Health

Stripped: Diet foods that actually taste good

mooney — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 01:33:54 +0000

Everyone has gone through it: You head to the grocery store to buy a cartfull of the newest “diet foods” for your brand new diet. You head home and the first thing you do is tear off all the wrappers and sample your super-nutritious, low-calorie, non-fat, but very delicious snacks. The only problem? When they stripped away the calories and fat, they took away all the flavor, leaving you with a box of creatively packaged Styrofoam. Chances are you tossed away the box and made a bee-line for the chips, cookies, or ice cream. Well, in this blog I’ve aimed to show you great snacks that are healthy and nutritious, and also happen to taste good. So stay tuned for the first review on Stripped.

Cancergirl

swim37 — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 21:40:54 +0000

hey i’m back. I have to leave again soon but I just wanted to give a little backround information about myself just so you realize how even normal, healthy kids and adults can get this illness. I was always a dancer, between irish dance, hiphop, and ballroom. I also played flute all of the time. I enjoyed my life, I was close with my family and had some really good close friends. I went through elementary school with good grades (most people have good grades in elementary school though. I had a pretty good social life, not outstanding but i liked it just the same. I was far from popular but i think being popular is overrated. I had my close, true friends that I told practically everything to. I went through 6th grade in a new school which was kind of nervwrecking and exciting. I continued to get pretty good grades and still stayed close with my friends. Nothing exciting really happened in 6th grade, i still hadn’t gotten my first bf or my first kiss. I was a pretty average kid. 7th grade came and everything pretty much stayed the same. Until, of course, we got about half way through the year. That’s when I found out about my cancer.

Cancergirl

swim37 — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 19:51:47 +0000

hey guys,
this is my first post but i felt like i needed to do this not only to get my feelings out but to raise awareness for melanoma (the most serious type of skin cancer.) I know what you are all probobly thinking when I say skin cancer. That its nothing, everybody gets it, its not really that harmful, and that really who cares about it. But let me tell you right now that you are wrong. I thought the same thing too until i was in 7th grade. My doctor told me that I had severely malignant Melanoma. Pretty much a way of saying that I had a highly cancerous melanoma on my shoulder. In other words, I was in 7th grade and found out that I had cancer. It sucks. Let me tell you that right now. No 7th grader wants to find out that they have cancer and it was hard at first. And so for everybody out there I would just like to warn you about Skin cancer, mainly melanoma. I have to go right now but I will post more later about my journey through surgeries and recovery. I hope everybody who reads this learns something and will maybe even spread the awareness. Thanx guys
i’ll post more later today
bye!

Pectus Excavatum

Shelby — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 21:01:24 +0000

Hey,… I have Pectus Excavatum (P.E.) this basically means a sunken chest. Does anyone else here have this??? I have less than 2 inches between my chest bone and my back bone. I am going to talk to a doctor in New Orlands tomorrow… He has done these surgeries before and were going to see what he says about it. There is a surgery to correct this… Were they put a bar into you and it pushes your ribs out… I’ll tell you more about this tomorrow when I know when and if im having the surgery. Fill free to ask Questions!!!!!!!!

My Goal to Lose Weight

Ashley Cancienne — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 00:38:40 +0000

Need to lose 19 pounds.

To lose weight i’ll: walk every morning, and night. Jog once a week. Go to sleep at 9 pm, and wake up at 6 am. Go to the YMCA at least 4 times a week. 1 junk food a day, at most. Eat only breakfast, lunch, dinner, and 1 snack a day, at regular times. When I walk, power walk. Limit meal portions. Drink at least 4 bottles/cups of water a day. Sodas count as junk food. Will do yogo class at school.

If I break one of my rules I can’t go on the computer for 1 week. I’m addicted to the computer so it works.

Is there anything I should add?
Does it sound good?

Tips!!!

Ashley Cancienne — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 00:34:04 +0000

1. Getting to eight hours of sleep is just enough. If you sleep more or less you could gain an extra 11 pounds every 6 years.

2. Before you eat something think of the ast thing you ate and when. Envisioning this will make you eat less.

3. When you drink coffee use skim milk instead of creamers.

4. Make sure to take a lathering shower after each workout. If you don’t your body will have breakouts. And its just unhealthy.

5. The more milk teens drink the worse their acne gets. Drink soy milk instead.

6. Use unflavored lip balm instead of good tasting ones. Goodtasting gloss makes you lick your lips more and it dries them out.

