Want to learn how to maintain your resolution to become a healthier and happier you?
Fitness and Triathalon Expert Ben Greenfield offers tips on how to keep your New Year’s Resolution.
6 New Year’s Resolution Tips
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Have a great 1st day of classes!
Today is the 1st day of classes! Make sure you start the year off right!
Here are some tips to making this semester a success:
- Go to class everyday
Many professors at Parkside take attendance, and missing even one class could affect your grade. Even if attendance isn’t mandatory, skippin class means skipping out on vital information.
- Hang on to your syllabus!
On the 1st day of class, most professors hand out their syllabus. This document explains the course and the professor’s expectations for the year. Hang on to this document! It typically has the professor’s contact information and office hours, the schedule for the class, and their grading rubric.
- Keep track of dates.
Maintaing a calendar or planner will help keep you organized. Once you recieve a class syllabus, take a look at the class schedule and make note of when exams or assignments are due. Compiling this information from all of your classes and putting it into one location (even the calendar on your cell phone!) will help you keep due dates and exam dates in mind.
- Take care of yourself.
Make yourself and your health a priority this semester. Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep each night, maintain a healthy diet and be sure to make time for fun & relaxation!
- Join Ranger Wellness
Ok…I’m just plugging myself here – but I do think joining in on all the Ranger Wellness fun is a great way to get involved on campus, learn more and stay motivated about health and wellness! I mean our whole tag line is : “Eat Healthier, Exercise More, Stay in Shape…Live a Healthier Life!” – aren’t those awesome things!?!
Best wishes for a great semester!!
Set your sights, reach your goal.
How did you first day of the Ranger Wellness Challenge go?
If you haven’t written down your personal wellness goal, now is a great time to do it! Think about what you’d like to accomplish over the next 8 weeks. Do you want to cut out drinking soda? Do you want to eat more veggies? Do you want to get more sleep?
Write down your goal and put it in a place where you can see it multiple times during the day: post in on your computer screen or put it on your bathroom mirror and write it in your Wellness Journal.
The next 8 weeks will go by fast, so take advantage of the opportunity while it’s here!
Be sure to stop by tomorrow to hear how to go from Stressed to Serene. Linda Messershmidt of Your Yoga Lifestyle in Racine will be here to explain how Yoga can change your life. She’ll be sharing her personal story of how Yoga helped her regain her life and health after a high-stress job and how she used Yoga during her fight against cancer. Hear her inspirational story at Noon in the Oak Room.
Hope to see you there!
How much do you know about GM foods?
Genetically Modified foods – known as GM foods for short are all around you. What does it mean to be “genetically modified” ? Are these foods dangerous? Find out more in this post from the FRESH! blog:
What You Don’t Know About GMOs CAN Hurt You
Posted on June 6, 2011 – by Jenny Holm
Photo: AP Photo/Greenpeace, Melvyn Calderon
Guess what? You probably ate genetically modified (GM) food sometime in the past week. After all, approximately 75% of processed foods contain GM ingredients, including most cooking oils, boxed cereals, and other grain products. If you had realized your dinner contained GM ingredients, you might have chosen something else, but you likely weren’t given a choice—GM foods are not required to be labeled in the United States and Canada (though they are in the EU). And while the biotech industry argues that GM foods are no different from their natural counterparts, a mounting body of evidence shows that’s just not true. The GM ingredients we don’t know we’re consuming pose serious threats to our health, our food supply, and our environment.
GMOs (“genetically modified organisms”) are created when gene material from one or several species is inserted into the genetic code of another organism, creating a new combination that does not occur in nature or through traditional crossbreeding. Through experiments like these, scientists hope to introduce or enhance qualities (e.g. higher crop yield, faster growing speed, or resistance to pests) to make them better suited to human use and varying environmental conditions. However, artificially splicing unrelated organisms’ DNA together leads to unpredictable mutations that can cause undesirable and potentially harmful effects on the organisms themselves and those who consume them.
