That's Fit

The oldest living Californian, George Johnson, died this week at the age of 112. Johnson was born in 1894 in Philadelphia and moved to California with his wife in 1919. In 1935, they built a house in the city of Richmond, in Northern California, which Johnson continued to live in up until his death. As amazing as his life undoubtedly was, the thing that has people rehashing his story is that his diet, at least in his later years, consisted primarily of waffles and sausages.

The cause of his death was pneumonia and an autopsy was conducted, with the permission of his family, to see if science could gain some insight into his longevity and whether there was anything beneficial about his diet.

A researcher from UCLA who participated in the autopsy reported that "all of his organs were extremely youthful. They could have been the organs of someone who was 50 or 60, not 112" and ultimately, Johnson's good health was chalked up to good genes. But it surely couldn't hurt to have an extra waffle every once in a while - just in case.

A new study has tied body acceptance to healthy eating habits in women, based on surveys of college-age women. Healthy eating, within the context of the study, was equated with intuitive eating, meaning that the women who accepted their bodies looked to their body for cues about hunger and satiety, rather than to outside sources.

One problem with the study is that it clearly states that the women reported "receiving more positive messages from parents and others regarding their bodies," which seems to indicate that not all their cues were internal ones. The bigger problem is that it puts body acceptance first. If accepting your body automatically meant that you would follow a healthy diet, listening to "internal cues" about what you should and should not eat, than fewer people would be overweight and obese. The body does not tell people that they need to eat a super-sized double cheeseburger meal at a fast food restaurant, and a lot of the people eating those meals aren't too concerned about achieving acceptance of their bodies; they accept their bodies and are eating what they want to eat.

The reality is that those "cues" tell different people different things, and even the most accepting woman is going to get a "cue" telling her that she really wants a Snicker's bar, a creme brulee or other unhealthy food from time to time. Healthy eating is about choosing the foods that make your body - and you - feel good. You choose to eat healthy and accept the body that comes with that, whatever it may be.

I am a big fan of pretzels. They are crunchy and, nutritionally, are a much better choice than potato chips. Pretzels aren't great for dipping, simply because they don't give you enough surface area for the dip to cling to, but Kettle Foods has just introduced a new product to their healthier "Baked" line of snacks that solves this problem: Pretzel Chips. These snacks are basically flat, chip-shaped pretzels and Kettle touts them as being low fat and made with organic ingredients. A 1-ounce serving (28 grams) of the Original, salted flavor has 120 calories and 1 gram of fat, which is about the same as regular twisted pretzels. If you're going to use a fattening cheese dip, it's not going to matter what kind of chips you use, of course, but these would make a great snack when paired with salsa or guacamole.

Take a look around any gym and at least 9 out of 10 people will have headphones on, either listening to the news/soap operas/sports that the gym TV is tuned into or playing music from an mp3 or CD player. In the gym, the desire to listen to something other than the strangers around you panting for breath is understandable, but do you listen to music outside of the gym as well?

Personally, I have mixed feelings about it. I like background noise, so if I can play music in the area that I am in, I enjoy it. Sometimes I find it to be distracting to have music playing right in my ear, where I can't really tune it out, though. Music is helpful with motivation and consistency when the beat matches your own rhythm, but it can really throw you off your stride when it doesn't.

What do you think? Do you workout with music?

Sarah's post asking how soon you should begin to carbo-load before a big race or other strenuous event took on a new light after reading an article about bonking in this morning's New York Times. We're not talking about the rather base use of the word, but about bonking when it means that an athlete is hitting the wall. You have had a bonk when you are physically unable to continue.

The article goes on to point out that races require stamina and burn hundreds of calories an hour. In no other sporting activity are you going to feel the effect of having one or two hundred too few calories as you will in an endurance sport. Frequently, novice competitors do not watch their intake during training and, therefore, are unprepared when the race rolls around. By the same token, since it is not natural to eat while you are being so physically active, overeating can cause cramps or other problems.

