets, etc-but I was completely flabbergasted when I came across First Place, a program that uses a Christ-centered approach to weight loss. Praying yourself thin? What won't people try.

The program works by using "a weekly Bible study which—combined with prayer and Scripture reading—helps to impart God's strength, empowering members to overcome temptation and make long-lasting lifestyle changes." The program draws on the idea that your body is a temple, and, keeping the temple healthy (and svelte) is integral to being a good Christian.

Small groups of men and women meet at churches across the country to participate in the program. The program runs 11-13 weeks per session and costs $79.99 for the Member's Kit, $19.99 for a Bible Study Kit and an extra $10-$20 for additional start-up costs. Hmm, guess those pounds can't be shed by faith alone. In addition, members are asked to make nine commitments during the program (from the First Place website):

1. ATTEND a meeting each week.
2. ENCOURAGE one other person in your class weekly.
3. PRAY daily.
4. READ two chapters in the Bible daily.
5. MEMORIZE one Bible verse weekly.
6. Complete a weekly BIBLE STUDY, which takes about 15 minutes a day.
7. Follow the First Place LIVE-IT FOOD PLAN.
8. Keep a First Place COMMITMENT RECORD or food diary.
9. EXERCISE a minimum of three times a week.

Sounds like a pretty standard weight-loss program to me-eat right and exercise, but I guess a little divine intervention never hurt anyone. The website is worth checking out--especially the testimonials. Satan lives in your chocolate cake.

To Vaccinate or Not to Vaccinate?

My best friend keeps pushing me to get a flu shot, and I'm not opposed to the idea--it's not like I want to be miserably sick for a week or more. The problem is I'm lazy, because, even though I walk near the infirmary, I never stop for the shot. There's also that little fear of needles thing, but, according to an article on health.com, my hesitation may not be such a bad thing.

Apparently, "the vaccine may not be as good—or as safe—as you think." OK, now I'm confused. Flu complications kill nearly 40,000 Americans a year, and the CDC recommends flu shots, but it might be dangerous and unnecessary? This is because the vaccine only contains strains of the virus that a group of experts hypothesize might be a problem during this flu season. So, if they miss a particular strain, you could still get sick. Also, the vaccine itself can make you sick. How counterintuitive is that?

The article says that at-risk groups, children, pregnant women and people over 50, should be vaccinated, and if you're in busy, public places (like a college campus maybe?) or work around high-risk groups, you should probably consider getting vaccinated too. I think I may make a pit-stop at the infirmary.

I'd Rather Be Burried Alive

I finished Mary Roach's Stiff a few weeks ago, but, whenever I think of the book, there's still one part that flashes vividly in my mind, sends shivers down my spine and makes me go 'eshhh, yuck." In this charming section, Roach describes, in detail, the methods doctors devised to ensure their patients weren't buried alive. Trust me, if you're into being grossed out in a highly informative way, Stiff is right up your alley (this cliché will have a whole new frame of refernce in about two paragraphs).

Apparently, the fear of live burial was common, and eighteenth- and nineteenth-century doctors came up with all sorts of disgusting, painful and, at time perverse, ways to assure the patient was "undeniably and verifiably dead," to quote the Munchkin Undertaker in the Wizard of Oz.

Among my favorites were: needles jammed under toenails; a red-hot poker up the rear end; nipple pincers; tobacco enemas; warm urine poured into the mouth; and rhythmic tongue pulling. If the fear of dying wasn't already great enough, I'd be petrified to know what my doctor was doing to my corpse. esshhh, yuck.

I Wish I Didn't Know Now What I Didn't Know Then

My favorite food? Outback's Aussie Cheese Fries. Since high school, whenever my friends and I had a girls' night out, we'd pile into a booth at Outback and inhale two orders of the crispy fries dripping in bacon, cheese, chives and ranch dressing. It's not like I eat them five times a week, or even more than once every couple of months, but after reading Men's Health Online's The 20 Worst Foods in America, I may never eat them again. Ever. Or at least for a few months.

There are 2,900 calories and 240 grams of carbs in an order of this deep fried deliciousness, but it gets worse: 182 grams of fat. This only goes to prove that I'm a woefully inadequate judge of caloric content. Men's Health's recommendation? Order a protein-based dish and skip the deep friend options-kind of obvious, but they also remind you that appetizers are meant to be shared. If you divide the 5,800 calories in two orders among five hungry girls, that's still over 1,100 calories each. What have I done?

