My Nutrition and Fitness Plan

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

I Love Eating Clean in the Summer!


I love summer!! It’s easy to get outside because the weather is just euphoric. Warmth of the sun on my cheeks, sweet smells and that dang ice cream truck music! Okay so most of summer is great but I swear the ice cream truck driver must be insane to be able to listen to that annoying jingle all day long. Yesterday I went to the gym in the morning with my mom. Who knew playing tag on one foot was such a great exercise. I came home and got ready to go to the Dr. I’ve been having what I thought was acid reflux. Go to find out my esophagus is malfunctioning. Too bad I can’t just replace it. :) So I get home from the Dr. and my sister wants to go running. She is an amazing athlete. Plays soccer for Brigham Young University. Running with her is tough. I mean I felt like a child when she kept jogging back to me then running back ahead. That slave driver made me run 4 miles and then do abs at the gym and this all after my intense hour session at 6:30 in the morning!! Then she throws me a swimming suit, tiny bikini nonetheless and tells me we are going swimming. I’m not swimming suit ready at all! That pushed me re-evaluate how much energy I put into getting in shape. Who wants to be nervous every time they see a swimming suit? Who wants to be self-conscious about how fast they move or which way they turn in order to make themselves not look fatter then they already are? I want to be able to pick up anything and feel confident that I will look good. I’ve lost 5 pounds doing MonaVie RVL  and eating clean but I'm not yet satisfied. I want muscle and definition. So along with cardio and diet I’m going to start lifting with the big boys. I probably won’t wear cut offs, grunt and slam my weights on the ground but I plan on picking up some iron and getting some muscles.

Also check out the recipes tab at the top. I just added a nice cool summer salad. 
 

Monday, June 6, 2011

MonaVies RVL Weight Management Program

Alright peeps so this is the new experiment... MonaVie's RVL Weight Management Solution. Yea.. Yea.. I know what your thinking "A meal replacement?" However, with my life right now shakes and bars are the best options. Being a full time student and having a full time internship leaves me with very little time. I can't eat in class but I can drink and that is why the shakes work so perfect for me. They didn't leave me hungry today and with enough energy to finish my 70 page project! My dinner of course clean eating. I had Cod, brown rice, and beans with salsa.

Ps. The bars are delicious

My mom is doing amazing! She is still eating clean and today we started a new workout program at her local gym. Loads of burpees, crunches, and pushups! The energy of the group was amazing and I'm excited for this 6 week program!

I've included some recipes but I'll keep adding to it so that you have lots of options. Let me know if you have any suggestions or feedback.

Love you all!

Saturday, May 28, 2011

The Diet Finale

The four weeks of the Tosca Reno Eat Clean Stripped Diet are over!!

The diet has been hard, successful, eventful, and just an amazing experience. Seeing the struggles and triumphant victories these women have made this journey worth it. I loved the variety of food and easy to follow recipes made the diet enjoyable. However, as a full time student and working full time I didn't have the time necessary to prepare. This plan is not for the lazy. It takes work to not eat out or just microwave meals. This diet works and it works well. My energy increased and my skin glows. I'm not the best example though because eating out on dates killed my progress and I ended up only losing a couple pounds.

Chanelle

First of all, I think that I could have much better results if I had more preparation. I never had time to cook or prepare the meals I needed. Working out wasn't that big of deal cause I love it and it was easy to get a work out in before leaving campus. I didn't struggle much with eating unhealthy, just not exactly following what I should have to a T. I definitely want to try this diet again when I have more time to prepare. It was bad timing mostly with a new semester and a new job.

Elise Hymas

My mother has sent me these emails. I'm so proud of her.

Chanelle, Thanks for introducing me to Eating Clean. Not only do I have more energy, but I'm sleeping so much better. I had been diagnosed with Sleep Apnea four months ago and for some reason I can breathe better while sleeping. Loosing weight is nice but feeling great is awesome. Love You!

Cari lost 14 pounds in 4 weeks. I'm going to continue documenting her progress. One of the things that still is hard for her is emotional eating. She keeps chocolate covered almonds in her car for stressful moments. : ) She only eats a couple though which is progress from her habits before. She's also had an amazing support system. My sister, Colette is an incredible athlete who helps train her and also my dad is an avid lifter and soccer player who supports and helps her to meet her fitness goals.

