Wii vs the actual sport

Using a standard measure called a metabolic equivalent of a task (MET), researchers have rated the effort required in the Wii video games. 

Overall Wii sessions aren't as tough as the activities they mimic - for example real tennis takes 7 METs but the Wii game only 3 to 4.  Although you're more active playing or doing the real thing, Wii does help you meet the American Heart Association's recommendations for optimal fitness: a half hour of moderately intense activity ( 3 to 6 METs) 5 days a week.

Nine Wii activities- including basic step class, baseball, and tennis - demanded 3 to 4 METs, putting them on par with brisk walking (3.8 METs).  Wii push-ups, advanced step and boxing called for more than four METs. 

Information from 3/10 Readers' Digest

Ending World Hunger - Tomorrow's Table

Excerpt from an article published on 5/15/10 in ScienceBlogs.com

I get email almost every day asking if our produce is GMO'd.  Our produce isn't but I still wonder why the emphatic dislike of GMO product.  This article sheds some light, both pros and cons.

A REPORT by the National Research Council last month gave ammunition to both sides in the debate over the cultivation of genetically engineered crops. More than 80 percent of the corn, soybeans and cotton grown in the United States is genetically engineered, and the report details the "long and impressive list of benefits" that has come from these crops, including improved soil quality, reduced erosion and reduced insecticide use...

The article is by Pamela C. Ronald, a professor of plant pathology at the University of California, Davis, wjp is the co-author of "Tomorrow's Table: Organic Farming, Genetics and the Future of Food" and James E. McWilliams, a history professor at Texas State University at San Marcos, who is the author of "Just Food."

Why look to the traditional diets of native cultures for eating?

Because people knew how to eat long before they knew what a nutrient was.

Human beings are incredible eating machines.  Seemingly odd items as the Intuit's seal blubber, the African Masai's cows' blood, Mayans' corn, beans with very little meat, make for healthy eating habits with the cultures being known for no heart disease or type 2 diabetes to speak of.

So why can't potato chips, cookies, coleslaw and a thick filet mignon be considered odd items for a healthy diet? One look at the average American will tell you why not.

There is no one ideal diet.  But there is one diet that will get you in trouble, the diet that eats lots of processed food, lots of calories, few vegetables, fruits or whole grains. It's the diet that reliably develops heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity and certain cancers.

Remember, not everything in a grocery store should be considered food. Rules to live by:

1. Don't eat something your grandmother wouldn't recognize as food.  She might not recognize a papaya, forgive her and buy.  She wouldn't recognize the new Splenda with Fiber.
2. Avoid products with ingredients you'd need a chemistry set to duplicate.  Ethoxylated triglycerides?
3. Pay more for food, less for healthcare. Processed food made with soy and corn ingredients are going to be cheaper because the government subsidizes their growth. Go figure but don't eat'em. In 1960 we spent 18% of our income on food, now 9.5%.  Meanwhile healthcare costs have tripled.  Eat healthier, eat less (a lot less) processed foods.
4. Don't eat mindlessly.  Eating in the car, in front of a screen (computer or tv, no matter) is eating mindlessly.  Do that and you'll eat more.   

10 ways to feel beautiful

1. Stand up straight!  And while you're at it, sit up straight too! Your brain checks in with the rest of your body to find out how you're doing.  Standing and sitting straight tells your brain 'I feel good'. A study published in the European Journal of Social Psychology found that you feel more confident about what you write.  Plus, mom was right, keeping your shoulders back and chest up makes you look taller, slimmer and self-assured.
2. Don't judge - View your looks the same way you would those of a child or friend, with acceptance not criticism.  Scars can be seen as a flaw or as a memory of an injury.
3. Admire - Studies sho that people who are unhappy with their appearance zero in on their perceived flaws. So focus on what you like about yourself, "when your eyes take in something pleasing your brain's reward system is activated, lifting your mood," says Nancy Etcoff, PhD, Massachusetts General Hospital's Program in Aesthetics and Well Being.
4. Smile - A smile lifts the muscles around the eyes and lips making for a more youthful expression and it also generates a feel-good effect with the brain getting an instant mood boost. You get an added boost when people smile back at you.
5. Breathe deeply - Shallow breathingmanifests as tension in your face, throat and shoulders. Take deep, slow breaths and you'll look and feel more at ease.
6. Thank you - When someone gives you a compliment, just say thank you.
7. Color you beautiful - A pop of color can light up your face and your mood.  Find a shade of red to enhance your skin tone.
8. Only boas should be constricting - Wear clothes that fight.  Too tight gives the appearance that you're uptight and you'll feel uptight. And don't embrace the elastic waistband unless need be.  Looking like a ragamuffin doesn't do much for your self-esteem either.
9. It matters who your friends are - Spend time around people who are confident in their bodies and you'll think along the same terms.

