The Decade of She

A Lesson in 'If This Won't Kill You, That Will"

2011-11-03T17:28:00.001-05:00

Sometimes, figuring out what is healthy is confusing. The media seems to report something, then scientists come along and contradict it practically the next week. For example, eggs. Eggs used to be good, a great source of protein. Then eggs were bad, too high in cholesterol. Now eggs are good again, a great source of protein and what do you know, dietary cholesterol doesn't affect our blood cholesterol as much as we used to think (its really trans fat and high sugar that increase blood cholesterol).

Recently, supplements have been in the category of "contradictory and confusing topics". Some studies show they are good, while others show they are not so good. Often, it's just that new technologies are more sophisticated and discount older research. Sometimes news can be confusing because it's not apples-to-apples comparisons with each story. For example, fiber lowers cholesterol in people with high blood cholesterol but not in people with lower cholesterol. A journalist might not know that so they may blast a story that fiber doesn't work in their publication and ignore the fact that the subjects had perfectly healthy cholesterol to begin with. And other time, a food or supplement may be beneficial for one thing but not another.

For example, a recent paper just summed up the research on calcium and vitamin D supplements as follows: "the treatment of 1000 women with calcium plus vitamin D for 5 y would prevent 5 breast cancers and 1 colorectal cancer, and might prevent 1 fracture and 2 deaths, but would cause 4 myocardial infarctions [heart attacks] or strokes".

Make sense?

Um, not so much, right? But this seems to be how many things net out in nutrition. Take alcohol for example...1-2 glasses a day can reduce risk for having a heart attack, but it also increase risk for cancer (including breast cancer for women). It's almost like you're damned if you do, and damned if you don't.

My interpretation of this is a little bit different. For one, this shows me that we need to do more research to understand what is going on. What about vitamin D alone...does that show the same thing? What about if the calcium and vitamin D came from food instead of a supplement, would we see the same thing? And if its true that calcium and/or vitamin D increases heart attacks, is that in everyone or only people at risk already for a heart attack?

Second, this suggests that we all need to be savvy with our health and make personal decisions based on our family history. For example, if your mother had breast cancer, then perhaps taking a calcium plus vitamin D supplement isn't a bad idea. If both of your parents suffered from cardiovascular disease, then probably not something you want to do (although drinking would be a good idea so you've got that going for you).

Think it over while enjoying a veggie frittata and high-fiber slice of toast...it seems we're all safe eating those foods (allergies not withstanding). At least this week. ;)

Are Girls Worse at Math and Does That Translate to Lower Salaries Later in Life?

2011-10-26T11:51:00.003-05:00

One of the best parts about living in Chicago is access to the country's top universities. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to hear a lecture by one of the area's top economists on the topic of math performance in girls and boys and future salary potential. As the mother of three daughters, I'm more than interested in this topic. As a scientist in a male-dominated career, I feel like somewhat of an expert already. But here's what I learned:

There are no differences in math performance among girls and boys in elementary school. The evidence showing that boys may be slightly better than girls at math is noted at age 15.
Boys are really only better at spatial ability (whereas girls are better at verbal). Interestingly, this is related to testosterone levels. Boys (and girls) with more testosterone are better at spatial ability than those with less testosterone.
There is really no connection between spatial ability and math scores, EXCEPT in geometry. Tests, such as the SAT and ACT, that skew heavy on geometry result in higher scores for boys than girls. But when it comes to algebra and calculus, which have nothing to do with spatial ability, there are no measurable differences between girls and boys.
When it comes to career salaries, there is a gender gap. Men make more money than women. Much of this is explained by the following:

Women are less likely to take jobs with long hours or a competitive pay structure.
Women are more likely to select jobs that are family-friendly versus those with higher pay.
Women are more likely to step out of the work force for family reasons, which results in lower pay at a given point in time. For example, if you compare a 40 yr old man and woman who are both lawyers, the woman may make less money on paper, but she may have taken 5 years off to raise a kid or care for a sick relative and that is not always accounted for in surveys.
In interviews, men tend to over-represent their experience resulting in better opportunities or higher pay, whereas women tend to under-represent their skills.

At this point in the lecture, a hairy spider walked across my table and I stood up like a crazy person and waved my arms around like an idiot until someone removed it (not even squished it, but gently took it away to live out its days in a planter or toilet). That is neither here nor there, but was a subtle reminder that you can take the scientist out of the lab, but you can't take the girl out of the scientist.

The most interesting finding for me was that even after you factor out all of the reasons above, men still make more money than women at a given job. There is an underlying perception or expectation that men will outperform women. I'm sure if you compare 2011 to 1961, things are much better today and we are likely moving in the right direction for the future. But hearing these research results reminds me that women just need to work harder than men in a given career to achieve the same level of success. This is especially true in male-dominated careers like science and engineering.....and spider catching.

Should You Stop Taking Your Supplements or Not?

2011-10-13T16:41:00.001-05:00

I'm a few days late in commenting on two studies that were published this week suggesting that vitamin and mineral supplements are harmful. One study tracked 38,000 women starting when they were 55-69 years. The researchers asked them to fill out questionnaires periodically on their supplement usage (and a bunch of other things) and then they just waited for them to die (morbid, but true). Results showed that after 20 years, those women taking a vitamin and mineral supplement had a 2.4% higher risk of death than those who didn't take a supplement. Iron seemed to be the nutrient most associated with a higher risk of dying earlier.

A different study looked at 35,000 men who either took a selenium supplement (200 ug/d), a vitamin E supplement (400 IU/day), both supplements, or none. After tracking these guys for 7 to 12 years, those taking either supplement (or both) had a higher risk of developing prostate cancer (17% higher risk for those taking the vitamin E).

The fun in being late to report on these studies is that I can respond to many of the comments that are being posted on various news sites and other blogs. Some range from rather insightful to loony. And I apologize to anyone who's words I'm using below...but I just couldn't let these go without commentary:

"I would like to know who funded the study. Could it have been a pharmaceutical company?"

Dr. T: Both studies were funded by the National Cancer Institute. Why on earth would a pharma company pay the millions of dollars needed for these large studies?

"Big pharma profits down, no new drugs in the pipeline, running out of people to over medicate, time to attack vitamins! The bottom line.This study is a classic example of scientific reductionism being used to fulfil a particular need. In this case, it’s supplement bashing, a well-known preoccupation of Big Pharma."

Dr. T: Ah of course, this is why. Pharma companies want people to get sick so they somehow convinced the National Cancer Institute to give millions of dollars to university professors who then were in on it too and designed a study to make people die more quickly from taking supplements...."a well-known preoccupation of Big Pharma". I hope this person declines any drugs their physician prescribes to them for a life-threatening disease (all developed and proven effective from a pharma company) since they feel so strongly about "scientific reductionism". And if someone could kindly explain what that term even means, I would greatly appreciate it.

"Vitamins should not be taken to INCREASE LIFE SPAN. Vitamins should be taken to enhance life."

Dr. T: This is true, no one ever said vitamins were going to extend your life. But if they do cut your life short, are they really enhancing your life?

"Maybe they died in car accidents going to buy more vitamins"

Dr. T: This is actually the smartest comment in the bunch. The study looking at women and supplement use did not evaluate whether vitamins CAUSED early death, but rather they were looking for whether there was an association. It is possible that women who were already sick happened to be taking more vitamins. Or that these women who take vitamins have other behaviors that increase their risk of death. That said, the prostate study coming out in the same week, plus earlier studies showing similar results, all suggest that people need to think twice before taking a supplement (see below for more info on that).

"This is utter BS. Bad science is plaguing the world. Especially that which pertains to the use of vitamins. Countless studies of vitamin megadoses show phenomenally positive effects on human health. Of course, these are predominantly unheard studies as the pharmaceutical industry will stop at nothing to keep people on their meds instead of letting them take preventative measures with vitamins, natural assets that give our bodies the strength to fight disease."

Dr. T: It is possible this is the same person with the same conspiracy theory above. First off, these two studies are some of the highest quality research out there since they have tens of thousands of people. There are NO studies with tens of thousands of subjects looking at megadosing of vitamins. In fact, most of those studies have 10 to 50 people and results seem to always work best in people that are already deficient. For example, mega-dosing of iron helps children grow and learn in less developed countries (because they are low in iron). And finally, these studies are being published in top tier journals that are run independently by university professors...not pharma companies. And what exactly is a "natural asset"?

So back to the title...should you stop taking your supplements? Maybe. Some things to consider:

1. Do you drink fancy drinks containing vitamins, eat energy bars with vitamins, have a bowl of fortified breakfast cereal every day? If so, you really don't need a supplement.

2. You really don't need more than ~100% of the daily value in a supplement. If you are taking more than that, you may want to re-consider what you are taking.

3. You may only need to supplement selected vitamins and minerals. For example, a vitamin D supplement is really only needed for those living in northern locations or those who are never outside without sunscreen. Women who are menstruating and do not consume red meat probably need to take iron but men do not. Those who do not eat any fruits and vegetables (gasp!) should take a vitamin C supplement but if you are smart enough to eat those foods, you probably don't.

4. Is a "whole-food supplement" better than a regular supplement? At this point, we don't know. There are no big studies looking at food-based sources of vitamins and minerals and health. It may be that it doesn't matter where the vitamins come from. Or they may be better, but not clear yet. I would still stick to the 3 principles above until we have more information.

And I promised a friend I would look at natural remedies for cold and flu so hope to get to that topic next!

Another Possible Reason Why Girls May be Hitting Puberty Earlier

2011-10-05T10:38:00.003-05:00

There's no doubt that young girls these days are maturing a lot faster than when we were little. On average, puberty is starting as young as 9 years in Caucasions and 8 years in African-Americans (and that's an average, so for some individuals, it starts much sooner). Just look at the bra section in Justice...it seems to get bigger each year.

A number of theories exist as to why this is happening, most notably the increase in childhood obesity. Young girls who are obese have a much higher risk of developing early versus non-obese peers. Fat cells produce estrogen, which may kick off the puberty process early. Young boys who are obese may have delayed puberty for the same reason...however the estrogen blocks testosterone from initiating puberty. Either way, those of you with children would probably agree that they are happiest when they are 'average'. Early puberty or late puberty does not make for a happy child and therefore by default, a happy parent.

Other theories for why puberty is starting earlier include things like pesticides, hormones in milk, and other contaminants in our environment. And it may not just be whether the children themselves are exposed to these contaminants, but both parents as well.

A new study this month is suggesting another possible cause for early puberty: low levels of vitamin D. The research showed that girls in northern latitudes (where there is much less sun and therefore less vitamin D being made in the skin) are more likely to have their first period earlier than those in southern latitudes. This is a very important finding because girls who have their first period before age 12 have a much higher risk of breast cancer later in life.

This study doesn't prove that taking a vitamin D supplement will delay a girl's first period, but it does provide more rationale for why its important for girls to drink milk (which has vitamin D) and/or take a multi-vitamin containing vitamin D. These results also suggest that children in northern climates may benefit from having vitamin D levels tested at the pediatrician's office to rule out a deficiency.

And most importantly (for me anyway), this is a darn good reason for a winter vacation in a nice climate!

Should You Eat Like a Caveman? The Paleolithic Diet

2011-09-24T16:55:00.001-05:00

This one goes out to Megan, a personal trainer based in London. She's been hearing a lot about the Paleolithic Diet and wants to know the real scoop. Here goes...

The Paleolithic Diet is also called the Caveman Diet, Stone Age Diet, or Hunter-Gatherer Diet. It is based on what humans used to eat prior to the agricultural revolution and after humans learned to use stone tools...so we're talking at least 10,000 years ago. Although there's considerable debate, most nutritional anthropologists agree that this includes animal flesh (four-legged, two-legged, and finned creatures), vegetables, roots, fruit, and nuts.

Proponents of the diet claim that our ancestors thrived on these foods and had no evidence of the diseases that plague our society today; most notably, obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. They also claim that our DNA is best suited to utilize these foods and reject foods not available during that period such as grains, dairy, legumes, refined sugars and oils. They argue that our DNA has not changed but the food supply has, and we are not genetically adapted to these "new foods". Bottom line, they feel we'd all be better off eating the foods that make our DNA happy.

The diet itself ends up being very high in plant foods (good), protein (good), and fiber (good) and contains no processed food (very good). The downsides are the diet is inherently low in calcium (not good) and vitamin D (not good). Some minor modification of the diet could increase calcium and vitamin D intake, or a dietary supplement could serve the same role. The diet can also be difficult to follow if you are on a tight food budget or do not have access to the limited list of foods all year round.

What does the research say? There's really little to go on. There have been a handful of studies, but all of them are with very few people. One of the more interesting studies looked at the effects of the Paleolithic Diet compared to a Mediterranean Diet in folks with heart disease. Those that followed the Paleolithic Diet reported being less hungry and they actually consumed less calories. The researchers did not report any information about their heart disease symptoms so its difficult to conclude whether the diet is better or worse than the Mediterranean Diet for heart disease.

Other studies have shown that people with type 2 diabetes had better blood sugar control with the Paleolithic Diet versus a higher carbohydrate diet. But again, there were very few subjects in the study so its hard to generalize these results.

There have been far greater numbers of studies showing that dairy foods, whole grains, and legumes (banned on the Paleolithic Diet) can be part of a healthy diet that reduces the risk for obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. So based on the scientific evidence to date, there does not appear to be a strong rationale for everyone switching to the Paleolithic Diet. That said, there doesn't appear to be a big risk in following that diet for those who find it appealing.

Some folks will probably feel awesome on the diet and others will not....this is how our DNA really works. Based on our individual genetics, which includes how we taste and metabolize food, some diets may be a better fit than others. If you enjoy eating roots, vegetables, fruit, nuts, fish and poultry/meat, then the Paleolithic Diet may be worth a go for a few weeks to see how you feel.

Has anyone tried it? Any insights?

Good luck Megan!

Ode to Some K-Cups...and Boo to Others

2011-09-22T16:23:00.000-05:00

In 1904, electric washing machines became commercially available, changing the lives of (cringing as I say this) women forever. In 1919, the blender was invented, which greatly improved the rate at which margaritas could be made in kitchens all over America. And then in 1992, a small company in Reading, Massachusetts rocked my world...by developing this:

The Keurig Coffee Machine. Not only does this machine make a fine cup of coffee, but it saves me from dealing with this on a daily basis:

And a ton of $$ from going to this spot every day:

In 2006, Keurig became a subsidiary of Green Mountain Coffee. And since then, the number of different machines that are available, and the types of coffees (K-cups) and related products that can be purchased for the machine, have skyrocketed. I am a purist. I like the plain coffee and stumble to that machine every morning to pop in my favorite k-cup and press the button.

However, I am a little skeptical about some of the non-coffee products that are now being sold. For example, this sounds good, right?

Unfortunately, the ingredient list doesn't sound good:

INGREDIENTS:SUGAR, ALKALIZED COCOA POWDER, CREAMER (HYDROGENATER COCONUT OIL, GLUCOSE SYRUP, SODIUM CASEINATE (FROM MIK), SODIUM POLYPHOSPHATE, DIPOTASSIUM PHOSPHATE, SODIUM STEAROYL-2-LACTYLATE, SILICON DIOXIDE), INSTANT COFFEE, MALTODEXTRIN, SALT, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, SILICON DIOXIDE, SUCRALOSE.

Recently, Green Mountain has ventured into teas and herbals. For example:

This K-cup coffee pod has added ginseng and guarana and claims to boost alertness . Really? Exactly how much ginseng and guarana are in that little pod? Are you sure that the high pressure brewing system is sufficient to release those herbs into the actual cup of coffee? Or what if the heat of the water breaks down the active compounds? I guess my real question is, why should anyone pay more for this cup? And I think the answer right now is that you shouldn't.

What is That Liquid on Top of My Yogurt?

2011-08-31T12:45:00.001-05:00

Know what I'm talking about? You open your container of yogurt and there's a thin layer of liquid on top? It also happens with other dairy products like sour cream and cottage cheese. What is that and why does it happen?

There are two main reasons:

1. A process called syneresis. This is a fancy schmancy name that means "watery proteins leaking out of the product". Yogurt, sour cream, and cottage cheese are all products that are made from milk proteins forming a gel with water. Some of the proteins are very sticky (like casein) and some are not as sticky (like whey). As these foods sit on the grocery store shelf and then in your refrigerator, the less sticky proteins leach out over time and collect on the surface. If it's a large container with multiple servings, it keeps happening each time you take a serving and put it back in the frig because now you've disrupted that gel. As the gel settles down to the bottom of the container, more watery whey proteins leach out.

What to do about it? I've blogged about whey before, but just as a refresher, it's a milk protein that is similar in composition to human muscle, so it's great for your body. Just mix it back in with the yogurt, sour cream, or cottage cheese, and feel good about yourself.

2. The other reason only applies to products that have already been opened and put back in your frig. This will not make you feel as good.

Many dairy products contain a small amount of carbohydrate (especially sweetened yogurts and sour cream). Human saliva contains enzymes that digest carbohydrates within the mouth. Imagine a scenario where you take a spoonful of yogurt, stick it into your mouth, and then back into the yogurt. You decide not to eat the entire container of yogurt and stick it back in the frig. All of sudden, those lucky enzymes from your spoon are swimming around in their favorite food, digesting it along the way, leaving behind a trail of digested carbohydrates that draw out water. Imagine a scenario where it's not your enzymes in the food you're about to eat, but someone else's. EWWW!

