Fall in Like with Exercise

It really bothers me when experts write stories concerning their field that are not always easy for us at home to practice. Exercising is that to me. I want to do it, and I feel better when I do, but finding the time and sometimes the energy is a constant struggle for me. I understand that exercising is an important part of my health and that I should be able to find the time to do a little every day, but the place that I'm in right now, that being an overworked college student with three jobs, does not always enable me to do what's best.

That's why I liked this article by Bob Greene. He's a realist when it comes to exercising for the modern woman, and incorporates ways of getting in a little extra exercise throughout the day. Ultimately, it's great to set aside a specific time every day devoted to exeercise, but let's be real; we live in a stressed out world where no one has time to do the basics, let alone the extras. And while exercising shouldn't be considered an "extra," it is something that most of us neglect. However, with his helpful tidbits, it's possible to stay healthy, get the motivation to work out, and maintain a less-stressed lifestyle by just taking a couple of minutes a day devoted to ourselves.

The Cure

Cancer is a topic that effects almost everyone in one way or another. Everyone who doesn't have it themselves has a friend or relative that suffers from one form or another of it.

I started to follow updates in cancer research back in high school when a good friend of mine's mother died. We were 16 at the time. She died of non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, more deadly than Hodgkins lymphoma, after being in remission for over two years.

With the new Guardasil vaccine that protects against cervical cancer by guarding against the viris that causes many cases, brings hope that soon more potential cures for cancer that face millions of Americans, not to mention others around the world.

A little ray of hope seems to come every few months now in the struggle to fight this war, and I was so excited to read about a possible new cure for a rare form of lymphoma. Though it is still in its initial phases of research, I really hope that this will pave the way for more possible cures, or even easier forms of treatment.

The test included lower dosages of chemotherapy and sterroids, as opposed to more. Not only will this new research prove to be invaluable for future cancer patients, should it turn out to be valid, but even if it's just a step, it could mean easier recovery from treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation.

I know what my friend's mom went through every day with the harsh effects of chemo, and to think that that could potentially be lessened while still fighting against the cancer is reason enough to be enthralled with this new finding. It was hard enough watching this fully-grown woman go through the treatment, but imagine the kids at St. Jude's and other hospitals who have to face the same thing every day. Even if this is just a step, and even if it doesn't pan out, it's so fantastic to know that there are people out there working every day to fight for the people who can hardly fight for themselves.

Healthy Little Ones

Having helped raised my younger brother and sister was an experience that I wouldn't give up for the world. They are fantastic kids with great personalities and an appreciation for their family. However, they are terrible eaters, and I know that that is completely my fault. I was the one who "cooked" dinner for us most nights, and being the most un-culinary person alive, I didn't always provide them with the most tasty, let alone nutritious options.

It's so difficult to get kids to eat correctly, even with the necessary resources to do so, but MSN recently released an article about how to help the little ones with better eating habits that they can grow with to become healthy adults.

The article discusses a lot of tactics for getting children to become healthy eaters, which I won't regurgitate here, but the main point of the article is that children mimic their parents and older siblings when it comes to about everything, including food. Setting a good example by eating well and introducing a variety of tasty and nutritious foods is essential for teaching a child how to eat correctly.

The Fountain of Youth

In his article, Peter Jaret discusses how to eat to a long life. I highly recommend anyone reading this blog to read this article and just think about it. While he starts out discussing different foods that offer longer lives, in the middle of the second page of his argument lies his true discussion: that of calorie restriction. I've heard about this technique for several years, and it seems to be the best way to lead a healthier, happier, longer life.

However, this technique does have it practicality problems. In today's day and age, when people are consuming more calories than ever, it is difficult to expect especially Americans to try to adopt this practice.

All I have to say is read the article. It's really compelling, and whether you decide to adopt the practice or not, it's great to be knowledgeable about an issue that could have a real affect on your life.

Drink Up!

So I found this cool article about drinking to better health. The author cites several drinks that can curb appetite, help you lose pounds, and recover after a hard workout, among other things.

