Ladies: Don't let a large chest take you out of the running

I run marathons. I also am, ahem, well endowed up top. That seems an incongruous pairing. To wit, an anonymous blog reader once left a comment on a past entry of mine saying, "Marathoners don't have big melons, so you must be deceiving us about your marathons or your picture. Which is it?" Well, ye of lil' faith, I will tell thee how "the ladies" and I manage to run 26.2 miles.

It's true that without proper support, running can be plain painful. Not to mention induce self-conscious feelings if people stare at you. Hopefully the following exercise tips are helpful for my female readers with big racks. A buxum bosom shouldn't keep you out of the gym, or off the jogging path.

What I do:

1. I wear a supportive regular bra (Maidenform One Fabulous Fit Demi Bra) with a GOOD sports bra over it (LL Bean's Moving Comfort #WPL7232). Both have underwire.

2. Then I throw three shitty sport bras on for good measure. Target and Walmart sell cheap sport bras in three packs (Mine are just Fruit of the Loom).
I know, five bras is overkill. Two would likely suffice. But I'll take overkill over saggy boob syndrome. Gravity is getting nowhere near my chest, if I can help it.

Further Fitness Tips for the Well-endowed:

3. Invest in a high-impact sport bra. Title nine and Moving comfort are two brands that cater to larger cup sizes. The price tag of $30-$60 is well worth it. The bras prevent excessive bouncing and minimize discomfort. Enell is another bust-accomodating brand. According to Oprah, it eliminates chafing and provides back support. In browsing discussion boards, I found women size 36DD, 42H, and 36L all swore by Enell.

4. Replace your bras. Over time, wash and wear takes its toll on a bra's elasticity. The drying machine's heat eventually stretches the fibers of the supportive material too. So occasionally, throw out all your sport bras and buy a whole new set.
5. Wear exercise tops with a shelf bra attached. In addition to donning multiple sports bras, these tops are an added measure to keep your chest immobile during high intensity activities like running or jumping rope.

6. Buy sport bras that are a size smaller than your usual bra. This tip is hit or miss. It works for me. I feel extra snug. But I can see how others might feel suffocated. Try it out in store.

Tips for when you're not jogging that will help when you do jog (I tried to think of a better, less wordy title for this section to no avail).

7. Work your core (ideally three times a week). Being top heavy could result in back pain. Building a strong back with back-strengthening moves and firm abs with elbow planks can help alleviate the pain.

8. Try pilates or yoga to lengthen the spine, if having extra weight up top gives you hunched posture.

If all else fails:
9. Experiment with low impact exercises that spike your heart rate just as much as jogging. Hiking or walking on an incline on the treadmill work. You could also try swimming or stairmaster.

Do you have any more tips for facilitating exercise with large breasts? Leave a comment!

-Xtine Gary

http://www.facebook.com/cheerz

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I (jokingly) endorse these aerobic routines (pt 2)

Who knew F.R.I.E.N.D.S. had such an overabundance of aerobic inspiration?!! Follow along with their routines. You'll be jumpin' with your blood pumpin and your heart thumpin'!!

Sick of gym floors? Try sweating outdoors!


A work out buddy can help you through, when you doubt yourself most.


Dance like ain't nobodeh watchin' ya!!


Don't be too sexy though, you'll distract others from their workout.


And don't drink and jive. When they say they're "drunk," it's off of endorphins. And when they say "beer," they mean gatorade.


Can you think of others!!!???

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Food Comedy! John Pinette

Maybe you recognize him from the season finale of Seinfeld. Or perhaps you know him as a regular on the Tonight Show. If you're like me, maybe you had never heard of John Pinette ... until now. Ladies and Gents, allow me to introduce a master of food comedy. Fresh off his stint as the lead in Broadway's 'Hairspray,' Pinette takes to the stage at the Montreal Comedy Festival. The show, titled "I'm Starvin!" is available for instant watch on Netflix. Here's an appetizer of what's in store ...

The American Comedy Awards named John "Stand-Up Comedian of the Year." And it's clear to see why. It's as much a facial routine as it is a verbal. His self-deprecating humor's accompanied by a low smirk, and his jokes are punctuated by a smile that lights up the stage. I found myself wishing I could just hang out with this guy in real life. Genuinely likable and hilarious to boot.

Pinette doesn't rely on profanity or crudeness to get his laughs. His strong convictions that sweets trump salads are ones we can all rally behind. He commiserates with us on the toils of dieting and gym going. And he pokes fun at himself in such an engaging way, my bet's that he'll have you coming back for seconds.

Check out his other food-related comedy bits. From the classic crowd pleaser "Show me the Buffet!" to the more recent one-hour comedy special titled, "Still Hungry." Bon Appetit!

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Training for a Marathon During Winter

Womp (That's the sound a link makes when it's plopped right in your lap). You're welcome. ;)
http://www.marathonnation.us/long-run/top-winter-marathon-training-tips/

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Reasons to be Fit!

Hey ladiiieeesss. Dragging your feet today? Feel bloated? In a what's-the-use funk? S'all good, I got your gymspiration right here. Reasons to be Fit is one helluva inspirational tumblr account. It aims to steer girls away from weight loss obsession, and focus their thoughts on the end goal of health.