Best to never contaminate your food with your saliva-ridden spoon, don't you think? Here endeth the lesson. :)

Frozen Spinach is Not Always a Substitute for Fresh....and Other Tips

2011-08-23T19:13:00.000-05:00

Imagine you once made the best breakfast smoothie that was a blend of non-fat yogurt, blueberries, orange juice and fresh spinach. It was so delicious, that you wanted to make it again. However, you didn't have any fresh spinach so you substituted with frozen spinach. The result? AWFUL!

This is a true story from a friend of mine. Her experience is not an unlikely one. Most people know some cooking basics, such as substituting margarine for butter, but healthy foods come with a slightly different set of rules.

As such, I've started a list of "Considerations for Healthy Eating/Cooking":

1. Not everything will taste good in a smoothie. Juicers and fancy blenders make it seem like any combination of something healthy can be successful mixed up into a frothy, yummy treat. Alas, this is not true. Luckily, there are about a billion recipes out there for smoothies to make your life easier (and some where you can sneak in foods like salmon...aka, The Bass-a-Matic). Follow the recipe, and chances are that it will be delicious or at least, delicious to someone.

2. Frozen spinach is a great substitute for fresh, so long as you're cooking with it. Frozen spinach is fabulous to have on hand to throw in soups, sauces, with egg dishes, etc. In these applications, fresh will work too. But it doesn't work well the other way. Frozen spinach is much more concentrated, so a cup of frozen spinach is equivalent to practically 3 times that of fresh. I think this is why the smoothie my friend made was not very good...too much spinach relative to the other ingredients.

3. Don't be afraid to use the salt shaker on healthy foods. Salt and fat (especially butter) greatly improve most foods. And here's the thing with a salt shaker...salting the top of a food does not get you into trouble with salt. This is because very little salt is needed when it's directly on the food. With each bite, the salt comes into direct contact with salt receptors on the tongue. When the salt is mixed in the food (like soups or frozen entrees or cheese), it cannot directly contact the tongue which means food companies have to add a whole lot more to make the food taste salty. Even people on a salt-restricted diet (due to high blood pressure or another condition) can enjoy adding salt to their healthy foods in moderation.

4. Don't be afraid of fat with your healthy food! Over the past 10 years, experts have slowly been increasing the recommendations for intake of fat. Why? Because as it turns out, fat is not the devil food that everyone thought it was. Sure, some fats are bad (trans fats especially) and some are good (fats from fish and oils), and it still has more calories than protein or carbohydrate on a gram for gram basis. But fat itself does not cause heart disease or cancer or diabetes. Unhealthy diets and lifestyles do. There is nothing unhealthy or wrong with adding olive oil to a salad or eating a full-fat yogurt with fruit. And here's the thing...fruits and vegetables are full of antioxidants that require fat to be absorbed into the body. I cringe whenever I see a woman eating a beautiful salad of vegetables with lemon juice or only balsamic vinegar. A little oil will greatly improve the flavor and allow your body to harness all the disease-fighting compounds in those veggies.

5. Healthy foods taste better when they are in season. Forcing a fruit or vegetable to grow under less than ideal conditions or shipping them from another continent affects the quality of the food. Some vegetables produce more bitter compounds, some fruits can develop thicker rinds and plants like tomatoes make fruit that are mealy and gritty. January in Chicago is not the best time to make a tomato-cucumber salad and it's especially not the best time to introduce a lot of these seasonal-type foods to picky eaters. If #s 3 and 4 above cannot help, then I say save those foods for a different time of year and enjoy what's fresh.

Snacking for Back-to-School

2011-08-15T16:37:00.002-05:00

It's that time of year again. Time to pack up the kiddos in the morning and send them off to school.

Along with their backpacks, lunches, special assignments, a check for the fundraiser-du-jour, water bottles (I don't remember bringing this much stuff when I was little)....many teachers encourage sending in a snack.

Before I actually had kids, I used to always recommend fruit as a snack. It seemed so easy to me to just send in an apple or banana with your child. While I'm sure many children can successfully bring in fresh fruit as a snack, none of my 3 kids can do so without a high degree of smushing, crushing, bruising, or leaking which results in an icky snack and disgusting backpack. [And as a side note, even a nanoparticle of a banana on a backpack causes my small, placid dog to eat said backpack in a matter of seconds.]

In the event that this is a problem in your household, I have started a list of some alternative snack options that will provide long-lasting energy and transport easily, even under jarring or backpack-as-cushion-on-the-bus conditions:

Frozen tubes of yogurt work perfectly as a snack. Even if they are not completely thawed by snack time, they still taste great. Simply Gogurt or Stoneyfield Farm are my favorites. Plus, yogurt tubes are peanut free.

Chex mix isn't the healthiest snack option out there, but is a better alternative to chips and other related snacks. This one is not peanut free, so may not work in every classroom.

I wish Fig Newtons were cooler. If only they would dress up a fig in big underwear and make him sing and dance on TV, kids would actually request fig newtons for a snack. They are a wonderful, peanut-free option that taste great, even when flattened under a text book.

I absolutely love these VitaTops. They are packed with fiber and protein and come in a variety of flavors. They are frozen, but do well when thawed over time in a backpack. Some flavors are also peanut free.

Popcorn is always a great option as a snack. This new Skinny Pop Popcorn tastes great and only contains popcorn, sunflower oil, and salt as ingredients. No peanuts!

Even a few hours outside of the refrigerator should not be a concern with individual, packaged servings of cheese. This could also be paired up with a side of whole grain crackers. Another peanut free option!

Emerald has a bunch of new products that make for great snacking. Here's one that is dried fruit with granola. I love these things and throw them in my purse.

Any other snacks that folks like to send in with their kids?

Whey for Stealth Weight Loss

2011-07-29T15:06:00.000-05:00

Protein is good. I've blogged a lot about the research showing that increasing protein intake (to about 80-100 grams per day for most women), while decreasing carbohydrate intake, is associated with feeling more full, losing more weight, having more energy, amongst other things. I'm not talking about low-carb diets or anything, just a subtle shift in what foods you eat during the day. For example, instead of a bagel and cream cheese for breakfast, a scrambled egg on toast. Instead of pasta and sauce for dinner, fish tacos with side of spinach.

Case in point, a new study was just published where overweight and obese people were divided into 3 groups and asked to drink two beverages a day for 5 months. One group received beverages that were all carbohydrate. One group received beverages that were whey protein (one of the main proteins in milk). And the other group received beverages that were soy protein. They weren't told to try to lose weight or change anything else in their life; just to drink these beverages on two occasions a day.

After 5 months, one group gained weight, one group lost weight, and one group stayed the same. Care to guess what beverage did what???

Of course, the whey beverage led to weight loss! Not a lot (only 4 lbs), but remember these folks were not trying to lose weight. The carbohydrate beverage caused people to gain about 4 lbs and the soy beverage did not alter weight at all.

What to make of this? In my opinion, I think this means that whey definitely has an advantage over carbohydrates and maybe even soy in terms of making people feel more full. There may not be big differences in fullness in the short term, but over 5 months, whey may be just filling enough to cause people to consume fewer calories and slowly lose weight without even trying.

Here's something kind of cool to think about...most people gain, on average, 1-2 lbs per year as they age. What if eating more whey can prevent that from happening? Even more interesting...beverages tend to be less filling than foods in general. What would have happened if the study participants ate the whey versus drank the whey (like in cottage cheese or a sports bar)? Would they have lost more weight?

And it is because of these questions that I have a job. :)

Happy weekend everyone!!!

Tall People Are More Likely to Get Cancer

2011-07-22T16:44:00.001-05:00

Tall people are pretty lucky. According to experts, they are smarter, make more money, and even live longer. But here's something for short people to hang their hat on....they are less likely to get cancer than tall people.

A study this past week in The Lancet Oncology reported that for every 4 inches above 5 feet, women had a 16% higher risk of developing cancer. Men were not studied in this particular report, but other studies have shown the same thing in men. And it's all types of cancers that are increased, not just one particular site.

The obvious question is why are tall people more prone to developing cancer? Unfortunately, no one really knows. There are several theories, but nothing concrete. One theory is that tall people just have more cells than short people. All it takes is one cell to go awry to start cancer so if you simply have more cells, there's a greater chance that one will go sour.

Another theory is that tall people have higher levels of hormones, specifically the hormones that stimulate growth in childhood. These hormones (called insulin-like growth factors) have been shown to increase cancers in laboratory animals and test tubes. But really, it could be something completely different...for example, maybe tall people consume more pesticides over a lifetime (because they presumably consume more food) or have greater exposure to electromagnetic fields...or maybe this is Mother Nature's way of tossing short people a bone?

Short or tall, skinny or fat, man or woman, black or white or other...the best we can do against cancer is eat lots of fruits and vegetables, exercise, use sunscreen, and avoid cigarettes. And of course, encourage all those smart tall people to find a cure!

The Italian American Inspiration

2011-07-18T21:02:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since my last post. And I feel bad about that. Friends would ask why I wasn't posting anything, and I would just shrug my shoulders. Sure, I was busy (who isn't), but that really wasn't the reason I wasn't blogging. My blogging spark fizzled out. Nothing was able to light the fuse. But I finally found a flame...in Italy.

No, it wasn't the food (which I didn't think was that great), or culture, or nice looking young Italians (more on that another time). It wasn't the constant second-hand smoke coming off every Italian's cigarette (what's up with that?) It was a man named Paul.

We flew thousands and thousands of miles to celebrate his 80th birthday. Here in Illinois, we live about 2 hours from Paul. But he wanted to celebrate his birthday in the small village where his parents were born. And so off we went over the ocean for a birthday party. And so did 300 other people from around the world.

I have always been a believer in you get what you give, good karma, what-comes-around-goes-around...whatever you want to call it. I just hadn't seen it on the scale that was apparent at the party....every person in attendance was there because Paul helped them, inspired them, taught them a valuable life lesson.

As a college professor, Paul is in a good position to do this. He interfaces with hundreds of different people each week, so many of whom are eager to learn from him whether they are 20 or 50 years old. What's different about Paul is that he goes above and beyond what so many professors do, so that when he has a birthday party on a different continent, people update their passports and fly 10 hours to attend.

Whether it's the Italian in him or the American in him or the Midwest in him or just him, I'm inspired. And so because of Paul, I'm back to blogging. And from here forward, I'm going to focus on what I know...the science of food and nutrition and how it can improve lives. It is my hope that I can teach, inspire, or help others live healthier lives by discussing new research studies and myths about diet and health.

And mark your calendars for December, 2051! European location, TBD. :)

Guest Blogging About Kids and Food

2011-05-18T15:44:00.000-05:00

Last week I guest posted at The Desperate Housemommy all about what a huge Dr. Dork I am, but mostly about kids nutrition. In general, I think certain moms beat themselves up worrying about what their kids eat...and by "certain moms" I mean those who are making a concerted effort to feed their kids healthy foods. Chances are that if you're reading my blog and a mom, you fall into this category. Check out that posting...I guarantee you'll feel better.

Eggs and Other Happies...

2011-05-11T13:12:00.002-05:00

According to my dear friend Lori, "happies" are things that make you feel...wait for it....HAPPY. They can be gifts, they can be things you buy for yourself, or anything else that gives you that warm fuzzy feeling of happiness. My two happies for this week are eggs and fairy gardens.

These aren't just any eggs, but special eggs of different sizes and colors. They were given to me as a gift from a friend who is part of a grass-fed beef CSA called Trail's End Organic Farm. Although it's not indicated on their website, I have to believe that the chickens were raised in different conditions than conventional eggs. Most eggs are from chickens crammed into cages, versus those allowed to stretch their legs (called "free range" but in the U.S., this just means chickens have access to the outside). Most farmers using organic growing practices take the term "free range" seriously and allow chickens to be pasture fed.

The different shell colors likely indicates that more than one breed of chickens contributed to this dozen. The shell color varies by breed. For example, the Araucana chicken lays blue eggs. And it's quite attractive.

Here's another interesting fact about eggs. The color of the egg yolk is a function of the carotenoid content (carotenoids are antioxidants...good stuff). Look at the difference in yolk color between a conventional egg (left) and my special blue egg (right):

The darker color means there are likely more antioxidants in the special egg. It could just be that the breed of chicken makes eggs with more carotenoids in the yolk, but more likely, they were raised on feed that contained either red peppers or marigold. These are two common ingredients added to chicken feed (or found in the pasture) to increase the color of the yolk.

Another interesting factoid...all eggs are considered to have the same nutrition content regardless of chicken breed and what they are fed. A large egg has only 70 calories and 6 grams of protein...pretty darn great. Even better, the cholesterol and saturated fat content of eggs has declined over the years, making them even healthier.

But how can a chicken raised on a conventional diet in small cages produce eggs with the same nutrition as a chicken raised on pasture? I doubt they do! Although the USDA doesn't recognize this evidence, an independent group looked at the nutrition content of eggs from pasture fed chickens and conventional chickens and what do you know, it looks like the pasture fed chickens make healthier eggs.

Best part, they were YUMMY. Much more flavorful than a conventional egg and prettier because of that dark yolk. I'm sold on the fancy eggs!

Here is my other happy...my new fairy garden.

I think this is the green-thumb-adult equivalent of having a doll house. If you google fairy gardens, you soon realize that this is an obsession for many people. I just like how peaceful it looks. I have it sitting in a large white pot outside my front door and I smile every time I look at it.

If only my real children were as quaint and quiet as these three.

Melting the Pounds Away with Green Tea

2011-05-06T15:53:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I was interviewed by a journalist from a popular woman's magazine. They are doing a story on green tea and somehow found a paper I recently published (in a biochemistry journal, no less) on green tea and weight loss. The journalist was very nice on the phone and asked me a lot of good questions, but I'm pretty confident that this will be the headline in her magazine:

Drinking green tea helps shed extra pounds, especially around the middle.

In reality, here's what the research says:

1. Drinking the equivalent of 6-12 cups of green tea a day may lead to weight loss over several months, especially if you are:

Asian and don't drink a lot of caffeine on a regular basis (~3 lb weight loss in Asians vs. about 1.5 lbs in Caucasians).
An exerciser that consistently works out on a weekly basis (~5 lb weight loss).

2. Green tea may have this effect because of the combination of green tea antioxidants (called catechins) and caffeine naturally present in green tea. They appear to work together to stimulate the nervous system to burn more calories. The combination may also cause the body to burn more energy as fat, which may be why some studies show more fat loss from the belly region.

3. Black tea and other varieties have much less of the catechins, and therefore would likely be less effective.

Doesn't seem like a lot of weight loss, does it? Especially if you have to drink 6 to 12 cups of tea a day. But here's the thing...these numbers are from research studies that are 3 months long and because the studies are so short, the Dr. Dorks give high amounts of green tea to produce an effect. It is entirely possible that just a few cups of a green tea a day has a similar effect over a longer period of time...say a year. And even if it doesn't, green tea is a zero calorie beverage and has been linked to other good stuff, like lower risk for cancer and heart disease.

As such, I think green tea is definitely a "do" for summer....completely on trend with other fashion statements like feathers in the hair and maxi-dresses....hmmmmm....I wonder how it tastes over ice with a little vodka???

Wait, check this out:

I guess someone else thinks it tastes good! Cheers!

Attractiveness Leads to Happiness...Make That Botox Appointment Now!

2011-04-26T16:21:00.000-05:00

Last month a colleague of mine sent me a paper published by the Institute for the Study of Labor in Bonn, Germany. The paper looked at data from the US, UK, Canada and Germany and found that personal beauty (rated by a researcher on a 1-5 scale) leads to greater levels of happiness (measured by a quality of life questionnaire). In fact with every increase in personal beauty, there was an incremental increase in happiness in men and even more so in women. Much of this relationship can be explained by the fact that personal beauty improves other things, including income potential, likelihood of having a significant other, likelihood of having a strong social network. But even when these things were accounted for, personal beauty was still strongly associated with happiness in women.

I'm not a psychologist, but I have always been intrigued by the research on happiness. Recently, there was a great overview in The Economist (of all places) on how happiness is greatest early in life and then late in the life. In the middle, happiness is low. The data on antidepressant use in the US mirrors this same finding. Approximately 12% of young woman take an antidepressant but 22% of women ages 45-65 yr take one.

What if one solution to greater happiness in those middle years is merely investing in one's personal beauty? Maybe a new outfit, a few sticks of Botox or Juviderm, a bootcamp class or personal trainer?

Here's a scenario I'm just throwing out there:

SHE: Gosh, I'm feeling more 'glass half empty' these days.

HE: Honey, what you need is a partial highlight and oxygen facial. I just bought a few Groupons that you can use to get discounts on both of these things.

SHE: I feel happier already.

HE: I'm sure you do, because I am familiar with the research showing that you will be happier if you look more beautiful. And I know that "happy wife means happy life". Money spent on these treatments is just an investment in our overall well-being as a household and that's money well spent.

Feel free to forward this along...and you're welcome! ;)

Check Out This Magazine

2011-04-22T15:34:00.001-05:00

When anyone mentions the name "Martha Stewart", I immediately have feelings of inadequacy. The way she effortlessly frosts a ridiculously beautiful cake while fashioning some doily out of crystallized sugar, all the while her dogs are all perfect and not crapping on her carpet. Not my life.

But I just discovered Whole Living. It's been around in some capacity since 1974, when it was called New Age Journal. Then it was rebranded as Body+Soul in 2002 and acquired by Martha's media company in 2004. A year ago, the name was changed to Whole Living.

Don't let the former name, New Age Journal, scare you. There is nothing new age about this mag. It's a combination of fitness, health, beauty and green living. The recipes are easy to follow with pretty pictures (and nutrition information). Plus, the website has a bunch of good stuff. Really, it's the closest I've ever felt (and ever will) to Martha Stewart.