My other favorites that made the top 20: the worst starter-Chili's Awesome Blossom (2,710 calories and 203 grams of fat); the worst entree-Chili's (sensing a pattern?) Honey Chipotle Crispers with Chipotle Sauce (2,040 calories and 99 grams of fat); and the worst Chinese entree-P.F. Chang's Pork Lo Mein (1,820 calories and 127 grams of fat).

I know that when I get in a junk food mood, I'll probably revert back to these old favorites, but my stomach is still churning knowing that I put that much grease in my body. I think I'm officially quitting the cheese fries, but, like any good addict, I'm sure I'll give in eventually.

Time to Toss the Turkey

Over the past few days, I've noticed fellow students lugging coolers of leftovers into their apartments after their families' Thanksgiving feasts. I too, after 20 minutes of my mother shoving more and more food into my tiny portable cooler, have a fridge that is bursting at the seams with GladWare Containers full of turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes and green bean casserole; honestly, it's more than I could ever eat, but my mother is convinced that I'm "too skinny."

I know I should probably just toss stuff out in the next couple of days, but I feel horrible when I waste food. It doesn't smell bad yet, and those turkey sandwiches taste really good around 10 p.m. The problem is that eating the leftovers may make me feel worse than tossing them out does, according to an Independent Florida Alligator article on Thanksgiving leftovers and food poisoning.

Keith Schneider, a UF food science associate professor at the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, says you shouldn't consume leftovers if they've been in the fridge more than four days, and, by my count, that'd be today. So, it looks like it's time to eat those three pounds of turkey or just toss ‘em—sounds better than dealing with food poisoning during the final weeks of school.

Boys and Girls

I have two younger brothers, and I've always thought of myself as the athletic, healthy sibiling (and the smarter one too, but that’s a different blog), but my perception has changed dramatically after my little brothers, seemingly overnight, are all grown up.

Russ, 16, was scrawny growing up--I mean skin and bones skinny, but, when he hit puberty (and started eating everything in sight) he put on few pounds. Now, he's a little over six feet tall and has biceps bigger than my head. How is he doing this? Well, since I've seen no evidence of steroid use, I'm going to assume he's bulking-up from the hours he spends in the pool. He recently took first place in the district for the 200-freestyle. He’s also shared his other fitness secret, “Umm, yeah, sometimes I do pushups and stuff at night.” Thanks for the exercise pearls of wisdom, buddy.

Justin, 18, just started school at Tallahassee Community College, and, instead of gaining the freshman 15, he's lost it thanks to his decision to cut meat from his diet. This is the kid who would eat fast food three meals a day. I'm blaming his new vegan girlfriend for taking the chunky brother I knew and loved and making him half the man he once was . . . Maybe I'm just bitter because I lack the conviction to give up the occasional cheeseburger.

I'll admit, I'm jealous--I've been roughly the same size since my freshman year of high school, and I've never been able to put much muscle on my frame no matter how long I spent in the weight room or pool. Which makes me wonder--what makes guys' bodies so much more receptive to lifestyle changes? Why can my brother drop 20 pounds with hardly any effort when I have to struggle to drop two or three?

It's mostly because I'm "hard-wired to reproduce," according to an article on Women to Women. Since women are supposed to pop out babies, we have insulating layers of fat which aid in the production and storage of reproductive hormones. So, basically, my body is working against me when I try to get those last couple of pounds off. Awesome.

Men, on the other hand, are engineered for speed and strength and have a different muscle-to-fat ratio than women--their metabolisms can speed up and burn fat faster than women's (which is especially noticeable now that I don't have the metabolism of a 16-year-old any more). Congratulations, Justin and Russ, your metabolisms can now out burn mine any day. Guess next Thanksgiving I should opt for Tofurkey.

I Knew It!

Almost year ago I watched disgusted as my uncle slathered mayonnaise on his bunless cheeseburger. No vegetables, no other toppings--just cheese, beef and mayonnaise. A shiver ran down my spine as I asked what he was doing. He answered that he had just started the Atkins diet.

A month later, my uncle dropped 25 pounds and looked great, but I knew it was too good to be true. How can a diet devoid of most vegetables, whole grains and fruit be good for you? It didn't add up. Six months after his incredible weight loss, my uncle went off the Atkins diet and gained back the 25 pounds, plus 10 more.