Scroll through the archives. Find the reasons that resonate with you. And then hit the gym!

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Killer at Large Documentary

The camera pans the perimeter of an enclosed yard. Bodies swarm the chained link fence, desperately reaching through to snatch sustenance. These aren't refugees of some war torn land, they're elementary schoolers. And this is not some benighted third world corner of the globe, this is Cali. After Governor Schwarzenegger signed state legislation that "terminated" (hah!) junk food sales at schools, parents retaliated with junk food hand outs to save their kids from imminent.... sugar withdrawal. How noble?

Switch to Brooke Bates in the recovery room. We've just seen 35 lbs of fat liposuctioned out of her. Was that necessary? I'm talking both about making me watch liposuction and also making the option available to a TWELVE YEAR OLD GIRL. Her parents sanctioned the fat slurp. And doctors gladly took the dough - from her paunch and her parent's pockets. Fast forward to dvd's end and we've seen she's gained back all the weight and is headed to Mexico! Ole! No, not cause she thinks her Jlo will have more fans down there, she's off to get controversial lap band surgery. Again, parent approved.

With parents like those in these cases, how can we combat the obesity epidemic? People have to want to be helped. An unsettling dilemma to which the documentary hardly offered solution.

I didn't enjoy the Killer at Large documentary. I had to watch its 100 minutes in five installments. When a nutrition student, who's arguably more vested in food matters than the general viewer, can't stay interested in the plot line......there may be a problem. Killer at Large didn't expose anything we don't already know.

• Yes, obesity is the nation's number one killer.
• Yes, our stress-filled lives course cortisol through our veins, keep pudge on our frames.
• Yes, junk food advertisers care more about profit and brand loyalty than your medical bills.
• Yes, healthy food is more expensive which inclines us to settle for crappy cuisine.
• Yes, the hunter/gatherer norm was famine which evolutionarily conditioned us to hoard fat.

But what can we do about it? The documentary failed to present solutions. It suggested back yard gardens. It's laughable to think the average american will bother with picking up a hoe (other than ones on street corner). It suggested incorporating food education into schools. Ah yes, the same schools that cut out gym class? Y'think they'll teach food over math? It suggests community-wide intervention programs like Shape Up Somerville. Yea, that one that despite showing success was only rewarded $150,000 in renewed funding when it needed $15 million. It suggested using popular kid icons like Shrek to encourage exercise. Meanwhile, Shrek can also be seen on twinkie and poptart packages. Sup hypocriticism!

This utterly overwhelming film can be summed up in one sentence: "Hey fat asses, we're in an obesity epidemic." There, now you don't have to watch it. Now you have 1.5 extra hours in your day you can spend at the gym.

Here's the trailer, for what it's worth.

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In Defense of Exercise

This Time article says exercise is pointless for weight loss.

To discredit the effectiveness of gym-going, the author pairs rising obesity figures with rising gym memberships. "More than 45 million Americans now belong to a health club, up from 23 million in 1993." Then discounts his argument: "Of course, some people join and never go." He cites a study where participants report exercising more since 1980. But studies relying on subject recollection likely have recall and response bias.

"I get hungry after I exercise, so I often eat more on the days I work out than on the days I don't." Either way, he's maintaining. But people who regularly exercise are still better off. They "are at significantly lower risk for all manner of diseases."

He describes a study where some women worked out with trainers, and some didn't work out at all. "The women in all the groups, even the control group, lost weight, but the women who exercised ... did not lose significantly more weight than the control subjects did." Sometimes health is more than a number on the scale. Exercisers likely decreased cardiovascular risk factors (circulating lipid levels, cholesterol levels, blood pressure), which the study didn't measure.

Muscle burns more calories than fat, but the author devalues this fact. In a resting body, per pound, muscle burns six calories and fat burns two. This "means that after you work out hard enough to convert 10 lb of fat to muscle... you would be able to eat only an extra 40 calories per day... before beginning to gain weight." Discouraging, unless you look at the bigger picture. An extra 40 calorie burn over a year will shed 4.2 lbs effortlessly ((40*365)/3500=4.2))!

"After we exercise, we often crave sugary calories like those in muffins or in "sports" drinks like Gatorade." Make smart food choices. Try Vitatops. 100 calories per muffin vs 400 calories per Starbucks muffin. Drink Powerade Zero; all the electrolytes and none of the calories. Keeping a food journal can help you be conscious not to ingest more than you burn.

"People assume that weight is mostly a matter of willpower — that we can learn both to exercise and to avoid muffins and Gatorade. A few of us can, but evolution did not build us to do this for very long." If you learn to make smart substitutions, weight loss doesn't have to be about sacrifice - or fighting evolution.

He references three pediatric studies. But weight loss in kids may not be generalizable to his audience of adults. They have more sedentary lifestyles, and are no longer growing.