Here's the best part...you can actually leave the magazine out in the open! I have to cancel my Women's Health because I don't think my 3 pre-teen daughters need to know "26 New Tips to Drive Your Man Wild".

Any other magazines out there that folks recommend?

It's Hard to Get Fat Eating Nuts

2011-04-15T16:41:00.000-05:00

My friends often ask me what I do at my job. I don't see patients, I don't stand in a laboratory playing with test tubes, and I don't cook/serve people food. So what do I do all day? Well today, I looked at pictures of feces.

I know, I know, it's SO glamorous. You want to be me. I get that a lot.

Why was I looking at such pictures? Because I was reading a new research study on nuts. Turns out a good portion of nuts are not digested after you eat them. So the undigested nuts come out the other end, so to speak. So far, this has been shown for almonds and most recently, pistachios. This was presented at the Dr. Dork conference I attended last weekend.

That's not to say it isn't true for all nuts. Other nuts just haven't been tested yet.

What does this mean? It means that the calories that are listed on the labels for nuts are an over-estimation. In the case of almonds, there are about 150 calories for 20 of those suckers as indicated on the label. But in reality, they only provide 120-140 calories. Why do the calories vary? Because as it turns out, the amount of undigested nuts in feces varies person to person. It could relate to differences in the digestive process between people, the speed at which food moves from end-to-end, and how well the nuts are chewed in the mouth.

So if you feed someone nuts and then collect their poop and then magnify the poop so you can see it up real close and personal, there will be little pieces of nuts in there and then scientists will take pictures and cut and paste the pictures into a slide show and present it at a meeting in a room full of Dr. Dorks hanging on the edge of their seats all excited to see microscopic poop.

Jealous? ;)

New Research in Nutrition Science

2011-04-13T14:52:00.000-05:00

In the past 6 weeks, I've been to 2 scientific conferences on nutrition. One was targeted to physicians to get them up to speed on nutrition topics and the other was for Dr. Dorks like myself to present new research. As you can imagine, there is lots of stuff going on in nutrition these days. Here are a few of the learnings from these meetings:

There is a LOT of concern over people eating too much of specific vitamins and minerals. Bad things could happen....like cancer. It seems that folks get into trouble when they combine highly fortified foods and supplements. For example, eating a bowl of Total cereal, taking a multivitamin and then having a sports bar will exceed the recommended upper limit for many nutrients. It would be wise to just choose one of these. So on the days that you eat a bowl of Total cereal, you may consider skipping the vitamin and sports bar. Teenage boys are notorious for over-eating certain vitamins so if you have one of these creatures living in your home, you may want to mention this.
Dr. Dorks all agree that it's good to have more healthy bacteria growing in your colon (the good bacteria are called bifidobacteria or lactobacillus). New research suggests that the best way to get more healthy bacteria in there is by eating the bacteria's favorite food....fiber. This is very counter-intuitive right? You would think that eating the good bacteria would be the best way. But alas, it appears that is not true.
90% of all male Dr. Dorks wear the same outfit: khaki pants, light blue button-down shirt, navy blue jacket.
At least 30% of the Dr. Dorks at these meetings were overweight or obese, providing evidence that it is really darn hard to attain and maintain a healthy body weight, even when you know how.
This should come as no surprise, but people that eat the least amount of processed food are skinnier and healthier. There was much discussion around this with scientists pointing fingers in all directions. Some feel that the obesity epidemic was caused by women going back to work and relying more on processed foods. Others are blaming the previous generation for not properly instructing their offspring on how to cook. And there are still folks blaming air conditioning for the rise in body weights.

I will post more learnings later this week....

3 Things an Expert in Nutrition Wants You to Know

2011-03-25T15:41:00.001-05:00

I've been such the lame blogger lately! I've seen so many interesting things that I keep filing away as blog topics, but no blogging occurs. It's been a crazy few weeks with my dog eating raisins (note to self: conduct research on why dogs eat things which make them die a slow painful death without $500 of medical intervention), professional commitments (Dr. Dork conferences), and then amidst it all, there's my feeble attempts to combat my own personal suburban sprawl (aka, my ever-growing back side).

Whenever I get busy, I turn to music to alleviate that suffocating feeling. Here's what I've been singing:

I'm busy busy dreadfully busy

You've no idea what I have to do.

Busy busy shockingly busy

Much much too busy for you.

It's a Veggie Tales classic. I think it was #1 on the Vegetable Pop Charts-Cruciferous and Leafy in the late '90s.

What I've been WANTING to do with this blog is a series of posts around what experts in a number of different areas want you to know. So I'm going to kick it off with my perspective as a Dr. Dork Nutrition Scientist:

1. Just because it's sunny out does not mean you are making vitamin D. Yes, it's the sunshine vitamin, but your skin can only make vitamin D when the sun is in the right position. So a sunny day in February will yield no vitamin D for those of us that live in Chicago. In fact, we're really not making any vitamin D here until around April. It has nothing to do with how hot it is outside, but more about how many of the sun's UVB rays can actually make it to earth. My recommendation is that if you're wearing a coat most days (which means it's cold), you'll need to be sure to get vitamin D from your diet (foods or supplements). From April-October, just a few minutes of sun without sunscreen will make all the vitamin D you need for almost everyone.

2. There is no substitute for a healthy diet. I hate even saying this because it's an eye roller...who likes to hear this? But if you look at the science, people that eat more vegetables and other plant-based foods and are physically active are healthier and live longer. It doesn't matter how many smoothies or cleanses or herbs that you take. Our bodies are pretty smart after all these years and they are not fooled easily.

3. More is not better when it comes to vitamin, mineral, and other supplements. In fact, more can be bad. I was at a Dr. Dork conference last month and there was a lot of concern over people's vitamin and mineral intakes. For example, too much folic acid has been shown to increased risk for breast cancer. Similarly, calcium supplements have been linked to increased risk of heart attacks. Vitamin E supplements have also been linked to an increased risk of heart disease. And here's the important point...it doesn't matter if the vitamin or mineral is a chelated form, or that it's from some mine in the ocean, or that it's a concentrated form derived from vegetables...your body doesn't care. They can all be equally harmful. The supplement companies don't want you to know this and often, they will mis-represent the scientific evidence. Sometimes they don't disclose that a study on their product was done in a test tube or rat. Other times, they talk about how people in a certain tribe or part of the world have been so healthy for GENERATIONS because of this secret, special product. It seems to get crazier each year.

For most adults (19-60ish years of age), most experts recommend a basic multi-vitamin most days of the week. I eat my kid's generic chewables when I remember (3-4 days/week) and that works out just fine. The best place to get information on how much of a certain vitamin or mineral you need is from the Institute of Medicine. They review the scientific evidence on a regular basis and publish guidelines. Here is the link.

And happy Spring everyone!!!

Do You Eat More or Less When You See the Calories on the Menu?

2011-03-18T18:48:00.000-05:00

First off, I'm about 7 days behind in every aspect of my life. I went on a girl's trip to Jackson Hole, WY for 4 days and it set me back almost double that time. My suitcase is still packed and sitting in my bedroom and my toiletries are in plastic bags in the bathroom. That is why there's been no blogging this week. But it was all worth it (see pictures below).

What I have been wanting to blog about all week is a new study that was published this week. But first, a little background:

States like New York and California started requiring fast food establishments to post the calories of their products on the menu in the hopes that people will use this information to lose or maintain their body weight. The regulators pushing this legislation "felt" that it was a good idea. There was no data to suggest that it was a good idea, but they just thought it was. Dr. Dorks of Nutrition (like me) were a little apprehensive about it all. Without data, how do we know what the impact would be on the public at large? Plus, it costs the food industry A LOT of money to not only generate that information, but to place it on their menus (not to mention that the information can vary widely depending on ingredients used and preparation method). And of course, they are going to pass the costs on to their consumers. So who wins?

Well, it appears that everyone loses. The restaurants spent all that time and money to provide that information and the studies are showing that the posted calories either have no effect or in some cases, make people eat MORE calories. No one really knows why people eat more calories, but it may have to do with people's perceptions of how many calories they really need. For example, if you thought you should eat 2500 calories a day to lose weight, an 800 calorie salad for lunch sounds like a fine choice. Why pick the dry lettuce and vinegar salad for 400 calories when the 800 calorie salad sounds a lot better and heck, it's only 800 calories!

But unfortunately, most people do not know how many calories they really need to maintain or lose weight. And even fewer people really want to count them; they may roughly estimate in their heads and forrgettabboutit.

The only establishment (based on the few studies that have been conducted to date) where people made better choices after seeing the calories is Starbucks! And it wasn't on the drinks, but on the food...and I get that. The last time I had a Reduced Fat Banana Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake was the day that I found out it had almost 400 calories. But here's the thing...the people that frequent Starbucks are, on average, the people that don't need to lose a lot of weight. They tend to be more interested in their health. So the healthy become healthier and those that are really overweight and with poor health do not benefit. There must be a way to help everyone, regardless of race and socioeconomic status and genetics...I just don't know how yet. But this is what I think about every day that I go to work.

Do you read the calories on menus? Do you choose your order based on the calorie information? Just wondering...I actually like to see that information and I do make choices based on the calories. Anyone else?

And now for the personal stuff...

If you haven't been to Jackson Hole, I highly recommend it. Its at the bottom of the Grand Tetons (and I learned that teton means breast in French). The people are fabulous (except for our maitre d at this fancy restaurant who hilariously, didn't know the specials because he "missed the meeting" and didn't know the desserts they severed either...yet he'd been working there for quite a while...and still I bought a bottle of soap that cost $30).

I didn't ski, but it was still amazing. I saw my first moose in the wild:

Here we are hanging with girlfriends at the house, who are some of the most fabulous women that I know:

And I even went to a cowboy bar where the bar seats were saddles:

All and all, a great girl's weekend!

When Exercise is Bad for Your Heart

2011-03-09T16:09:00.000-06:00

Several friends have sent me links to a scientific study that hit the media this week as a means to justify their sedentary lifestyles...as in, "See I told you exercise is bad for you!"

The study looks at medical images of the hearts of competitive endurance athletes more than 50 years of age. Turns out, those athletes that had exercised the most over their lifetime had more damage to their heart muscle. Is that a reason not to exercise???

Alas my friends, no. It suggests that you may not want to become an ultra-marathoner over a lifetime. It suggests that if you are an ultra-marathoner or if you consistently exercise hours a day every day over a lifetime that you may want to talk to your physician about your heart. But it doesn't mean you should not exercise at all.

This study illustrates something Dr. Dorks refer to as "the therapeutic window". In normal-people-talk, this translates to "get what you need, no more/no less". Here is the concept:

Too little of X: Bad

Just the right amount of X: Good

Too much of X: Really bad

The "just the right amount" category is known as the therapeutic window. It's the amount that you need of 'X' for optimizing health.

In the world of nutrition, there are several examples of 'X': exercise, folic acid, vitamin D, beta-carotene, vitamin E, dietary fat, alcoholic beverages....to name a few. In the case of exercise, too little exercise is associated with things like obesity, constipation, depression, loss of muscle mass, etc. And too much exercise has been shown to suppress the immune system, resulting in more colds and flu, and now heart damage. It's best to stay in "the therapeutic window" and follow the recommendations which suggest 30-90 min of daily physical activity most days of the week.

Vitamins and minerals are very similar. Little can be gained by taking too much of any one nutrient, despite what the bottle or some website tells you. In some cases, having too much of a nutrient is worse than not having enough.
I'm off to enjoy what I know will be the "therapeutic window" with some girlfriends in the mountains. This is what happened last year when I was with them:

I did strange facial expressions and weird things with my hands. This year, I hope to avoid looking like an idiot....at least in front of the camera. But of course I was, am and always will be a giant Dr. Dork...in Chicago or Wyoming.

Is Tuna the Wonderfish?

2011-03-08T11:21:00.000-06:00

While I was working out this morning at my gym, I saw the above sign on the wall. I don't know about you, but I don't really think about tuna very often. Sure, I order it when I go out for sushi and I love a good tuna fish sandwich, but I certainly don't think of it as "the wonderfish". In fact, I would debate that. There are lots of other special fish in the oceans that do pretty cool things, like those that fly, flouders with the eyes that migrate around their bodies, FOUS's (fish of unusual size), etc. Plus, have you seen a tuna?

They're ugly little suckers!

As it turns out, there is such a thing as the Tuna Council and with the support of all the different tuna companies, they are kicking off a big tuna promotion. There is a quirky website with a strange woman talking about tuna and then lots of recipes (some really good ones). I guess tuna sales dropped off in the last 5 years and this is an effort to reinvent tuna. As part of their efforts, we should be seeing signs like the one above all around us soon.

Personally, I think this is what "killed" tuna:

I have a hard time eating food out of a pouch. Why? Because it looks awfully similar to this:

I love my cat (more than what is socially considered normal), but I don't want to eat her food-in-a-pouch.

What will be interesting to me is whether these signs will be around for long. I'm not a food lawyer, but I've been around the industry long enough to know that the Federal Trade Commission isn't very receptive to signs promoting weight loss without a reminder that it's about eating fewer calories. Plus, I don't think I've ever seen a clinical trial on "The Tuna Diet". Given the concerns about mercury in tuna, I don't foresee seeing one.

I think Mr. Mom had the best slogan all those years ago...

"Schooner Tuna. The tuna with a heart."

For more info on the Tuna Council and their efforts, check out this New York Times article.

Eau d'Asparagus

2011-03-03T17:38:00.000-06:00

My day job is conducting clinical trials on the benefits of nutrition on health. I feel like I'm making a contribution to society. My research has the potential to improve the quality and quantity of life for many people and to reduce costs associated with health care. Granted, I'm not identifying cures for cancer or anything, but really, I think almost any research study improves our human existence in some way. Even this one...I think....

Ever notice how after you eat asparagus, there's a distinct and characteristic odor present upon relieving yourself? Benjamin Franklin did. He said "a few stems of asparagus eaten shall give our urine a disagreeable odor". Shakespeare wrote about it too. If memory serves, I think a reference to this phenomenon even made it into an Austin Powers movie. I refer to it as the Porcelain Eau d'Asparagus.

I had always just assumed that some plant chemical in the asparagus just happens to smell when it appears in urine. Coffee is also linked to a characteristic odor in urine. It's really neither here nor there...just one of those odd things of insignificance.

But apparently, some Dr. Dorks needed to know more about why. So, they conducted a clinical trial where they had people smelling the urine of others that had eaten asparagus (seriously). Turns out, about 10% of people don't make smelly urine after eating asparagus. Even more strange and interesting, about 10% of people can't smell the asparagus odor in urine...even when it's there. In fact, it turns out that this is a genetic modification that results in the inability to smell the odor. There are other genetic modifications out there that result in people not being able to smell sweat or musk. Again, I'm serious!

How does this research benefit our human existence? Well....I'm not entirely sure, other than I find it fascinating that people cannot smell certain things. If only we could choose those things...interesting to think about what each of us would choose as the odor we can't smell!

But regardless of all of the above, asparagus is a yummy, healthy treat that is so easily prepared. I like to prepare it by breaking off the woody ends, coating in olive oil and lots of salt and pepper, and roasting in the oven at 400 degrees for 15 or 20 minutes. It's also fabulous in soups and quiches.

And not that you asked, but I do make "it" and I do smell "it" and up until about an hour ago, I never cared to even think about why. And I'm not sure I care now, but boy am I craving asparagus!

When a Scientist Becomes an E-Stylist

2011-02-27T08:23:00.000-06:00

If someone would pay me to play dress up, I'd say yes in a heart beat. See what happened when The Succulent Wife asked me, and several other contributors, to dress the nominees for the Academy Awards!

As originally published in The Succulent Wife:

In honor of the upcoming Academy Awards ceremony, we thought we’d ask some of our favorite contributors to try their hand at styling their favorite nominated actress. They each created their looks on either Polyvore.com or Looklet.com. Who needs an overpaid Hollywood stylist when these succulent hausfraus provide these services at no cost?

Audrey van Petegem for Amy Adams: I am not sure if Amy Adams will win the Oscar (although she should) this year for her role in “The Fighter” but if she takes my advice she will be a winner on the red carpet (next year Amy, call me). I love the subtle style of the dress with the brightness of orange lips, earrings and clutch. With Amy’s auburn hair in an up-do she will shine, because we know, it is all about the accessories. Aiden Mattox ivory chiffon beaded strapless gown, Giuseppe Zanotti sandals, Joan Shepp Petal clutch.

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Alex Purnell for Michelle Williams: Michelle is the hip ingenue. Her short ‘do reminds me of Mia Farrow, so I choose a mini with a 60′s feel yet with an ethereal quality. Her red shoes give it an edge. Dress by Hoss Intropia, clutch by Roberto Torretta, heels by Lanvin for H&M.

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Natalie Greggain for Natalie Portman: I decided to dress Natalie P. with a sexy yet simple outfit. She’s never been much of a show-off and the neutrals in this outfit will allow her natural beauty to carry the look. The gown provides room for her pregnant belly so she’ll be comfortable, but the cross front accent shows the perfect amount of skin to allow her to feel sexy while remaining classy. Nude pumps – because they’re understated, sexy, and even 5 inch CL’s are comfortable. A classic Chanel flap chain bag because it functions as a gorgeous clutch, but when you get tired of holding it, the gold chain creates such a magnificent accent. Even superstar mama’s get tired of holding purses all night. And an 18 Karat rose gold diamond wing ring as a tribute to Black Swan, of course. The vintage flower hair pins to add a bit a sweetness to her do. Comfortable, sexy, chic, all with mama in mind. Because who deserves to enjoy all of life’s succulent pleasures more than mothers? Gown by Gucci, heels by Christian Louboutin, handbag by Chanel, jewelry by Anita Ko.

