That's Fit

As I reported last year, this video over at Runners World depicts the disastrous 2007 Chicago Marathon exactly as it was described by my friends and dozens of marathoners. A racer friend of mine couldn't find water for miles, and another spectator friend watched with horror as dozens jumped into a public fountain slurping like mad cows at a trough. All this with Lake Michigan lapping at the shore a few blocks away.

This raw video puts the 2007 water controversy to rest. There's no doubt race officials failed to deliver enough water and Gatorade on an unusually hot and humid October day, and not enough participants were willing to suck it up, put their dream on hold and stay home.

Will slightly cooler temperatures, five more aid stations and a new color-coded communication system to alert runners of conditions from good (green), not ideal (yellow), potentially dangerous (red) or even diverted/canceled (black) prevent another Chicago Marathon water controversy? Let's hope 2008 Bank of America Chicago Marathon officials make good on their promises, and Mother Nature plays nice. The current marathon forecast -- the big race is tomorrow -- calls for partly sunny and a high of 79 F, officially a yellow alert. As the heat rises, officials may flash a red card at later finishers -- Bank of America better bank enough water for a 45,000-strong stampede.

Ever wonder how celebrities do it -- keep up their busy work schedules, appear at all the latest, greatest parties and red carpet events, promote their personal causes and charity endeavors, and not lose all their marbles? Seems diet and exercise have something to do with it. Here, four stars weigh in on their high-energy tricks.

• Whoopi Goldberg stays energized by making healthy food and taking it wherever she goes to minimize temptation. While eating at someone else's house, she asks for very small portions. Good idea -- eating too much always weighs me down and makes me feel sluggish.
  
• Daniel Craig keeps up his strength by going to the gym every night when shooting Bond movies. He does as many of his own stunts too. His reward once shooting is over: Lying on a chaise lounge. Hey, relaxation is part of the whole feel-good package, right?
  
• Eva Mendes stays on top of things by running and keeping white flour and sugar out of her diet. It helps her feel better about herself.
• Gerard Butler just likes a good challenge. Give him one and he's invigorated.

  Gallery: Stars who stay energized

  

Think about it: You have Tony the Tiger telling you that sugary Frosted Flakes are Grrrrrrrreat and Sunny the Coco Puffs bird telling you to go Cukoo for Coco Puffs. But where's Larry the Lion telling you to eat your fruit salad? Or Fiona the Frog telling you get your five to 10 veggie servings a day? OK, these examples are pretty lame but with the exception of Pop-Eye and his spinach, you have to admit that hardly any cartoon mascots are encouraging kids to get healthy. No wonder youngsters just keep getting bigger and bigger.

That's what they're saying over in Britain anyway, where the lack of healthy cartoon characters is causing a stir. Says one health reporter: "Cartoons are great fun for kids. We definitely don't want to see the end of popular characters like Tony the Tiger and the Honey Monster, but we do want to see them promoting healthier products. Food companies must play their part in the fight against childhood obesity and diet-related disease by acting responsibly."

What do you think? Are cartoon characters a big part of the obesity problem or is this just another excuse to deflect the blame from the lack of parental nutrition guidelines?

(via Calorie Lab)

Thinking about cutting back on exercise? Think again. Lighten up on your fitness, and you just might gain a bit.

When exercisers in one study slacked on physical activity, they gained weight. And guess what? The more they slacked, the more they gained. It's worth mentioning that slackers who kept a bit of workout in their worlds didn't pack on the pounds as much as those who let their efforts slide to zero. Still, their numbers climbed. And what's worse? The more prolonged the hiatus, the harder it is to take weight off once old habits are embraced again. That's right -- simply working out like you once did won't work. You have to do more.

Motivated to stick with your fitness now? I am.

Sometimes I'm hungrier than usual. I usually blame it on the time of month, snack more than I should, get through the week, and then get back on track. Cosmo magazine reports in its September issue that three other factors might be at play for those whose hunger is on the rise.