The article at least concedes that "those of us who regularly go to the gym would weigh even more if we exercised less." But it does exercise a disservice by neglecting to emphasize its associated health benefits: building cardiovascular fitness, decreasing risk of chronic disease and injury, toning the body, releasing feel-good endorphins, building confidence, improving cognitive ability, and de-stressing.

I say, "Sweat on!"

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Awesome Apps for Runners

RunKeeper

(Android, iPhone, Windows)
http://runkeeper.com/

GPS tracking for distance and speed monitoring. Stores activity history, like caloric output. Sync your data with an online account to also track your vital stats (weight, heart rate, etc).

iMapMyRun

(Android, BlackBerry, iPhone)

http://www.mapmyrun.com/

Here's your accountability partner. For those type-A competitive folk, it lets you show off your fitness feats by encouraging facebook or twitter posts. You can also compete in posted challenges for prizes.

SmartRunner

(All Platforms)

http://www.smartrunner.com/pages/

A simplified version of the more fancy running apps. This easy-to-use alternative lets you set a time, distance, pace or caloric output you'd like to achieve. You can also snap a pic while jogging and it'll register your location on your route map.

Source: Shape magazine via The Week magazine

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JeDi GyM!!!

Luke, I am your trainer.

Big shout out to David C-H for posting this on facebook and bringing it to my attention. :o) Check it:


Ok, so I might have thought this was a real video until Vader shish kabobed that dude. Gullible much? Guilty as charged. But I actually think this hilarious joke vid is onto something. Why NOT have a Jedi Gym????? Or at least themed work out classes. Having a costume that doesn't affect range of motion might be an issue (teacheerrrr, my gold bikini's chafing meee). And you'd have to work up more of a sweat than the guys in the vid were doing. But it would make exercise fun! And seems to allow more opportunity to interact with fellow gym goers!

A brief google search for non joke establishments found that people are waaay ahead of me. LucasArts held a Force-inspired gym session to promote the European release of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II. And my friend, Seth, pointed me to New York Jedi. A place that holds themed exercise classes on a regular basis!

Whaddyathink? Would you go? Can themed gyms have a successful and viable following? What theme would you like to see (LOTR anyone)?
Comment below. :)

Or should I say, "weigh in" below, hah, kneeslapper.

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Defy the Odds

Aimee Mullins has mastered many roles: Georgetown Graduate, Intelligence Analyst for the Pentagon, Actress, Champion Athlete, Model ..... and Double Amputee. "Born without fibulae in both legs, Aimee's medical prognosis was bleak; she would never walk and indeed would spend the rest of her life using a wheelchair," explains her official website. Fast forward through the years and we find that not only is she standing on her own, but she is one hard woman to keep up with!! A truly "influential voice in today's culture," she's an inspiring example of how powerful the human will can be in determining the outcome of life - against all odds. Watch her talk on the opportunity of adversity. She leaves me speechless. So I'll just reiterate her own words: "Everyone has something rare and powerful to offer our society. And the human ability to adapt is our greatest asset." "Adversity isn't an obstacle that we need to get around in order to resume living our life. It's part of our life." "Conflict is the genesis of creation, of transformation." There's a "difference between the medical condition and what someone might do with it." "The only true disability is a crushed spirit." WOW! Game. Set. Match.

Here's a clip of her on the Colbert Show

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Food Matters Documentary

These cancer patients bridged the before/after gap by simply eating right. No chemotherapy, no radiation, no surgery, no drugs. Just a strict plant-based, raw, fresh food diet with regular consumption of organic juices. It's called Gerson Therapy, and it's entirely unacknowledged by the medical community. “Less than 6% of graduating physicians in the USA receive any formal training in nutrition.”

What's more, profit-driven pharmaceutical companies are inherently bias in the way they run drug trials and the regulatory approval process. "Good health makes a lot of sense, but it doesn't make a lot of dollars."

The FoodMatters documentary (available on netflix instant watch) chronicles our dependence on drug-based remedies and offers an alternative path. Modern medicine deals with chronic problems without addressing why patients get the disease. They treat symptoms while ignoring root causes.

And clearly, it's not working. Incidence of Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and Cardiovascular disease; all rising exponentially. We need a fresh paradigm that goes back to basics. The message promoted in FoodMatters breaks down into four steps.

1) Switch to organic - Commercially available produce grows in soil leached of all nutrients; used and reused. When soil is mineral deficient, so are the plants; weakened and defenseless against bugs and disease. Enter chemical companies with their cornucopia of toxins: pesticides, fungicides, growth stimulants, etc. Then food takes at least a week to travel 2000 miles to store aisles. By the time it's in your basket, it retains 40% of its viable nutrients. Commercial vegetarian food is deficient and toxic. And if we eat it, we can't help but be deficient and toxic in turn.

2) Switch to raw - Cooking foods diminishes their nutrient and enzyme content. Paul Kouchakoff, MD studied "digestive leukocytosis, an increase in the number of white blood cells after eating foods heated to a certain temperature." Basically, the body doesn't recognize cooked food and actually has an adverse immune reaction to it, as if being invaded by a foreign organism. However, Iiiiiii''''mmmmm not sure I agree with documentary on this. Check zis rebuttal.