• The best drink to lose weight is V8, about 15-20 minutes before a meal. This will curb your appetite, causing you to eat fewer calories during the meal itself.
• The best drink to recover from a workout is fat-free chocolate milk. Yeah, that's right. The cocoa beans found in chocolate help the muscles to recover from the workout, and the milk itself is filled with tons of good protein and carbs.
• The best drink to curb appetite and burn calories at the same time is cold water - below 72 degress. It actually takes the body calories to bring the water up to your body temperature, which can cause a five pound weight loss per year.

These are only a few of the benefits of researching your drinking habits, and the article includes somewhat healthy options for alcohol as well, for drinking better when out with the girls.

90 Seconds

I love articles that provide fast, easy ways to do something good for yourself. Nowadays, everyone is so busy with our hectic lifestyles that it's often difficult to take care of ourselves in the ways that we should. This article shows some really cool ways to improve your health in just a few seconds a day:

• Fight Cancer: Eat the peel - where most of the vitamins and minerals from fruits and veggies are found
• Slow Aging: Sniff some Lavender or Rosemary - lowers your stress levels and allows for a better night's sleep
• Cut Cholesterol: Sprinkle some pistachios on your salad - the benefits of nuts can be found in a past post of mine
• Keep your Vision Sharp: Eat an egg - shown to have more visual benefits than carrots
• Prevent Headaches: Keep your head up - posture has actually been shown to increase headaches.

There are a abunch more, but I fel that these were the coolest ones to include!

Curb Your Hunger

So I love MSN's Power Points on various health issues, as they are a simple way of breaking down different strategies that might otherwise seem complicated or hard to remember. This past one I've noticed involves how to curb your appetite, which I feel is more important now, considering how much we as a nation tend to snnack int he winter time.

Step 1: Pile on the Protein: Protein shakes and even smaller snacks such as nuts give the body the adequate amount of fiber to make us feel fuller, longer. For this reason, don't skip out on this important area of nutrition just because you may feel like fat is bad. Some fats are essential to the body, and they provide the adequate vitamins needed to make us look and feel healthy.

Step 2: Fill up on Fiber: Like I said before, fiber has the great benefit of making you feel fuller, longer, not to mention that it keeps you regular! Stick to the veggies and whole grains.

Step 3: Go Nuts!: And I quote from the article:

A hormone called ghrelin stimulates appetite and makes your stomach growl, says Mehmet Oz, MD, vice chair of surgery and professor of cardiac surgery at Columbia University and co-author of You on a Diet: The Owner's Manual for Waist Management. But just a handful of nuts can cause ghrelin levels to take a dive.

Calorically, the most dangerous part of a meal eaten out is the first 10 minutes when you arrive, famished, and clean out the breadbasket, says Oz. "If you eat a few nuts 30 minutes before dinner, your hunger will drop off dramatically," he says. "By the time you sit down for the meal, you'll be able to slow down, enjoy the food, and stop before you're stuffed."

Step 4: Take a Brisk Walk: A lot of times, you feel hungry even when you're not. This can be attributed to the fact that your body has a difficult time telling the difference between extreme hunger and axtreme fatigue. Taking a walk can help you to relax and understand if you are really hungry at all. Maybe you're just exhausted or stressed, causing your body to think that food is what it needs instead of, say a good night's rest or some excercise.

Step 5: Keep your Hands Busy: As an avid knitter, I can attest to this one. When you're working on a project that involves working with your hands, whether it be crafts or even writing a paper, you don't have time to worry about snacking. Most of the time, we eat out of boredom, a terrible habit to give in to. So take up a hobby or get ahead on your schoolwork and drop some pounds at the same time.

Step 6: Soothe Your Taste Buds: Many times, your mouth just wants the taste of something, and often a minnt or some gum will do the trick, so start off slow, and think about why you are hungry rather than just leaping for the chocolate.