Health Concerns
Incredibly, the FDA does not require any safety tests to be conducted on GM foods, thanks to a 1992 decision allowing companies that produce GM foods to declare them GRAS (“generally recognized as safe”) without oversight. While industry-sponsored safety studies have been conducted on all GM crops approved for planting so far, they’ve been far from rigorous, and many of them violate basic scientific standards.
Independently conducted studies reveal disturbing links between consumption of GM foods and negative effects on health. For instance, when mother rats were fed GM soy, over half the babies died within 3 weeks. The longer mice were fed GM corn, the smaller and fewer offspring they had. Soy allergies increased by 50% in the UK after GM soy was introduced there. Other studies implicate GM foods in disrupting functions of the kidneys, liver, and pancreas; increasing susceptibility to disease; and causing infertility.
In January 2011, plant pathologist Don Huber sent a letter to USDA secretary Tom Vilsack urging him to delay approval of Monsanto’s RoundUp Ready GM alfalfa. His team had discovered a pathogen in RoundUp Ready corn and soybeans that seemed to be responsible for crop failures, as well as infertility and spontaneous abortions in livestock. Huber’s warnings went unheeded, and GM alfalfa was approved for planting.
Despite mounting evidence that GM foods are unfit for human consumption, the US government continues to maintain that they are safe. In the past year alone, three new GM crops (alfalfa, sugar beets, and a type of corn used for ethanol production) have been approved for planting, and genetically modified salmon may gain approval any day. Why? Likely because the connections between biotech giants and the government agencies assigned to regulate their safety run deep: the FDA’s deputy commissioner for foods, Michael Taylor, is the former vice president for public policy at—surprise!–Monsanto. With such a biotech-friendly face at the FDA’s helm, it’s no wonder critiques of GM foods fall on deaf ears there. (See an explanation of the complex breakdown of regulatory powers governing GM foods.)
Environmental Hazards
GM crops that produce their own pesticides (“Bt” crops) have been promoted as environmentally friendly alternatives to natural plants that require heavy applications of pesticides when grown on an industrial scale. However, this toxin still contaminates nearby waterways when plant material washes into them, disrupting aquatic life. It kills indiscriminately, affecting even beneficial insects like butterflies, and irrevocably disturbs delicate ecosystems. As pests develop resistance to Bt toxin, application of additional pesticides will become necessary, negating any purported benefits.
Similarly, crops genetically engineered to produce their own herbicide threaten to create “superweeds,” resistant to the engineered toxins and requiring renewed use of chemical herbicides.
Worse still, when most GM crops (with the exception of GM soy) are introduced into the environment, their pollen spreads far and wide, introducing genetically-modified DNA into formerly natural plants. Once planted, there is no way to prevent cross-contamination. Thus, organic farmers may find their fields contaminated by GM crops, risking their status as certified organic producers.
GMOs Won’t Feed the World
Proponents tout GM crops as a means to increase crop yields, particularly in the developing world where hunger is concentrated and population is growing fastest. But several major studies have shown that GM crops do not significantly increase yields, and in some cases actually decrease them. Moreover, the root causes of global hunger lie not with a physical shortage of food so much as a lack of resources to purchase it.
Intellectual property protections on GM seeds require farmers who plant them to sign agreements stating that they will not save seeds from one year’s crop for replanting the next. Instead, they must purchase new seeds each year, locking many into a permanent cycle of poverty and debt. Addressing poverty, unemployment, and mismanagement of agricultural resources will do far more to prevent hunger than investment in proprietary biotechnology.
What’s Next for GM Foods?
In the US, AquaBounty Technologies has genetically engineered a new salmon to grow twice as quickly as natural salmon. They are also working on GM trout and tilapia. The FDA held hearings to determine whether the GM salmon are materially distinct from natural salmon and is currently considering whether to approve the fish for human consumption.
Canada has approved limited production of the so-called “Enviro-pig,” a GM pig whose waste contains 65% less phosphorus than that of natural pigs. Designed to reduce phosphorus runoff that creates dead zones in nearby waterways, the pig has not yet been approved for consumption, though that possibility is still down the pipeline.