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Marjie Killeen for Nicole Kidman: Nicole is beautiful and regal but often appears inaccessible and uptight. I’d love to see her in something loose and free. She’d look gorgeous and accessible in this wild dramatic stunning purple dress with flowing hair and minimal accessories. Dress by Matthew Williamson, ring by Zanzlöza Zmycken.

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Shari Bonnin for Hailee Steinfeld: Hailee Steinfeld is the youngest nominee and it was only fitting that she set a new precedent of FUN for Oscar fashion. Being young, she really should not be bogged down by a long gown but wear a fun, flirty shorter dress and if it be black, then add color with shoes and accessories. Elie Saab dress, Bianca pumps, Alexander McQueen Skull diamanté clutch.

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Mrs/Dr. T for Helena Bonham-Carter: Still edgy, but with style, Helena’s look is a perfect fit for her irreverent attitude. Who needs to mis-match shoes when you pair up feathers with S&M gloves? And you can never go Hollywood glam without an iPhone and big-as-your-head hair piece. Dress by Tex Saverio, gloves by Vogue, iPhone by Apple.

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Anne-Marie Kovacs for Melissa Leo: Melissa needs to move away from the generic “David’s Bridal” gowns styling and into something more sophisticated and original. For her, I like the casualness and comfort of these separate pieces. The ethnic flair belt adds color, whimsy and texture. Skirt by Lars Wallin, Blouse by Tommy Hilfiger, belt by Manoush.

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Kristin Fast for Annette Benning: If I were Annette Bening, Best Actress Nominee Underdog and potential apple cart toppler of predicted winner Natalie, Black Swan Crazy Face, Portman, I would want to walk that red carpet in a look that kicks ass. And this look does just that. This form fitting and hand beaded sequined gown from Matthew Williamson will showcase Annette’s amazing shape and the unexpected back, so sexy without being tacky, is just the sort of surprise that will slap a nominee right on a Best Dressed list. The accessories, from the geode and diamond jewelry, to the Jimmy Choo sandals are understated, confident will compliment rather than overwhelm her. Joan Rivers, I defy you to snark this.

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With Change, Comes Opportunity...Fear...Excitement...and Blogging

2011-02-24T13:06:00.000-06:00

My former colleague, now friend, got "the call" last week that changed her status from "employed" to "stay-at-home-mom". Rather than pay a psychologist, she's self-administering therapy and chronicling her post-lay-off experiences at her new blog, The Fortuitous Haus Frau. Here's an excerpt from her first posting. Enjoy!

Last Tuesday I was summoned down to the small conference room with my manager for what turned out to be "The Talk". Not the usual Talk, but the one about how my job had been eliminated and I was now unemployed. While I must admit I did have a slight sinking feeling in my stomach, what I felt mostly was relief. I now was free! Now my first quandry.... do I pretend to be upset or do I graciously shake their hands and skip happily out of the room?

For whatever reason, perhaps it was professional instinct, I chose the first as they may have surely called the padded wagon for me with the second. As I sat there watching the HR manager's head bob up and down as she take me line-by-line through my severance agreement all I could think of was.... I am Free! I am Free! I am Free! and oh crap I really need to call my husband.

As luck would have it my husband didn't pick up and I returned to my desk only to find several voicemails from my child's school telling me she was sick and needed to be picked up. At no other time in my career has "I am packing up right now and will be there as soon as I can" have such meaning.

I decided to start this blog after that fateful meeting to share some of the most humorous and absurd adventures as I journey through this process, as truly no one in their wildest imagination or under any type of influence, could possibly make them up.

Turns out as part of my severance I now have access to an outplacement service... a what? They do it all for you and they pride themselves being there with you through the end.... how long do they think this is going to take?

But first things first I had to fill out a gazillion online forms telling them all about me. Pretty typical stuff. Then they asked for my parents names, their occupations, city of residence, my children's name and ages, my personal values, my financial values, and what don't I like about people....which I was promised all have a tremendous impact on my next position.

If my parents live off the grid in a tee pee in the Arizona desert raising prickly pear cactus is that a good thing or a bad thing? Does it signal that I come from hearty, adaptable stock or that I am more comfortable being closer to nature with no schedule and a sturdy pair of Birkenstocks? Needless to say I declined to answer.

As a recruiter told me last week, I will go through all the stages of loss... which to this point have included....thank god I don't have to come here anymore, oh no how am I going to pay the bills, what do you mean I can't go shoe shopping, dictator-like energy conservation, to lastly (as of this morning), now that I am home I have tons of ideas of how to improve the house.

"The more you find out about the world, the more opportunities there are to laugh at it."- Bill Nye.

A Few Other Things About Neti Pots...

2011-02-21T13:36:00.000-06:00

There's a few more other points about neti pots that I should mention:

1. Ann-Marie at The Succulent Wife reminded me that there are different types of nasal irrigation systems available now. She did a blog post about SinuSense, which sells a battery operated system that pumps water into the sinus cavity. I have several friends that prefer this style for their irrigation needs. I will say that I keep a neti pot in my shower when I'm sick so I can just integrate into my 'shower bidness' and I'm not sure you can do that with the battery-operated systems. (Does anyone know?) Something to keep in mind if you're shopping for neti pots. Also, I like to replace my neti pot every year, so I always buy the cheapest one out there (which is not the battery-operated kind).

2. A research study presented at a conference in 2009 showed that people who used a neti pot every day ended up with MORE colds than those that only used them occasionally. The Dr. Dorks hypothesize that daily nasal irrigation disrupts the normal mucus that accumulates in the sinuses which functions to keep bacteria and viruses out. That said, I have friends that use their neti pot daily and never get sick. Just something to keep in mind.

3. My kids all use a neti pot when they are sick (beginning at 8 years old). They don't find the practice at all disgusting (perhaps because the rest of their world is so disgusting to begin with). Like with adults, the trick is just making sure they are leaning way over the sink so the salt water doesn't go down their throat.

4. Some people like to double up on the salt packets when they are really congested. I think it's personal preference. I have used two packets occasionally and it burns....like if you stuck a Q-tip with wasabi mustard in your nose.

5. Not related to neti pots but related to colds...there was just a large review of the scientific evidence on zinc lozenges and colds. When taken with 24 hours of coming down with symptoms, zinc lozenges can reduce the severity and duration of a cold. Every little bit helps, right?

3 Things More Disgusting Than a Neti Pot

2011-02-20T16:13:00.000-06:00

Its cold and flu season. Apparently this year, more people are coming down with colds and flu this year than the previous two years, making lots of men and women, boys and girls miserable.

It's amazing to me that there are not better treatments for alleviating the symptoms of colds and flu. Most of the over the counter cold medicines have side effects that are only slightly less unpleasant than the cold itself. Then you have to carefully select the medicine based on the time of day so that you're not taking an upper when its bedtime or a downer when it's 10 a.m. And then almost always, the virus will hop on over to others living in your house, making multiple sick people all living under one roof.

If you are like me, a common head cold often results in a sinus infection that lasts for weeks. Several years ago, I had sinus surgery to try to correct this. That cut down the number of sinus infections from about 6 to 4...so not worth it, but whatever. After some investigating, I finally stumbled upon "nasal irrigation" as a means to reduce the likelihood of a cold progressing to a sinus infection. One flush of my sinus cavity, and I was sold. I also find that it reduces the symptoms of my cold, making life a little more tolerable when sick.

If you're not familiar with nasal irrigation, here's the quick 101: you make a warm salt and water mixture in a little pot (called a neti pot) and while leaning over the sink, stick the end of the teapot into one nostril and let the water flow through your sinus cavities and then out the other nostril. I do this 5 times a day when I have a cold until the symptoms resolve.

Since I'm so in love with my neti pot, I recommend it to EVERYONE! Approximately half the time, people (especially SHE friends) bristle, say "Ewww", and tell me it is "disgusting". So I've been starting a running list of all the things that I can think of that are more disgusting than a neti pot...just to have a quick comeback.

Here are three things just from last week that I think most reasonable people would agree are more disgusting than a neti pot:

1. Children with gastrointestinal illness. A week ago, when one of my twins started throwing up, I knew immediately that I was in for a week of hell. Every third day, one of the other kids came down with the "barfing illness", culminating in an ER visit and at least one garbage bag full of sheets and towels that were not worth washing. If you have children, you must agree that there are few things more disgusting than when they have a gastrointestinal illness involving "the attic" and "the basement"...if you catch my drift.

2. Coming down with a gastrointestinal illness yourself after a spicy meal of chicken curry. True story...enough said.

3. A collection of doggie "land mines" all over the sidewalk, driveway, and patio following a brief warm front that melts the 2 feet of snow camouflaging all that crap. It doesn't even matter that it's my own dog, I still find it horribly disgusting in a way that makes me just want to move....and leave the dog behind.

Agree? Anything else you would add to the list???

Can Chocolate Really be Healthy?

2011-02-14T11:55:00.000-06:00

In case you didn't see the original post on The Succulent Wife:

The media has done a pretty good job making sure EVERYONE knows that chocolate might be good for you. It’s hard to find a women’s magazine that hasn’t promoted this message, particularly this time of year when Valentine’s Day sends chocolate sales through the roof. Of course, we all want chocolate to be good for us, right? But is it really believable that chocolate, a member of the candy and other-naughty-foods category, is a health food?

Cocoa wasn’t really on the “good-for-you” radar until scientists stumbled upon an island off the coast of Panama. The Kuna Indians that inhabit the island consume an enormous amount of cocoa, often laden with salt. [Note to self: consider vacation on said island.] They also are one of the few cultures that have unusually low blood pressure and therefore, low rates of heart disease. But if a Kuna Indian moves to urban Panama City and stops eating the cocoa, blood pressure goes up. This tipped off the scientists that perhaps it’s the cocoa keeping them healthy and not their genetic makeup.

But it’s not that surprising that chocolate might have health properties. Chocolate contains cocoa, cocoa comes from plants, plants contain antioxidants, and antioxidants keep humans healthy. It’s been shown time and time again…people that eat more plants are less likely to suffer from heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and cancer. And “plants” by definition, encompass a number of edible botanicals such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, tea, coffee and as the Incas used to call it, the “drink of the gods”, cocoa. So perhaps the media reports about how chocolate does everything from preventing heart disease to increasing libido to relieving depression are true?

REALITY CHECK!

In the actual research studies, regular “chocolate” is not being tested. Scientists are not dolling out last year’s Halloween candy to subjects (although too bad, because I still have a lot of it laying around…not the good stuff, but the stuff no one wants to eat but I keep for emergencies). In most cases, scientists are using cocoa extracts or specially-prepared chocolate that contains a high concentration of antioxidants, because it’s those antioxidants that are the healthy component of chocolate. In far fewer studies, commercially-available dark chocolate is used, but only the good stuff (>70% cocoa). Milk chocolate, and the blasphemous white chocolate (which is technically not chocolate), do not contain enough of the antioxidants to do much of anything….other than fix a craving…and make a delectable cookie.

So with that in mind, here’s what we currently know about chocolate and health:

As little as 3 small squares per day (~40 g) of dark chocolate (>70% cocao) can lower blood pressure in people who have high blood pressure, making it almost as effective as some blood pressure-lowering medications! As we age, blood pressure creeps up which means there are a lot of people out there that could benefit from a small daily dose of dark chocolate.
By lowering blood pressure and improving other aspects of the circulatory system, dark chocolate protects against heart disease-related events like heart attacks and strokes. Hence, “Death by Chocolate” is really an oxymoron.
Dark chocolate seems to help with blood sugar regulation, which means it may prevent type 2 diabetes. If you’ve picked up a newspaper in the last 2 years, you know that doctors are FREAKING OUT over the increase in diabetes. Foods that help prevent diabetes are a good thing.
Unfortunately, even dark chocolate has calories and the biggest reason why people get type 2 diabetes is being overweight or obese. As such, doctors are a little reluctant to be prescribing chocolate as a means to reduce diabetes.

Now about the purported aphrodisiac-like qualities of chocolate…there is no scientific evidence that any type of chocolate (milk, dark or otherwise) simulates libido in women or men (ha, as if men need it). However, milk chocolate does stimulate “pleasure centers” within the brain as well as promote the release of neurotransmitters often called, “happiness hormones”. This can vary person to person, making the chocolate-brain link all the more interesting.

What does this all mean? First off, it is clear that eating dark chocolate can be a healthy habit, so long as it’s not expanding your waist line. That said, most unprocessed plant-based foods confer similar health benefits, so if you’re not a dark chocolate lover, no need to force it down…some leafy greens or tea will do the trick.
Finally, if you’re really looking for an aphrodisiac, might I suggest going old school….a glass of Cabernet while your husband does the laundry. According to my research, it’s much more effective than any box of chocolates.

Why You Shouldn't Freak Out (yet) Over the Diet Soda Study

2011-02-11T14:34:00.000-06:00

There's been panic amongst diet soda drinkers this week. A new study that was presented at the American Stroke Association Meeting this week showed that individuals drinking diet soda daily had a 61% increased risk of having a vascular event (heart attack or stroke) versus those that did not drink diet soda.

Scary stuff! Or so the media wants you to believe. I'm not saying this study isn't important or interesting, but it certainly is making people scared (including the entire beverage industry).

Before you freak out, here are some things to consider regarding this new study:

This type of study does not prove that diet sodas cause heart attacks and strokes. It merely identifies a connection between the two; that the two are somehow related. It could very well be that people at high risk for having a heart attack (because of their genetics, underlying health conditions, lifestyle choices) happen to choose to drink diet sodas. The diet sodas may have nothing to do with their risk.
There is no known reason why diet sodas would have this effect, especially one soda a day. I'm sure a lot of Dr. Dorks will now starting looking for a reason, but as of right now, there's really no obvious way the two are connected, making it a dubious connection.
The subjects used in this study were 2,500 people living in the New York area, of which 75% were black or Hispanic. Blacks and Hispanics have over a 2-fold higher incidence of stroke than Whites. It may be because Blacks and Hispanics have a higher prevalence of high blood pressure and diabetes, both of which are risk factors for a heart attack and stroke. As such, this research may be more applicable to Black or Hispanics or those at very high risk for having a heart attack or stroke (see note below).
Of the 2,500 subjects in the study, only 116 of them drank soda daily versus 901 that drank no soda. That's not a whole heck of a lot of people drinking soda. It would be nice to see if this same connection between diet soda and vascular events is observed in a larger population.

At this point, I wouldn't lose sleep over this one study. But if you are a heavy drinker of diet sodas, there are other reasons why you should consider cutting back:

There are no redeeming nutritional qualities of diet soda. Many other beverages at least have 1 or 2 nutritional factors: juice has vitamins/antioxidants, ice tea has antioxidants, coffee has antioxidants.
I'm sure my dentist friend (aka, Nena), would tell you that soda wreaks havoc on your pearly whites.
There is preliminary evidence (in our mouse friends) that the sweet taste of diet soda without any calories screws up the body's ability to regulate appetite. That's not good. I don't know anyone that wants to feel hungry more often than they do already.

***At the end of the day, the best way to reduce your risk of having a heart attack or stroke is to not smoke, exercise regularly, eat more vegetables and real food, maintain a normal body weight, have one cocktail a day, get enough sleep, and manage stress as much as possible. If you have a family history of heart attacks or stroke, risk factors (high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol), or are Black or Hispanic, these suggestions are even more important and can significantly improve the quality and length of your life.

Now about that "one cocktail a day" recommendation....TGIF happy hour starts in just a few hours! Cheers!

Is There No Sacred Territory for the Economists?

2011-02-07T16:37:00.003-06:00

I'm fascinated by the study of economics. Not the boring, 101 stuff from college, but the more recent offerings. For example, I think the book Freakonomics is as entertaining as it is interesting. Written by Steven D. Levitt (with Stephen J. Dubner), Freakonomics applies economic principles to all sorts of crazy stuff, like drug dealers and Roe vs. Wade and swimming pools.

If you like Freakonomics, then you will also like the book by Steven E. Landsburg (see left). It's along the same vein, starting off with a discussion about how the prevalence of sexually-transmitted diseases would decrease if more people "slept around". You've got to read it to truly understand the concept.

So when this article hit my favorite news site today, I was immediately intrigued:

(Newser) – Forget the usual advice on reawakening your love life: more foreplay, se* journals, role-playing. Instead, try economics. Today’s couples can’t afford “excess time and energy,” write Paula Szuchman and Jenny Anderson in the Daily Beast. Drop the cost, and you’ll increase demand, “as any economist will tell you.” Tell your partner when you’re up for it, and then “make it quick.”

Transparency is another key element of economics: it “keeps the wheels of the free market—and, coincidentally, your se* life—greased.” Szuchman and Anderson interview hundreds of couples, and found that those reporting the best sex lives were those who were clear about when they wanted to jump in bed. Boost your se* life, and you’ll develop a “rational addiction:” “Become a rabbit and you’re upping the odds that you’ll stay a rabbit.”

Of course, my first thought was that this cannot be credible because it was not written by someone named Steve...seems like all the great economists are named Steve. My second thought was, can the concept of supply and demand really be applied to everything? And my third thought was that we need more people coming down with a "rational addiction"...because most people I know have an "irrational addiction"...and that's a serious condition, only second in severity to "ignorance addiction", which plagues 4 out of 5 drivers during Chicago weather-related events. It's a well known fact.