Boys as an Endangeered Species

No, I'm not making any threats here. In a recent article, Francesca Lyman produced what is appearing to be a small crisis: the lack of baby boys being born. Whereas in the past males tended to be produced more, in some areas of the world, the ratio of males to females is so skewed, some people are wondering what is causing this change.

I discussed in an earlier post about the rise of conditions such as allergies, asthma and autism, and it is thought that environmental pollutants can be the cause of all of these afflictions, the endangered male included.

However, several people are attributing these problems to lifestyle changes, most notably the rise in the age of parents nowadays. True enough, education and career development has put baby-making on the back burner for many couples, causing them to start families at an older age, which can lead to higher birth complications, but it is only one in a line of possible causes that links all of these problems associated with children now.

Sounds Fishy...

In a recent article from msn health, scientists are now trying to prove that foods such as fish and yogurt can be passed off as "smart foods." The article confused me a bit, as there was no hard scientific explanation as to this new "discovery," but the general idea sounds about right.

My mother always told me that fish were good for me, and while I figured that was just because we were from the Gulf of Mexico and seafood was readily available, it has been proven that high levels of DHA are found in fish.

DHA, a chemical that provides much of the cell membranes in our brains can be found in other foods such as soy milk, eggs and yogurt. And even though I will not disagree that these foods provide tremendous health benefits, I'm gonna need a little more information before signing up for Jeopardy after a salmon-binge.

Where's the food?

In this article, the author discusses the benefits of eating real food, as opposed to all of that fake food we're seeing in the grocery stores nowadays. No I'm not talking about the play house plastic apples, but rather nutrition bars and protein shakes that we're becoming accustomed to. She gives six rules to live by when looking for healthy meals:

1. Eat seeds or foods made from seeds
2. Eat five different colored fruits and veggies daily
3. Eat plant foods with their skins intact.
4. Drink milk and eat milk products that come from animals (rather than soy)
5. Eat foods that come from cold water
6. Eat meat poultry or eggs that come from free-range or grass-fed animals.

You can read the article to understand her reasoning behind her six rules, but I thought her underlying theme was interesting. Basically, it's understanding that vitamins and nutrients cannot be supplemented as easily aas we like to think. Although it's a good idea to take vitamins every day, nothing truly substitutes for the real thing.

Smokin'

Yes, that's right, another post on smoking. I seem to be sucking back more lately with all of the stress I've been under, so I decided to look into ways to quit when I'm good and ready.

SMOKE LESS

They talk about some different techniques for quitting, including some more high-tech ways that have come out lately. The author, however, doesn't trust these methods, and recommends more traditional methods and knowing yourself as a smoker.

I have to agree with him on this one. Only you know your smoking habits and when you tend to reach for a cigarette. By the way, a fun fact: Smokers who have the first cig of the day as soon as they jump out of bed tend to be more addicted than those who wait thirty minutes to light up. Interesting. Especially seeing as I'm part of that first group.

BOO!

As much as I commend the experts at Prevent Blindness America, I have to say: chill out. I understand that the world is a scary place now with uni bombers and razor blades in the apples and whatnot, but let kids be kids. I was a kid. Sometimes I got hurt. I'm not blind. Fancy that. Now I do understand that sometimes people need to step in for the well being of their children, say, when you catch them lighting fireworks too close to their face, but don't dictate what the poor kids should wear for Halloween.

I stated in my previous post that I'm terrified to have children. Let me clarify this: I'm terrified to have children considering what the environmental state of our world is now, but I like to think, though I will worry about my children, that my (probably) constant state of worry will not hinder them from being kids.

Walk with your kids on Halloween night, keep an eye out for perverts and leather face. But let them be kids. You only get one chance to do that, and you'll probably have to pay thousands of dollars worth of head shrinking because of your over protectiveness otherwise.

Increases in Diagnoses

This article makes me scared to have kids.

I've been following the recent talk about the increased diagnoses in ADHD, bipolar disorder, allergies and more for the last couple of months, and no article that I've read has actually made me scared to have children. This one did. Not that it said anything so telling, like my kid is going to die at the ripe old age of 30 because of increased allergies, but the stance that the author took on the reasoning behind these diagnoses.