Though the diet has helped people lose weight, it also has an unwanted effect--permanently damaging blood vessels and raising LDL cholesterol (the bad kind) levels by about seven percent, according to an article on MSNBC.com.

Researchers at the University of Maryland Medical Center found that other diets (the Ornish and South Beach Diets) "lowered cholesterol and benefited artery function." The key? The diets with fewer calories from fat were better for you. Shocker? I don't think so. Red meat is bad; lean protein is good.

Dr. Michael Miller, director of preventive cardiology at the University of Maryland Medical Center, said that the most effective diets stress vegetables, low-fat sources of protein such as beans and legumes and whole grains.
Not surprisingly, he doesn't recommend the Atkins diet.

Mmm, lycopene

I love tomatoes. I know, they're a weird food to love, but I do. Tomato sauce, ketchup, salsa, tomato sandwiches or even tomato slices with a little salt--I don't want to sound like Bubba from Forrest Gump, but you get the point. The best part of this love affair? A food that is really good for you is something I already like to eat! I don't have to force it into my diet (and my body) like broccoli or low-fat cheese. Hooray lycopene!

I made this fortuitous discovery reading through "What's Your BQ?" for class while eating whole- wheat pasta with, you guessed it, tomato sauce. The sidebar titled "The Mediterranean Miracle: Tomato Sauce" explained that the red stuff has "has an incredible range of health benefits" from reducing the size of cholesterol plagues to containing the powerful antioxidant mentioned above, lycopene, to keeping your arteries young.

Though the tomato's power to reduce the risk of prostate cancer by 40 percent does not apply to me, it's blood pressure lowering abilities do. I have a history of heart disease and high blood pressure in my family, and eating 10 tablespoons of tomato sauce a week can lower blood pressure by 8 over 5 mmHg.

Age is Just a Number

I was reading Women's Health online last night, thinking maybe, just maybe this time I'd find something worth blogging about. As I scrolled through the Soothe Stress page and clicked on a link to the article "How Old are You Really?", the Garth Brooks song "Much too Young to Feel this Damn Old" came up on my iTunes shuffle. A coincidence? Yes. A little creepy? Uh huh. A testament to my bad taste in music? No doubt.

The good news is, according to Dr. Michael Roizen, M.D., aging is "governed by our actions;" he says genes aren't the only things that factor in, so do your diet, exercise habits and even sex life.

Roizen claims 70 percent of aging is determined by our choices (most experts say it's probably closer to 40 percent). Not surprisingly, he's also got a book out, RealAge: Are You as Young as You Can Be?, and says that if you follow his advice, you might add up to 29 years to your life. Right.

I decided to take the RealAge quiz to see "the biological age of my body based on how well I've maintained it." I have to admit, it's a downer to scrutinize and self-evaluate your fitness habits; the quiz covered medical history, lifestyle, stress/social support and nutrition. It was even more depressing to see my RealAge--26.6. Over five years OLDER? I think Women's Health made a mistake putting this on the Soothe Stress page . . .

I'm pretty sure the quiz and the results are partially a ploy to get me to subscribe to the newsletter, buy the book and start the RealAge program (denial is more than a river in Egypt), because my results assure me that I'll look and feel younger if I start my 90 day plan today.

My results did point out some areas that I can improve though, like vegetable intake, folic acid intake and taking a daily vitamin. Kind of the 'no-duh' stuff that I'll get around to when I get older, which, according to RealAge, may be sooner than I think.

Scary Supplements

In my health and fitness writing class, we've had more than a few guest speakers and presentation. Normally, during these presentation I have a couple quick, "Huh, well that's kind of interesting," moments, but when Brittany and Adam, two of the grad students in my class, did a presentation on supplements last Thursday, I acquired a wealth of knowledge.

Did you know the FDA does not regulate or review supplements (a wide range of products that are not defined beyond not being food or drugs). In fact, no one does. Got you thinking about those vitamins you take every morning or the weight loss pills you take to shed those extra pounds? It did for me; I'm even a little creeped out by the Airborn I take when I feel sick (the merits of which were argued briefly by Adam and Brittany. Conclusion: It probably works because of the placebo effect).