3) Take vitamins - Orthomolecular medicine seeks to prevent, arrest, and reverse chronic disease using nutrients. Whether attained via supplements, or derived from diet, this brand of megavitamin therapy advocates nutrients in high doses well beyond the recommended daily intake. Conventional medicine denounces it as hazardous. But given the success it's had in treating cancer and viral diseases, perhaps it deserves another look.

4) Take responsibility - People need education, not medication. And once made aware, they need to walk the walk. Take vitamins, eat right, exercise. Nutrition is the best primary prevention strategy available to us. Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, said "Let food be thy medicine" cuz at the end of the day, "you are what you eat."

I recommend the documentary. Here's the trailer.

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Working out but not seeing results? Here's why (pt 2)

Find part 1 here.

Here are helpful steps to succeed with your work out.

6) Believe in yourself.
Do you truly believe your fitness endeavors will pay off? Or is there a voice in the back of your head saying, "Here we go again, how long till I void this workout with cheesecake?" Limiting beliefs sabotage success. If you doubt yourself, ask why. Have you tried multiple times to no avail? Do you think you're unworthy or incapable? Destined to be overweight or scrawny? Once you've honed in on your limiting belief, SQUASH IT! Replace negative thinking with positive affirmations. Visualize success. Match your actions to your beliefs. If you want to be healthy, act healthy until you are. Focus on what you want, not on what you fear. And dare to believe.

7) Rally social support.
Even good intentioned friends and family can dampen your faith in yourself. Maybe you are always the butt of scrawny toothpick jokes. Or teased for your eating. If close relations are holding you back, be honest and ask for their help. Sit them down and explain what you're trying to accomplish. Ask that they say only supportive comments or say nothing. Ask that they not eat that tub of KFC chicken wings around you. Or at least suggest places to hang out that have both fried and healthy options on the menu, so everyone's happy.

8) Have a plan.
Set SMART goals (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely). Get a structured fitness plan - whether it's advice from a friend who's had success, or your own research online. Similarly set guidelines with your nutrition. It's hard to stay on the wagon if you don't know what the wagon looks like. Plan ahead. If there won't be healthy options at a conference, pack a lunch. If you get hungry at work, pack healthy snacks instead of resorting to vending machines.

9) Follow through and have patience.
Outlining the steps to success is easy. Actually walking the path is hard (but worth it).
"90-95% of people withdraw to the comfort zone when what they try doesn't work. Only that small percentage will continually improve themselves; continually push themselves out into the zone of discomfort, and these are always the highest performers in every field." -Brian Tracy, best-selling author
If you don't see gains at first, persist. You didn't gain weight overnight, and you won't lose it overnight. A trainer once broke down the timeline for rededicating yourself to fitness: After the first month, you'll feel better. After the second month, you'll notice visible changes in your body. After the third month, others will notice the changes. Be consistent and patient. Takes time.

10) Reward yourself.
Chart your progress. It'll be handy down the road. Sometimes we forget how far we've come. Appreciate victories big and small. Find rewards (ideally that don't have to do with food). Treat yourself to a spa day. Buy season dvds of your favorite show.

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Got fish? Increased fish consumption grants health gains for diabetic women

~Note: this research study is from 2003. Old news. Still relevant.~

Regular fish consumption reduced the risk of heart disease by as much as 64% in diabetic women, according to a 2003 study in “Circulation.”

The results confirm previous findings suggesting frequent fish intake is beneficial for heart health in the general population. What set this study apart was that it assessed the relationship between fish and heart health in diabetic women, who have high heart disease risk.

“12.6 million, or 10.8% of all women aged 20 years or older have diabetes,” according to the American Diabetes Association. This study looked at type 2 diabetes specifically, the most common form among Americans. After eating, the body breaks down sugar from food into fuel for the body’s cells. Type 2 diabetes prevents that fuel from being delivered to cells, leading to complications including: blindness, kidney disease, amputations, and heart problems, among others. “Adults with diabetes have heart disease death rates about 2 to 4 times higher than adults without diabetes.”

The study team, led by Dr. Frank Hu of the Harvard School of Public Health, followed 5103 women who had or developed physician-diagnosed type 2 diabetes from 1980 to 1996. Diabetic women who had already experienced heart disease before the start of the study were excluded. Heart disease included heart attack, stroke, blocked arteries, chest pain, and irregular heart beat.

These women were a subset of the larger Nurses’ Health Study, which has sent health questionnaires to 121,700 female registered nurses biennially since 1976. These surveys collect information on medical history, lifestyle, eating habits, and newly diagnosed illnesses. From looking at these, Dr. Hu’s team was able to find out how much fish participants ate over 16 years and if heart disease or death happened.

The women were divided into five groups depending on how often they ate fish: less than once a month, one to three a month, once a week, two to four a week, and five or more times a week. Investigators reported 362 new cases of heart disease and 468 deaths. Compared to diabetic women who rarely ate fish (less than once a month), the risk of heart disease reduced by 30% for women who ate fish one to three times a month. 40% for women who ate fish once per week. 36% for women who ate fish two to four times a week. And finally, 64% for women who ate fish five times a week. Higher fish intake was also associated with significantly lower death rates; ranging from 25% reduced risk (1-3 fish/month) to 52% reduced risk (5 or more/week).

