Uphill Battles

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I am not a runner.

I want to stress that again. I am NOT a runner. Never have been. Ever since my gym class had to run the mile in the third grade and I took 20 minutes to complete the task I have been discouraged. Plus, I'm not so fast and I have, like, zero lung capacity.

All that being said: I'm trying.

Monday I ran the mile track around my apartment complex. It's the first time I've attempted such a feat in years. Took me 10 minutes, and I alternated 30 seconds of brisk walking and running, but I did it! It's part of my plan to get back in shape after a few months of lapsed gym-going.

I was pretty sore the next day. Maybe if I had read this Newsweek article about the ten mistakes new runners make I might have avoided some of them. I definitely didn't stretch properly before and after. The article said that cooling down after a run is extremely important, but I sort of just stepped off the track and got into the shower. And I don't think I'm wearing the right shoes. (Mine are more designed for support in the gym or general training instead of running.)

I think I may try the Cool Running "Couch to 5k" program to get a little further--even though I don't plan on running a marathon any time soon. Couch to 5k is a neat online program that helps non-runners train for a 5k in just 9 weeks. There's a cool detailed plan online and tons of resources and support so you feel like you're running with a team. Very neat.

Hopefully my next attempt at pounding the pavement will include less wheezing. Maybe if I keep up with it I'll surprise myself and become a really great runner.

What's the biggest exercise challenge you've ever given yourself?

P.S. Some cool news about exercise: we all know it's good for us, but according to a study done by Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School in Jerusalem, even if you start exercising well into your 80s you can prolong your life and improve its quality. More motivation to keep working out!

How many licks?

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Anyone who has tried to lose weight knows that it's a challenge and, sometimes, a frustration. The thought may even cross your mind that you'd do anything to drop a few pounds.

But you'd have to be really nuts to try the newest diet gimmick: the Chugay tongue patch.

According to Dr. Chugay's Web site, "During a reversible procedure that takes less than an hour, the patient is fitted with a custom patch for the tongue which makes chewing of solid foods very difficult and painful, limiting the patient to a liquid diet."

Ouch.

A tiny, painful patch, sewn onto my tongue? No, thanks.

Of course, the surgery is probably effective since you CAN'T EVEN CHEW. Sure, maybe a liquid diet will help you drop weight fast, but that's because you're consuming hardly enough calories or nutrients. Sad, and definitely not healthy. And apparently, the few patients (or "victims," if you will.) that have tried it reported a weight loss between 15 and 30 pounds, waaaaaay more than what is deemed healthy.

The upside of this procedure is that it is, in theory, both completely horrifying and absolutely hilarious.

What's the craziest diet gimmick you've heard of?

Willpower

This video was too cute not to share:

Oh, The Temptation from Steve V on Vimeo.

From my weekly blog readings I came across this article in the New Yorker(linked by Joanna Goddard of A Cup of Jo) and I just had to pass on her find.

Isn't it funny to watch these little kids struggle against the temptation of eating those delicious, sugary marshmallows? And seeing their hilarious tactics for staying sane... I especially like the little girl who just immediately dives right in. That probably would have been me.

The video is based on a research project done at Stanford in the '60s. Scientists gave young children one marshmallow and told them if they could wait to eat it until the researcher came back in the room they could have a second marshmallow. Since that study, the researchers were able to link the length of the children's self-control to intelligence, good behavior, better grades and higher SAT scores later in life.

It's an interesting--albeit long--article. I have to say, though, that I much prefer watching those adorable little kids struggling against the lure of the 'mallow. So cute!

My dreaded date with the Bathroom Scale

Coasteering in Wales!

I spent the summer in Europe. Three months based in London, with a week in Paris, long weekends in Wales and Scotland, and day trips to tons of little towns around England.

It was part of my UF study abroad program, and I loved every second of it. I had never done much out-of-U.S. traveling before (just a cruise with my family in the 10th grade) so this was the trip of a lifetime for me.

One thing Europe definitely does right? Food.

England isn't exactly known for its fine native cuisine, but London is such a cosmopolitan city that you can get any sort of food from any country at any time of day. And, lucky me, there is such a high vegetarian or vegan percentage of the population that finding a veg option in the U.K. is pretty simple.