• Stress. We often reach for food when we need to cope, need comfort, or need to soothe our souls.
• Diabetes. We might crave more food because we don't get enough fuel from blood sugar.
• Pregnancy. Pregnancy might be the reason you want to splurge.

It could also be that you're working out a ton and your body is craving more fuel. If you suspect this is your case, check out the gallery below for five foods fit for hungry muscles.
Note: If you suspect your hunger might be related to first three listed above, you ought to see your physician.

Drain, drain go away, please come back another, NEVER! I am happy to announce that I am completely drain free. I had the last one removed today and needless to say, I am ecstatic. The final drain held on for four weeks and two days. I don't know that anywhere along the way I was prepared to have a drain for this long. but I'm just glad it's over.

Overall, I cannot complain. As strange as it may be to say, the experience with my wonderful surgeon, Dr. Olivier, and her staff nearly outweighs the results of the surgery. They have really held my hand and answered every silly question I've had throughout this process. Believe you me, there have been some silly questions. I guess because she specializes in breast reconstruction of cancer patients she posesses an extra element of care and concern that I've missed in other New York City doctors. I've not only seen it with me but with every patient I've witnessed. It feels good to be in an office where I'm a person and not just another number.

I am slowly noticing a return of feeling in the area below my navel where it was completely numb. I'm no doctor but my best guess is the itching and tingling that I feel deep below the skin is some form of healing. These are the areas where feeling is beginning to return. The tingling only lasts a few seconds but can be aggravating because there's no possible way to scratch. My navel has healed very well and is starting to lighten in color.

Kristen told us about the recently-launched high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) ad campaign. By now, you've probably seen the commercials. The ads bother me to no end. Not only because they imply that HFCS is natural ("it's made from corn") but because of the disturbing way the people are portrayed.

The people who are concerned about HFCS in the commercials come off rude, condescending, and uninformed. Seriously. Would you actually tell a friend that you don't think they care what they feed their kids? On the other hand, the people who think HFCS is fine are knowledgeable and polite. Personally, I think the commercials poke fun at people who are health-conscious and care about what they put in their bodies.

CBS News launched an investigation and found that three of the six studies supporting the Corn Refiners Association's claim that HFCS is no different than sugar were funded by organizations that stand to profit from HFCS acceptance. It's not unusual for parties with a vested interest to fund studies, but it does give reason to raise a questioning eyebrow.

[via FitSugar]

Bringing your lunch to work, school or wherever you spend your days is a healthier alternative to noshing at fast food joints and restaurants. But if knowing this is not incentive enough, consider this: Packing your own lunch can save you up to $2,000 a year. That's enough for a couple pairs of Manolos, a relaxing trip somewhere warm or a reliable older car.

Think about it: A sandwich, side salad and diet pop at a café or restaurant will probably total around $10-$12 (maybe more, depending on where you live). The cost to make that sandwich and side salad and buy the soda in bulk? This is just a rough guesstimate, but I'd say around $3.

The easiest way to make sure you have something nutritious and delicious in your lunch box the next day is by cooking a bit extra when you make dinner. Got other yummy lunch ideas? Please share.

Not keen on the brown bag? Try packing a lunch in something like this Lunch & Go Lunchbox.

Actress and Model Brooke Burke was recently spotted frolicking on the beach in a teeny tiny bikini. Not exactly news, except when you consider that the cover girl has given birth to four, count 'em, four kids. Looking at her now, it's hard to believe, but it's true. Burke admits that getting her body back into amazing shape took a little hard work -- and a lot of help from a belly wrap she designed called Tauts.

"Women around the world have been wrapping their bellies for centuries. I decided to design my own belly wrap, Tauts. I wore it day and night for forty days. My belly was shrinking faster than it had with my other pregnancies. "

Of course, with an endorsement like that, everyone wants a Taut for her own baby belly, so Brooke's started a company selling them -- get yours at BabooshBaby.com.

(via The Weighting Game.)

In order to be a superb athlete, we all know you need to work your butt off and practice as much as possible. You might be surprised, though, to know that in order to become the best, you actually need to do the opposite -- relaxation is the key to breaking records, according to this article from the New York Times.