Make breakfast count

Breakfast has some favorite dishes that are good sources of antioxidants that can help prevent or slow down oxidative damage to our bodies. Antioxidants reduce the threat of heart disease, cancer and diabetes.

Whole grain wheats and oat-based products
Yes you can get antioxidants from processed foods such as cereals and breakfast bars, but why not make oatmeal your early morning choice. Oatmeal couldn't be easier to fix, no need to buy the oatmeal in premeasured packets with dried fruit and sugars already added. 1/4 cup oatmeal and 1/2 cup water microwaved for 90 seconds and viola, you've got breakfast. You can add sugar or brown sugar, but try instead using tea instead of water or slice a banana up into the oatmeal before cooking. My sweet tooth is happy with that.

Fruits
Great way to start the day, eat some fruit. We've had a bumper crop of strawberries this year, make it a point to include some in every breakfast you eat. Fruits are a natural source of antioxidants, this includes all types of berries (raspberries, blueberries, cherries, blackberries and strawberries), pomegranates, grapes, pineapples and papaya. Papaya is considered the prime fruit for breakfast in Central and South America. Papaya is loaded with vitamins but also is a great digestive help.

Eat fruit as a side or topping your oatmeal and yogurt. Making a fruit smoothie is a special treat every now and then. You may not want to make it a habit though, blending fruit looses some of its great benefits - fiber.

Nuts
Pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, flax seed can top oatmeal and yogurt too.

Source: FatFreeKitchen.com

Food to love, if you don't then learn to love

Eating well is one of the nicest things you can do for yourself.  Enjoying food that's good for you may take some training of the taste buds, but it's worth it both healthwise and weightwise.

Learn to love these foods:

• Avocados - yes they're fatty but it's monounsaturated fat which is still fat but it's the 'good' fat.  You still have to moderate how much you can eat.
• Beets - Betacyanin loaded along with other phytonutrients help to fight several diseases. Beets also have folate, and are high in fiber and beta-carotene.
• Horseradish - Rich in glucosinolate which helps fights cancer. Horseradishes also are a good source of calcium, potassium and vitamin C.
• Sweet potatoes - High in phytonutrients that promote heart and eye health and boost immunity, these buds are super rich in beta-carotene(thought to lower breast cancer risk) and vitamin A (which may reduce the effects of smoking.
• Cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli rabe - all contain a powerful range of disease fighters.  One of these, sulforaphane may increase enzymes that lower the incidence of colon and lung cancers.
• Blueberries - count on high levels of antioxidants that combat inflammation.  Anthocyanins may have antidiabetic effects. 
• Spinach, kale, seaweed and swiss chard - excellent sources of iron, vitamin A and lutein for eye health. Plus they've got omega-3s.
• Leeks, onions and garlic - They can help lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Research shows they may inhibit the growth of prostate, stomach and colon cancer cells. 
• Whole grains - Tasting great while coming in with high levels of magnesium, B vitamins, and fiber.  And, they may help you to not over eat.  One study shows that people feel fuller after eating buckwheat than after eating other grains.
• Spelt - Good source of manganese and copper.
• Turmeric - Used in holistic medicine as a digestive aid, it can also serve as an anti-inflammatory.  Ordering curry takeout (turmeric a key ingredient) helps nurse a toothache or sprain.
• Oregano - Super high levels of antioxidants.  A half teaspoon has the benefits of a spinach salad.Oregano can also work as an expectorant, cleaning congestion and improve digestion.
• Cinnamon - It has the highest antioxidant level of all herbs and spices with positive effect on blood glucose levels.  Adding it to foods can keep you feeling full.
• Ginger, cayenne, black pepper - The heat on your tongue shows that their gingerols, capaicin and piperine are at work boost metabolism.
• Miso -  A fermented soybean paste is a great source of low-calorie protein. Also count on it for B12 and zinc.
• Yogurt -  A good source of calcium, phosphorus and protein. Unlike mild it also contains probiotics, the good bacteria your digestive system needs.
• Sardines - High in vitamin D and calcium.  Buy wild-caught to get the lowest in mercury.
• Canned salmon - It has more DHA plus EPA omega-3 fatty acids than almost any other seafood.  Nutritionally canned is just as good as fresh.
• Sesame seeds - Tasty seeds contain lignans or plant compounds which can help lower cholesterol. Also good sources of calcium, phosphorous, and zinc.
• Walnuts -  Walnuts have the most alpha-linolenic omega-3 fatty acids which lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and may reduce inflammation in arteries.

Source: Oprah magazine 1/2010 pages 150-154

Imitation Crab Ingredient Inhibits Weight Gain

Say 'yes' to an imitation, imitation crab that is.

It's made from low-calorie, low-mercury, nutrient-dense Alaskan pollock, and new research suggests this fish can help you in your goal of a healthy weight.

Research out of Japan found that rats on a high-fat diet gained up to 34% less weight when given protein from pollock as opposed to other protein sources such as chicken and dairy.