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.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
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.
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.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
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.
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.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
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.
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.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
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?
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?
Monday, September 10, 2007
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.
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.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
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.
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.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
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.
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.
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