*Since many of my subscribers send this to a work e-mail address, I've "toned it down" by removing the "x".

The Post Blizzard Blog Post

2011-02-04T08:25:00.000-06:00

Last night

After two days of shoveling snow

And entertaining kids who have been home from school

And weathering a horrendous sinus infection

One of my daughters walked in my bedroom at midnight

And proceeded to vomit in my sink

And in-between heaves shouted, "I told you I didn't like your soup!"

While at the same time

My beloved Pussy Willow Sanchez

Ate a glow stick

And was covered in blue glow-in-the-dark liquid

And was running around my bedroom

Which now looked like the set of Tron

And all I could think of

Was girls...

KEEP THE BLIZZARD AWAY FROM MY NEW WHITE DUVET COVER!

(And no, I wasn't really thinking of the word "blizzard")

Pussy Willow Sanchez

After Blizzard 2011

Sledding into the street

Cold, wet stuff!

It is Easier to Ask for Forgiveness...

2011-02-01T15:29:00.000-06:00

Our bedroom on the day my husband left for a 4-day ski trip with friends:

Our bedroom the day my husband returned from a 4-day ski trip with friends:

New duvet cover and shams, new side tables, removal of husband's clutter. Not sure why the lamps look funky in this picture..they look the same in real life. And yes, I realize that I need to iron the duvet. But after moving the end tables in my living room up a flight of stairs to act as my new bedside tables, it was hard to stand up and iron with my new hernia.

How did my husband like the fresh, new look?

I can sum that up with my favorite quote coined by the late Grace Hopper: "It is easier to ask forgiveness, than it is to get permission."

I'm not 100% sure, but pretty positive that she coined this phrase while redecorating her house. At least that's what I'm going with.

And none of this would have been possible without inspiration from The Huntress. Despite what my husband says, you are not a bad influence.

Do you know what is a bad influence? Winter in Chicago. We're on the verge of a snowstorm of epic proportion. The snow just started and now all I want to do is pour myself a glass and snuggle up in my new bedroom, which would be fine if it wasn't 3 pm.

Here is the before from my back door.

A squirrelsicle

Stay tuned for the after!

Forty Fabulous is Fabulous

2011-01-27T13:21:00.000-06:00

I often joke that I'm a week behind on pretty much everything...and here is a perfect example...I missed the blog posting about me that was posted exactly one week ago at Forty Fabulous. But see, I'm past making excuses for my persistent tardiness. This has just become my normal. Those of you that do things on time are the freaks...at least that is what late people like me say about you.

Anyway, Marjie Killeen and I met at a holiday party in December. And I certainly think she is Forty Fabulous! It was a great connection because I love what she's doing on her blog. Not just because she said nice things about me (most of which are true), but because she's talking about the good, the bad, and sometimes the ugly aspects of growing older as a woman.

Her post today is about her experience with an abnormal mammogram, which fortunately turned out to be okay. It is estimated that a woman who has yearly mammograms between ages 40 and 49 has about a 30 percent chance of having a false-positive mammogram and about a 7 percent to 8 percent chance of having a breast biopsy within the 10-year period. So yeah, a lot of us will have the same experience as Marjie at some point in our lives.

And she owns a zebra print bra! How cool is that? I clearly need to do some shopping. Does anyone else have an animal print bra?

Check out her blog!

New Study Suggesting Fish, Not Fish Oil, Prevents Breast Cancer

2011-01-25T15:39:00.000-06:00

I've blogged before about studies that have shown that fish and fish oil supplements reduce risk for breast cancer. This is not new news. But what's new is a recently published study in breast cancer survivors. And chances are, you know and love a few of these women. Please forward this information along to them.

The study followed a group of 3,000 women who had been diagnosed and treated for early stage breast cancer. Over a period of 7 years, the Dr. Dorks periodically assessed what foods and supplements they were consuming and documented any future cases of breast cancer. Results showed that women eating the most fatty fish had a 25% reduction in risk of recurring breast cancer versus women that didn't eat fatty fish. Interestingly, women with high intakes of fish oil from supplements did not have a reduced risk of recurring breast cancer.

What does this mean?

These types of studies do not prove cause and effect, meaning we cannot conclude that fish reduces breast cancer risk and fish oil supplements do not. It is entirely possible that the women who ate fish were also doing something else that prevented the recurrence of their cancer whereas the women taking supplements were not. And it is entirely possible that whole fish has some special cancer fighting properties that are not found in fish oil supplements. We just don't know yet.

But here's the thing....just eat the damn fish! There are so many benefits to eating fatty fish (e.g., salmon, tuna) "be he a man or woman"*. And there is little risk (aside from the pollutants and heavy metals that might accumulate in farm-raised fish...might want to choose fresh more often than farmed). The American Heart Association recommends eating at least two servings of fish a week. Do your breasts a favor and follow this recommendation.

This goes out to Lori, Vera, Cathy and all of my other friends that have had the unfortunate experience of dealing with breast cancer...

*From Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy

Does Weight Loss Increase Toxins in the Body?

2011-01-19T17:00:00.000-06:00

The press just picked up on a study that was published in the fall by a group out of Kyungpook National University in Daegu, South Korea. It's not the first study on this topic, but adds to a small collection of studies showing that losing weight increases the level of toxic chemicals circulating in the blood. These chemicals are toxins found in the environment (pesticides, pollution, etc.) and some foods (pesticides, by-products of food processing like chemicals in the linings of cans, etc.).

The theory is that when these chemicals get in our bodies, they are stored in fat cells. Unlike other cells in your body, fat cells are pretty anti-social for the most part. They just hang out and keep to themselves, except for releasing some nasty hormones at their leisure (and it's these hormones that increase risk for diabetes, heart disease, etc.). Otherwise, what goes to the fat cell, stays in the fat....this includes excess calories we eat stored as fat and toxic chemicals that get into our bodies. However, when we lose weight, fat is released into the blood to be used as energy and the stored toxins go along for the ride. As such, weight loss increases toxins in the blood.

Unfortunately, no one knows what kind of trouble they can cause. There's a good chance that once they're in the blood, the body can break them down and get rid of them. It would be a good thing to not only lose weight but rid the body of stored toxins at the same time. Or there's a chance that they can be harmful when they're being pumped around the body, making weight loss a potentially bad thing. But here's the thing....none of the studies reported to date have been able to show that the circulating toxins are causing any trouble. Sure, no one wants toxins in their body, but how bad are they when they are released into blood after being stored in fat cells?

Really, we don't know at this point. I could speculate that it probably depends on how much weight is lost, how quickly weight is lost (rapid weight loss may be potentially worse), how many toxins are there to begin with, the health of the individual, the diet of the individual, etc. For people that are overweight/obese people, lots of studies have shown that losing weight greatly reduces their risk for developing heart disease, diabetes and cancer. And in the case of Type 2 diabetes, weight loss can sometime reverse or slow the progression of the disease. So it would appear that losing weight is a greater benefit than the risk of increased toxins in the blood. But for other folks.....it's hard to draw any conclusions at this point.

What to do with this new information? Nothing, other then what we all should be doing to begin with. Minimizing exposure to toxins (organics, avoid cigarettes and second-smoke, etc) makes good sense. Not becoming overweight or obese eliminates this whole concern. And eating lots and lots of vegetables is smart for a multitude of reasons.

At the end of the data, the media is going to have to try harder to convince this SHE that losing weight is a bad thing.

The 5-Day Detox Experiment/Experience

2011-01-17T17:39:00.000-06:00

Introduction: There is a recent increase in the number of "cleanse" and "detox" programs available for purchase in the marketplace, some costing close to $100 per day. Many programs promise weight loss of up to 10 pounds in one week; other programs tout increased energy, reduction in built-up toxins, and anti-aging; whereas other programs promise evacuation of contents in the colon. Up until last week, I thought this was all a bunch of crap (pun intended).

Study Objective: Unscientifically evaluate a detox program, specifically, the David Kirsch 5-Day Detox (one of the most economical, and in the opinion of this Dr. Dork, most reasonable detox programs available), by following the program myself and happily accepting the offers of friends and family to follow it at the same time as me.

Methods: There were a total of 6 SHEs in this made-up, unscientific study. Three (me, Veronica Mexico, and Colon Queen) purchased the David Kirsch program and followed the kit instructions, which included a detox drink in the morning, followed by a protein shake for breakfast (most of us used Myoplex). Lunch was a small piece of chicken or fish with lettuce and squeezed lemon. Dinner was either another protein shake or the chicken/lettuce lunch. Several other David Kirsch products were included on an 'as needed' basis, specifically Thermobubbles and Vitamin Super Juice Drink.

Three other SHEs (Nena, my mom, my sister) followed the same diet instructions (protein shakes, chicken, lettuce), but without the inclusion of the David Kirsch products. Therefore, these ladies acted as a control group.

All participants e-mailed/texted each other daily for support/venting/bitching.

Results:

Weight Loss: The three SHEs following the David Kirsch program each lost a total of 7.5, 6, and 4 pounds after the 5-day program. The "control group" lost a total of 6.5, 7.5, and 7.5 pounds.

Hunger: All of the ladies were starving on days 1-3. By day 4, things got a little bit better and by day 5, most everyone felt pretty good. There was no discernible difference between those on the official program versus the control.

Mood: Similar to hunger, almost everyone was angry, miserable, and crabby the first 3 days. Most e-mails/texts had at least one swear word, usually the really bad ones. By day 4, most everyone was feeling better and the profanities waned. For some, days 4 and 5 felt fantastic.

Conclusion: Overall, everyone was quite pleased with themselves. The weight loss was inspiring (even though we all realize that much of our weight lost was water) and all of us continue to include some aspects of the program in our lives (e.g., the protein shakes). The best part of the program was the support system we built in by all doing it together. It is much easier to be hungry and miserable if you have friends that are also hungry and miserable. The hard part of the program was the chicken overdosing. Few of us were chicken fans to begin with and now we're even less so. It would be nice to have alternative lean protein option beyond chicken and fish. Same goes for the lettuce.

We also had to add in a few other things to make the week manageable. We all added another protein shake in the mid-afternoon and some of us drank coconut water. Since we all exercise on a daily basis, some of us were feeling weak and crampy. My guess is that we were not consuming enough sodium to replace that which is lost during sweating, hence the addition of the coconut water. I was also salting my lettuce since I have low blood pressure and needed the salt to see straight. A little modification was necessary to keep on track!

At the end of the week, we all agreed that we would do it again! But not for a really long time. :)

Personal note: First off, thanks to my volunteers who so graciously took this journey with me! I would NEVER have made it past lunch on day 1 without you. You all are amazing, with or without your toxins.

And finally, if anyone reading this decides to try this detox program or a similar one, do not, under any circumstances, have a laser peel the same day you start the program...it is one thing to be hungry, but to be hungry and have your red face peeling off in sheets and floating in the air around you....it's just unbearable. I'd rather have a colonoscopy.

More Women Take Vitamins Than Men...and on Detoxing...

2011-01-11T09:44:00.000-06:00

A new study is about to be released on supplement use. I'm a bit surprised. According to the new study, only half of Americans take a supplement. Not sure why I find this surprising, but I do. I would think it was much higher.

If you look at men versus women, only 44% of men compared to 53% of women take supplements. Regardless of sex, multivitamin/multimineral supplements are the most popular. About 20% of adults use a supplement that contains at least one herbal/botanical ingredient.

Several years ago, the National Institute of Health established the Office of Dietary Supplements. If you're ever looking for information on supplements, it's a great place to visit. Some supplements can be harmful at high doses, some can interact with medications, and some may be contraindicated in people with certain conditions....so always do some homework before you put anything in your mouth.

And I wish it weren't so, but alas, no supplement is going to make up for a bad diet. It doesn't matter what 20/20 or Dateline or any of those shows report, you cannot eat crap all day and take a resveratrol and think that you're going to live longer.

On detoxing...

It's been just over one day of the big detoxing experiment. All of my subjects successfully made it through the first day. Some were a little hungry and weak at times, but everyone is still committed to the process. Several people lost a few pounds in one day (water weight or just less contents in the colon). Only 4 more days to go!

The Control Subject....and Preparation for 5-Day Detox

2011-01-08T19:51:00.001-06:00

Monday morning is Day 1 of the Detox for me, two eager volunteers (subjects #1 and 2), and now, a control subject. She read my post and was interested in trying the Detox, sans the David Kirsch products. She will follow the other instructions, avoiding a number of foods (coffee, dairy, bread, starchy carbs, alcohol), drinking protein shakes, and having salad and a protein (chicken or fish) for lunch and/or dinner. Hopefully, my sister and mom will try the same thing for the sake of (faux) science.

For those of us with the David Kirsch products, it will be a detox shot first thing in the morning, followed by a protein shake. Instead of using David's shakes, I'm using Myoplex. I like it and it's easily accessible at amazon (with free shipping). I've compared the nutrition and it's very similar. At lunch, it's a salad and chicken or fish, followed by something called David Kirsch's Thermobubbles. Dinner is either a protein shake or another salad. After 5-days of this regimen, there is a bottle of supplements to use while slowly transitioning back to a regular diet. More on that when the time comes...

Here is the scoop on my control subject, alias Nena (BTW...all of my subjects chose their own names):

Age: 40-ish

Body Mass Index: 20.0 (18.5-25 is normal body weight)

Favorite TV shows: Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, Brothers and Sisters, Glee, American Idol

When she's not singing 99 Luft Balloons at a neighborhood party, she is an effervescent 40-something year old that balances her 3 kids with working part time. She is amazingly flexible, like circus flexible...like cirque du soleil flexible...and therefore makes everyone look bad at pilates. She also weight trains and is a "basement exerciser." Unlike many of her friends, she only imbibes in the cocktail at the occasional party, preferring to consume most of her calories from meat. She likes salad and sushi, but secretly wishes that they were meat. She's also quite the dancer!

Nena is no stranger to detoxing. She has done the BluePrint Cleanse several times before and usually loses 2-4 pounds in the process. She is hoping for the same result from being the "control" subject in this little experiment, but also hopes to just feel lighter.

Stay tuned for updates of everyone's progress! I'm nervous, excited, and intrigued, at the same time!

Subject #2 in Mrs/Dr. T's Detox Experiment

2011-01-06T17:27:00.000-06:00

We are counting down the days until we start our big detox experiment. I just carefully read the kit's instructions....there are two protein shakes a day, one David's Detox Shot, and then a plain green salad with skinless grilled chicken or fish. I assume those protein shakes are about 64 ounces (I wish). I just noticed that the following are off-limits for 5-days: bread, starchy carbs, dairy, alcohol, coffee, extra sweets, and fruits. I get most of this stuff, but coffee? Really?

Here is a bit of info about Subject #2, Veronica Mexico:

Age: 39 + 3 birthdays

Body Mass Index: 23.0 (18.5-25 is normal body weight)

Favorite TV shows: Southland, Nurse Jackie, Californication, Dexter, Community, 30 Rock, The Office, Desperate Housewives, Glee, Minute to Win it, Americas Funniest Home Videos, Damages

Veronica Mexico is potty-mouthed, drug-pushing mother of two who recently retired from exotic dancing (just kidding). When she is not working as a pharmaceutical sales manager, this Capricorn is squeezing in 6-7 days a week of exercise of all flavors: tennis, pilates, spinning, running, elliptical, and weight training. Her hobbies include ping pong, TV watching, Wii dancing, and being amazon.com's top customer, ordering everything you can imagine off the internet. The more I write about her, the more I don't like her...she's smart, beautiful, and manages to do all of this stuff with flawless grace, humor and a cheery disposition (although I can't wait to see her after a few days without coffee).

She is generally healthy, outside of going through early menopause, and hopes that the 5-day detox will help kick start her goal of a 5-7 pound weight loss. It would also be great if the detox could disrupt the time-space continuum granting her a few more hours in her day...apparently to watch TV. :o)

Subject #1 for Mrs/Dr T's Detox Experiment

2011-01-05T20:31:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I blogged about how I was awaiting the arrival of my David Kirsch 5-Day Detox kit. It arrived about 4 hours after my post...or exactly 5 days after I ordered it (note that Jan 1 was part of those 5 days). A representative from the company e-mailed me and contacted me via the comments section of the blog post to confirm it's arrival. Let's just say that I'm impressed. In a day and age when good customer service usually means a person versus computer fields a phone call, it is certainly refreshing to see a company proactively reach out to customers. Thank you to the David Kirsch company!

Besides myself, I have two SHE friends that have volunteered to take the 5-Day Detox journey with me. Their kits arrived today...exactly 5 days after they ordered them. We are going to officially start the program next week...because Thursday just doesn't feel like the right day to start a detox. And because one of them is hosting a sleepover for her 9 yr old's birthday on Friday night, and if that doesn't call for a glass of wine and chocolate cake, I don't know what does.

In my day job, I consistently watch people respond differently to diet and exercise changes. So, I thought it might be fun to chronicle the experiences of 3 different individuals following this 5-day detox program.

Here is a brief description of Subject #1, aka Colon Queen:

Age: 43 yr

Body Mass Index: 20.6 (18.5-25 is considered normal body weight)

Favorite TV show: Modern Family

Ms. Queen is a 43 year old, ovary-free*, very stylish Forever XXI-shopping female under the sign of Taurus. Because of the age of her 3 children, her home is a 2-story, center-entry petri dish, always harboring the virus-du-jour. She exercises regularly (3x/week) and is healthy outside of the familial colds and respiratory illnesses. Her hobbies are housework and child/husband maintenance (I will try to change this) and she is hoping the cleanse will make her generally feel better and perhaps, help her drop those 5 pounds that have lingered since her last pregnancy.