Weiss stated that lack of contact with certain germs, since we live in more sterile environments now, is not allowing our bodies to build up natural immunities to them. Similarly, the overly industrialized environment that we are living in is giving way to lack of sleep and increased mental and emotional difficulties, leading to ADHD and bipolar disorder. While I don't often buy into the hype that most of the authors I read about speculate, this one actually made sense to me.

Brains!!!

My grandmother suffers from dementia, so when I stumbled across this article, I thought it was a great resource for people looking to pump up their brains Schwarzenegger-style.

Brain Boosters

The article lists eleven different ways to jump-start your brain and improve your overall quality of life:

1. Diet: The author stresses a Mediterranean-style diet, focusing on fish, whole grains, and color-rich vegetables. He adds that sugars and red meat should be avoided. I'll have to work on that one: I love rare steaks!



2. Vitamins: Most people don't consume the appropriate amounts of certain vitamins and minerals, so it is suggested that supplements are taken. Nothing beats getting these from the original source, but a supplement is better than nothing. The author stresses Folate, B, C, and E vitamins, as well as Omega-3 fats.



3. Drink!: But don't guzzle. Red wine is invaluable to the body for antioxidants, and darker reds, like pinot noir is preferable. Just don't over-consume: 1 glass of wine for women is enough each day.



4. Aspirin: A daily aspirin regimen is really not necessary until a certain age, so I won't go into this one too much.



5. Meditation: Whether it's a walk in the park or simply taking 15 minutes to yourself at lunch, meditation is key to relieving stress and taking pressure of the brain and heart.



6. Laugh: Like meditation, laughing relieves stress from the heart and releases endorphins to the brain, making you an all-around more pleasant person.



7. Be Social: Having friends or joining social organizations decreases your chances of depression, and does the same for your heart and brain as laughing and meditating.



8. Sleep on it: Though doc's aren't sure why sleep is so necessary for the body, they know that humans can't survive more than a couple of weeks without it. Here's a few tips of getting that much needed rest when it seems so hard to attain:
   
   

   Don't eat a heavy meal late in the day.
   Avoid caffeine and alcohol late in the day.
   Get regular exercise, but not close to bedtime.
   If you can't fall asleep or wake up in the middle of the night, get up and read or watch TV until you feel drowsy.
   If you lie awake worrying about things, make a to-do list before going to bed.




9. Puzzle yourself: Try crossword puzzles or other brain-teasers to keep your attention levels at a maximum. Plus, these fun quizzes allow you to constantly test yourself and make you think even when you're having fun.



10. Exercise: You know all about this one.



11. Learn "neurobics:" Neurological Aerobics allows you to appreciate your other senses in ways that you might not have thought to. Learn Braille, wear earplugs at the dinner table, shower with your eyes closed. It might seem odd, but things like this keep the brain on its toes, and ultimately allow you to live longer with everything still on upstairs!

Overdiagnoses

I've been getting pretty interested in mental health lately, as I seem to be going crazy myself, and have enjoyed reading up on the latest in mental heal news. Most recently, I have become aware of the serious influx in the diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder, previously known as Manic Depression.

MSN Article

I have a couple of friends who suffer from this disorder, and whom I feel have been properly diagnosed, however, I wonder about all of the poeple who could possibly be wrongly diagnosed with this disorder. There is no clear way to test for Bipolar Disorder, making it difficult to pinpoint, but doctors are becoming more comfortable with the diagnosis. Whether they have been underrepresenting it in the past or are over representing it now is still to be decided, but something has to be done to make this disease more simple to catch.

The medications perscribed for this disease are serious, and often in conjunction with several other medications. Should these be perscribed to a person who displays similar symptoms but does not actually have the disease, they could be detremental, or potentially fatal. I'm not a doctor, so I don't know what I could really contribute as far as constructive criticism is concerned, but I do care for the people around me who have either been afflicted with this disease, or are suffering from another form of mental illness and have yet to be diagnosed properly.

Snack Happy!