7. Wash your sheets weekly to keep from clogging out your pores.

8. A good school/work lunch is Antipasto and a turkey wrap.

9. Plan to do things with buddies to encourage health.
-do an active hobby together like rock-climbing, hiking, dance lessons.
-schedule walks together.
-review eachothers food diaries. Send you can do it texts/emails. And reminders of next workout dates.

Weight

marina22 — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 21:19:37 +0000

God, I hate talking about my weight, but I guess I have to. See guys, I’m not skinny in any way, shape, or form. But that’s not a bad thing. I’m athletic and have muscles that I have earned hitting triples and making diving catches. Skinny little girls can’t make the super plays at second that I can. But I’m tired of all the stuck-up haters who put me down.
First, I have nothing against skinny girls. My best friends are skinny. I hate the girls who think that they are better than you because they are skinny.
Second, it’s really unfair for all you ‘fat-girls’ to weigh yourselves after a big party, think your fat, and go all anorexic. Just stop.
There is nothing wrong with being fat. You are still you, no matter what. Plus, you get all the added advantages. You can tell which guys like you for who you are, not how you look. You can eat what you want without being affected by three or four pounds. And you can tackle that skinny girl who is trying to steal second on you. ‘Cuz you can block her, and your best friend, the catcher, has the skills to help you out.

Dying to Be Skinny

softballerin29 — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:56:52 +0000

We had to write an article on health for science. I just think it sends across a warning to bulimics.

Dying to be Skinny
Bulimics: Beware!

“10% of individuals suffering from bulimia will die from starvation, cardiac arrest, other medical complications, or suicide.” Bulimia is the process of drastically overeating, then either purging, fasting, or over exercising to burn off the calories. This mental disorder can be categorized into two types, known as purging and nonpurging.
Purging bulimia is when people physically throw up or take laxatives, diuretics, or enemas. Contrary to popular belief, purging does NOT stop weight gain. Throwing up only gets rid of half of the calories you’ve eaten, and laxatives get rid of even less. Nonpurging bulimia, which is very uncommon, is when you make up for overeating by fasting, over exercising, or going on extreme diets. Both methods are dangerous and have repercussions.

Symptoms vary depending on the type of bulimia. Bulimics who vomit may have calloused hands (from sticking their finger down their throat), swollen cheeks, discolored teeth (due to acid), and a varying weight. Other effects for bulimics are complications in the blood, brain, mouth, throat, esophagus, muscles, stomach, skin, heart, intestines, and with their hormones. Some of these life threatening health problems are dangerous business.

How do you identify if you, or someone close to you suffers from bulimia? Signs of bulimia include alternating between a lack of eating and overeating, secrecy of eating, going to the bathroom after meals, using laxatives, diuretics, or enemas after eating, the smell of vomit and excessive exercising. People who are bulimics often obsess about their weight, eat until they feel sick, allow food and dieting to dominate their life, and may even feel guilty, ashamed, or depressed after they eat.

Despite how long someone has been bulimic, it can still be treated. The most effective treatment is cognitive-behavioral therapy. This type of therapy targets the unhealthy process of bulimia and the insecurities that cause it. This therapy has two phases: breaking the binging and purging cycle and changing the unhealthy mindset. Antidepressants can also be used in treatment of bulimia. The combination of antidepressants and therapy combats bulimia the most effectively.

If you are or know someone who is bulimic, talk to them about it. Bulimia is unhealthy and dangerous, but most importantly, it’s treatable. If you recognize any of these symptoms, call the National Eating Disorders Association’s toll-free hotline at 1-800-931-2237, for free referrals, information, and advice.

Vegetarianism - what does it really mean?