Figuring out how much to eat before and how much to eat during, whether its some sort of sandwich, nutrition bar or energy gel, can mean the difference between finishing and collapsing, but there is no one formula that will give you the magic number needed to complete your event. It's trial and error, but the rewards - the feeling you get when you hit the finish line - make it worth it. At least until the next race.

Some might say that making comparisons to celebrities is not a positive thing to do, since they are set up to be the "ideal" we're supposed to be reaching for and frequently have unrealistic images. Rest assured that the scale tries to be realistic and, when it comes down to it, famous people can be good benchmarks simply because they are so visible. But even if you can't stomach getting a weight readout of "Roseanne" in place of hard numbers, at least you'll crack a smile or two. And how many people can say that about their weekly weigh in?

[via Cool Hunting]

["How Many Calories" is a regular feature that reveals the surprising calorie content in various foods. Thought-provoking, indeed. We're always on the lookout for surprising calorie counts, so let us know what you're finding and we may blog about it!]

Synder's of Hanover makes some great snacks, especially if you like pretzels and potato chips. Their EatSmart line was developed for consumers who like the flavors of the traditional products, but wanted an extra healthy boost. All the EatSmart foods are made with organic, all-natural ingredients, as well as ingredients like corn and "garden fresh vegetables." But does the inclusion of all-natural ingredients make something healthy? How many calories do you think are in a 1-ounce serving (about 15 chips) of EatSmart Veggie Crisps?

(a) 120 cal, 1g fat
(b) 140 cal, 4.5g fat
(c) 140 cal, 7g fat
(d) 150 cal, 7g fat

Alpine Ice is a brand of frozen dessert that is designed with health in mind. They have even been described by a founder as "herbal wellness sorbet." To be specific, however, their all-natural, handmade products use non-allergenic ingredients in the hopes that just about everyone -- barring an unfortunate allergy to berries, of course -- can enjoy.

Alpine Ice uses organic or sustainably farmed products whenever possible and are free from all soy, egg, wheat, nut and dairy. They are sweetened with natural fruits or low-GI sweeteners and have no fat or cholesterol -- assurances that can put even a very strict dieter's mind at ease. Flavors include everything from the bright Mango Passion and a mixed Bolder Berry to the more refined Green Tea Verbena and Hibiscus Rose.

The Alpine Ice product line is currently available at stores in Massachusetts, but you can contact the company for information about ordering online.

Those of us who are trying to eat healthfully tend to base our dietary decisions on both hunger and the information available to us at a given time. In other words, we will sometimes give in if we really want a package of peanut M&Ms, but for most products, we'll read the nutritional information before making a decision. Whether you follow a diet of your own making or one of the mainstream diets, the most important piece of information on the package is the portion size, which allows you to see how many calories or how much fat you might be taking in.

But how far can that be trusted? A recent blogger's look at the Snickers Almond bar revealed that the bar was 14% larger than the packaged claimed - weighing in at 2.0-oz instead of the promised 1.76-oz. This adds value, but it adds calories and fat, as well.

There are two ways to combat this problem. First, you can make sure you're getting the proper portion size. With multiple-serving packages, you can measure out the portion sizes if you want to be accurate, but it can be a hassle with single-serving foods, which might have to be weighed. The second solution is to build in a cushion, giving yourself a little extra leeway in your daily diet to account for days when you are, unwittingly, going over your target.

["How Many Calories" is a regular feature that reveals the surprising calorie content in various foods. Thought-provoking, indeed. We're always on the lookout for surprising calorie counts, so let us know what you're finding and we may blog about it!]

No one thinks that a burger with four patties, flour slices of cheese and eight strips of bacon is health food, but when Burger King advertises their newest burger as one for meat lovers, some will still find it hard to turn down. The BK Quad Stacker is the meatiest on the menu, but how many calories are you getting with that meat?