My roommate (a nutrition major) has recently commented about my appropriate snack decisions. I never considered my regimen of goldfish and string cheese to be worthy of praise, but when she broke it down to me, I felt downright proud of myself. I always carry with me goldfish, string cheese, a peanut butter sandwich on wheat, and a pack of raisins with me when I know I'm going to be on-campus for a long day. I can't afford to actually eat at JMU, as the prices are absolutely ridiculous, so I just considered packing a natural way to save money. It turns out I'm due for more praise than I thought:

Snack Happy


I have noticed that when I snack, and healthfully so, I feel more alert during the day, and less inclined to binge later. My favorites include the ones I was fed as a child, like "ants on a log," which my mother referred celery with peanut butter and raisins as. Although childish in nature, I feel like the kid food that we consumed in our younger years was sightedly more nutritionally sound, and often, at least in my case, paired with a Flintstone vitamin for good measure.

Common Food Myths

I'm pretty tired of the whole "This food is bad for you" ordeal that many people get into. Of course if you top everything you eat off with a tablespoon of sugar or a pat of butter, it's going to be unhealthy, but many foods get a bad rap due to outdated or inconclusive "studies." Educate yourself:

Tasty Goodness!

I really liked how this author debunked a few food myths. What is good for one person may not be good for another, and just because yo mamma says it's bad for you, doesn't necessarily mean she's a nutritionist.

Super Sized?

Have you ever seen the movie Supersize Me? I'll admit, I've only seen it once, and that's all I need to see, because it disturbed me so much. I wanted to throw up after seeing the change going on with him during the entire debacle, but I just found a picture of the Obesity Scale for America, and was just as grossed out...

Even though Virginia is in the Orange scale rather than the red or dreaded purple, that still means that almost a quarter of our state's population is obese. According to ObesityinAmerica.org, obesity claims the lives of almost half a million people per year, and the number is growing. This site not only looks at different ways of losing weight and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, but also researches the genetics of obesity. It's actually a pretty informative site, if you decide to look at it.

The thing is, most of us at least have a family member or friend who is obese, and it's no way to live your life. In order for us as a nation, state, or even just as friends to change this epidemic, we have to become informed of the reasons behind and factors leading to obesity.

Walk Like and Egyptian

On a whim, I decided to research the food pyramid, just to see how I was stacking up (pun intended, and yes, I'm a dork...). What I found actually surprised me. Did you know that there is not one food pyramid, but several, maybe hundreds for all I know?

On the lft is the Asian Food pyramid. The only real difference between this and the American Food Pyramid is that it includes food local to them, such as rice and tea. This is how most of them go, including the Latin American Food Pyramid, Mediterranean Food Pyramid, and so on. However, I did find a few more interesting ones:

The Senior Food Pyramid:

This one takes an emphasis on water and veggies, and includes supplements that should be taken for those in their golden years.

The Vegetarian Food Pyramid:

This one is kind of cool too, and allows for more servings of different kinds of foods normally not mentioned in the regular food pyramid, like beans, nuts and seeds, as well as "Green Leafy Vegetables." Mmmm...

Finally, I thought I'd include the Mayo Clinic's Heathy Weight Food Pyramid:

It really focuses on your vegetable intake, and puts more of an emphasis on excercise, as noted by the totally cool walker in the middle.

Autism Speaks

I'll go ahead and say it: I'm a huge Jenny McCarthy fan. Have been since Blind Date and the Jenny McCarthy Show. I always found her funny in a way that most women are afraid to be and respected her for that. So while I was in line at the Wal-Mart checkout counter, I happened to see her picture on the cover of a magazine, and realized that I hadn't heard anything about her in a few years. The cover was about Jenny and her son, Evan, who was recently diagnosed with autism. My heart reached out to this mom, who I had so adored over the years, and I took the opportunity to look a little further into her story. Here's a great one I found when she did a segment on the Oprah Winfrey Show:

Jenny's Story

I found her cause to be immensely inspiring and the story moving. I suggest everyone read it, whether you are directly affected by autism or not. As a person who has had limited experience with the condition, I was amazed at some of the things that these mothers go through to open up their children. From changes in diet to conditional learning, it was amazing what some of these women, and in some cases men, would go through to help their child in any way possible. The most inspiring part of the story, however, was the progress that could be made in these difficult years. Although an immensely difficult journey, autism has not stopped Jenny from working to make her son into the most capable person he can be, and her advocacy on the subject, working with HEAL, has allowed so many more people to raise awareness for this disease.