That's not to say you should take to the couch for a few years and expect to win a gold medal at the next Olympics. Nope, finding a balance between training as hard as you can while not stressing too much about your performance makes all the difference, according to experts. "It's the paradox of athletics," says Rick DeMont, coach at the University of Arizona and a former Olympian. "Tension is slow, tension is inefficient. You need to be relaxed."

Still, telling someone to relax is one thing. Actually being able to relax when hundreds, thousands, or millions of people are counting on your win is quite another. Your thoughts?

Alas, our farm days are over for this growing season. Our CSA farm closes up shop this week, a bit early due to the wet, wet summer; you should see the poor tomato plants. But the rain didn't ruin everything, as we have big, beautiful butternut squashes, just waiting to be cooked and gobbled up.

Butternut squash is loaded with vitamin A as beta carotene, vitamin C and fiber, along with B vitamins, so you really can't lose by making the most of your winter squash.

One of our favorite dishes is a simple pizza with tomato sauce, roasted butternut squash, shallots and sage leaves, topped with prosciutto and feta cheese. How's that for a fun way to eat your squash?

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has proved he's a macho man as a world leader -- now he's setting out to prove he's a macho man off the political circuit too. The feisty figurehead recently announced plans to produce a fitness DVD. No, really. I'm not kidding. Let's Learn Judo with Vladimir Putin was recently released in Russia.

But Putin, a black belt in the sport, has admitted that the title, while catchy, is little more than an advertising gimmick. Yes, Putin appears on the DVD, but the real teaching is left up to master of martial arts, Yasuhiro Yamashita, who is an Olympic Judo champion.

Sorry gang -- no word yet on whether the DVD will be released in North America.

Here's a little tidbit I learned while perusing the September 2008 issue of National Geographic -- an article titled Shopping By The Numbers talks about a a food rating system called the Overall Nutritional Quality Index. Developed by researchers at Yale University and coming soon to a grocery store near you, the qualification system will rate foods on a scale of one to 100 -- one being the least nutritious and 100 being the most nutritious.

In NG's list of common foods, only four items scored 100 -- blueberries, oranges, green beans and broccoli. Here are some other ratings:

• Banana - 91
• Non-fat milk - 91
• Oatmeal - 88
• Raw almonds - 82
• Pasta - 50
• Vanilla yogurt - 43
• Skinless chicken breasts - 39
• Bagel - 23
• Hot Dog - 5
• Soda - 1
  
  

Interesting, huh? See if you can get your hands on the issue for the full list.

The almighty apple is always named as a great anywhere, anytime snack. Low in calories and high in fiber, you just can't go wrong with apples, say the nutrition experts at RealAge, especially if you want to lose weight.

Get your apple slicer ready -- you'll want to prepare a plate full of apple slices before your meals as you battle the bulge. Eating a bit of high-fiber food -- aha, the apple -- before each meal is a sure weight loss booster. That's what researchers say. In a study of women who ate fruit before meals and women who didn't, the fruit group lost more weight, even when following the same reduced-calorie diet as their non-fruit counterparts. Make sure you choose a fruit high in water content for best results -- like, yes, the apple.

And as you grab for that slicer, leave your peeler tucked away. If you skin your apple, you'll be losing some pretty good stuff, like cancer-fighting compounds called triterpenoids.

Nobody's perfect, but living healthfully most of the time is good enough -- at least, that's what we believe. So last week, we asked you how much of an effort you make -- In other words, how often do you eat well? Here's what you had to say:

• 7% of you eat well all the time -- no exceptions. Way to go!
• 56% of you eat well 80% of the time. Nice work!
• 22% of you eat well 22% of time -- good effort.
  
• 9% of you eat well half the time -- about 50% of the time. It's a start.
  
• 4% only eat well 30% of the time -- at least you're getting some veggies.
  
• 1% never eat well.
  
  

I'm impressed! Make sure to cast your vote in other Your Turn polls -- we love hearing what you have to say.