["How Many Calories" is a regular feature that reveals the surprising calorie content in various foods. Thought-provoking, indeed. We're always on the lookout for surprising calorie counts, so let us know what you're finding and we may blog about it!]

Cold Stone Creamery is famous for their ice cream with mix-ins, and while we all know that ice cream isn't on out list of health foods, you have to admit that in the summer, a cool afternoon treat can sound very appealing. And while the Cold Stone sizes of Like It (small), Love It (medium) and Gotta Have It (large) have a certain charm, the fact is that they are named that way to get you to buy more ice cream, since many people I have met feel stranger ordering a Like It than a Love It. But should you be going for it at all, regardless of the outdoor temperature?

Cold Stone's basic flavor is the Sweet Cream ice cream. How many calories do you think are in the Like It size?

McDonald's introduced play-places to their restaurants in 1971. Since then, thousands of kids have been enjoying not only french fries, but the opportunity to climb rope nets and play in ball pits. Lately, the play-places have been becoming less and less commonly included in the restaurant designs, perhaps due to safety concerns from parents or simply rising real estate costs -- so kids were still eating but less active.

This week McDonald announced that they have converted two former play-places into full-on kids' gym facilities. The McDonald's R Gyms (R for Ronald?) are designed for kids ages 4-12 and are "equipped with stationary bicycles attached to video games, dance pads, basketball hoops, monkey bars, an obstacle course, and a host of other games" to keep kids active and combat the notion that the company is promoting an unhealthy lifestyle. The gym locations also have special toddler zones with age-appropriate activities.

Any nutritional issues with the food at McDonald's aside, this is really a fantastic idea because it gives kids who are quite possibly sedentary at home a new place to play and be active. The kids who are already very active may or may not see any benefit from playing a few minutes at the "gym," but it could make a big difference for a child who sits at a desk all day and watches TV when s/he comes home.

[via Fast Food News]

When dieting -- or simply deciding to cut back a bit on some of your guiltier indulgences -- there are always foods that are hard to give up. If you have a sweet tooth, these foods might include cookies and ice cream. If you favor salty items, potato chips or bacon might cause a danger zone. From donuts to egg rolls, there are foods that should be limited to "once in a while" or "occasional" ingestion. But how often is that?

The answer is: it depends.

For something that is small and you are likely to eat frequently, it might mean a few times a week, like going from a few cookies a day to one every other day. When your weakness is fried tortilla chips or chocolate cake, your "once in a while" could be once or twice a month. If you can't stop yourself from eating those unhealthy foods once you start (a half-dozen of those donuts for breakfast?), "once in a while" might have to mean once or twice a year until you can overcome that urge.

It all boils down to being able to eat a small or reasonable amount of your favorite foods -- no matter what they are -- without having to give them or your diet up completely. And after a while, that "once in a while" will no longer be a wait; it will just be.

How long is your "once in a while?"

Luna bars are delicious, as far as nutrition bars go. They're formulated for women -- which is probably why I took more than a passing glance at them when they first came out -- but they are suitable for anyone and come in great flavors. Who could pass up a Chocolate Pecan Pie or Caramel Nut Brownie? Luna bars are great to have before or after a workout, or as a quick lunch on a particularly hectic day at work.

The new Luna Sunrise bars extend the concept of on-the-go meal replacement bars to breakfast, since not only is Caramel Nut Brownie not the first thing that comes to your mind in the morning, but over 30% of women regularly skip breakfast. The new bars are organic and come in Blueberry Yogurt, Strawberries & Creme and Vanilla Almond flavors, all of which are appealing A.M. foods. They have only 180 calories each, 8g protein and 5g fiber, in addition to being fortified with calcium, vitamins A, C, D and E, folic acid and iron. They're a much better option than a muffin from the coffee shop and, if you couple them with a piece of fruit in addition to your morning coffee, your day is definitely going to get off to a better start than usual.