Hu concedes the self-report nature of the questionnaires to be a limitation of the study. He further allows that lifestyle could influence results. Participants with a culinary affinity for fish, also ate more fruits, vegetables, and lean meat. Participants taking aspirin could have improved blood flow thanks to the medication. He backs his results nevertheless. Whether or not investigators took these variables into account in their statistical analyses, it did not appreciably alter findings.

The American Heart Association recommends adults, barring pregnant women, consume at least two servings of fish weekly. Fish are rife with fish oil (aka omega-3 fatty acids), especially fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, tuna, and herring. Omega-3 fatty acids improve blood vessel function, reduce blood clot formation, decrease circulating fats in the blood, and stabilize irregular heartbeats. Consuming more fish could yield significant health gains for those with, or at high risk of heart disease or diabetes. While not assessed in this study, fish oil capsules, with your doctor’s blessing, could conceivably offer an alternative for those who dislike eating fish.

Hu F. Rish and Long-Chain ω-3 Fatty Acid Intake and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease and Total Mortality in Diabetic Women. Circulation. January 2003; 107:1852-1857.

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Common surgery for knee arthritis receives stiff competition from placebo effect

~Note: this research study is from 2002. Old news. Still relevant.~

HOUSTON – (July 11, 2002) – Patients with knee osteoarthritis who undergo placebo arthroscopic surgery report the same amount of pain relief and improved mobility as those who undergo the real procedure. The landmark study appears as the lead article in the July 2002 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Researchers at the Baylor College of Medicine collaborated with Houston’s Department of Veteran Affairs to recruit 180 patients, aged 75 years and under, experiencing knee pain, stiffness, or swelling; all symptoms of osteoarthritis, a degenerative joint disease. Baseline characteristics across groups such as race, sex and severity of medical condition were roughly equivalent.

Participants agreed to be randomized into one of three groups: Lavage involving washing out the knee joint; Lavage followed by debridement, involving removing damaged cartilage or bone; and placebo surgery involving making skin incisions only. For consistency of surgical technique, one surgeon with 10 years of experience performed all procedures. Both the patients and the study staff responsible for follow-up care and assessments were unaware of group assignments. The director of Baylor College’s Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy oversaw the stringent consent process of the study and assured ethical standards were upheld throughout the study.

Pain relief and functional improvement of the joint were assessed at seven follow up visits over the course of two years. At the first and second year follow up visits, moderate pain improvements were similar across all groups, as was functional improvements in walking and climbing stairs.

Researchers concede limitations. Since the participants were predominantly men, the study sample might not accurately represent all candidates for arthroscopic treatment of knee osteoarthritis. Furthermore, 44 percent of the 324 people eligible for study inclusion chose not to participate. The patients who agreed to participate might have had higher hopes of a positive outcome and consequently have been more influenced by the placebo effect. Furthermore, patients with severe osteoarthritis were excluded, so it remains uncertain whether the surgery would have been useful for them.

The study’s strength lies in the fact that it was the first in arthroscopic surgery research to compare the actual procedure to a placebo surgery. Its findings, showing that the placebo surgery delivers equally therapeutic benefits as the actual surgery, were certainly surprising.

The results leave the public questioning whether the billions of dollars spent on more than 650,000 procedures annually might be put to better use. It may be best to consider alternative therapies and remedies if you have moderate osteoarthritis for the knee. While the study did not recommend any specific alternative treatments, some typical ones involve exercise, anti-inflammatory drugs, pain killers, or heat-therapy. Doctors should use extra precaution in recommending candidates who could benefit from surgery.

###

The Center for Quality Care and Utilization Studies at the VA Houston Medical Center facilitated this research. Funds were obtained primarily from the VA itself, while the Department of Medicine at Baylor College served as co-funder.

Moseley, Bruce. "A Controlled Trial of Arthroscopic Surgery for Osteoarthritis of the Knee."New England Journal of Medicine 347.2 (2002): 81-88.

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Restaurant Review: Lolita Cocina & Tequila Bar

Lolita Cocina & Tequila Bar
271 Dartmouth Street
Boston, MA 02116

Price: $10-30
Selection: Mexican and seafood
Vegetarian options: Limited, but do-able.
Overall grade: A

Written by Xtine Gary for the Tufts Friedman Sprout.

“It’s like a vampire’s lounge!” my friend exclaimed as we walked into Lolita Cocina & Tequila Bar. Well, that’s one way to describe the entrancing décor of this upscale Mexican dining destination. With red lights accenting brick columns, and glowing gothic chandeliers pendant from the ceilings, Lolita Cocina & Tequila Bar achieves an ambiance that is both mysterious and alluring. Lavish damask wallpaper adorns the crimson walls of the dining area, offset by weathered wooden floors. And flickering candles beckon guests towards tables set with rose petal centerpieces. Antique wrought-iron gates bookend the bar, whose rustic cabinets house their renowned selection of 250 tequilas. The music tops off the ambiance with a customized blend of classic rock with Latin influences.