Ultimately, I think that taking a multivitamin is probably a good idea, and my cranberry supplement can stay, too, but I'm going to check any supplement I put into my body on ConsumerLab.com. The presenters also suggested only taking supplements that are GMP certified and even check with the manufacturers for a Certificate of Analysis. With all the lead in lipstick and toys, who knows what in my Centrum.

I have a New Addiction

How many calories does high-impact aerobics burn? I can tell you. How about studying? or surfing? I can tell you that too! How, you ask? Well, I continuously procrastinate and come up with new ways to spend excessive amounts of time doing nothing on the internet. My new fixation? The Calories Burned Estimator.

I know how many calories I burn on the Elliptical machine (well, if the one-size-fits-all measurement is correct, which I doubt), but what about just doing day-to-day activities. I spent two hours studying tonight, did I burn anything? The calculator estimates 210, which almost makes up for my reduced-fat Cheez-It binge.

It's pretty interesting, some things burn more than I would have expected (washing a car for half an hour burns almost 130 calories) and some less (dancing for half an hour only burns 170). Hopefully one day soon I'll be able to keep up with an entire day's worth of activities—one day.

Bathing Suit Season is Over

I'm a pretty healthy eater—I’m by no means a chocoholic, and I understand the concept of moderation. Except for Saturdays during football season . . . and on holidays . . . and on vacation. Okay, so I'm not as disciplined as I like to let on. I sat thinking about this yesterday as I ate cheese pizza while cheering on the Gators: is Fall killing my healthy lifestyle? I know it's hard to blame a season for forcing me into my sweat pants, but it's cold anyway, bring on the candy corn.

WebMD, apparently on a slow news day, decided to put a giant picture of candy corn on their page only to turn around and tell me it's making me fat. Thanks guys. They even compiled a list of the 9 most fattening fall foods to put a little extra guilt on that piece of apple pie.

Number one: Halloween Candy. No, really? Stealing my cousin’s mini-Snickers is counterproductive to my time spent in the gym. Their solution to candy-snacking? Chewing on a piece of sugar-free gum. Right, because if I'm going to wolf down a package of Sour Patch Kids, some aspartame is going to cut it . . . My solution? Reading the sugar content on those sugar-drenched gummie kids (of 40 grams, 29 grams are sugar); maybe just one will do. C'mon it's Halloween.

Also on the top ten are root vegetables: potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, etc. Though they're nutritious enough on their own, I guess I do have a tendency to cover them in cheese, gravy and anything else that decidedly masks anything that made them nutritious in the first place. The fix? Grilling or roasting.

Finally, to help rid yourself of those football weekend pounds, the experts at WebMD recommend doing jumping jacks, sit-ups or push-ups during halftime or during commercials. Uh huh, right, at your next tailgate maybe you could offer an 8-minute abs class; I'll be standing next to the nachos.

Superbug Alert

I've been feeling under the weather lately, and, as I sat in French class, stifling as many sniffles and sneezes as possible, one of my classmates offered up, "Hey, did you know staph infections are going around?"

Gee, thanks. I did; one of my professors has missed multiple classes because of a staph infection. When she came back she told us a horrifying tale of an abscessed cut, surgical soap and disinfectants galore. Eww. So, I did what any responsible, potentially-ill person would do--I WebMD'd it. Apparently, a quarter of the population carries the Staphylococcus bacteria with no problems, but staph infections can range from infected cuts to drug-resistant forms to flesh eating bacteria. Now, I'm not a germaphobe, but flesh eating bacteria? I decided to take a deeper look.

Staph infections have been in the news lately--a drug resistant form, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA, now kills more people in the US than AIDS (16,000 deaths in 2005 to MRSA's 18,650). This superbug is generally acquired in hospitals, but some people have acquired it without a stay in a medical facility. Many doctors blame our reliance on antibacterials and antibiotic overuse.

What are we supposed to do to avoid MRSA? Doctors recommend washing your hands. I guess the tried and true approach is best sometimes. This begs the question (since I have antibacterial soap in my kitchen and bathroom) should I keep using it to avoid viruses spawned by our reliance?

Kiss of Death?

I don't wear lipstick often (I'm more of a ChapStick fan), and my aversion to ruby red or petal pink lips may help me avoid slathering my lips in dangerous heavy metals--including lead, according to a report from the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics.

