The WELLalarm Blog

Holiday Workout

Does carrying heavy shopping bags count as a holiday workout?

I typed in the words "holiday" and "workout" into a Google search. Here's what I found:

This workout video from Metacafe. Oh my, what an opening shot. How do you feel about pushup claps?

This Workout by Fit Mummy--as if there weren't enough pressure to get rid of the post-partum fat, the holidays add yet more pressure.

Here is a fitness routine by Men's Fitness that will help you lose five pounds during the holidays. Really! But it won't be easy, the author warns. You try it first--let me know how it goes?

The more links I follow, the more the consensus seems to be that quick, intense workouts are ideal for busy holidays. I think, on a psychological level anyway, they help you feel like you're somehow making up for missed workouts. Or maybe the most intense workouts are a kind of penance for the egg nog, champagne, and buttery latkes... regardless, I do think it's important to make time to work out during the holidays--but with the gift of no guilt if you happen to miss a few!

(Image via Ralf Hennig)

Weight-loss novel for teens: A good idea?

A study by Duke University recently found that overweight teenage girls who read novels featuring a heroine who gets fit lost more weight than teens who read other novels (or none at all). These are interesting findings, but I wonder what the implications are.

Surely a series of novels, subtly marketed to overweight teens and featuring spunky heroines who get into shape, is currently in the works somewhere as a result of these findings. But I see this backfiring; teens would quickly sniff this out and the books would become stigmatized.

In my mind, the study opens the question of motivation versus self esteem. In another study researchers found that looking at pictures of thin models made people less likely to snack on cookies immediately afterward. But what about the way these images make us feel about our own bodies? Blogger Laura Moncur comments that self-esteem matters less than action.

Honestly, I think the whole self-esteem issue is moot. It doesn’t matter how you feel about yourself as long as you do what you need to do to be successful. Photos of thin models or not, the most important thing to keep you healthy is DOING what needs to be done to be healthy.

I have to admit, that chills me a little. Yet, as this article in CalorieLab points out, the ideal of body acceptance is a little tricky. So where's the balance? How do we motivate ourselves (and especially young people) to be our best selves without despising the selves we are now? How do we embrace transformation and our current selves at the same time? What do you think?

Daily Mail: Reading a Novel Helps Obese Children Lose Weight

(Image via Truemors)

Healthy tips for the fall

(Image via Cooking for Monkeys)

Are we really already looking at Labor Day Weekend? Where did the summer go? Here are some timely links I found that may ease your transition into fall.

Vital Juice reminds us that the warm weather isn't over yet with a list of workout tips to take into fall.

Next time stress has you reaching for the Häagen-Dazs, try these tension-taming foods instead.

For those of you heading off to college, here is some food and financial advice for college students.

Parents, you may be interested in Healthy Living's series, America's Healthiest Schools.

If you're looking for fun, healthy lunches to pack for your kids, check out the adorable bento lunches from Cooking for Monkeys.

For my pregnant friends, a conversation with ObGyn Sarah Maddison about what you can and cannot do while pregnant. I love that the writer quotes that Adam Ant song, "Don't Drink, Don't Smoke, What Do You Do?"

Are you worried about maintaining your health on a smaller budget? ABC News brings you Five Ways to Spend Less and Stay Well. (Via Fit Sugar)

Favorite Olympic Moments

The 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing just ended Sunday. I loved watching the games whenever I had the time. Did all those amazing athletes make you want to take your own fitness more seriously? I know I was inspired!

Here are a few of my favorite Olympic moments.

From the parade of athletes to the final game (in the rain!) I was struck by the camaraderie of the women's beach volleyball team.

Watching Michael Phelps win eight gold medals was so exciting! ...But what about Brian Clay winning the decathlon? Ten sports for one gold medal!

(Image via DyeStatCal.)

It was cool to watch Nastia Liukin follow her father as a gymnastic gold medalist.

I don't care what people say, I get a kick out of synchronized swimming.

What were your favorite Olympic moments?

For coverage of the 2008 Summer Olympics see NBC Olympics and China's Olympics website.

The Exercise Pill?

Have you hear they made a new pill that substitutes for exercise?

Now don't get too excited. The pill -- actually, two different pills -- have only been tested on mice and are not yet available for humans.

Here's what people are saying about it.

The New York Times points out the difference between the two pills and discusses alternate uses for the drugs.

I love Crabby's thoughts on the pill on Cranky Fitness. Cheating? Yes! Intriguing? I'm afraid so.

According to an article in Scientific America, "the pill may also be useful in treating debilitating muscular disorders such as muscular dystrophy as well as metabolic diseases such as diabetes, because it also appears to help the body use and remove sugar from the blood more effectively."

Wired's coverage of the story includes misgivings by Darrell Neufer, a professor of sports medicine specializing in cellular energy systems at East Carolina University.

Science Daily mentions that the drugs could be used as a new treatment and prevention of human metabolic syndrome, obesity and its harmful consequences. 

Finding Dulcinea states the obvious: mice are not men.

Ransom Riggs at Mental Floss doubts that a pill could replace all of the benefits of exercise, especially the mental benefits.