What's going to be interesting with Ms. Queen is that she may have an allergy to grapes and one of the ingredients in the David Kirsch 5-Day Detox is grape extract.

She will take good notes during her detox and keep us posted of her progress.

Stay tuned for Subjects #2 and 3...

*I was present during the ovary removal and think I'm pretty good at being "that" friend. I've since started a side business, in case anyone else needs a SHE friend to be present during similar procedures. Here's my slogan: Ovaries on out, day or night, give a shout. Want to hire me? :)

Most Effective Diets...Perhaps

2011-01-04T10:31:00.001-06:00

I don't know what David Kirsch is smoking (probably oxygen or something else healthy). I ordered my David Kirsch 5-Day Detox last Thursday to be sent by Fed Ex (another $11) and it's now Tuesday with no package in sight. He, of all people, should know that when someone is ready to make a commitment to detoxing (as evidenced by the fact that the kit costs over $100), there's a small window of opportunity. Pretty soon, I'm going to forget about all the cookies and champagne and hot chocolates over the holidays. It's going to be Valentine's Day and I won't want to cleanse. Seriously David....where's the damn kit?

[**Note: I received the kit by Fed Ex about 4 hours after this blog post. The David Kirsch company contacted by e-mail and via the comments below to ensure that I received the kit....thank you! Great customer service for sure!]

In the mean time, thought I'd share an article written by The Daily Beast on the most effective diets.

Basically, they tried to find scientific articles on a number of popular diets and lay out average weight loss, attrition rate, and a nutrition score in an easy-to-read format. Unfortunately, they did not compare apples to apples. In some instances, they only evaluated one scientific paper on a diet, but multiple papers are in existence (e.g., SlimFast). For other diets, they reported the weight loss only for those subjects who completed the entire study (e.g., Volumetrics), whereas for others, they reported the weight loss of the entire subject population including those who stayed in the study and those who dropped out (and I'm sure you can figure out that the weight loss will be lower in these studies when presented this way). Then they didn't evaluate The South Beach Diet because of lack of published scientific evidence, but in fact, there are at least two clinical trials showing it's effectiveness (in one study, ~10 lb weight loss after 9 months).

And so, as usual, the media is presenting, what I like to call, "almost correct information".

What I hope happens is that folks read the article and get inspired by a diet. All of the diets presented have been scientifically tested to ensure they work. But not all of these diets will work for every person. I was involved in one weight loss trial where the majority of subjects following a high-protein diet lost weight...more weight on average than the subjects on a low-fat diet. But the person that lost the most weight in the entire study was following the low-fat diet. So what might work, on average, for a group of people, is not necessarily what will work for an individual.

I've said it before and I will say it again...weight loss diets are like lovers...you need to find your "diet soul mate" to make it work long term.

I'm certain that my soul mate is NOT David Kirsch...being stood up before our first date does not make for a long-lasting relationship!

A Cleanse Naysayer

2010-12-30T14:13:00.000-06:00

Noun

naysayer - someone with an aggressively negative attitude

Yep, I am a "cleanse naysayer". I think the whole concept of cleansing and detoxing and fasting for improved health is dumb. Physiologically, it makes no sense. There's no reason why detoxing for several days is going to release all these built up toxins in the body. And there isn't a reputable physician or nutrition scientist out there that thinks it's essential for optimal health. Personally, I think it's smoke and mirrors.

So why did I just spend $100 on the David Kirsch 5-Day Detox???

Because I want to be a credible naysayer; one with direct experience in detoxing. I've never done a cleanse and I should at least try it once in my lifetime. And January is always a good time for starting something new, right?

Why the David Kirsch detox plan???

Because damn, detoxing is expensive! I looked into several options and just couldn't swallow the exorbitant costs involved...some are close to $300 for 2-3 days! Seriously, people pay $300 for juice? I can't believe I just paid $100! And that was the most reasonably priced cleanse I could find.

Plus, I figured that David Kirsch is a brand himself and its in his best interest to make sure his products are safe. These other cleanse companies could be run out of someone's garage with a juicer and bag of vegetable scraps for all I know.

So, starting next week, I'm officially in dietary detox. If anyone is kicking off 2011 a similar way, please chime in with your plan and how its going. Would love to share detox notes.

Have a safe and healthy New Year's Eve!!!

On Becoming Mrs. Heatmeiser

2010-12-20T16:39:00.000-06:00

I was inspired to start this blog because of my friend, Debra. On her 39th birthday, she declared it would be the "Year of Deb". Her declaration was a commitment to herself, a means to remove the imaginary barrier that was keeping her from accomplishing several life goals she set to achieve by her 40th birthday.

Saturday was my 39th birthday. And like Debra, I saw this birthday as an important milestone in my life. But unlike Deb, I did not set any future goals or reminisce on my past achievements. Instead, I lit myself on fire.

I'm okay, everyone was okay, it's all okay, which is why I get to joke about it.

And because irony knows no boundaries in my life:

1. About a week ago, I paid big bucks to go from being a blond to a brunette with new bangs (it was bangs or botox...I opted for bangs for now) and a new layered hair cut.

2. My hair caught fire at a friend's holiday party as I was blowing out my candles following a 60 person a cappella version of "Happy Birthday".

You would think after 38 other birthdays that I would be well trained in the art of candle blowing. And I am...quite good. I just didn't expect the candles to re-ignite themselves after I blew them out the first time. Yes, I was actually fooled by trick candles. Didn't see that coming. But luckily, when 60 people are staring at you as you blow out candles and catch fire, lots of people jump in rather quickly to put you out.

And they all assure me that my hair looks even better with shorter layers.

So if the position of Mrs. Heatmeiser is still available, I'd like to apply. I'm working on my song (to the tune of the Heatmesier song):

I'm Mrs. Heatmeiser, hair like the sun

Ignited by trick candles, the day my 39th year begun

They call me Heatmeiser, but its only fair

Since my hair lights up like a flare

Noxious gas in the air....

It's a work in progress....

Mrs/Dr T

PS...it is not that I am against the emoticon, I just don't know how to use them properly except for this one :)
I was also recently introduced to this one (o)(o) which is either in support of breast cancer awareness or just dirty...depending on who's using it. :-)

Breakthrough Science: Sleep Deprivation Makes You Ugly

2010-12-16T17:18:00.000-06:00

Shocking new research out of the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine in Stockholm, Sweden. Participants were asked to rank pictures of people that had 8 hours of sleep versus people that had been awake for 31 hours. In what is sure to stun the entire scientific community and world at large, people that had been awake for 31 hours were rated as less healthy looking, more tired, and less attractive than those who slept.

Can you believe this? Thank goodness this research has been conducted. Here I thought I actually looked good when I stayed up all night.

But maybe you should be the judge? Here's what I looked like the other day after I stayed up all night watching the E! channel:

Here's what I look like today after sleeping all night:

What do you think?

[If I used emoticons, I'd have one winking right here]

Get on Your Loin Cloth and Eat Like a Cave Woman?

2010-12-14T11:05:00.001-06:00

Approximately 10,000 years ago, humans ate a diet that most likely consisted of the following: animals (small ones, big ones), fish, fruit, root vegetables, eggs, nuts, and some wild grasses. Humans that lived closer to the equator ate fewer animals and more vegetables and those that lived in colder climates ate more animals and less vegetables. In general, protein and fat intake was high and carbohydrate intake was low.

No one cared about this until 1985, when a Dr. Dork team named Eaton and Konner published a paper on the "paleolithic diet" or "hunter-gatherer diet". They hypothesized that we have an evolutionary "mismatch" on our hands....in 2010, we have the same DNA as our ancestors from 10,000 years ago but we don't eat the same diets...and because of the mismatch, we end up with obesity, heart disease and diabetes.

Is it true? Well, it's hard to say. Scientists are still debating about exactly what humans ate 10,000 years ago. They are studying 229 groups of humans from around the world, trying to reconstruct their lifestyles from fossils, DNA samples, old writings, etc. It's not easy. Plus, there appear to be differences between the 229 groups in terms of what they ate, so there may not be just one paleolithic diet but several. It's safe to say that at the present time, there is no black and white evidence that we're suffering from obesity, diabetes, and heart disease from NOT eating the paleolithic diet.

Has the paleolithic diet been tested? Yes, there have been several studies on the diet. In almost all cases, the paleolithic diet reduces risk factors for heart disease and diabetes versus a typical American diet. Plus, studies have shown that it's more satiating than other diets. I think most nutritionists would agree that a diet containing only unprocessed, whole foods like in the paleolithic diet is a healthier approach than eating fast foods and highly processed foods like most Americans.

Does the research suggest that dairy foods and cereal grains are bad since they are not part of the paleolithic diet? No, not according to all the other research out there on diet and health. Certain individuals might feel better by minimizing these foods in their diet whereas other people might feel horrible. Even though we all have basically the same DNA, there are differences which make each of us as individuals respond differently to different diets.

Should we all start eating a paleolithic diet? My personal Dr. Dork opinion is that we all should be eating more whole foods, more vegetables, and more protein. If you'd like to spend $10 on a paleolithic diet book, here's the one I recommend. Otherwise, save your money and spend it on a jar of peanuts or brussel sprouts or spinach.

One last comment...the paleolithic diet is very low in calcium and vitamin D, so if you consider such a diet for yourself, pay close attention to these nutrients so that you're consuming adequate levels...especially vitamin D in the winter if you live in cold climates.

And congratulations to Annie, the winner of the Naughty Betty give-away!!!

Naughty Betty Give-Away: Is Your Life Like a Cocktail Napkin?

2010-12-08T19:56:00.000-06:00

When asked if I'm bilingual, I am quick to respond with the following: "Why yes, I am fluent in English and Sarcasm." And it's not just that I enjoy sarcasm (both giving and receiving...I'm that kind of gal)...what I really value and appreciate is humor. After all, it's healthy! People live longer, healthier lives with humor.

And so, because I want to live a long and healthy life, I want 'funny'. Pretty much all the time. So when I stumbled upon this pack of cocktail napkins, I was thrilled! I tied them around a bottle of wine as part of a hostess gift to a friend in pharmaceutical sales.

She told me she was bringing them to work because she thought they were so funny.

And because the world is small and weird, it turns out that a SHE friend of mine (Roxy) is friends with the owner/creator of this brilliant cocktail napkin and many other fabulous and humorous products. How great are these:

I think this is my new mantra


I think the mere mention of the word "colonoscopy" is funny..of course, I haven't had one yet.

This is a greeting card...this could be my mantra too.


This is a melamine tray...beautiful and so true, so true

Ah....memories

These products by Naughty Betty have been in my shopping cart since the company started in 2006, so I was eager to learn more about the SHE-owned company (dynamic duo, Courtney and Christine). Here is what I found out:

Mrs/Dr. T: What inspired you to start Naughty Betty?

NB: We were working, having babies, raising our kids, and life was such a ride, we knew that a lot of women must be going through the same thing. And there was a lot of comedy in everyday stuff.

Mrs/Dr. T: How do you come up with the ideas for your products?

NB: We look at the types of things we would love to give and get, and take it from there. We also think there is a huge need out there for some funny hostess gifts! Anyone can bring wine, but we want to bring the funny.

Mrs/Dr T: What was the biggest hurdle to getting your business started?

NB: The mad mad juggle that every mom deals with. Switching gears a thousand times a day and still keeping a sense of humor.

So in the spirit of the holiday season, Naughty Betty has graciously offered to give away a travel mug to a The Decade of She reader. If you comment on this blog post, I will randomly select one of you on Sunday to be the lucky winner! Give it away, keep it for yourself...whatever!

And if you're wondering where to buy these humorous, yet stylishly beautiful items, check out www.naughtybettyinc.com. There are so many great holiday cards, party goods and hostess gifts for these last crazy weeks of the holiday season!

Why All the Fuss About the New Vitamin D Recommendations?

2010-12-02T12:49:00.001-06:00

The new Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) for vitamin D surprised a lot of us Dr. Dorks, including myself, this week. Why? Because every Dr. Dork conference I've been to in the last 5 years has included discussions about vitamin D implying that we're all running around America deficient in this vitamin. Plus, there's a new study released almost daily on the benefits of vitamin D on a number of conditions ranging from cholesterol to dementia to cancer. Most thought the requirement was going to be increased to 1,000 IU/day, so when the news was released on Tuesday and it was only increased to 600 IU for adults, it was a bit of a shock.

In reading the report, it is clear that the committee took a very thoughtful, though conservative approach to reviewing over 1,000 studies. The committee also clearly outlined what new research needs to be conducted so that we better understand that relationship between the vitamin D we eat, that which we make in skin, and health. So who knows, the next 5 years could reveal new information that might lead to more changes in the vitamin D requirement.

Here's what's more shocking (or is it entertaining?) to me...the fall out. I have been reading comments posted to the news articles and various blogs and just thought I'd take an opportunity to respond to a few of these statements:

"It depends entirely on your lattitude and the seasons." Yes, it is true that vitamin D level in your body is partially determined by where you live and what time of year it is. However, the RDA is based on studies conducted in northern latitudes mostly in winter. The Dr. Dorks did this on purpose so that they can better estimate how much vitamin D to consume, without the influence of vitamin D being made in the skin.
"Well, I’m not sure how much credence to place in this report. It seems like nutritional advice is very trendy- veering in one direction and then another." Um...or, it could be that nutrition is a science and as new techniques are developed and new information becomes available, we discover new findings that affect public health recommendations? Plus, the media too frequently reports on studies (often erroneously) that just confuse the public (fyi, rats are not people no matter whom you've dated). AND, people are receiving nutrition advice from folks that are not nutritionists and then when the actual nutrition experts weigh in, they throw their hands up in confusion. Bottom line: nutrition advice will change over time...get used to it and get the information from nutrition experts.
"They [meaning, the committee that established these recommendations] are in bed with the filthy rich drug manufacturers, and are paid handsomely to dupe the general public. God forbid we should all do whatever it takes to stay or get well on anything but chemical concoctions. They do not want a healthy population for this is bad for their business, the prescription pill industry which just so happens to be one of the most profitable entities in the world." This person clearly needs a Xanax. I know several of the individuals that were on the committee and can assure you that they are not "handsomely" paid by the pharma industry. Certain physicians may take money from pharma companies, but it is not a common practice for a university nutrition professor on a research track and these are the folks that make up most of the committee on vitamin D. In fact, some university professors will not work with any food or pharmaceutical company because they are concerned that others may perceive a bias in their research. Most people that pursue a PhD in nutrition are doing it because they firmly believe that diet influences health and they want to further that pursuit...it's certainly not for the money (which I can personally attest to).
"I heard that many doctors who currently recommend vitamin D supplements plan to continue to do so, as they do not agree with the study's conclusions." If your doctor falls into this category, I would ask him/her if he/she reviewed over 1,000 studies on vitamin D to draw that conclusion.

Based on reading the report on vitamin D, here are my conclusions:

1. Taking more than 4,000 IU/day of vitamin D is bad.

2. People living in a colder climate that do not drink milk fortified with vitamin D may benefit from taking a vitamin D supplement. I take 1,000 IU vitamin D mixed with fish oil 2-3 times a week in winter and will keep on doing it.

3. People worried about their vitamin D levels in winter can have them tested. The new report states that levels below 20 ng/mL are inadequate or at risk for becoming inadequate. Folks below that level can talk to their health professional about a reasonable supplement plan.

4. The report specifically expresses concerns about very high doses of vitamin D that are often prescribed by a doctor (e.g., 50,000 IU). If this was prescribed to me, I would immediately ask for plan B...a more reasonable supplement plan. There are concerns that high intakes of vitamin D may increase risk for cancer and other conditions.

5. Finally, and this may be the most important one, tropical vacations in the winter are good for you. If only my insurance plan would pay for one!

I Think I May be a Korean Supermarket

2010-11-29T18:57:00.001-06:00

I've never felt more connected to a grocery store than when walking around in H-Mart this past weekend, a Korean market with locations across the United States. If you haven't been to H-Mart, I highly recommend it. Here are the highlights:

Eggplants...lots and lots of them

Fuzzy squash...I don't like hairs on/in my food, I'm just sayin'

This is fresh ginseng...a purported aphrodisiac

There were roughly 20 different types of tofu...a serious amount of bean curd

Those are giant aloe vera leaves (which I would turn into tequilla)

If only I were braver, I would have bought these giant roots to eat...based on the shape, I bet these are considered aphrodisiacs too

Fishies in a bag...I wouldn't eat these, but I love that someone does

I'm always amazed at things people will eat...these don't even look edible to me

Manhood tea...hilarious

Ah, Female Joy...makes you happy to have a uterus

Horny goat weed....in the gardening world, this is called epimedium. It's a lovely shade-tolerant plant. There are about 60 different varieties out there. As the legend goes, a Chinese farmer noticed that his male goats became particular interested in the female goats after grazing on a patch of epimedium. Next thing you know, horny goat weed was part of Chinese traditional medicine for stimulating "manhood".

It has been shown to produce Viagra-like effects in animals (although it's funny to think about how this is tested). I'm not sure if it's been tested clinically in humans yet and no, I'm not volunteering to run a such a study. :)

According to Scientists, You Will Probably Gain 1 Pound Between Now and New Year's Day

2010-11-24T09:51:00.000-06:00

In the last 3 days, I've seen about 10 different "lists" with suggestions about making healthy eating choices on Thanksgiving. Some of the points I agree with (e.g., use a small plate, choose more vegetables, go for a walk before dessert) and others I just can't get on board with (e.g., avoid alcoholic beverages).