What diet you want tested? Are you interested in having your progress documented to hold you accountable for your health goals? Let me know by emailing me at chanelle.jepson@gmail.com

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Deprived or Satisfied?

Temptation, temptation, temptation, how do you avoid this? I’ve been tempted by many things in my life such as: boys that I shouldn’t date, movies I shouldn’t watch, and food I shouldn’t eat. The first two are easy, well sometimes not the first one : ) I’m a sucker for a pretty boy but food, nonetheless, food is the hardest thing for me to avoid. Work lunches, parties, and dates have left me falling off the bull. I am a true cowgirl and I get back on that weight loss bull and ride it but sometimes I hang on still feeling out of control.
While doing service in Florida I had a companion who I absolutely adored. Well she came to Utah this weekend and had an open house full of food. It was surprisingly pretty healthy. On the stripped version of Eating Clean you must avoid bread, dairy, and sugar. Well actually let us be honest with ourselves, we should always avoid processed sugar! On my plate was sliced turkey with mustard, fruit, veggies and, guacamole. I felt like I was doing pretty well, except for my portions. I wasn’t that hungry but not eating bread had made me feel deprived!!! How do I change my mind from feeling deprived to feeling satisfied? This seems to be common in our world and not just in the world of health. We want to keep up with Jones’s. Debt mounts as people aren’t satisfied with what God has so graciously blessed them with. How do you help yourself feel satisfied with all aspects of life?

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Uh Oh!

Conversation on the Green Drink we were suppose to Drink

Mom- How much is a bunch?
Me- I think it's a handful, let me google it.
Dad-A bunch is just a couple of them.
Mom and Me- No way!
Mom- Honey do you want some of this?
Dad- What is it? It looks like hulk threw up.
Me- I don't know if I can do this.
Mom- It looks wonderful

Today my mom called me and said she loved it. I needed a chaser just to get it down. By chaser I mean water of course! Today was hard, I forgot my chicken for lunch. I was at work so I had one of our MonaVie snack bars. I thought it was the best option since I was starving. Then was starving tonight and didn't make any night snacks so I had 1 tbsp of pb on a rice cake. I know today wasn't perfect but no sugary treats or bread so I'm feeling pretty good.

Cari Jepson (my mom) wrote me this email today.

Chanelle, Today was the second day for this task of eating clean. Obviously having all our food ready for the week has made it simple to follow. I've showed 37 houses since Saturday and I have never ran out of energy. My clients may need to stop for a quick burger and I just pull out my meal. Each meal so far I have enjoyed and would't replace. Thank you for believing in me. I am hoping that Tosca Reno will let us know where we can get a giant cooler purse like hers. It's a must in my line of work.... Good Eats tomorrow daughter. Love Mom
She is a real estate agent for the Franklin Group. She is amazing at her job. She is so optimistic, I mean her response to the Hulk's throw up is proof enough. She is also a hard worker and I'm excited to see her throw that work into herself for once!

Well until next time...

Monday, April 18, 2011

The preparations!


We have all of our clean eats ready to go! I decided to spend the weekend at my mom's, that way we can cook together for the week. We have our tupperware, cooler, baggies, and water bottles all ready to go!

I was teaching my niece London about what the nutritional value's were in different foods. It was adorable to hear her say quinoa(keen-wa.) My nieces and nephews love fruit. I'm trying to help them love vegetables too, but I think that might take a bit of time.

Cari Jepson's Before Pictures

The Journey Begins



Hello my name is Chanelle. I'm on the right and my baby sister is on the left. Yes she has an amazing body and that's about where I'd like to end up. I'm excited to start this journey with my mother and my friend Elise. We all have different goals and all come from different ways of living but together and with your help we will be able to achieve the goals we have set.

My goal is to be on stage in a fitness competition and be proud as I stand there. I've always been active and pretty healthy. However, I want to take my body to the next level and that's why I'm here is to see if I can get the body I want while actually eating. I know it seems like a foreign concept for most dieters but hey let's give it a try and see where we end up.