First toys now lipstick? Where else are labs going to find lead? According to the press release, 33 red lipsticks bought at various locations across the country were tested by an independent lab, and the findings are pretty scary. Sixty-one percent of the lipsticks tested had lead "levels ranging from 0.03 to 0.65 parts per million (ppm)." The FDA limits candy to no more than 0.1 ppm of lead because, it, like lipstick, is digested into the body.

Though it doesn't seem like your favorite L'Oreal, Cover Girl or Dior (three brands that had the highest amount of lead), will do that much damage, lead does build up in the body over time; those two or three applications a day can amount to serious problems down the line.

The Dog Workout

Two weeks ago I adopted a six-month-old lab and Australian Shepherd mix who I have named Ziggy, and, aside from becoming my obsession, he has probably encouraged me to exercise more than any personal trainer ever could. When I get home from class he's always there, tail wagging and ready to go for a walk. How can I say no?

We've started running together too, and, on a good day, we probably get out of the apartment for almost an hour and a half collectively. I don't want to make it seem like it's all wonderful; he is a puppy, and even though he's cute enough to make me forgive anything, I do end up chasing him around to pull things out of his mouth (my alarm clock cord most recently) and to clean up his messes. This too adds to my increased physical activity.

I came across an article yesterday that details all the good things pets can do for your health, including: providing unconditional love, reducing blood pressure and improving your mood. Maybe adopting Ziggy is one of the best things I've done for my health these days. I do believe my stress levels have decreased pretty dramatically; at the end of the day, no matter what happened, when I pet Ziggy at night, he still looks at me like I'm the most important person in the world.

The Future of Working Out

My boyfriend's niece and nephew purchased a Nintendo Wii a few months ago, and, though I'm probably the furthest from a video game enthusiast, I ended up playing various and assorted games until about one in the morning. When I woke up, my forearms were actually sore from using the motion sensitive controller.

Did I consider it a "workout," no, but it was more stimulating than any other gaming system I've tried. A Vancouver gym, Studeo 55, apparently thought so too and recently added a 400 square foot Wii workout station to include as a warm up, cool down or in circuit training (article). I'd probably go to the gym a lot more if I knew Wii Tennis was involved . . .

Games like Wii bowling, boxing and tennis involve punching, jumping and other movements that get your blood flowing (especially once you get addicted), and Studeo 55 owner, Nathan Mellalieu, told Reuters that he estimates playing the video game is equivalent to taking a brisk walk.

Although it's not high-impact, it's nice to know that you can add a little variety to your workout and switch things up. Now I have a semi-valid reason to ask my parents for a Wii for Christmas too.

Breaking it Down

Last Thursday I went to the Gainesville Health and Fitness Center (which, to my surprise, was harder to find a parking spot at than on campus—apparently everyone in Gainesville is a gym rat) to listen to a couple of presentations by personal trainers Renada and Eric. As soon as Renada got up to speak, I couldn't help but smile when she started talking about functional training--the very term Matt Herring, the UF men's basketball strength and conditioning coordinator, had expressed a strong dislike for the previous week.

Renada, a former UF swimmer, cut an impressive figure, and, since I was near the front, I decided I'd better listen attentively to what she had to say. I have to admit, it was pretty interesting. She told us that you can break down all movement into six patterns: squatting, lunging, pulling, pushing, twisting and bending. I didn't give it much thought at first, but on the way home from the gym the wheels began to turn. Of all the amazing things the human body can do, there is no way you can simply put all movement into six categories.

I started to pay attention to the way my body moved during everyday activities, determined to find a flaw in the simple categorization; I couldn't. Then I thought, what about contortionists? After watching half an hour of my friend's Cirque du Soleil tape, Renada's statement still held (granted there was some extreme bending and twisting). Finally, I came to the conclusion that these six seemingly simple patterns are the basis for all movement. This made the once nebulous concept of functional training much simpler for me.

Like Matt and Renada said, functional movement doesn't have to be some crazy, uber-complicated exercise; it's simply requires applying these six motions while working out. My new found appreciation of the simplicity of movement has motivated me to dust off my hand weights--we'll see how long this newfound motivation lasts.