All these lists got me thinking about holiday weight gain. Do most people gain weight between now and New Year's Day?

Some 'healthy living' websites indicate that people gain 5 lbs during the holidays. But the scientific research does not support that number. Most studies show an average weight gain of 1 pound between Thanksgiving and New Years Day. This number is higher for those that are already overweight or obese. But even then, it is less than 5 lbs for most people. Of course, these are averages, which means that an individual may be higher or lower than the 1 pound average.

This is much less than I thought it would be. I almost always gain weight over the holidays (unless I luck out and catch the latest norovirus)...and it feels like more than 1 pound. But since I don't know how to use my bathroom scale, I'm not entirely sure how much weight I really again. [I also "don't know how" to use power tools, take out the garbage, put up Christmas lights, or cut the dog's nails.]

But what is most concerning is that most people do not lose this weight after the holidays. Which means that what you gain between now and New Years stays with you. Weight gain during the holidays may be the primary reason why adults gain 1-2 pounds a year and migrate from normal body weight to overweight to obese over a lifetime. It's almost like the rings on the trunk of a tree...with each year, there's another layer that makes the trunk thicker and thicker over time.

And so with with that happy thought in mind, enjoy your Thanksgiving! :)

P.S. Just a few "tips" that most of these lists seem to be missing:

Weight gain does not happen overnight, so eating light on Wednesday and Friday will allow for more flexibility on Thursday.
Champagne has fewer calories than most other alcoholic beverages...and is oh so yummy. The "loaded/unloaded" drink rotation (alcoholic drink/water) is always a good idea.
Soup (the brothy kind) is low in calories, but studies also show that it makes you feel fuller than most other foods. A big bowl of chicken or bean soup for breakfast or before Thanksgiving supper might be the best appetite suppressant out there.
Take the dessert to go and have it for breakfast on Friday. It'll be something to look forward to (a naughty treat to eat dessert in the morning) and will spread the calories out over the next day.
Chew gum. If you're (politely) chewing gum during social occasions, you're much less likely to keep grabbing for another appetizer or small taste of something.

What Grilled Cheese Sandwich Burns More Calories??

2010-11-19T17:49:00.000-06:00

Regrettably, a professor at Kansas State University received quite a bit of media attention after losing weight on an 1800-calorie/day junk food diet. I don't know why this is news. It's a fact that if you consume less calories than you burn, you will lose weight. It doesn't matter where those calories come from. It's a math equation. If you only eat 1 stick of butter every day, I guarantee you will lose weight (1 stick butter = ~800 calories). The only major exceptions would be people on certain medications or with extreme hormonal conditions.

There are many reasons why it's not a great idea to go on a Twinkie diet for weight loss. Besides the obvious ones (not very satiating, low in vitamins and mineral and other "good stuff" found in real foods, high in sugar, etc), I wanted to highlight a study that was published this summer that on processed food.

The purpose of the study was to measure how many calories were burned after eating a cheese sandwich made with white bread and processed cheese versus one made with whole grain bread with real cheddar cheese. Both sandwiches provided the same number of calories and the carbohydrate, protein, and fat content were the same.

Not surprising, you burn a lot more calories after eating the sandwich made on whole grain bread with real cheddar cheese!

Burning calories after you eat is called "diet induced thermogenesis". It takes a lot of energy for your body to digest and process food. In general, it takes more calories to digest and process protein and much less after eating fat. But up until this summer, no one ever tested how many calories are burned eating a processed sandwich versus a more wholesome one.

So this professor did lose weight on his Twinkie diet, about 27 pounds in two months (which would probably never happen to a SHE...we're not that lucky with weight loss...but we do live longer so in the end, we WIN!) But just imagine how much more weight he would have lost if he were on a whole food diet!

I don't know about you, but I will choose the whole foods that burn more calories than the Twinkie diet. This strategy would also help prevent weight gain and might explain why people who eat more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are leaner than those that eat more processed foods. Sure, Twinkies have their place in the food supply but I wouldn't base a weight loss diet on them.

Chronicles of NYC

2010-11-18T19:26:00.001-06:00

This is not a blog about my life. If it were, it would be called something like shittyworkingmom.com or preludetoanervousbreakdown.com. My goal with this blog is to educate and inspire. But several of you have asked me about my recent trip to NYC so I thought I would just take one post to highlight a few parts of the trip.

The trip was a gift to my oldest daughter for her birthday. We met a friend of the family there for a long weekend. If I could summarize the trip in one word, it would be "connections". Here are the highlights:

Unlike me, our family friend has other friends in high places. We stayed in her friend's penthouse in mid-town east with this view from the balcony. [Note to self...find some well-connected friends]

We saw the tree go up in Rockefeller Center (see that tiny, tiny man on the platform? That is one big tree!)

If you look carefully, you will see a chihuahua on that van. I just thought that was funny. I've seen those little dogs in lots of places (purses, fanny packs, strollers, cleavage), but never on top of a utility van.

Someone told me this was culturally significant in some way??? Something about sisters and Bruce Jenner??? OK fine, I watch it! I admit that I watch the E! channel. And I like it. And if you're looking for stretch pants with holes in the knees that cost $295, you can get them here. And you're welcome.

Again, because my friend has "connections", we got to go back stage after The Lion King and see all the cool costumes and scenery. This is James Brown Orleans, the lead hyena. He was gracious, passionate, and informative. I love this guy!

Here's "my biggest" on the stage...thinking this is all normal to be walking around the stage of a Broadway show. I'm thinking, "It's all downhill from here, honey" and "I'm the coolest mom ever".

Here are the guitars that we played in James' dressing room til' 1 am. What's that you're thinking? Did I allow my 11-yr old to play guitars in the dressing room of a Broadway hyena until 1 am? Yes. Again, I should be blogging over at shittyworkingmom.com.

Look at all the people in Times Square at 1 am!

I ate a chicken gyro sandwich made by a man in a truck while sitting across the street from the new construction at Ground Zero. It was sad and inspiring all at the same time. Still hard to believe that happened.

And then the finale of my trip, a drag queen wedding. It was depressing that this man looked better in a dress than I ever have/will. Best wishes for a happy life together Frostie Flake and Honey!

That Eggplant Looks Fabulous With Your Dress

2010-11-16T18:49:00.001-06:00

I'm just off of a weekend in NYC. I came home, pulled my stack of mail, and lookie lookie what I got in the mail:

I've never actually purchased anything from Barneys, so am confused as to why I received this particular issue of the catalog. But I am happy to have it! This "Foodie Holiday" issue is a tribute to Barney's "passion" for the "foodie culture" and highlights their efforts to keep everyone "well-fed". This means that they gave $$ to the Food Bank for New York City.

Look at these beautiful, and often comical, photos from the catalog (sorry for the shi++y photos that I took with my own camera):

That's a $1985 trench coat. Yikes!

This dress is ONLY $1550. Bargain! NOT

These are called scapes, I just recently learned

How do I get one of those gigantic whisks?

Um...

Photographer: Hey model, wear this octopus on your head
Model: Sure. What's an octopus?

Sadly, most food banks are not getting these "foodie" foods. If you have ever been to a food bank, and I suggest that you do at some point in your life, most foods are your basics. There is no kale, romanesco, eggplant, octopus, etc. There are cans of vegetables, bread, milk, eggs, baby formula, etc.

Some might think this is unfortunate. But I've got to tell you, I've had some experience working with families that frequent food banks. Most of these families are looking for familiar foods...they are hungry...it's not about the flair of food, but about satiation. They are not trying to impress their friends or family with their cuisine. They just want to eat.

As a graduate student, I was involved in the university outreach program that went to the homes of families in need. I still think about these experiences. One family asked me what part of the cow the portabellas come from. [They were referring to portabello mushrooms that were included in a box of food.] Another young teenage girl told us she was pregnant, even though she was receiving free birth control pills. She swore she never missed a pill and so was confused as to how she got pregnant. After a long conversation, she finally revealed that she was using them vaginally.

I applaud Barneys New York for trying to help feed those in need. If anything, this catalog reminded me of several things:

I am very lucky to have the knowledge to eat healthy foods and the ability to be able to do so.
There are many, many folks in need of food for themselves and their families.
I will never have a trench coat that costs almost two-thousand dollars.
Sometimes models have to do strange stuff.

Poor, Poor, Spinach...Has to Resort to Label Claims

2010-11-10T18:23:00.000-06:00

I'm rarely shocked by food, which makes the following two things kind of a big deal.

First off, let me say that almost ALL processed foods take advantage of the FDA labeling laws and highlight certain nutritional aspects of their food. Almost any food can do this, as evidenced by this:

Here is something that is more or less junk food, touting the fact that it has a few redeeming qualities...7 vitamins and minerals. Big whoop. The only reason those vitamins and minerals are there is because the base of a Poptart is enriched flour, which has added nutrients lost in the processing of whole wheat. [For the record, I did not buy these Poptarts. They were a gift.]

I'm used to seeing stuff like this. Food companies are trying to make us feel good about crappy food. I get it.

Here is what I'm not used to seeing:

How sad is it that the De Jong Brothers have to do this??? Have we come to a point where people don't know that spinach is fat free and good for you? Egads, I hope not!

On another note, here's something that shocked me. Check out this vegetable that showed up in my organic produce delivery box this past Friday:

This is called romanesco. It's kind of a mix between broccoli and cauliflower. It was AWESOME! I want more of these! I want to grow these and eat them all the time! Has anyone had this before? Did you love it as much as me? Isn't it sort of weird looking?

I'm off to NYC tomorrow with my biggest...hoping to do a whole bunch of stuff that I've never done before!

On Running, Hot Chocolate, and Why I May Exercise Outside this Winter

2010-11-08T16:46:00.000-06:00

On Saturday, I joined thousands of other Chi-Town runners in a 9.3 mile jaunt along Lake Michigan. Here is where we hung out before the race:

Here is me right before the start wearing a Hefty garbage bag to try to keep warm (it was 27 degrees...brrrrrr):

And here are some dudes heating up chocolate over these giant grills for the post-race fondue:

I ran almost the same course for a race in May, except it was 45 degrees warmer. So this got me thinking about exercising in the cold. And even though I find the cold extremely unpleasant, I may have convinced myself to suck it up and run outside all winter. Here's what I learned from digging into the scientific literature:

Most people burn more calories when performing the same exercise outside in the cold versus inside or at a more comfortable temperature. This is for a few reasons....first off, your body has to generate more heat to warm you up and it does that by burning calories. Second...just shivering burns calories. Third, exercising with more gear (layers of clothes, boots, hats, etc.) is more of a physical burden, which can burn more calories.
How many more calories are burned in the cold is hard to find in the scientific literature. I found one study that suggested that daily energy expenditure increased by 2% in women exercising in the cold. That means an extra 40 calories for an average woman that burns 2,000 calories a day...that's just 2 tootsie roll midgets a day. That hardly seems worth it! But if you run outside 4 days a week, that's 160 calories a week and that starts to seem a bit more significant. If you start thinking about it on a monthly basis, it gets even more attractive.
In general, women get colder than men and faster. This is scientific fact, so if my HE could kindly get off my back about being cold all the time, I'd greatly appreciate it! Women have a larger surface area for a given body weight and that makes for SHE-sicles.
Women feel colder on days 14-28 of their menstrual cycle. So if your significant other calls you "frigid" while you're PMS-ing, they are probably right!
Supposedly, one can acclimatize to the cold after 10 days. I find this hard to believe since I still haven't acclimatized to Chicago weather after 10 years. I think they should repeat that study in women and define "acclimation" as the "absence of violent feelings toward inanimate winter objects such as icicles, slush, and salt trucks". Then lets see how many days/months/years/decades it takes to acclimatize to the cold!

Now I just have to upgrade my garbage bag...and wait for the cold weather again...because today in Chicago, it was 68 degrees.

What Did You Eat Yesterday?

2010-11-03T16:13:00.000-05:00

In today's issue, the Chicago Tribune highlighted a new book titled, "What I Eat: Around the World in 80 Diets". The book, written by a husband-and-wife team (photographer and former TV producer), documents the daily meals of 80 people in 30 countries. In addition, they estimate the calories of the day's food and drink and comment on the costs of the food, body weight of the folks, their jobs, etc. What I found most interesting about the article was the camel broker in Egypt who had potato chips for breakast...with a side of boiled water.

I just ordered the book, so cannot comment on whether it's a good read or not. I'm just fascinated by the concept of this question, "What did you eat yesterday"?

Here's what I ate yesterday:

Zone nutrition bar
Non-fat grande latte
Panera You-Pick Two with black bean soup, Greek salad, and an apple
Diet Coke
5 vanilla tootsie rolls (damn you Halloween candy!)
1 long, skinny tootsie roll (I hate you Halloween candy)
Green lettuce with blue cheese dressing (need to grocery shop for salad fixin's)
Leftover creamed spinach and shallots from last week...or the week before, not sure, still alive today so perhaps last week
5 slices of pepperoni (and yes, I consider myself a vegetarian)
Small sliver of the Stromboli I made with the pepperoni
Pizza bone from 1 slice of my HEs Lou Malnati's pizza
More slivers of the Stromboli (lost count)
Water

So what did YOU eat yesterday? Anyone start the day with some boiled water? Potato chips? Tootsie rolls for breakfast?

Important Nutritional Information....For Chameleons

2010-11-01T16:33:00.001-05:00

Part of being a Dr. Dork is to maintain a high level of dorkiness by perusing the spectrum of scientific journals that are published each month. In the field of nutrition, there are 5-10 key journals where probably 90% of the research is published....it makes for a lot of reading each month.

Sometimes these journals publish studies that have the potential to help a significant number of people. For example, here is a study that was just published this month in Journal of Nutrition: "Lifestyle Counseling and Supplementation with Flaxseed or Walnuts Influence the Management of Metabolic Syndrome". This study showed that people with metabolic syndrome (a deadly cluster of conditions such as high cholesterol, obesity, high blood sugar) reduced many of their symptoms after an intense lifestyle counseling program with either flaxseed or walnuts incorporated into their diets. This has the potential to save lives....pretty important stuff.

Other studies may not be as important to public health, but they are interesting nonetheless. For example: "Longer Breastfeeding Is Associated with Increased Lower Body Explosive Strength during Adolescence" This study showed that teenagers who were breast fed as infants could jump farther in the standing long jump than teenagers who were not breast fed. Interesting and important, especially if you would like to see your offspring excel one day in the standing long jump.

And then there are some articles that a head scratchers, at least at first. Case in point: "Nutritional Metabolic Bone Disease in Juvenile Veiled Chameleons (Chamaeleo calyptratus) and Its Prevention". As it turns out, chameleons in captivity get this bone disease because the crickets they are fed do not have enough calcium, vitamin D or vitamin A. Plus, the chameleons don't do enough tanning under UVB light. In this study, the Dr. Dorks looked at how dusting the chameleon food with these nutrients could prevent this bone disease. Now the little lizards can live healthier, longer lives in a glass tank next to the beds of small boys everywhere. This type of research study might not seem important at first, but it really is for the following reasons:

Not sure
I don't know

In the spirit of full disclosure, let it be known that I do not have a juvenile veiled chameleon.

Now does anyone know of a good standing long jump coach in the Chicago area?

Celebrate the Little Things

2010-10-30T11:22:00.000-05:00

Sometimes, bad things happen. Parents get old and sick, friends lose their jobs or homes, and weird, freaky $hi+ happens that's scary and depressing. Over time, this collection of bad experiences can be a real downer....unless we shift the balance by creating positive experiences.

Case in point....Manicures and Martinis. It wasn't a "big" birthday, but why does it need to be? It was a great excuse to connect with other women. Research consistently shows that social interaction makes people live healthier and longer lives. I'm not entirely sure why, but I think it has to do with the brain chemicals and hormones that are released when you're having a good time doing good things to your blood pressure and such.

Even more sweet, the birthday girl is a breast cancer survivor, making every birthday pretty special.

On another note, Halloween is a great opportunity to showcase one of my home's best features:

I kid you not, it's a real headstone. It was here when we moved in and despite several attempts, it cannot be moved. In fact, it won't even budge. I've taken this as a sign that it belongs with the house and does not wish to be disturbed. The story from the previous owner is that it's an extra civil war marker for a great, great uncle, but it's difficult to tell since it's so worn. Spooky, eh?

Happy Halloween everyone!!!

A Few Easy Ways to Make Your Heart Happy

2010-10-26T15:16:00.000-05:00

I don't know how you all party, but here in these parts, the party conversations tend to go like this:

Personal information (hi, how are you, how old are your kids, where do you live...)
Current events/weather (big storm coming, how did you vote on the referendum...)
Job sharing (where do you work, oh do you know so-and-so that works there...)
Personal health information (This hurts, I have this condition, had this surgery, etc)

For me personally, the last two are sort of a blur since I work in the health care field. And quite frankly, I am always RELIEVED when we finally get to the health topic because I barely read the newspaper and try to ignore the weather in Chicago for most of the year.

At a party a few weeks ago, I had a conversation with a HE who told me he was diagnosed with high cholesterol and was recently prescribed a statin drug. I got all bubbly inside and started offering suggestions for other things he can do to help with his cholesterol. Even when you're taking a drug, there are some other simple things to do that will further lower cholesterol. Plus, these things may help other members of your family (e.g., your significant other, your kids) prevent high cholesterol.

