World Food Day
Today, October 16th, is World Food Day. It is a day designated for increasing awareness, understanding and year-round action to alleviate hunger.
A report released on Wednesday by the United Nations says that the global economic crises has left over 1 billion people malnourished.
According to CNN Health, the number of hungry increased as governments pumped resources into stabilizing financial markets instead of agriculture and food distribution.
--Dave Costello
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October 05, 2009
Soda Tax Could Help Budget, Health
A study done by the Center for Science in the Public Interest suggests that a tax on soda could help states raise budget money. Perhaps more importantly, a tax could also dissuade people from consuming as much soda, which is a major contributor to both obesity and diabetes. In an article written by the LA Times over the weekend, a senior research analyst for the Center for Consumer Freedom was quoted as saying a tax shouldn't punish a consumer's personal choice. Do you think a tax on soda would be a good idea?
-- Lisa Lombardi
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September 18, 2009
Video: 14-Year-Old Ascends Chocholocco
Watch 14-year-old French climber Enzo Oddo climb his third F9a in two weeks as posted by UKClimbing.com. The climb, Chocholocco, was first bolted by Axel Franco in the 90's, but was first ascended by Cedric Lo Piccolo in 2007.
--Alison Kelman
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September 16, 2009
How Healthy is Your To-Go Meal?
Next Generation Food has compiled a handy guide to ten of your fast food favorites in order to remind you to put down that Dark Berry Mocha Frappuccino and step away from that Fully Loaded Taco Salad. Restaurant and coffee chains may have gotten better and making their products sound healthier, but not all meals are created equal. Arm yourself with this knowledge before you hit the drive-thru.
Click here to read Processed food: a silent assassin?
-- Lisa Lombardi
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September 11, 2009
Mayonnaise: The Silent Killer
Core Daily has put together a list of the ten best and worst condiments for your health just in time for the start of football season -- and heavy snacking. Even if you usually make smart choices with what you eat, you might forget about these five saucy culprits that can pack on the pounds.
Click here to view the 10 Best and Worst Condiments...
-- Lisa Lombardi
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April 17, 2009
Hamilton Tests Positive, Retires from Cycling
Tyler Hamilton, a gold-medal cyclist once thought to be Lance Armstrong's heir, announced his retirement today after testing positive for the banned substance DHEA, according to the New York Times. He knowingly took the substance, which is found in an over-the-counter anti-depression supplement he was using to treat his clinically diagnosed depression.
"Was it stupid? Absolutely yes. Was I wrong? Absolutely yes," Hamilton told reporters in a teleconference held this morning. "But the people who suffer from depression know that sometimes you make drastic decision to make yourself feel better. Yes, I took a substance that was on the banned list for my mental health. Did I take it for performance enhancement? Absolutely not."
This is Hamilton's second positive test for banned substances. The first, in 2004, involved blood transfusions and cast a shadow over Hamilton's gold medal. He was not stripped of the gold medal because samples of his blood were stored incorrectly, though he was banned from the sport until 2006. In 2007, he joined the Rock Racing team, a pro cycling team known for their "bad boy" image. Rock Racing did not immediately return phone calls to Outside seeking comment.
Hamilton finished 83rd in the recent Amgen Tour of California. Had he not announced his retirement, he would have faced either an eight-year or lifetime ban from professional cycling. It's been a tumultuous ride for Hamilton since the Massachusetts native first stood out from the crowd at the University of Colorado, as described in ESPN's comprehensive timeline of Hamilton's career. Back in 1998, Hamilton spoke to Outside about creating a perfect cycling workout to get you in shape for the season.
--Melanie Lidman
Do you think Hamilton should be excused since he claims he took the substance for a non-performance-enhancing purpose? Tell us in a comment below.
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March 31, 2009
Caffeine Blunts Workout Pain
Drinking caffeine before exercise can help reduce muscle pain according to a recent study, published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism. Robert Motl, a former cyclist, found that a cup of coffee pre-workout might blunt the pain felt during an intense workout, according to Science Daily.
Motl gathered 25 college-aged males, dividing them into two groups, with one group taking in about three or four cups of coffee a day. The study discovered that both groups, including those taking trace amounts of caffeine, felt less muscle pain in their quadriceps while biking for prolonged periods of time.
"What we saw is something we didn't expect: caffeine-naïve individuals and habitual users have the same amount of reduction in pain during exercise after caffeine (consumption)," Motl told Science Daily.
Caffeine: a legal performance enhancer?
Researchers have been delving into this quandary since 1978, according to the New York Times. The conclusion is often the same, caffeine improves performance. In fact, the University of Canada's Dr. Mark Tarnopolsky suggests caffeine increases muscle output but also positively affects the brain's sensation of exhaustion, meaning more coffee might result in longer workouts. So drink up.
--Ivan Miller
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February 06, 2009
Arctic Fishing Closed North of Bering Strait
On Thursday, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council voted to protect "150,000 nautical square miles north of the Bering Strait that have become more accessible as a result of the warming Arctic climate," according to an article in the New York Times. The panel's decision closes all commercial fishing in the northern area of the Arctic sea.
The unanimous vote marked the first time the United States has closed a fishery in response to climate change, according to the report. "Global climate change is making everyone think differently up here and making them understand that precautionary approaches are best," Jim Ayers, vice president of Oceana, told the New York Times.
There are no plans to lift the ban until an extensive scientific study has been completed, but the ban will not affect Indigenous populations, according to the article.
--Ivan Miller
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January 27, 2009
Cut Calories: Improve Memory?
A recent study showed boosts of memory when calories were cut 30 percent over a three-month span, according to Nature News. German neurologist Agnes Flöel divided 50 elderly people into three groups: one maintaining its usual diet, another cutting calories, and a third consuming more polyunsaturated fatty acids. Researchers discovered calorie cutters were better able to remember a list of words than non-dieters. The study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
However, some scientists doubt Flöel’s findings. Andrzej Bartke, who expected participants to lose more weight than they did, doubted the verity of questionnaires filled out by participants. “Most people would not stick to 30 percent below what they normally eat,” Bartke told Nature News. “That’s pretty severe. People get hungry.”
Flöel and her colleagues plan to launch another comprehensive study, focusing on the effects of calorie cutting in patients with mild cognitive impairment.
--Ivan Miller
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January 22, 2009
Burmese Sailors Claim They Spent a Month Floating in an Ice Box
Australian officials rescued two Burmese men found floating in a large ice box off the country's north coast last Saturday (Click through to see the picture of the modern day ark). The men said their fishing boat, with 18 other crew members, sank on December 23 and they had been adrift ever since. They claimed to have survived the 25 days of exposure, and Cyclone Charlotte, on rainwater and regurgitated fish donated by two sea birds.
Some experts in Australia are doubting the claims of the survivors. Dr. Alan Steinman, former Surgeon General of the U.S. Coast Guard, told Outside that he questioned the length of time the men were at sea. "The fact that they were released in good condition [Tuesday] gives me real doubts," he said. Survival was possible, according to Dr. Steinman, if they were able to consume a few cups of water a day, but he would expect them to be severely sunburned.
Dr. Steinman wondered how their vessel could get them through the cyclone that supposedly provided their water. "There is no way that thing is not going to roll over in heavy seas," he said, "and then how do you get it back up and regain entry?" He added that the fact there were two of them decreased their risk of psychological damage or exposure, since they could huddle together at night for warmth.
The men look pretty perky in the photograph, but then again I'd probably be rather happy to be rescued after a month in a giant plastic box.
--Micah Cratty
Is this a tale of myth or heroism? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
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