So eat I did.

I know that people--most people, anyway--gain weight on vacation. I was definitely no exception. And I have a history of obsessing about my weight so I decided that when I got back to my home and native land I would give myself a couple months to get back to my normal eating habits and--hopefully--my normal weight.

Well, today was the day. The first day I weighed myself since being back from Europe.

And guys? It wasn't so bad. I weighed more or less exactly the same as I did when I left. (Though that was plus a couple pounds I was trying to lose at the time, but I'm picking my battles.)

Giving myself that "recovery" time was the best thing I could have done.

WebMD has tips for avoiding vacation weight gain, and it's probably a good idea to try and stick with relatively normal eating habits when you're out of town. Here's some things they recommend doing:

• Bring healthy, nonperishable snacks with you on airplanes, trains, in the car, etc. By fending off extreme hunger you're less likely to binge. Some good suggestions? Nuts, dry cereal and granola bars.
• Dine out, but in moderation: being on vacation isn't an excuse to eat ten times as much at dinner as you normally would. Watch your portions!
• Stay active! Whether you're traveling with your family or on your own, don't just sit on your butt. See the city you're staying in! Take a walk, try a new activity... on my trip to Wales I went coasteering--basically a combo of rock climbing, swimming and cliff diving. It was amazing and exhilarating and a great workout; I never would have been able to do it back home.

Have you ever been on an extended vacation? What did you do to stay fit?

You can do it!

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I donated blood for the first time EVER this week. I know, shocker, right? It seems everyone and their mom has donated blood at one time or another.

But me? Nope.

I'm not scared of needles (although I get a bit squeemish at the actual time of puncture) and I don't have any illness or reason not to be able to donate. It's just never something I thought to do.

(Also, the blood donation centers on campus are buses, and the thought that someone could drive away while sucking my blood kinda turned me off to it.)

But anyway. I got the whim to donate after lunch on Tuesday and so I headed up to the bus, filled out the paperwork, answered the "secret questions" and gave over a pint of my hard-earned blood to LifeSouth.

Because why not? According go the American Red Cross, every two seconds someone is in need of donated blood. And there are tons of benefits.

• You get a mini-physical: they check your blood pressure, your pulse, your hemoglobin levels, your temperature. You get checked for HIV and other diseases. Also,
  
• You find out your blood type. Which, I'm embarrassed to say, I did not know. But in case of an emergency it's probably a good thing to know! (FYI, I'm type O, the universal donor. Something tells me I'll be getting a donation reminder phone call in a couple of months...)
• It's good for your body. Donating blood regularly can help lower iron levels, which research suggests can reduce the risk of heat disease.
  
• FREE STUFF. Um, hello? Juice and t-shirts? Yes, I will do a lot of things for swag.

So I'm totally walking on sunshine after my blood donating experience. I even called my dad right after. He used to donate blood like it was going out of style. He would even collect those tiny pins you get after donating a certain number of pints to the red cross and give them to my little brother and I.

All I know is, I'll be marking my calendar for my next eligible donation date (which they helpfully write for you on the take-away sheet.)

It's a great, easy thing to do for the community and for yourself. What about the rest of you, internet? Have you ever donated blood? How was your experience?

Media Blitz(-krieg Bop!)

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"In the beginning, there were drugs. Some of them good... and some of them, not so good."

--Paul Doering

Sound biblical? Maybe. But health is one of those things that seems older than time. It's always going to need research and money and media attention.

Today my health and fitness writing class had the pleasure of participating in a lecture with University of Florida pharmacy professor Paul Doering. Professor Doering told us about the people and practices the fuel the news machine when it comes to health reporting.

"In the news and entertainment industry, nothing happens by chance," Doering said.

What he meant? There are no stories out there relating to health that are purely happenstance. The big companies and medical communities out there have their own media power that lets them reach the masses when and how they choose.

He even talked about endorsements from pharmeceutical companies that encouraged experts on their payroll to deny the effectiveness of generic prescription drugs in favor of the name-brand kind they sell. Seems like everyone has an angle.

It was interesting, as a journalist, to learn just how closely the medical field and the media have to work. Knowledge, it seems, is half the importance when it comes to public health, and the media is the biggest purveyor of this knowledge.