Preparing for the Big 2-1 (Healthfully)

When taking a study break and making my once-a-month trip to JaneMag.com, I was perplexed to realize I was being re-directed to Glamour.com with a message explaining that Jane Magazine and JaneMag.com were no longer being published, but Glamour could fulfill all my chick magazine needs. For those of you who are up on your chick magazines, you know that Glamour and Jane do not target the same type of woman--Jane is (err, was) a little more alternative without all the bleach and peroxide found in Glamour.

I'm going to particularly miss Jane's health and fitness section which wrote articles in the more "I'm O.K., you're O.K., but we're not O.K." kind of way. They were a little more focused on important health news and fitness articles that harped on embracing your body; Glamour is a little different. I did, however, find an interesting article to prevent gaining a potential beer (or maybe cosmo) belly after my rapidly approaching 21st birthday.

The article features a slide show of calorie-laden cocktails and their comparable healthy counterparts . This way at the bar I'll be well aware that a Cosmo has 251 calories while a Sour-apple martini only has 160 calories, and a Long Island iced tea has 323 calories while a Tequila sunrise has 209 calories. Maybe I'll just stick with light beer. I'm a little shocked; I was assuming girlie drinks had fewer calories than their classically male counterparts. Guess I'll have to keep a watchful eye not only on my alcohol consumption, but also on my caloric intake.

I want to be a Bionic Woman

I'm not recommending you sit and watch the entire premier episode of the Bionic Woman; I was less than enthused to begin with, but my boyfriend convinced me it was worth watching--at least for my health and fitness blog. Well, he had a point--I now want to have the power to run as fast as cars, jump from roofs and generally kick butt.

There was a line in the episode where the boyfriend of the bionic woman (who happened to be the one to replace both her legs, an arm, an eye, etc. after a horrific accident) states that science and medicine are more advanced than we'd like to admit, and science fiction is becoming reality. I know it's TV, and TV isn't real, but I wonder how close we're getting. Will our TV shows one day become reality?

Orlando-based Hanger Labs creates prosthetics that, while they don't afford people superhuman powers, allow them to regain normal activity after losing a limb. Orlando's WESH 2 story followed Janet Bombard, who lost part of her arm in a car accident; Rob Smith who lost his leg in a motorcycle accident; and Jose Lema, a police officer who was injured in the line of duty and lost his left foot. The Hanger Lab's prosthetic is the first created by private funding in the world.

Killer Popcorn Fumes

I love the smell of freshly popped popcorn, and it may be killing me . . . literally. Death by Orville Redenbaucker in the kitchen with the microwave popcorn. An article on WebMD.com reports that a man has recently been diagnosed with bronchiolitis obliterans, an extremely rare disease first diagnosed in 1985, and pulmonary expert Cecile Rose, MD, MPH blames the inhalation of the buttery chemical diacetyl used to flavor microwave popcorn.

What?! The delicious, buttery smell of popcorn is now potentially fatal--I have a bizarre vision of warning labels similar to those on cigarette packages appearing on popcorn packaging. Imagine, "This side up. Inhaling this product poses serious health risks." Apparently, bronchiolitis obliterans was first diagnosed in factory workers in food-flavoring factories and then again in 2002 in workers popping microwave popcorn.

The man who was recently diagnosed was only exposed to diacetyl in the couple bags of microwave popcorn he made a day, but he enjoyed inhaling the freshly popped smell. Who doesn't? Doctors are petitioning the FDA to stop designating diacetyl as an acceptable food, and several food manufacturers (Con Agra, General Mills, American Pop Corn Company, and Pop Weaver) have said they will stop using the chemical. I hope so . . . the buttery chemical is destroying the tiny airways in people's lungs. Next thing you know they're going to tell me french fries are carcinogens . . . I'm off to sadly toss out my diacetyl laced popcorn.

It's healthy so I can eat as much as I want, right?

Last night, I went to Panera with my friends--we were trying to be healthy after we'd run around campus for about an hour. Panera is healthy, right? I mean, I had a salad and half a sandwich. Apparently, I'm oh-so wrong. According to Panera's nutrition facts, Half a Greek salad has 260 calories, half of a chipotle chicken sandwich on artisan French bread has an unbelievable 810 calories and the extra piece of whole wheat French baguette that came with the combo (which I scarfed down because I was eating healthy and had worked out) was 140 calories. That's a grand total of 1150 calories-- I could have eaten a McDonald's Big Mac and medium French fries and still consumed less calories!! Dejected and slightly disgusted, I sat about thinking how I could rectify this situation.