This morning was great. I woke up and went to the local gym. I'm absolutely obsessed with Zumba. It's an aerobic class that mixes, hip-hop, Latin dancing, and much more to give you some intense cardio that doesn't leave you bored. It was also hilarious to see my mom shake it in her 50's and there were two ladies in there easily in their 70's. So if your local gym offers this class I highly recommend it. It's also available in DVD.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Elise's Before Photos



Elise is excited to start this new way of life. Tomorrow is the big day!! Cari and I spent most of the day cooking delicious food.. sadly I kept taking bites as I cooked.. whoops! Note to self don't cook when starving! I'm excited to not be hungry anymore and be able to eat delicious meals 6 times a day. Stay tuned for the fun, trials, and tips that are ahead!

Monday, April 11, 2011

Testing Tosca Reno's Eat Clean Stripped starts April 18, 2011

You don't need a fig leaf apron to eat the way our first parents did. I'd like you to come on a journey with me. Lets see what changes happen when we eat food the way God intended it. I'm going to be following Tosca Reno's Eat Clean Diet. The diet is based on eating whole, natural, and unprocessed foods that feed our bodies, brain, and spirit.

Starting on April 18, 2011 we are going to follow Elise Hymas, Cari Jepson, and myself go on the journey of clean eating. Each of us has a different story and are starting out at a different place. Cari needs to lose 60 pounds, Elise 20 pounds, and I need to lose 10.

There will be funny times, sad times, and just as Adam and Eve had there will be times of serious temptation. These temptations won't be coming in the shape of any fruit but rather ice cream, cheese cake, potato chips, and candy.

I'll be posting the program so that you too can follow. We'll be giving tips of what works for us and what doesn't. If it works and you want to follow it. We are using the book called Eat Clean Recharged and also Stripped. I highly recommend these books because they have the program but also great recipes.

Thursday, March 31, 2011

“They’re not vegans. They’re baby-killers

A couple was sentenced to life in jail for forcing their child to be vegan. The couple, Jade Sanders, 27, and Lamont Thomas, 31 were convicted of murdering their six-week-old son. The child’s diet mainly consisted of apple juice and soymilk. The child died at 3 ½ pounds.

The child, Crown Shakur was born in their bath and was never taken to the hospital. When he was finally taken to the hospital he had already passed away, says the Sunday Times. The doctors said they could count all his bones through his skin.

Vegans are a strict type of vegetarian that only eat or drink products that don’t come from animals. This is a very restrictive type of diet that cuts out different food groups. In The Sunday Times, the couple claims that they were trying to do what was best for their son while maintaining their vegan lifestyle.

Chuck Boring, a prosecutor, told the jury that, “The vegan diet is fine, his parents lied about what they fed him. He just was not fed enough.” Boring then said, “They’re not vegans. They’re baby-killers. Think about how long they had to listen to his screams and hollers.”

The couple’s lawyer, Brandon Lewis, believes that they didn’t mean to kill their son. That the apple juice worked as a diuretic creating an obstacle for the absorption of nutrients that were suppose to be gained through the soymilk. Sanders and Thomas never took their child to the hospital because they thought there were too many germs.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Don't Take The Pills!

Government protection might do more harm than good in regards to giving out iodide pills, says a recent CNN article. The government wants to give out these pills to those who work or live within a 20-mile radius of U.S. nuclear power plants because of the recent nuclear disaster in Japan.

Rep. Ed Markey believes that potassium iron pills should available in schools, hospitals and other locations within that 20-mile radius. Markey told CNN, “American children should be protected in the event of another nuclear meltdown here on U.S. soil.”

Of this proposal Dr. James Cox, a radiation oncologist at Houston's MD Anderson Cancer Center said it was "a well-intentioned but bad idea." Cox said that there are more side effects than benefits. These pills might be worse than the low doses of radiation from U.S nuclear power plants.

Potassium Iodide blocks radioactive iodide isotopes from being absorbed. This reduces the risks of citizens getting cancer from exposure. Children are especially at risk since they have a higher risk of thyroid cancer.

Cox fears that if iodide pills are accessible then people will take it without a valid reason due to fear of exposure. Irwin Redlener, director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University said, "Americans shouldn't take potassium iodide now because Americans are not, at the moment at risk, so they should not take it now. This should not be an advisory for people to go out and stockpile potassium iodide themselves necessarily."

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Obese Mothers Underestimate Their Children’s Weight

Obese mothers have a big problem of underestimating their children’s weight, says a CNN article. Being overweight and obese is becoming common which might be desensitizing their views on the added poundage.