This article in the Huffington Post should extinguish any lingering hopes that the exercise pills are the next get-out-of-exercising-free card.

And now for something clear on the other end of the spectrum, have you ever considered the high price of raising an Olympian?

Friday Links: Senior Moment

I read an inspiring story last month: 80-year-old Montanan Bob Hayes completed his 10th Le Grizz ultramarathon. That's 50 miles! There he is, training in the picture above (via The Missoulian). It got me thinking about positive health-related news stories about seniors. So many of the senior health articles I read are about what can go wrong; what about what's great about getting older? Here are a few "senior moments" that made me smile.

Jane Gross asks, as the Baby Boomers age will we see more silver hair on the silver screen? If so, I hope that means more great roles for great older actresses.

According to a Swedish study, seniors having more sex than ever. Despite (or perhaps because of?) the advent of Viagra, women showed the greatest increase in satisfaction.

Also from Healthy Living, Regular Walking and Weight Training Helps Seniors Stay Young at Heart. This is a list of benefits of exercise for seniors; none of it is earth-shattering news, though it is motivating. Part two of the story has tips for a safe and effective workouts.

Did you know that the new middle age is the 60s? Maybe by the time I'm in my 60s the new middle age will be the 70s...

Microsoft makes a Senior PC. Seniors, do you think you really think you need your own kind of computer or are you just find on the regular models, thank you very much?

Speaking of senior moments, Senior Moment is a foundation dedicated to fulfilling wishes of senior citizens. What a fantastic idea!

Website review: Livestrong

Lance Armstrong has been busy since retiring from competitive biking. The seven-time Tour de France champion and cancer survivor founded the Lance Armstrong Foundation to support cancer patients and has joined other athletes to found Athletes for Hope, a charitable organization that promotes charity works among professional athletes. He has also created an online health and fitness resource called Livestrong.com.

Livestrong.com offers articles, online tools, and community for people seeking a healthy lifestyle. The website is divided by topics: Get Healthy, Be Active, Eat Well, Find Balance, and Stay Young. Within each topic you will find related articles, advice from featured experts, and tools like an ovulation counter and a symptom checker. Each topic is divided into subtopics. (I'm wondering, though, what an article on colicky babies was doing under Senior Health instead of in the Family subcategory under Find Balance...)

Beyond the topics, you can search for various support communities under Groups and find help through Forums.

The most useful tool in Livestrong.com is The Daily Plate. Using this database you can find nutritional information about different foods and also find out how many calories different activities burn. Then you can track your progress with a food/exercise journal. Daily Plate also provides healthy alternatives; the focus is not just on the temporary goal of weight loss but about adapting a healthy lifestyle.

A search for guacamole brought up a long list of recipes. I selected one and got the recipe along with a nutritional information box, similar to what you would see on a food package.

Apparently "Taco Bell Nachos" is a popular item. When I looked it up I found nutritional information along with a list of healthier choices from Taco Bell.  This strikes me as a half measure towards a healthier lifestyle. While I understand the need to meet people where they are, I also think this is an area where Livestrong could challenge its members to aim higher. Perhaps other fast-food choices could be listed as "better" and recipes using fresh ingredients for the same dish could be listed as "best" choices.

Armstrong brings a sportsman's sense of adventure to goal setting with his Dares section. I love the idea of calling a goal a dare! I think this adds an element of excitement to lifestyle changes that can get tedious and mundane. Under the Dare section you can set goals, track your progress, and connect with people with the same goals.

Livestrong.com has a lot of content that doesn't necessarily go deep but does cover a lot of ground. I like that you do not have to sign in or join in order to take advantage of the articles and most of the tools. I think this is a fabulous resource for anyone working towards a healthy lifestyle!

Friday Links: Teen Fitness

I keep thinking about two articles I recently read about teens and fitness. Did you know that 90% of 9-year-olds get a couple hours of exercise most days, but by the time kids are 15, only 3% get that kind of exercise? See this post in Junkfood Science for a different perspective on the study.

Here's some good news: membership in health clubs is increasing among kids ages 6-17. Between 2000 and 2006 membership went up by 28%.

Just in time, a Silicon Valley fitness center just for teens called Overtime Fitness opened in 2006. (Now it's open to adults as well.) Many of the fitness activities center around games.

Fitness professionals are targeting teens for a number of reasons: teens represent a new market with spending power, there is a perception that they do not exercise enough, and their exercise needs to be specially tailored for their growing bodies. The new fitness programs can be fun and social, as this Syracuse teen will tell you.

Naturally, there is a plethora of online resources for these tech natives to get started exercising.

Kids Health has a section on fitness for teens (aged 13-18).

Teen Health FX covers fitness as well as other health topics.

NRG is an innovative cause campaign for teens to lead change for more balanced nutrition and activity choices.

Spark Teens offers age-appropriate information and resources about health, nutrition, fitness and weight management as well as an online community. I'm hoping the weight management component focuses more on healthy eating habits and less on just being skinny. Do you get nervous, too, when you see the word "diet" used on a website for teens?

Of course, at some point you do have to walk away from the computer and actually start moving your body...