Shauna — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 21:55:52 +0000

In a society that’s becoming increasingly more aware of environmental issues and improvements, as well as personal health choices in regards to food, I feel that it’s important to get as much information out to the young population as possible.
I decided to become vegan two years ago when a friend of mine requested a free vegetarian starter packet from PETA, and I realized that this is something that’s important to me. First, let’s define these terms. A VEGETARIAN is someone who abstains from eating meat. This is the umbrella term under which various other terms fall, such as ovo vegetarian (eats eggs), lacto-ovo vegetarian (eats dairy and eggs), pescetarian (eats fish), and vegan.
Vegans abstain from consuming any products that come from animals. Vegans don’t eat honey, fish, diary, or eggs, or anything that contain these products. That means no marshmallows or Jell-O (they contain gelatin, which is made by grinding up animal bones), only milk-free chocolate, and none of those honey crackers! Vegans also often don’t wear anything that comes from animals, such as leather, wool, or silk.
Depending on your background, veganism can be either very difficult to imagine or very easy. Being from Texas, it’s hard for my family and friends back home to understand this lifestyle choice and I’ve been called “pretentious” before. I’ve faced a lot of adversity making this change but it is definitely a process, one that I’m still going through today. People just don’t understand why someone would go against the norms, and in the case of animal rights, a lot of people just don’t want to think about it.
People become vegetarians and vegans for a wide variety of reasons. It’s well known that a diet high in fresh fruits and vegetables and low in meat contributes to a long life with less disease. So some make the change for health reasons. Others realize the inhumane, unregulated manner that animals are treated when bred and raised for slaughter, eggs, milk, etc, and decide that they want as much of a cruelty-free lifestyle as they can manage. Sometimes the choice is environmental – the rainforests are being destroyed to make land for cattle grazing, and the amount of food grown and fed to cattle that are going to be slaughtered could solve world hunger. The cattle also contribute CO2, a greenhouse gas causing the global warming scare, and the destroyed trees mean that there’s less foliage to absorb the CO2 and release oxygen.
Whatever the reason, veganism is an important and growing form of activism and lifestyle. Unfortunately there are a lot of vegetarians and vegans who give the lifestyle a bad name, indeed being pretentious or extreme, and turning a lot of people off (PETA is a good example).
I’m not saying you should run out and buy every vegan cookbook you can. I’m not saying you should throw out the meat in your freezer. In my perfect world, there would be no need to exploit animals, but I understand that it’s not so easy for others, or it doesn’t make sense to them. I plead, though, that you at least be kind to vegetarians. Don’t be hateful because they have a cause. It’s what they believe in and if they’re not shaming you, then don’t shame them back.
This article hardly covers what it means to be vegan, but I hope that it helps get some good information out from a quiet, definitely NOT pretentious girl who just strives for understanding. If you’re interested in more information, a simple search engine can provide you with plenty of websites with information. Be wary - there’s a lot of misinformation and craziness out there, but the online vegan community is large, welcoming, and helpful.
Veganism is a huge decision for people to make, for whatever reason. It takes time, thought, and effort, but it’s rewarding beyond imagination. To feel that simply with changing my dinner order I am able to take at least a small part in change does indeed change me.

Goodbye for now

suzanna w. — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 18:02:09 +0000

Hey you all.
I’m not sure how rigidly computer access will be restricted while I’m in treatment, so I wanted to post before I leave. I think a good thing to post now would be my goals because then I can look back and see if I have fulfilled them. I also think these goals are worthy of anyone’s efforts, regardless of whether or not you have any eating problems.
TOP TEN GOALS (in no particular order)
1. Follow the program without trying to compromise with ED; i.e., during menu planning, instead of counting calories, pick what you’d most enjoy.
2. Form friendships with other girls and look beyond competition regarding shape and size or who is the thinnest.
3. To be HAPPY about reaching a healthy weight! That’s the toughest one.
4. Leave prepared to eat in a carefree, non-restrictive way, including “fun foods” (desserts, soda, etc.–basically everything I won’t eat now).
5. Leave with a mindset in which eating, exercising, wardrobe, and talk of food or dieting are not major sources of anxiety or obesession.
6. Fully committ myself to recovery by taking any desires to lose weight, starve, purge, or other ED thoughts with not even a grain of sand (or is it a grain of salt? What’s the expression?)
7. Stay in touch with at least a few close friends.
8. Become a less obsessive and anxious person in general and be less judgmental and nagative toward myself; improve confidence and self-esteem.
9. Alright, this sounds kind of heavy, but to become more spiritually attuned. I’ve noticed that this naturally goes with recovery. When I’m not so consumed with weight and food I can reflect on what really matters to me in life and who I am in the context of the world. I have also noticed that once I have a more positive aura I am more creative and more able to connect with other people.
10. What should my last goal be? I think ultimately to change the wiring in my brain my replacing self-harming and mean thoughts with loving and encouraging ones. This way, instead of getting myself down for eating a “fun food,” I can actually feel good about it. Also, if I change the way I percieve my own thoughts and feelings I can start to feel hunger again, and then I won’t have to follow a meal plan or obsess about servings because I will know what I need to eat.
That’s all for now. Wish me luck.