Eighty-two percent of the obese women in a study underestimated their weight. This skewed viewpoint could be detrimental to their health. Since many find their weight within a normal range they aren’t inclined to change it.

This perception also leaks into underestimating their children’s weight says the article. Half of the mothers who had an overweight child thought their child's weight is normal.

"A lot of their misperception has to do with the fact that overweight and obesity is becoming the norm," says the lead author of the study, Nicole E. Dumas, M.D., an internal medicine resident at Columbia University Medical Center, in New York.

As each mothers weight increases so does her view of her child’s weight. In turn her child also doesn’t see their mother as being overweight. More than 80% of the women were overweight but yet only 41% of their children thought their moms needed to lose weight.

Each child was presented with cards that showed different body type. The kids were then asked to pick which body they thought was ideal for their mothers. The study showed that they tended to pick body weights that were unhealthily large.

"In order to target the obesity epidemic, we need to improve perceptions of body weight and create healthy image goals, but how do we change perceptions? That's the big question,” says Dumas.

Chanelle Jepson

http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/diet.fitness/weightloss.obesity/index.html

Friday, March 25, 2011

Freshman Fifteen May Be From Late Night and Early Mornings

Freshman fifteen may be caused by the late nights and early mornings that make up the average college students life. A recent article by CNN says that those who get four hours of sleep a night eat more calories on average then their eight hour sleeping counterparts. The article talked about how this new finding might explain the correlation between those who get low amounts of sleep and being overweight.

A study done by the American Heart Association was presented Wednesday, said CNN. The study included 13 male and 13 female volunteers who all are at normal weights and are healthy sleepers. Each volunteer spent two six-day periods where they could sleep up to nine hours in the first period and four in the second period. They weren’t allowed to leave or take a nap.

The studies first four days consisted of a fixed diet of cereal for breakfast and frozen entrees for lunch and dinner. Then for the last two days of the study, they could pick whatever food they wanted.

The article says that they consumed more calories and gravitated to high-protein, high-fat foods when they were deprived of sleep. St. Onge said the sleep-deprived volunteers may have been looking for quick sources of energy but also the lack of sleep might impaired their ability to make wise food choices.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Atheists Hate God

Hating something you don’t believe in sounds ridiculous but what can make it even worse is when that hate leads to poor physical and mental health. A recent CNN article states that college students who are atheists and agnostic have more animosity towards God then their fellow students who are believers. Atheists believe that there is no God but yet claim to be angry with him now or in the past.


The article said that church goers are less prone to hate God and are more likely to view their circumstances as well intentioned learning opportunities that God has for them.

Age also has an effect on anger directed towards God. The article showed that young adults have more anger towards God than adults do. This may be because younger people lack the skills to deal with adversity, rejection, and decision-making. Adults are able to deal with those same issues easier since they have experienced more of them in their life.

The article shows us that those negative emotions towards God may lead to physical illness and poor mental health. This anger can be resolved through changing their view about God and expressing their anger in a constructive way.

"When people trust that God cares about them and has positive intentions toward them, even if they can’t understand what those intentions or meanings are, it tends to help to resolve anger, said lead study author Julie Exline, Case Western Reserve University psychologist.

Expressing anger towards God can help people move on says the CNN article. The expression can be done through talking with a higher power or expressing that anger with a spiritual leader.

Knowing that God has acknowledged their anger or another person helps them to heal says the article. Through this healing process people can regain their health and happiness.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Discrimination Against Those With Excess Weight May Add on the Pounds

If being discriminated for being overweight wasn’t bad enough new research shows that it will add more fat to your frame.

A recent CNN article says that those who are discriminated against could have more internal fat then those who aren’t discriminated against. The biological mechanism of how that could occur is unknown, said Lewis, assistant professor at Yale School of Public Health to CNN.

There is some speculation that the extra internal fat could be because of a chemical called cortisol that gets released due to stress. This internal fat is called visceral fat and isn’t the fat you see as muffin top.

This doesn’t help those who have the desire to get in shape. It’s just adding on more weight to the issue at hand.