(Image via Teen Health FX)

Blog Review: Junkfood Science

I read a lot of health-related news stories and I probably take their accuracy for granted too often. Did the reporter cherry-pick data points from a report? Does the reporter understand the subject well enough to represent it correctly? It's hard to know without examining the study or report itself. Lately I've been following up my health news reading with a perusal of the blog, Junkfood Science.

I found Junkfood Science while reading about a story that made headlines a few weeks ago, new clinical guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics calling for cholesterol screenings in children from age two and serving only low-fat dairy from age one, and approving cholesterol-lowering drugs for children. Junkfood Science made a strong, multi-faceted case for why the cholesterol guidelines are alarming.

The author behind Junkfood Science is Sandy Szwarc, MSN, RN, CCP. It is her mission to examine health-related stories reported in the mainstream media. As she puts it:

Science is being misused for marketing and political purposes. Evidence is being distorted and bias has inundated media, research, government policies and clinical guidelines... And all of this is costing, frightening and hurting people... I believe people deserve to know the truth and not be taken advantage of, needlessly terrified or put at risk.

Szwarc brings with her the weight of her 30-plus years as a health professional: as a nurse, researcher, and most recently, a writer. She is a contributor to science and policy institutes in Washington D.C. She has over fifteen years' experience in professional and consumer medical publications and she has published articles in magazines and newspapers such as The Washington Post, Saveur, Los Angeles Times, and Gourmet.

Junkfood Science jumps into plenty of controversies and Szwarc has some very strong opinions. Many of the posts are about debunking long-held beliefs about health, such as advice to drink 8 glasses of water a day and to limit salt. Szwarc even takes on sugar.

It only takes a few minutes of reading to discover Szwarc's opinion on nutrition in the media: we worry too much about fats, cholesterol, and obesity. In fact, she fears our obsession is unhealthy, teaching counterproductive attitudes towards food and even depriving people of much-needed benefits from fat in food. Szwarc joins other writers like Nina Planck and Connie Leas who believe that the dangers of high-fat foods and of obesity are overblown and that it's more beneficial to just relax and enjoy a wide variety of foods.

In a post on a Time Magazine article about school lunches, Szwarc takes on the calorie/fat/salt-limiting approach to healthy eating, pointing out assumptions not supported by evidence. What's missing from the article, she says, is "the scientific information that could help parents and young people better understand the range of nutrients growing bodies need, and the heartening information to help them develop healthier, more relaxed relationships with food, eat normally and enjoy food."

I want to believe... and because Szwarc take such a thorough and critical look at the evidence, I find myself being persuaded by her point of view much of the time.

Most posts on Junkfood Science are on the long side. This is not the place for a quick read. Then again, her purpose is to inform, so she's giving you as much information as possible. There are no tags or archives, which makes searching for topics somewhat harder, though you can do the usual blogger search. Towards the bottom of the page you will find the "Obesity Paradox Series," a collection of Junkfood Science posts addressing the topic of obesity. 

Now when I read an article about children's diets or the dangers of cholesterol I wonder, "hmm, what does Suzy think?" I don't always have the time to find out, but I'm glad there's a knowledgeable, critical thinker out there reading health reports with a grain of salt.

Blog Review: MizFit

Since fitness blogger MizFit has been stopping by to say hello here at WELLalarm I thought I'd check out her blog, MizFit Onilne. What a treat! MizFit Online is almost like having your own personal trainer, giving you tips and encouraging you to keep going.

MizFit actually is a personal trainer offline with her own boutique studio and she shares her experience with the world at large through her blog. Her philosophy is that "the key to lifelong fitness success is a healthy helping of education, motivation and HUMOR." All three definitely come through on the blog.

One of the best things about MizFit Online are the videos. Every week MizFit does Monday Face Time, in which she talks directly to us with her musings or suggestions. In other videos she demonstrates the most effective way to do certain exercises, which I find especially helpful. She recently compiled several of these demonstration videos in this post. 

Tuesday is Tips/Trends day. On Tuesdays MizFit may give you a tip, like stocking your car with healthy, non-perishable snacks so when you're too busy to eat properly you won't be tempted to nosh on junk food. Or she may discuss a trend, like this hilarious rant about celebrities who make much ado about eating before their magazine cover shoot.

MizFit also loves food. She often uses the phrase "clean eating," which means consuming "High quality foods which are as free as you can get them of not-found-in-nature additives." Her philosophy is that clean eating is more satisfying -- MizFit does not believe in going hungry! She sometimes hosts guest chefs who share their favorite healthy recipes.

Regardless of the subject, MizFit keeps the tone fun and light. When I saw the post title "Don't Lie" I thought it would be about being honest with yourself about your health goals, etc. Nope. It's about Valerie Bertinelli's appearance on an episode of Oprah and the silly fitness vest she introduced. I love those kinds of surprises -- and I love that MizFit 1) admits to occasionally watching Oprah and 2) doesn't think you need the vest. Some of her readers did think the vest is a good idea, and that's all right with MizFit, too. She's here to support you in your quest to find the right kind of fitness for you.