Just as a reminder, the concern with having high cholesterol (especially LDL cholesterol, aka, the lousy cholesterol) is that it really increases your risk of having heart disease...which is the #1 cause of death in the US. Just lowering your cholesterol 10% can reduce your risk of heart disease by almost 30%. Unfortunately, there are a bunch of things that negatively affect cholesterol levels that are uncontrollable.....genetics, getting older, being a male. On the upside, there are several easy things that can help lower cholesterol and one or more of these may be easy for you to work into your life. Every little bit helps!

Here goes:

Substitute some of the foods you currently use with those that have phytosterols. Phytosterols are naturally-occurring substances found in plants that block the absorption of cholesterol from your belly, resulting in a decrease in cholesterol levels. They are also available as a food ingredient. Promise activ is a margarine with phytosterols, Minute Maid has a juice with them, and you can find them in a few other foods branded with the CoroWise logo. They cost more $$, but I guarantee that in the long run, they will cost you less than a heart attack.
Eat more protein, and less carbohydrates. I'm like a broken record with this protein stuff! Besides having other benefits, a higher protein diet (20-30% of your calories ideally) has been scientifically shown to do good things for cholesterol. Ideally, choose the leaner or veggie-based varieties of protein and make sure to get a dose of protein at breakfast (where most people choose carbs instead).
Start eating more like a Mediterranean. Those Greeks know how to eat! There are so many great Mediterranean Diet cookbooks if you're not familiar with all of the yummy goodness of olive oil, fish, whole grains, and wine. Did I mention the wine?
Eat smaller meals more frequently. This behavior may be more difficult for some versus others depending on your lifestyle (e.g., hard to eat all day if you're a bank teller, personal trainer, teacher, etc.). When I switched jobs and started working at home, my cholesterol decreased about 20 points in a month...eating smaller meals throughout the day was the only change I made (besides hardly ever showering and wearing pajamas all day, but that is neither here nor there).
Break a sweat as often as possible. I know, I know, no one wants to hear how good exercise is for you. But here's the thing, it's really, really good for you! If there's one behavior that should always be a part of your life, it's physical activity in some capacity.

These are just a few suggestions. Don't forget that fiber, especially the gooey, really viscous kind, is very effective at lowering cholesterol. Oatmeal, Metamucil,Cheerios, etc. In my experience, it's harder to "sell" fiber to someone. Most people think of all the un-pleasantries of fiber (gas, flatus, sharting), but don't discount it! Many of the side effects of fiber are temporary until your belly gets used to it.

For more information on heart health, check out the American Heart Association website. For a good book that has lots of yummy recipes and includes most of the list above, check out The South Beach Diet. It's one of my favorites! And just a reminder, I am a nutritionist and not a physician. Always best to confirm with your Dr. before making any major diet or lifestyle changes, especially if you're already on medications for cholesterol or other conditions. My list above is consistent with major public health recommendations from several organizations, but I just have to say that or else they come and take my PhD away, or worse, they may make me change out of my pajamas. Either way, heed my caution. :)

The 7 Habits of Highly Fit (or Sort of Fit) People

2010-10-21T17:42:00.000-05:00

A very fabulous friend of mine wrote an article titled, "7 Secrets of Super Fit Women". I think it is very accurate in describing this group of super-SHEs that look amazing and radiate an aura of health. I honestly am in awe of these women and find them truly inspirational. And for the record, I am not one of them. I scored 3 out of 7, making me "sort of" fit.

But I still feel pretty healthy.

So I've decided to start a list of the "Habits of the Sort of Fit". This may not be very aspirational, but sometimes we just need to pat ourselves on the back for at least trying.

1. They subscribe to Shape, Women's Health, or Fitness magazine (although they might not actually read every issue).

2. They exercise inconsistently at best, but are always wearing active sportswear or workout gear around town.

3. They eat licorice for dinner only once or twice a month.

4. Forget beer or schnaaps, they drink only wine (no more than 1 glass a night) because they know that it's healthier and much more glamorous.

5. They buy organic (when it's not 3 times as expensive as the conventional stuff).

6. They bike versus driving as much as possible (particularly when there's no parking at the destination they are going to or if overindulging on habit #4).

7. They routinely relieve the stress of life through socializing (often involving numbers 2, 3, 4, and 6 above).

Anything else I've forgotten?

Fishy Push-Up

2010-10-18T18:37:00.000-05:00

Remember these delectable, creamy treats?

Here's a twist on this concept...

According to their website, they are working on a tuna and salmon version. What do you think of this way to get your fish oil? Icky bad or conveniently and nutritiously good?

There's Something Fishy in this Peanut Butter

2010-10-17T12:30:00.000-05:00

This Jif peanut butter has been on the market for at least a year. It's your basic peanut butter with fish oil (from anchovies and sardines). To me, looks the same and tastes the same (on bread) versus the original. It certainly doesn't taste like anchovies and sardines. Is it worth the extra money?

I've blogged about fish oil before. Bottom line...fish oil is good and most people don't get enough. Eating fish is the best way to get your fish oil (salmon and tuna are my favorites). But eating fish can be a pain in the bass [insert laugh track].

Luckily, there are about a billion supplements available for you to choose from. Most of these supplements are big giant capsules, just slightly smaller than your trachea. For those that don't like to take big pills, there are also liquid fish oil supplements....mmmmm....fat on a spoon. Most expert groups recommend 300-500 mg/day of EPA+DHA (the active components of fish oil associated with the health benefits).

An alternative might be foods fortified with fish oil, such as the peanut butter. However, the Jif product has 32 mg of EPA+DHA per serving...you would need to eat 10 servings of the peanut butter to get even close to the recommendation...1,900 calories worth of peanut butter...not worth it. So in my humble opinion...if you are an adult (based on age, not maturity), eat fish twice a week or take a supplement...pill or drink, trachea dependent.

How about those kiddos? Should they be eating fish-flavored Jif? How big are their tracheas?

The Institute of Medicine, a non-profit organization of health experts in the US, has established a recommedation of 90 mg/d of EPA+DHA for kids 4-8 yr and 120 mg/day for kids 9-13. Other countries have much higher recommendations for kids. For example, one of the European health organizations recommends 250 mg/day of EPA+DHA. So let's just assume that somewhere between 100 to 250 mg/day of EPA+DHA is a good target for most kids.

Now the question is, how to achieve that target? Two servings of fatty fish a week is an easy way to get there....for kids who eat fish. I can usually get 1 serving a week into my kids (salmon with a brown sugar glaze), but 2 servings consistently is pushing it. Therefore, I do buy fish oil supplements specifically designed for kids.

As luck would have it, my kids prefer the most expensive EPA+DHA possible...sugary gummy chews. They are almost $20 for a pack of 30, which means every day I spend $4.50 for my 3 daughters to get their fish oil...130 mg of EPA+DHA per serving. Sure, it's cheaper than a salmon filet but SHEESH! That's $30 a week on fish-flavored candy!

I have also tried to get my girls to eat these other supplements, which I like to call "bubbles". They are tiny capsules containing strawberry-flavored fish oil that can be swallowed or chewed. This brand has ~200 mg of DHA+EPA for every 4 capsules. Herein lies the problem...chewing 1 or 2 of them is fine, but 4 is too much...the fishy, oily taste eventually overpowers. They are cost effective though! I pay $22 for the bottle and there are 45 servings in there, so about $0.5/serving. If only my girls would eat them.

I recently tried this other kind of soft chew...Dr. Sears Brainy Kidz. I really want to like these, but seriously, Dr. Sears must be smoking something...these are the most awful things I've ever tasted! Somewhere between a wet Starburst chew and a moldy raspberry. Each chew has 100 mg of DHA (and this is the one you want, at least for kids) and a pack of 30 chews is $10...such a fabulous price! Too ick for me and my kids. Good thing Halloween is around the corner...a great excuse to get rid of these things.

So back to the fishy Jif...I'm into it. Based on my history with fish oil supplements for kids, the 32 mg per serving in Jif is at least a step in the right direction in getting them towards their recommended intake. My kids are habitual peanut butter and jelly consumers and thus far, they have not noticed the switch to fishy peanut butter. If they ever read the label, I'm in trouble (anchovy and sardine oil, tilapia), but until then, it's fish sandwiches for all.

Anyone have a different fish oil supplement for kids that they can recommend?

Maybe I should name my band Trachea instead of Soccer Bitch? Or maybe The Wind Pipe?

Anyone want to know where I live so you don't come trick' o'treating here?

Sip and Strum

2010-10-12T14:23:00.000-05:00

In the last 48 hours, I've had two quintessential Decade of She

experiences: playing in a soccer game and my first guitar lesson. I never imagined doing either of these activities at this point in my life, and quite frankly, I'm not sure my body did either. In fact, there are certain parts of my body that are quite pissed off at me right now. I've been trying to reason with these parts, but they will have none of it. The only thing we seem to agree on is Advil.

Now the soccer is not really new. I started playing soccer last year for no other reason than no other reason. Follow me? It just sounded like fun. And unlike last year, I'm now actually making contact with the ball (versus kicking the air around it) and I've lost the urge to pick it up when it's in front of me. World Cup, here I come.

On Sunday, our team of SHEs played another team of SHEs in what was a friendly, yet competitive game. We all burned 300-400 calories, we bonded with our fellow amateur soccer players, and everyone had a blast with the exception of one itty bitty incident...one player leveled another player resulting in the stricken player hobbling off the field. And of course, because irony doesn't miss an opportunity, I'm the one that leveled the other player.

This is ironic for several reasons. First off, I have dedicated most of my life to the study and communication of nutrition because I feel strongly about helping others live longer, healthier lives. Causing someone to fall during a friendly game of mom's really pathetic soccer is just a TAD inconsistent with my life M.O. Second, and this is why I'm getting an ulcer, I sent an e-mail to the other team from my high horse before the game, urging them to keep it friendly and fair in order to minimize injuries on the field! And then there's one foul during the game and I caused it!

I've replayed "the incident" in my head several times...I did not stumble or fall and don't even remember feeling the impact...which leads me to believe that this whole thing was caused by someone up above (or down below), seizing the opportunity for irony, and through some sort of cosmic soccer spirit, willing that poor mom to crumble on the grass leaving me standing there looking like a big, tall A$$hole. That, or it's because I don't really know how to play soccer. One of those two things for sure.

This is why I'm now throwing myself into a completely different, no-physical contact hobbie....the "Sip and Strum"....aka, playing guitar while sipping wine. I'm already quite skilled in the sipping part, so should be no problem to pick up the other half. Last night at my first lesson, I was channeling my inner Madonna...who I believe also picked up the guitar later in her life. Heck, I'm just like her minus the pseudo-British accent, talent, money, and adopted African baby. And much like Madge, I didn't mame, injure, or impress anyone with my guitar playing.

Based on last night, if I sip and strum every day, I should be ready to tour by 2030...tentative band name...Soccer Bitch.

Three Types of People Who Should Wear a Heart Rate Monitor

2010-10-08T13:56:00.002-05:00

I've had several folks ask me about heart rate monitors lately. I don't consider myself an expert in these little devices, so I had to do a little research. And by research, I mean I asked a few trainers and searched the medical literature.

For those of you not familiar with these devices, also referred to as Personal Wellbeing Technology (the Dr. Dorks always like to come up with their own names for this stuff), they normally consist of two components: a strap that goes around your chest and then a watch-like receiver. They range from $50-200 depending on what bells and whistles you want. The basic ones just measure heart rate. The fancy ones can measure calories burned, can be adapted to a bike mount and measure cycling speed, can come equipped with GPS to measure running/walking distance, and can connect to an on-line training diary to keep track of it all.

There seems to be three types of people that may really want to consider using this Personal Wellbeing Technology as part of their fitness program:

Newbies. For a person that has never exercised before, it's really hard to know if the exercise is at an intensity that is beneficial to health. These little things may really help folks realize how hard (or more likely, how NOT hard) they are working out. One trainer I spoke with said he recommends them to new clients and asks that they wear it for about 6 months. He wants them to learn how they feel when they are working out at different intensities so that they can eventually accurately predict their heart rate without the device.
Techies. For people that LOVE little electronics and are into logging their training in an on-line diary, these heart rate monitors are great. They can be a real motivator and at the end of the day, that's the goal with physical activity...keep doing it most days of the week until you drop dead. If all it takes is a little heart rate monitor, then totally worth it!
Sickies. And by that, I mean people with a medical condition that should not be working out over a certain intensity.

Now here is my own list of folks that should probably not wear a heart rate monitor:

Chafies. If you are one that is inclined to chafe, then the strap around your chest might result in some rough patches. There are other options out there though. Check out this monitor that is built into the sports bra.
KISSies (KISS = Keep it simple stupid). Depending on the exercise, you may not want another piece of equipment on you. For example, if you already are going running with an iPod, cellphone, and GPS, do you really need to carry one more piece of electronics on your body? If you're swimming and have a cap, goggles, and potentially other equipment, do you really want to wear more stuff?
Mini-Wristies. If you are a small-framed woman or just have a small wrist, you may want to go physically try on a heart rate monitor before you buy one. The receiver is HUGE! There are several versions specifically for women, but even these seem big on my wrist. Best not to spend the money until you're sure it's wearing during exercise.

Anyone have a really good experience with a heart rate monitor? Anyone have one in a drawer?

Are Food Companies Purposely Making Food More Addictive?

2010-10-06T16:46:00.000-05:00

It seems that lately, there is a lot of buzz about how fat, salt, and sugar are addictive substances and accusations that the food industry purposely manipulates our food with these substances so that they "make ya crave it fortnightly". [Name that movie!]

Just some thoughts on that. I worked for one of the biggest food companies in the US for several years, mostly in nutrition but also in product development.

At that company, there was no secret cocktail of fat, salt, and sugar that we would whip out to make food addictive. There was no one in upper management calling down to R&D saying, "Add the addiction trifecta asap!" Food scientists aren't milling around thinking, "Now how can I get just a little more salt in here without the public knowing?"

And if it is true at other companies, how could all these people keep that kind of a secret? There are tens of thousands of food scientists working in the industry...somebody would leak something like this if it were true. These folks don't make a lot of money...it wouldn't be very hard to pay them off to get such information.

But I bet if you ask a food scientist if they are purposely impregnating food with an "addiction trifecta", they would tell you this: the goal of product development at a processed food company is to make a food that people will like so much, they buy it again...and depending on the food itself, using fat, salt, or sugar is appropriate to make that food taste good (plus these ingredients are cheap and most Americans want cheap food...more on that another time). So really, the best way to stop the food industry from selling foods with these ingredients is to stop buying them.

Now what if people can't stop buying them because they are addictive? That's a loaded question with so many ramifications. Using my best Dr. Dork scientific skills, I have to conclude that the evidence in humans is weak right now. Seems like there may be something there in rats, for whatever that is worth. But there are not enough studies in humans to really conclude that fat, salt, and sugar are truly addictive substances. Sure, there are several very serious conditions where people have unhealthy relationships with food...but are they "addictions"? And if scientists do eventually prove that fat, salt, and sugar are addictive substances, then what? Will chocolate chip cookies be outlawed? Will you have to buy salt like you buy Sudafed and sign that weird book? Will fast food companies see the light and start selling grass-fed beef burgers on stone-ground, whole wheat bread? Will people shell out $9 for that kind of lunch?

If you want to read more about this stuff, check out David Kessler's book. It's certainly a provocative read!

And not that you asked, but one of my favorite movie lines of all time: "that boy's head is like Sputnik; spherical but quite pointy at parts!"

From Coconut Water to Cow Water...Is Milk Best for After a Workout?

2010-10-04T17:10:00.000-05:00

For the past several decades, a carbohydrate-based sports drink has been the "go-to" beverage for rehydrating after a workout, race, or even a belly upset. There's been many, many studies to show that a drink with 5-7% carbohydrates plus a few electrolytes is better for rehydrating than water. Last week, I blogged about coconut water being used as a rehydration beverage. Today, I stumbled across a study just published comparing a traditional sports drink against a drink that contained protein. It was a rehydration ironic moment!

This study looked at which drink was better at rehydrating subjects following an intense exercise session. The protein drink contained milk protein in addition to a lower dose of carbohydrates than the regular carbohydrate sports drink. Both drinks had the same level of electrolytes (sodium and potassium).

Wouldn't you know it, the drink with the protein was better at rehydrating the subjects than the traditional sports drink. The confirms the results of an earlier study showing the same thing. Gatorade must have their own evidence that this is true (or perhaps they funded these studies), because the new G Series has protein in the post-workout beverage. My guess is that any high quality source of protein will also lead to this same effect, but future studies are needed to really test that. I'm sure the soy folks are either already running their own studies or freaking out about starting their own studies right now.

Regardless of where it comes from, I am a huge advocate of protein. Eating protein after a workout can help with restoring and building muscle and potentially reduce muscle soreness. The fact that it also helps with rehydration is another plus for protein.

Milk is almost the perfect post-workout beverage. Unfortunately, I don't know a lot of people that want to drink milk after they work out. Can you imagine serving milk at the water stations during a marathon?   What if the vending machine at the gym sold little cartons of milk?

My routine is to add protein powder to a drink that contains a little carbohydrate (I usually use Fuze or dilute juice) and drink it within 20 minutes of finishing my workout or race (a key window of opportunity for maximizing the effects of protein in your muscles). I even take my protein with me in a a little baggie for when I'm not at home.

Sure, having a baggie full of white powder looks suspicious...and that protein powder is probably as expensive as some other forms of white powder that may be transported in a baggie...but when you've got to have your protein fix, you've got to have your protein fix!

And sorry if I grossed you out calling it "cow water". It grosses me out. I could have called it "mammalian lacteal secretion", which is how milk is defined...but that was too long for a title.