While Lolita boasts an extensive tequila list that is constantly updated, you can also choose to indulge in one of their inventive margaritas (available by the glass or pitcher). A house favorite among patrons is the “Lolita” ($12) made withsauza ‘100 years’, patron citronge, fresh lime, cane syrup, and a squeeze of grapefruit. Also popular is the “Spicy Cucumber” ($13) which has Don Julio Blanco, habanero infused vodka, patron citronge, fresh cucumber, and lime.Beyond that, beer, cocktails, mojitos, and non alcoholic iced beverages round out the drink menu.

I found the dining experience to be unrivaled when it came to presentation. Our waitress immediately brought out a grapefruit and mint granita (similar to Italian ice) with a splash of tequila served atop smoking dry ice. It was a refreshing palate cleanser before the meal. The next complimentary goodie was a bucket of warm, crisp, tortilla chips served alongside three distinct salsas – roasted red pepper, chipotle crema, and tomatillo, aka salsa verde. Customers willing to test their taste buds can venture to try some spicy mango habanero sauce. ­Since the chips are bottomless, it’s almost a shame not to explore at least one of the four guacamole flavors offered. The “Especial” ($15) comes with jumbo lump crab meat and lobster. I’ve never heard of those ingredients in guacamole.

Similarly, the rest of the menu flaunts a penchant for the unexpected, reinventing Mexican-inspired cuisine by mixing it with New England seafood staples. Health-conscious eaters can opt for grilled fish. The salmon coco ($23) is cooked in a coconut lime broth and served with black bean plantain mash. Vegetarians have limited options, but they could request Chef’s Choice Tacos, which comprises a rotating selection of fresh veggies among other ingredients created daily. They could also order the creamy poblano pepper soup ($8) or put a meal together by mixing any of the eight side dishes (rice, beans, vegetables). While I didn’t try any personally, I’ve heard that the zocola corn and sweet potato fries are both delicious sides.

What I ordered is also vegetarian: The “Spinach and Cheese” quesadilla ($9) with chihuahua cheese, queso fresco, and pickled jalapenos. It was delicious and one of several creative quesadilla options. The “Mariscos” quesadilla ($14) had shrimp and scallops, onion poblano chile rajas and fresh salsa. While the “Ancho Chile Chicken” ($10) had black beans, fire roasted corn and smoked bacon. These were all refreshing twists on the tired and typical Mexican quesadilla you’ll find elsewhere – y’know the one, scant chicken strips stuck in plastic-looking monterey jack cheese. My friends and I found the meals filling, but still had room to share a delectable dessert.

Just when you think your senses have experienced it all, out comes a billowy tower of green apple cotton candy speckled with cherry pop rocks to accompany the bill. Another extra perk, on the house. At Lolita, you feel like you’re getting the VIP treatment at an affordable price.

We went on a Monday night, so there was no need to make a reservation. I’d wager the place fills up on weekends though. This dining destination has a night club vibe, so it’s not a place you bring children. Fortunately, this means the aisles aren’t booby trapped with high chairs for you to trip over. You won’t lose an eye thanks to projectile crayons, nor have to compete with a crying child to carry on a conversation. As for the attire, you can get by dressed casually, but given the trendy setting, you wouldn’t feel out of place if you wore a cocktail dress or fancy top.

It was perfect for our girl’s night out. But I could also see it being a memorable date spot. Or a great place to unwind after work. Happy hour happens weekdays from 5-7 pm and offers $1 mini tacos and $2 coronitas (7 fl oz). A stone’s throw from the green line’s Copley stop, Lolita is easily accessible and affords an escape from Boston’s bustling Back Bay. It’s a must-visit stop for city-dwellers and tourists alike!

*Image credits: Lolita Cocina & Tequila Bar website.

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When Lies Masquerade as Science

An oversized replica of this pic hangs in The Hirsh Health Sciences Library (aka where I abscond on Friday nights). The text quotes philosopher Maimonides, "Teach thy tongue to say I do not know, and thou shalt progress." It's ostensibly a mantra of the scientific community, but Dr. John Ioannidis holds that it's long since been disowned. The current scientific community believes, "Teach thy tongue to say I do not know, and you'll lose your funding."

What if the 100 billion US dollars annually spent on research, were pumping out 90% lies; that your doctors then rely on to justify medical advice, prescription, and even surgery?

Dr. Ioannidis has set out to reveal just that. And has been pretty damn successful. The article, Lies, Damned Lies, and Medical Science, chronicles his career. Take a look. Sobering stuff.

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Food Comedy! Louis CK

Calorie burning. Get it?! Hah! Kneeslapper!!

With all the staggering obesity statistics and doomsday predictions of death by chronic disease, sometimes, I just gotta take a step back and laugh - for sanity's sake. Then I get back to promoting health and well-being. Here's Louis CK explaining why skinny people just don't get it. After which he regales us with the ritual of getting a cinnabon. And wrap up with Martha Kelly, who has something to say to food. Enjoy!

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Exercise. What's in it for me?