This type of emotional strain leads many to eat more food as a way to cope. This and the visceral fat may put those with weight issues in a vicious cycle. This cycle can be hard to break away from.
Lewis concluded the interview by saying, “The way people treat one another has a real effect on health outcomes. These experiences make a difference. "

Thursday, March 10, 2011

What you didn't know about the cold

I would bet that most of your mothers, like mine, told you all your lives to bundle up before going out into the cold because if you didn’t, you would catch a cold. Well, not to disrespect any of our mothers, but they’re wrong. The purpose of this article is to set the mothers straight.
There are far too many misconceptions when it comes to the transmission of the common cold. One billion Americans catch the cold every year, and yet, none of us seem to understand the elusive, petty virus.
You could sit out in a lawn chair for hours in a t shirt in January in Rexburg, and not catch a cold. The temperature alone does not transmit the virus. You have to actually touch something they’ve sneezed to catch the virus. The Winter becomes problematic because droplets from a sneeze or cough can travel farther in cold weather, than they can in hot, humid weather. Also, people tend to be in closer contact with each other—they stay indoors, close to one another to escape the cold.
Colds generally last around seven days, and thus far, there is no evidence that any treatments or supplements can shorten this amount of time. As much as we wish there was a cure for the common cold, that reality remains to be seen. The over-the-counter medicines we purchase only alleviate symptoms for a few hours. That is all they can do.
Many people rely on Echinacea and zinc lozenges to cure their illness. While Echinacea hasn’t been proven to hold specific cold benefits, zinc has been proven somewhat beneficial.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Boise

Boise want to nullify a federal health care reform. Rep Vito Barbieri commented, saying"This is Idaho's moment." The debate went back and forth between the parties. Many wanted to stop the health care bill. Anderson said he’s received recall threats for opposing the measure. “I’ve been called many things for this,” he said. “I will not cower from this. What I will do is tell you what I believe and vote for what I believe.”

Many believe that this would go against legislation

Friday, February 18, 2011

Cold Weather doesn't Cause the Cold Virus

Cold weather doesn’t necessarily cause us to get the cold says an article from CNN. This article separates fictitious rumors from accurate facts.

CNN tells us that the cold virus comes from contact. Certain things to look out for are sneezing, coughing, or if someone does those and then touches a doorknob that you in turn touch.

"You really have to actually catch the virus through a droplet from a person who's infected with the virus," said Dr. Sharon Bergquist, internal medicine specialist at the Emory University School of Medicine.

The reason the weather is a hazard is because it travels further. The lack of moisture in the air allows the droplets to stay in the air for a longer period of time compared to when it’s warmer outside.

We tend to spend more time indoors when it’s cold outside causing closer proximity to others who are sick, says the article.

Preventing infection from the cold can be as easy as washing your hands. If you have the cold cough into your elbow and wash your hands more frequently. Sleep is also a major factor in the cold virus says the article; you should get seven hours or more.

Chanelle Jepson
http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/02/16/cold.flu.myths/index.html

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Short Equadorians May Avoid Cancer Because of Their Height

While being short could be in inconvenience in some aspects it might not be in avoiding cancer and diabetes said a CNN article. There was a 22-year study of 99 Ecuadorians who were of severe short stature. These 99 patients had a genetic mutation that caused their heights to be no higher then 4-feet tall.

The 22-year study was published Wednesday in the Science Transitional Medicine journal. The study showed that only one patient got cancer and after treatment was cancer-free. The article stated that the mechanisms that stunted their growth could be preventing them from getting cancer and diabetes.

The article says that they looked at the detailed death information of 53 severely short people and found that there was no evidence of cancer or diabetes related deaths.

Short people might be less likely to get cancer and diabetes but that doesn’t mean their life expectancy will be longer, the article says. The mutation in these patients differs from dwarfism. This is specific to their mutation and not all severely short people.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Why Diets Don't Work