I'm pretty interested in health writing, and from his talk today I learned just how rough the competition is in that market. Not among journalists clamoring for the same story, necessarily, but among the tons of health outlets trying to get their story or their news release into the same few media channels.

Sounds tough, but I dig it.

First Family of Fitness

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President Obama and First Lady Michelle are the latest famous fitness gurus to grace the covers of Men's Health and Women's Health.

And who better? It has been clear since last year's campaign that the first couple makes good health a priority. Remember hearing about Obama's exercise routine on the campaign trail? And Michelle planting a vegetable garden at the White House? They're definitely good role models for the unfit population to look towards. And everyone in the country knows who they are. So that helps.

The President's Men's Health interview preview said that Obama talks about his plan to exercise a "sin tax"--a tax on items like soda that are full of sugar and harmful to America's health. To some it may sound like an extreme measure, but in my opinion it may just be what the US of A needs to shake our years of sugar and soda over-consumption. Do away with a cheap source of nutritional poison and maybe something good will come of it.

Michelle Obama dishes her "fitness secrets" in Women's Health, including some workout plans, a simple healthy eating guide and her tips for balancing work, family and fitness. Michelle is a beautiful, intelligent and fit woman that most readers of Women's Health (and myself) can totally look up to.

I look forward to reading these issues and maybe taking away some of the Obama's fit lifestyle tips for myself.

What day is it?!

Last Saturday I was awoken by a text from my Dad. Here is what it said:

"What day is it? GAME DAY."

[Dad is very enthusiastic about sports.]

In case you are living under a rock, or in a cave, or some other place in which college sports are unimportant, the Florida Gators had their first game of the 2009 season this weekend. It was Saturday against Charleston Southern. Basically, we dominated them.

But then, what else would you expect from a college whose name is an old-timey dance and a direction?

Luckily, this game was at night so we were spared the heat and sun poisoning that usually comes with the Florida weather. But I have season tickets, so I know I'm in for some verrrrrry hot weekends.

Being an incredibly pasty, pale person I know that sun protection is of the utmost importance. Here are three basic rules to live by when it comes to staying burn-free.

1. Suncreen: Apply early, apply often

Choose a sunscreen with a high SPF--45+ for super-sunny gamedays, 15 or so for everyday life. Then, reapply! The stuff wears off, drips off with sweat, gets too absorbed into the skin--basically, you need more or it isn't doing its job. And check the expiration date on the bottle! That half-used bottle from your spring break trip to Cancun probably isn't up to par.

2. Hats are your friend.

A wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses keep the sun off your face and out of your sensitive eyes. Since the skin on your face tends to be more sensitive it needs extra TLC.

3. Check yourself

Good sun protection is vital to preventing skin cancer. But it's also important to check yourself every so often for irregularities on your skin and changes in any moles or freckles. And although the United States Preventive Services Task Force said in a recent New York Times article that yearly skin cancer screenings with a doctor are unnecessary unless a person has a history of melanoma, checking yourself can be a good way to keep your skin healthy. Here is some advice on how to check for melanoma.


I've made it one of my semester resolutions to wear sunscreen on my arms, face, neck and chest EVERY. DAY. I've even bought the nice Neutrogena kind that doesn't smell all sunscreen-y. And don't forget--you can get sunburned on a cloudy day, too! So just because you don't need shades, doesn't mean you don't need SPF.

Stay cool this football season!

In case you needed another reason

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With over two thirds of the American population overweight or obese, the importance of fitness and health is clearer than ever.

Because, honestly, what are the benefits to maintaining a lower weight? Longer life, lower risk of certain cancers, and things you may take for granted like ease of mobility or finding clothing that fits.

Now, AOL health just came out with a little photo slideshow with nine more reasons to trim down and win the war on obesity.

There were a couple things on this list I would have never thought of. Higher fuel costs? I had never made a connection before between the weight of the driver and the load on the car, but it makes perfect sense. Pricier plane tickets? Unfair, but fathomable.

I would say these were just some more bullet points to add to the growing list of reasons why Americans should take a serious look at the state of the nation's health, but this subject has been covered so exhaustively that I'm pretty sure everyone knows obesity is a huge problem. [No puns intended.]