How exactly is exercise good for the heart? What's its effect on bone density? Will it really stave off cancer and diabetes? And how helpful is it for weight loss? We often hear about the health benefits of exercise.* But rarely are claims broken down and explained. An excellent review by Scientific American analyzes these health questions and brings you answers based on scientific research.
Check it out here.

* The only sentence in their write-up that I contend with is this one: "The longer, harder and more often you exercise, the greater the health benefits." Actually, after a certain point, the beneficial effects of exercise start to plateau. And in the obsessive case, they can be detrimental. That's a good blog topic. Remind me to write about that later, haha. ;)

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Rubber Duckies

<---- My readership has spoken. All ... eight of you. Er, seven of you (my vote shouldn't count). Weight loss won the poll. So rest assured there will be plenty of posts on that. But two out of seven blog visitors, or 29%, want to see a post on rubber duckies (RDs). And by golly, I'm gonna give it to them. The RDs' origins are shrouded in mystery. RDs presumably emerged in the early 1800's, with the advent of rubber toy manufacturing. "The first patent related to a floating RD was filed in 1886," says eHow. These first models made no squeaky sounds. An advance of that technological superiority would come later, after WWII, when they decided to poke a hole in the bottom. This lets out air. Really, it's a RD fart, but we recognize it as the trademark squeak.

By the mid 1950's, RDs had gone from crudely shaped hard pieces of rubber to the flexible molds we know and love today. Not content to be merely floating bath toys, RDs evolved into pop culture icons. When it came to reinventing one's look, RDs left Madonna in the dust; showcasing a variety of themes and colors. Not just a pretty face, RDs built an impressive resume too.

The Actor
Jim Henson's popular 1970's show, Sesame Street, cast one lucky duck as Ernie's costar. Ernie and this RD formed a close bond - both on set and off. The muppet famously professed his love in a song, "Rubber Duckie" (didn't see that title coming). The song made the Billboard Hot 100 chart for nine weeks, peaking at No. 16. Singer Little Richard even got his feet wet, literally, with a cover version.

The Athlete
To raise money for charity, RDs often race against other RDs. Louisville's "Ken-Ducky Derby," donates all proceeds to adults with disabilities. A human buys a numbered RD, which is released into a river, lake, or pool of water with hundreds of other ducks. The first one to successfully navigate the course and pass the finish line, wins.

The World Traveler
On January 10, 1992, a Pacific storm afforded the perfect cover for a ship-wide mutiny. 29,000 Friendly Floatees plastic bath toys from a Chinese factory were "washed off ship."... Yea right. They jumped. Two-thirds followed their innate avian instincts and headed south. They washed ashore in Indonesia, Australia, and South America. The rest journeyed to Alaska. An overambitious subset approached the Bering Strait. Their frozen corpses lie in ice around Russia, as a warning to other RDs ....

The Comedian
RDs pose for photos and then caption them with jokes - "all created with young viewers in mind." Business partner, Mike Quest, offers housing to a collection of several hundred ducks in California. Beyond landlord, Mike collaborates with RDs as their publicist and photographer. Their combined efforts work towards the publication of a duck joke photo-book.

There you have it. Thus concludes the unofficial autobiography of RDs.

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Sifting Science from Snake Oil

If someone were to:
Rank dietary supplements by how effectively they treat health conditions.
Yank evidence to do so from randomized human placebo-controlled trials.
Crank out a generative data visualization of consolidated scientific research.

Then you could probably:
Bank on getting a comprehensive quick reference guide.
Thank Christine for letting you know about it (click here). ;o)

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Double Your Weight Loss

Dear Diary,

Today I gnawed two carrots while dreaming about a decadent carrot cake. Alright, alright, what I actually scarfed was two slices of carrot cake; the plain ol' carrot never had a chance. Yesterday I had a banana ... cream pie. I've talked myself into believing chocolate is a vegetable. How you ask? Well it comes from cocoa beans. Bean = vegetable. Add sugar which is taken from sugar cane/beets <-- plants, aka vegetables. Ergo, chocolate is a vegetable. I can convince myself of anything. "I'm not overweight, I'm underheight," is a favorite. I don't even look at food labels anymore. Recommended serving size? Screw that, you don't know me! Sigh. This eating is getting mindless. But I read a scientific study today that gave me hope. Simply tracking what you eat, might curb snack fests. Check it, study results showed those who wrote down what they ate every day lost TWICE as much weight as those who didn't. Oh snap.

It was a big study too, 1700 peeps. Funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, and published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Led by top scientists at Kaiser Permanente's Center for Health Research. If that doesn't spell credible, I don't know what does.

For six months, participants were asked to do the following:
1). Keep food journals, turn 'em in at weekly support meetings.
2). Follow the NIH-sponsored DASH diet (loads of fruits/veggies and low fat dairy).
3). Work out at moderate intensity for 30 minutes daily.