I have tried every diet there is. I’ve tried Akins, Weight Watchers, South Beach, Vegan, vegetarianism, organic, body cleansing, and Nutrisystem. The thing I have found over the years is I always gain the weight that I lose back and sometimes even more.
The classic binge before a diet seems to be where I fail. I eat my weight in food because I imagine myself starving and being miserable during a diet. So it’s possible for me to gain an entire pound the night before a diet. Which if the diet ends up only working for a couple days then I just gained a pound and never lost anything. Do this a couple times and you have a serious problem
As I’ve kept a diet journal I’ve noticed habits that I have. When I’m on my menstrual cycle or about a week before I eat a lot of junk food. When I’m stressed I eat, or bored. I also tend to eat late at night if I’ve stayed up doing homework. Diets don’t put all of these situations in there. They don’t account for cravings, parties, or eating out.
All fad diets take away something. Of course if you take away a food-group then you’ll lose the weight because you are losing the calories associated with that food. Atkins calls for you to get rid of carbs. Your body goes into ketosis, which causes your body to break down muscle as long as fat. You need muscle. One pound of muscle actually burns almost double the calories that a pound of fat would burn. Ketosis is our body’s way of dealing with starvation. Instead of burning glucose it burns fat but then moves on to muscle.
Diets mess with our metabolisms. They cause irregular eating habits that aren’t practical for long term. Every food has something that your body needs and if you cut it out then you aren’t giving your body what it needs. We need every part of the food pyramid and it’s essential that we don’t cut anything out. Moderation is what is key. What we eat is important but also how much and how often we eat is important.
Diets tend to lower the caloric intake by a significant amount. This leads the body to feel as if it’s in “starvation mode.” The body then stores everything you eat as body fat. It’s our body’s way of coping. Our body thinks it has to do this in order to survive what it thinks will be a famine. Honestly most diets are a famine. Then instead of burning fat it pulls from our muscle in order to survive. This causes people to lose weight but not body fat. Muscle is denser than fat so as you lose weight in pounds you will expand in circumference. Your metabolism will decrease as you lose muscle. Not only does starvation make you lose muscle but so does age so you get hit on two sides.
When you go off the diet you will naturally start to consume more calories. This increase in calories would lead to weight gain because your body would have already adapted to the lower caloric intake. Also because of putting your body through starvation your metabolism would be decreased. This decrease would make it hard for your body to metabolize the increased caloric amount. Researchers at UCLA in 2007 found that “Diets Are Not the Answer.” They did a study on effective obesity treatments. One of the conclusions was that dieters regained the weight. A quote from the study say that “Studies show that one third to two thirds of dieters regain more weight than they lost on their diets.” The study also said “It appears that dieters who manage to sustain a weight loss are the rare exception, rather than the rule. Dieters who gain back more weight than they lost may very well be the norm, rather than an unlucky minority.”
While diets seem to mess with our body it also messes with our minds. When you feel depraved of something then you will focus on that food. The more you focus on that food the more likely it is that you will cave and eat it. This set back usually isn’t small. When someone gives into a craving it’s usually severe which causes a serious set back to weight loss. Large binges will cause weight gain.
In the end all a diet does is causes stress, a feeling of losing control, weight gain, a slowed metabolism, decreased muscle, fatigue, and an unhappy person. Diets aren’t the way to go. Eating a healthy, well-balanced diet accompanied with exercise is the only sure way to gain control over a healthy weight. You will get out what you put in. Effort, consistency, and hard work is what will get you results, there are no quick fixes.

Friday, February 4, 2011

Working More Might Be Causing Your Children Weigh More!

Children could weigh more if their mothers work more, an article says. There were many results from the study that this article quotes. Working mothers could be in a rush making them have to rely on quick options such as fast food or restaurants.

The CNN article states that lower income homes have poorer food choices. This news was upsetting to moms who are forced to work. CNN interviewed Susan Wenner Jackson, who blogs about working mothers. She is upset about the studies results.
She said "I get sick of all these studies coming out that seem to say being a working mom equals harming your children," she said. "I've seen a bunch of them -- the kids don't get as much attention, they aren't good readers."

"I don't know how valuable these results are. They're not giving me anything."

There are many reasons why children’s obesity rate is on the climb. Mothers who work usually have to and that studies need to find a way to help those mothers balance career and family life.

Chanelle Jepson

http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/02/04/children.bmi.moms/index.html?hpt=Sbin

Thursday, February 3, 2011

USDA Has New Guidelines

USDA came out with new guidelines on Monday lowering the recommended salt intake amount but not all are created equal, an article by CNN Health says. This new guideline is targeted at African-American, people over the age of 51, and people who have diabetes, kidney problems, and those with a history of hypertension. Their salt intake is slightly over half of a teaspoon where as for everyone else it has remained at about a teaspoon of salt.

Cutting back on salt may be difficult for most since salt content is high in processed foods and pre-packaged foods the article states. The article suggests cooking at home in order to cut back on the salt is something doable for most if not all Americans.

"The new guidelines recognize that obesity is the No. 1 public health nutrition problem in America and actually gives good advice about what to do about it: eat less and eat better," said Marion Nestle, a professor in the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at New York University said to CNN.