Peanut Better!

So I was perusing around the old MSN Health page, and discovered a tasty article on peanut butter! Not a peanut fan myself, I found it intriguing, as I am a loyal consumer of Smucker's All Natural Peanut Butter. Here's the article:

MmmMmm Good!

It made me feel great knowing that what I had always assumed to be a bit of an indulgence is actually good for me. Since I'm known to compare links, I thought I'd look for some great peanut butter recipes. Haha, did you know that there's Peanut Butter Lover's website?

Peanut Butter Striped Delight (Okay, so I'm not sure how healthy this one is!)

My favorite thing about peanut butter, though, is all of the heath benefits it has to offer. When consumed in moderation and on a regular basis, the tasty treat can help prevent against heart disease, obesity and diabetes.

Knit for your Health

I strongly believe that being physically healthy means nothing without having a good bill of mental health. After a particularly stressful weekend, I decided to research some good methods of handling stress. Different sources I looked at provided different results, all of them making perfect sense:

APA

Though short, I really liked it. It says toward the end that one way to lessen the stress in your life is to learn to say "no," something I need to learn to do.

Yahoo Health

This one, written by Gabrielle Reece, the former volleyball star, cited exercise and reflection for managing stress, which I find to be easy to say unless you are under a great deal of stress.

While all of these suggestions are valid, I find managing stress to be a personal decision. As an avid knitter, I came across this article on my favorite knitting website:

Knit Like a Man

I often find my knitting to be a stress reliever, but sometimes I can't even bring myself to do that. This article was difficult to read, but also very honestly done. It's interesting to see someone's progression through a deep depression, from onset to end, by how many rows a person can knit. Many people cite a symptom of depression as when someone begins to lose interest in the things they enjoy. They don't often include, though, that sometimes it is those hobbies that can get you back to your normal, healthy self.

Now off to make a scarf!

Chocolatey Goodness!

So I've found it a bit ironic that I'm writing a Health and Nutrition blog, yet live a pretty unhealthy life. I've decided to justify this by investigating the potential health benefits to some of my favorite foods. This week: the ever-beloved chocolate.

After a little digging, I found an old USA Weekend article (from 1998) that clears the air a little about the benefits and downfalls of chocolate:

Click me!

I really like how it debunks a lot of chocolate's myths, and explains that certain types of chocolates with less sugar in them, like dark chocolate, contain antioxidants, while others, like white chocolate, have few, if any health benefits.

My favorite part about this article, as well as the one I found in Shape Magazine, were the low-cal. chocolate recipes they provided. Let's be honest, how can you say no to this:

This is a tasty-delicious chocolate banana smoothie that makes me want to jump in the car and go grocery shopping right now. This recipe is so easy to make, and is low-cal, so try it out. It can be found in the USA Weekly link above. Shape Magazine's website also has a bunch of low-cal chocolate recipes as well.

The basic consensus about choclate, though comes down to this: all in moderation. Dark chocolate is the best, but nobody wants, or should for that matter deprive themself of something they crave. Try out a couple of the recipes and sleep sound knowing you didn't just undo your whole day since you satisfied your sweet tooth and chose a (semi) healthy option in the process.

McHealthy?

Burger King just announced that they will begin marketing new healthier options to kids starting in 2008. Their big hit seems to be what they call "BK Fresh Apple Fries," which are simply apple slices cut and packaged to look like french fries. I must say, while a small step, I still admire BK's attempt at moving toward a healthier America.