I had eaten way more than I should have at Panera; actually, I was completely stuffed after I left, and it turns out I'm not alone when it comes pigging out when food is labeled "healthy" and, surprise, surprise, I'm not the only American who is a poor judge of calorie consumption. According to an article on theMSNBC.com health page, a new study shows that "people who opt for a meal at a 'healthy' restaurant often consume more calories than they would dining at fast food joints that make no healthy claims."

Dr. Brian C. Wansink of Cornell University's Food and Brand Lab found in the study that participants thought they were eating 159 calories less from Subway when they were actually eating 1000 calories meals from both Subway and McDonald's. From my Panera/McDonald's comparison, I'd confirm his findings once again. I should have known better than to trust fast food health food, but Wansink warns it may be about controlling portion size. When I was eating healthfully, I thought I could eat more and ended up underestimating calorie content.

Wansink suggests not estimating the calorie content of the whole meal, which is partially responsible for under-counting, but rather look at the the calories in each part of the meal. I guess I'll have to try that from now on--or just stay away from fast food altogether.

Cutting out fat in favor of sugar?

While reading Mark Verstegen's book, "Core Performance," I was drawn to an interestingly titled sidebar-- "The Devil's Carb." Now, living in a society where new fad diets demonize carbohydrates daily, I was not surprised to see my beloved carbs villainized yet again. The information contained in the few paragraphs, however, I did find interesting.

Verstegen's devil carb is high-fructose corn syrup, which, since its introduction in the 1970's, has become a staple in the American diet. My personal knowledge of HFCS was limited; I knew fructose is sugar, and I've heard that HFCS should be avoided if possible. What I didn't realize was that "Americans ate an average of about half a pound of high-fructose corn syrup in 1970. By 1997 we were consuming up 62 1/2 pounds each," according to Verstegen's book. What's to blame for this exponential rise? Another fad diet of course! The low-fat or no-fat diets popularized in the 1980s. Verstegen explains that manufacturers started to add more HFCS to their products to make them taste better after most of the fat had been removed.

HFCS is made of corn and is used as a natural sweetener because it helps baked goods brown better, also it gives cookies the "chewiness" so often desired. I'm prety sure that almost 3/4 of the pre-packaged foods in my kitchen presently contain some amount of HFCS, and I didn't really worry about it until Verstegen explained the toll it took on my blood sugar level. HFCS ups the glycemic index of foods (a “no-duh” for some people, but news to someone who recently found out what the glycemic index is) and causes your blood sugar to spike, making you hungrier for more sugar sooner. Now I know why grabbing a cookie or two between meals makes me so hungry an hour or so later. The next question is why does it have to taste so good?

Safe Sushi

How do you tell if your sushi has taken a turn for the worse? The way it looks? The smell? My mother taught me the importance of the sniff test in detecting spoiled food, but her method may not be the safest according to Keith Schneider, an associate professor of food science with the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

Schneider, in an article on the UF news page, said that keeping sushi longer than 24 hours is not advisable; the raw fish and rice concoctions are meant to be eaten within a day of purchase. Personally, I've always been a bit wary of consuming any raw fish or meat (especially after it’s been sitting in my refrigerator for any amount of time), but I know that I have overlooked the fact that the doggie bag sushi I wolf down for a midnight snack may be 36 to 48 hours old. Schneider has convinced me to chuck my aging leftovers, even if they look and smell fine.

Surprisingly, it's not the raw fish that is the most worrisome, but rather the sushi rice which may provide a perfect breeding ground for the bacterium called Bacillus. Schneider said that sushi rice is normally mixed with vinegar to increase its acidity and discourage bacteria growth.

With more sushi restaurants popping up and supermarkets offering to-go sushi (which Schneider advises to keep cold until consumption and to eat within a 24-hour period, too), I think that the knowledge of proper storage is important; I certainly will be disposing of my sushi, no matter how good it smells, in a timely manner.

Effective weight-loss pill, disgusting side effects

Is shedding those excess pounds worth dealing with diarrhea? If you could lose weight faster for bathing suit season, would you wear a bikini if you had "gas with oily spotting"? These are the questions the new, over the counter weight-loss pill, Alli, raised for me as I read over the potential side effects (http://www.womenshealthmag.com/article/0,6176,s1-11-67-1744-1,00.html).

