When I was a young runner, lactic acid was blamed for the delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) that interfered with my ability to climb onto the school bus with ease the day following a hard practice. Since then, we have learned that post-exercise pain is caused by micro tears created when we tax our muscles, and the former scapegoat, lactic acid, doesn't hang out in muscles after a workout. Read more

In case you missed it, it is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. October is dedicated to highlighting this disease, which will affect one out of eight women. They say you are what you eat, but the connection between diet and breast cancer prevention is confusing to say the least. An article over at Nutrition Data helped me sort out the topic, although there really is no clear-cut answer. The two most Read more

We all know we should be consuming enough vitamins and minerals. We need them in order to stay healthy, but did you ever think about what the difference between the two is? Vitamins come from the plants and meat we eat. They are essential nutrients that fall into one of two categories: water soluble or fat soluble. Vitamin C and all eight B vitamins are water-soluble, which means water is Read more

When I started reading food labels, way back when, I must admit that I thought high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) was made out of fruit, because of the "fructose," as well as corn. Now that I have been schooled over the years, I know that this sweetener is made from cornstarch that goes through a serious amount of processing. The Corn Refiners Association has started the sweet surprise ad campaign Read more

Staying hydrated when exercising in hot, humid weather is really important. However, if you are exercising, at a moderate level, for longer than an hour you should probably reach for a sports drink. Unlike water, sports drinks contain electrolytes and carbohydrates to help your body absorb and retain fluid lost during exercise. Because of this, sports drinks do a better job of preventing Read more

Over a delightful dinner of corned beef and cabbage this Saturday night, a dinner guest (with a PhD in science) asked me what was all the hype around antioxidants. So we all know that they are good for us, but why? Antioxidants help clean up our bodies on a molecular level. According to the National Cancer Institute: Antioxidants are substances that may protect cells from the damage caused by Read more

When it comes to hydration do flavored waters do the job? Just about every water company has some new fangled version of water on the market, but are they as healthy as plain water? Glaceau makes some vitamin waters that contain a lot less sugar than fruit juices making them an alternative. Plus each flavor contains a different set of vitamins and nutrients. They also make fruit waters which Read more

Two of my favorite treats are a hot mug of peppermint tea and a cold dish of peppermint ice cream. I must also say that candy canes receive an honorable mention. Peppermint has long been grandma's answer to belly aches and you know what? She was right on target. Peppermint calms the belly and stimulates digestion. It is often taken by folks with Irritable Bowel Syndrome to lessen the Read more

When someone tells you that cracking your knuckles will lead to arthritis, they're wrong. What exactly makes that "popping" sound? When you crack your knuckles, or back, or whatever, you are pushing the joint into or out of its normal position. Joints are the meeting points of 2 separate bones. A thick liquid called synovial fluid is found between the bones. When you stretch, twist, push, or Read more

"Feel full foods", developed by companies like Slim-Fast and Kraft, are scientifically proven to make you feel like you've eaten a large meal when you have, in fact, only eaten a 200 calorie snack. How do they do that? They manipulate the fat molecules to stay intact until they reach the lower part of the small intestine. At that point, the manipulated molecules spark a whole bunch of hormones Read more