Full Story at cnn.com

This got me to thinking about other fast food chains that are starting to offer healthier options, and how healthy are they really? Also, how much advertising are they investing into the health of their patrons?

McDonald's Nutrition Facts

Notice that while some of the salad options are lower in the calorie department, some, like the Southwest Salad with Crispy Chicken has about the same amount of calories as a Quarter Pounder. I find it interesting as well, that none of the nutritional values for the salads include the dressing. In addition, the sodium values for the dressings are ridiculous - some 1/3 of the daily recommended value. Haha, can you tell I'm not a big McDonalds fan? Moving on:

Burger King Nutrition Facts

This one was pretty cool. Burger King lays out all of thier food options, ranged by calorie intake. You can also do the same for carbs and fat. What I found really impressive was that they have several links to view healthier eating strategies, as well as tips for making their own food more nutritionally sound, including lightening up on the dressing and cutting back on the mayo. Check it out, it's pretty interesting.

Wendy's Nutrition Facts

Check out the sodium levels for the salads. I want to cry. I was afraid to even look at the burgers. They include some sites about special diets, including gluton free and diabetic, but not much in the way of their own healthier options. Wendy's needs to get on the ball here.

Finally, I've been really irritated by the Quizno's commercails knocking down Subway because they have less meat. Isn't that the point? Portion control and healthier ingredients are Subway's aim. Shame on Quizno's for having such a lame advertising department. The proof is in the print!

Quizno's Nutrition Facts

Subway's Nutrition Facts

So you notice that Quizno's nutrition facts doesn't send you to a link? That's because I couldn't find it, and it doesn't seem to exist online, at least not one endorsed by Quizno's. On thier website, it said that they will be offering nutritional information in the fall of 2007. However, I noticed that under the "Kidz" menu, every entree is advertised with a cookie and soda, and for adults, there is only one vegetarian option.

Subway, however, has a very cool nutrition guide that's pretty fun to play with. I think the websites speak for themselves.

Now time for a juicy burger and fries...

Pregnant Smokers: Beware!!!

For my first official post on my Health and Nutrition blog, I decided to find an article that spoke to me personally. No, I'm not pregnant, but I am a smoker who hopes to have kids one day. While I've tried to quit this stinky habit several times, the urge to grab my cancer-sticks in times of extreme stress and not so extreme boredome always seems to prevail. However, I always told myself that when the time comes to bring my wee ones into the world, my tasty nicotine treats would have to go the way of the gun...or the trashcan, whichever works.

With that in mind, I always wondered about the mommies-to-be out there who couldn't seem to put down their lighters for the health of their baby. Looking at the side of my cigarette box right now, it says in rather large and very capitolized letters: "SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Smoking By Pregnant Women May Result in Fetal Injury, Premature Birth, And Low Birth Weight." Don't these mothers feel a certain sense of responsibility for their unborn children? Then I read this stirring article from the Associated Press on msnbc:

Pregnant Smokers

I'm not going to summarize the article, as you can read it yourself, but I will take this time to question authority a bit, as I'm sometimes prone to do. AP is a popular guy, and I see his articles floating around a fair bit in my news-hunting fortays, but I must ask, where did you get your information from? No, I'm not knocking the notion that pregnant women shouldn't smoke by any means, but the article makes mention of the emotional dependency of women especially in less educated and poorer regions of the country, citing they are more likely to be victims of depression and possible chemical imbalance. "Poorer regions" stuck out to me as a nice way of saying "the South."

Sure, everyone and their brother smokes in the South, including pretty much anyone over the age of 12, but I think the more important issue here is being ignored: education. It's no secret that the educational system in our southern region is, to put it nicely, sub-par, but I see that as all the more reason to promote education than drug-therapy, as the article mentioned. True, it was one of many options mentioned, but in these "poorer regions" how are women supposed to afford psychological treatment when the price of a carton comes so much cheaper at the local 7-11? It seems to me that promoting education at a younger age could nip this problem in the bud instead of simply accepting the fact that yes, your child will be a smoker, and probably pregnant at an early age. I would be depressed, too.