Two-thirds of the group lost at least nine pounds, and the ones who lost the most weight were the food loggers. Sold. I'm in.
I'll go with one of these FREE online food tracking sites.
http://www.fitday.com/
http://www.sparkpeople.com/
http://www.my-calorie-counter.com/
http://www.livestrong.com/thedailyplate/

There's also apps available for smart phones. Calorie Counter by FatSecret has a huge food database. Option to scan product bar codes. Syncs up with an online site. Free.

Maybe next time I hear the clarion call of carrot cake, I'll think about how it'll look on the page - not to mention my hips. The pen is mightier than the fork!

-Christine

P.S. This isn't an actual Xtine journal entry. She made it up for the post. But she does recommend keeping track of what you eat if you want to lose weight. And she may or may not have the "calorie counter" app on her Android phone. ;o)

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Putting the "Die" in Diet Soda

Written by Xtine Gary for the Tufts Friedman Sprout

Research findings displayed at the 2011 Conference for the American Stroke Association (ASA) showed individuals who drank diet soda daily were 61% more likely to have a stroke as opposed to those who drank no diet soda. Cue media frenzy. Virally propagated via online sources, print media, and nightly news, the story captured headlines worldwide.

Let’s look more at this study that linked diet soda to elevated stroke risk. When met with a health scare like this, ask some questions before you run along with the chicken littles.

1. What caliber of science is this?
When you read health news, think about the source. The most reliable evidence emerges from randomized controlled trials of phase 3 studies. The least dependable information comes from publications that are neither peer-reviewed nor endorsed by scientific experts within the field. The findings that implicated diet coke in elevated stroke occurrence were of the latter class. They were not even presented orally as a feature at the conference. They were merely printed on a poster, hanging on a wall. The researchers themselves admitted that future investigations were necessary before condemning diet soda conclusively. This was a caveat statement that journalists hunting for sensational stories conveniently ignored.

2. Are the study subjects representative of the general population?
There were 2564 participants in this study (N=2564, 36% men, mean age 69 ± 10 years, 20% white non-Hispanic, 23% black non-Hispanic, 53% Hispanic). The mean age was 69. According to the US Census Bureau, only 12.6% of Americans are over 65 years of age. Doesn’t seem like a viable subset of the population to be drawing inferences for the other 77.4%.

The racial breakdown in this study presents another possible threat to generalizability. According to the American Heart Association, Blacks and Hispanics have a higher rate of vascular disorders including stroke. The participants in this study were predominantly minorities, meaning 76% of their study population was already at high risk for the outcome (regardless of soda intake).

3. How was information managed?
Based on their soda consumption, participants were divided into different groups. There were those who consumed soda rarely (<1/mo), moderately (1 mo-6/wk), or daily. Look at the classification for moderate drinker. One a month to six per week? That’s a very wide range! There is a big difference between someone who sips a soda once a month and someone who sips sodas regularly throughout the week, and yet these people were in the same category. Participants self-reported their soda consumption at the time of enrollment via a questionnaire. They were followed for nearly a decade and never again asked about their consumption habits. It’s hard to imagine that every participant’s intake of soda would stay constant over nine years.

4. What was controlled for?
What if a participant had gained 30 lbs over the nine-year study period? Perhaps that excess weight, and not the diet coke, accounted for the increased stroke risk. Researchers did not take weight or family history of disease into consideration, both of which are critical to the development of the outcome of interest. They simply did not collect this information. Nor did they collect information on sodium intake. They also lacked data on the brands and varieties of diet and regular soda consumed. Perhaps changes in coloring and sweeteners over time may have played a role, and they have no way of analyzing this.

5. Is association being mistaken for causation?
While intriguing, these findings prove only an association, not cause and effect. It’s important to bear in mind that people who drink soda daily, be it regular or diet, may also partake in other unhealthy habits, like consuming high amounts of fatty, cholesterol-laden foods or leading a sedentary lifestyle.

Overweight individuals who are already at risk for health complications, may be more likely to drink diet soda. Dr. Frank Hu, professor of nutrition and epidemiology at Harvard School of Public Health, looked at the association between artificially sweetened beverages and the risk of developing diabetes. He found that after controlling for diabetes risk factors like weight, blood pressure, and cholesterol, there was no association between diet colas and diabetes risk. This confirms the idea that health outcomes have more to do with the type of person who drinks diet soda to begin with, and not the diet soda itself.

So is diet soda off the hook? ABC News Chief Health and Medical Editor Dr. Richard Besser acknowledged regular soda to be a health risk, but felt that the study presented at the ASA conference that condemned diet soda was not sound science on which to base recommendations of behavior change. However, he went on to voice a viewpoint shared by The Mayo Clinic Women’s HealthSource: While diet sodas may be calorie-less, the artificial sweeteners in them may increase sugar cravings and encourage poor food choices.

In an interview with Time magazine, Dr. Frank Hu said that while diet soda is perhaps not the best alternative to regular soda, drinking diet soda in moderation should not cause appreciable harm.

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Funny Gym Vids

Watch and learn? Or watch and laugh? Maybe both....

No pain, no gain.


Patience is an important quality to look for in a trainer.


Overcome your fears with help from your peers.


Don't even think about quitting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oh8PFs0LTKc
(clip didn't have the embed option, just follow link or click pic)

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