Alli (http://www.myalli.com) is the first OTC weight-loss pill to gain FDA approval (http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/infopage/orlistat_otc/), mainly because it only affects the gut. The pill blocks approximately one-fourth of the fat you ingest from being absorbed, causing it to pass right through the body (leading to the aforementioned disgusting side effects). While the pill can aid weight loss, experts say it isn't a quick-fix—proper diet and exercise are required. In fact, people are advised to eat less than 15 grams of fat per meal. If you eat more, you run the risk of having to change your pants mid-day.

I think Alli would help me lose weight simply because I'd be horrified to eat any fat. Anal leakage is a frightening side effect, and I'd gladly cut high-fat foods from my diet to avoid it. Though proven effective (Alli is a lower does of the effective weight loss drug XENICAL), I think I’ll just try to cut fat without the fear of any unwanted bowl movements.

33,000 Calories . . . In One Day

Last night, while I was channel surfing, I came across a program called "I Eat 33,000 Calories a Day"on TLC http://tlc.discovery.com/tv-schedules/series.html?paid=2.15205.55746.27637.x. Of course, with a title like that, I had to watch--there's no way a person could eat that many calories in a 24-hour period, right? Wrong.

Within two minutes of putting on the show, I had to put down my piece of extra cheese pizza. Eating is not advisable (or even plausable) while watching. "I Eat 33,000 Calories a Day" follows four super-morbidly obese (http://www.answers.com/topic/obesity?cat=health) people as they struggle with food addiction. The documentary shows the addiction, euphoria and pain associated with food addiction, specifically compulsive overeating (http://www.vpul.upenn.edu/ohe/library/bodyimage/compulsive.htm). It was very similar to watching someone struggle with drug or alcohol addiction.

One of the most shocking scenes showed a table full of high-calorie, high-fat food that one of the men consumed in just one day. The buffet included french fries, sausage, steak, fried eggs, chocolate and fruit punch. There was more food on the table then I could force myself to consume in an entire week. Since the man was bedridden and unable to exercise due to his 700+ pound size, he was putting on four pounds of fat a day from his calorie consumption. As he sat in front of the table, he couldn't resist the food for more than two minutes. His family stood by and watched as he systematically moved from plate to plate. What amazed me was their willingness to supply their loved one with the food that was slowly killing them. How could they afford to pay for these eating habits? One man had to take out a second mortgage on his house to pay for his food.

I was shocked, as I sat slack-jawed with a half-eaten pizza in front of me, that these four people could not stop eating. They were all well aware that their eating habits were killing them, but they couldn't resist the high they achieved from eating. It seemed to be a viscious cycle: eating, followed by a euphoric high, then guilt from eating and more eating to repress the guilt. It seems so easy to fix the problem - just don't eat as much and choose healthier options. However, after watching, I realized how serious and dark food addiction can be, and what little hope these super-morbidly obese people have to control their eating habits.

Health Nut Meets Junk Food Junkie

My name is Katherine, and I'm addicted to both granola and cheese fries; I've been called a gym rat and a couch potato. Suffice it to say my health and fitness practices are all over the map.

During highschool, I played as many sports as I could fit into my schedule- swimming, soccer, cross country and dance. My mother cultivated my healthy eating habits at a young age and made sure I ate my vegitables. Though I didn't come close to putting on the dreaded freshman 15 when I left for college, I did discover the ease (and tastiness) of fast food, especially around 2 a.m.- what Taco Bell has termed the fourth meal. Walking to and from classes became virtually my only form of exercise, and I picked up a nasty smoking habit.

Needless to say, I noticed signficant changes in the way I looked and felt, so about six months ago I decided to improve my eating and exercise habits. I've quit smoking, and it was one of the hardest things I've ever done. I try to go run a couple of miles or hit the gym a few times a week, and I've cut fried food and most refined sugar from my diet. I still have the occasional relapse, but the changes I've noticed are amazing. I have more energy and stamina, my concentration has improved and I've got more muscle definition.

Now, I'm focused on maintaining my healthy lifestyle. I'm trying to increase the distance of my runs, but I'm noticing that classes are already making it more difficult to motivate myself to put on my running shoes. I think the best way to stay motivated is to mix things up and try out some fitness classes or new trails to run. Anything to keep from turning back into a couch potato.