The amount of alcohol was changed to one drink a day for women and two a day for men.

The article said that we need to reduce our intake of calories from solid fats and added sugars and also cut back on refined grains.

CNN stated in their article “That for the first time, the guidelines make it clear that eating less is a priority.”

Chanelle Jepson

http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/01/31/dietary.guildelines/index.html

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Organic Food Consumed by Woman

High education and money describe woman who buy organic food while being pregnant. Almost one in ten pregnant women consumes organic food regularly says Science Daily. A study done by MoBa shows that there was not a significant difference between those women who ate organic and those who did not. The women who ate organic food while pregnant tended to have the following trends as researched by MoBa

Ø “They were either in the group with more than 4 years of higher education, or in the group with under 12 years of education in total

Ø Most were either under 25 or over 40 years old

Ø There were many with low family incomes (below 300,000 Norwegian kroner per year)

Ø Many were students or had a partner who was a student

Ø They had normal or low weight (body mass index)

Ø They exercised frequently -- at least 3 times a week

Ø Overall, there were very few who were vegetarians (0.2 %), and a minority drank alcohol (11.6 %) or smoked (8.4 %) during pregnancy. However, the use of organic food is more widespread in these three groups.”

One out of 10 buy organic food, stated by MoBa. The research shows that we need to care less about who is buying the food but what is in the food

Friday, January 28, 2011

Mental Health Problems Increase at College

As the economy goes down so does mental health of college freshman, a recent article states. A recent survey shows that mental health for college students is the lowest it’s been since they started it 25 years ago.

This survey shows that men have a more positive view of their mental health than women do.

Article shows that womnn seek help more often than men do. Women also seem to feel more comfortable talking about their feeling than men do which could sway the actual amount of men that come forward, says Dr. Mark Reed when interviewed by Tamar Lewin with The New York Times.

Students have higher amounts of stress due to increased unemployment rates. Students not only have to worry about a bachelors but in order to even have a job should get a masters or Ph. D.

Linda Sax, a former director of the freshman study who used the data from the research to recognize the gender gaps said, “One aspect of it is how women and men spent their leisure time. Men tend to find more time for leisure and activities that relieve stress, like exercise and sports, while women tend to take on more responsibilities, like volunteer work and helping out with their family, that don’t relieve stress.”

Students need to find ways of dealing with the stress that comes from a decline in unemployment.

Monday, January 24, 2011

"The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids"


The “Healthy, Hunger Free Kids act of 2010” will cost more now but will save money in the future. This act will increase school reimbursement by six cents and will ensure healthier food options for children starting in kindergarten and continuing through their senior year. This comes at a time when obesity is literally expanding.

“The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 would commit an additional $4.5 billion to child-nutrition programs over the next 10 years and implement the most sweeping changes to those programs in decades, says Peter Eisler of USA today. a

At the urging of Michelle Obama, School cafeterias will also be encouraged to purchase food from local farms. This is an expansion of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966.

The bill also requires additional training and qualification requirements for cafeteria staff.

In addition, standards and regulations regarding children’s proof of income have been changed, in the hopes that more students will be eligible for free cafeteria lunches.

Friday, January 14, 2011

Blood Libel

“Blood Libel”

Religious rituals using children’s blood is a fable you don’t expect to hear in an address during the wake of the Tuscan tragedy. Palin, trying to stick up for her gun right views threw gas in a blazing fire. On the other hand others feel as if she was spot on with her comment. Yossi Gestetner, a public relations consultant to Orthodox and Hasidic Jewish community leaders in New York said “Even if she indeed meant it literally, she is right on!” This attention grabbing speech was not popular with the masses whom believe she is pulling attention to herself from the victims and their families during the wake of this tragic event.

Palin expressed who she doesn’t blame for the shooting while she states in her Facebook video “Not with all the citizens of a state, not with those who listen to talk radio, not with maps of swing districts used by both sides of the aisle, not with law-abiding citizens who respectfully exercise their First Amendment rights at campaign rallies, not with those who proudly voted in the last election.”

Palin has once again grabbed the limelight and offended many. I don’t expect this will be the last we hear something controversial from this Alaskan native.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0111/47490.html#ixzz1Ay6XGonm

Chanelle Jepson