Several EU nations have banned the planting of GM crops, but the European Court of Justice ruled in March of this year that individual member-nations cannot institute blanket bans, reserving that right for the EU as a whole. It remains to be seen whether the Union will take up such a ban. The US is lobbying hard to remove all restrictions on GM foods in Europe, citing free trade rules.
What Can I Do?
Biotech companies have so far stymied efforts to mandate labeling of GM foods in the US and Canada. It’s no wonder they are worried about their profits should labeling requirements be enacted: a recent New York Times blog poll found that 89% of respondents want to see foods containing GM ingredients labeled as such.
While the FDA and USDA continue to dig their heels in, you can at least take steps to protect yourself and your family from the dangers posed by GM foods. Plus, register your concern by signing our petition demanding that consumers be given a choice to avoid GM foods through mandatory labeling.
E-mail me at jenny@freshthemovie.com.
Our blogger serves the Fresh community as a volunteer. To support her work, consider making a donation to our Writers’ Fund.
Banish Belly Fat
Break Bad Habits to Banish Belly Fat
By Hollis Templeton from fitbie
Your bad habits aren’t just messing with your health or annoying your friends. They could also explain the stubborn pudge around your waistline
Nobody likes to be badgered. If you need one more reason to kick a bad habit, whether it’s slumping, smoking, or stashing away loads of clutter, let a trimmer tummy be your motivator. Belly-fat fixes, like sitting up straight, eating more veggies, and getting a better handle on stress can help reduce visceral fat—the dangerous kind that surrounds your organs and raises your risk of cardiovascular disease. Break these 10 habits to score a flatter stomach and silence nagging friends, family, and coworkers once and for all.
Smoking
Lighting up may keep smokers slimmer than nonsmokers overall, but cigarette smoking impacts where your body stores its fat. In an Obesity Research study of 21,828 middle-aged adults, British scientists found that smokers had lower BMIs compared with nonsmokers, but their waist-to-hip ratios were greater. Additional studies suggest that an apple-shaped body—carrying more weight around the waist—puts you at a greater risk for obesity, fertility complications, and cardiovascular disease than a pear-shaped body, when weight is concentrated in the hips.
Drinking Excessively
Sipping a glass of red wine during dinner can help fight belly fat, but go overboard and you could end up with a beer belly. “Alcohol delays your liver’s ability to metabolize fat and also suppresses the hormone testosterone, which is the primary metabolic hormone,” says Keri Glassman, RD, founder of Nutritious Life, a New York City–based nutrition practice. “Studies show that lower levels of testosterone are directly linked to higher levels of belly fat. And, of course, alcohol does have calories, and many people overeat when drinking is involved,” she says
Getting Frazzled
Frequent freak-outs spell more than wrinkles and a few grays. Stressful situations can also show up on your waistline. “Evidence has shown that a high level of cortisol, the hormone that is released in response to stress, has been linked to the abnormal accumulation of abdominal fat,” says Glassman. In one study published in Psychosomatic Medicine, Yale researchers found that otherwise slender women who carried excess belly fat secreted more cortisol when asked to perform stressful tasks compared with women who carried more fat around their hips.
Skipping Veggies
Perhaps you’ve turned up your nose at turnips—and beets, kale, and cauliflower—since you were a kid. But if you want a taut tummy, now’s the time to chow down. “Veggies are a crucial source of fiber,” says Glassman. “Fiber helps to aid in digestion and relieve constipation, which promotes a flat belly.” Plus, packing your meals with foods like beans, bran, berries, and broccoli helps fend off hunger. “Fiber also helps promote fullness, guarding you from making poor food choices and overeating, which can help you get lean overall,” Glassman says.
Having Poor Posture
Sitting or standing up straight isn’t just about manners or form. Proper posture helps keep core muscles—your abs, hips, and lower back—strong and your belly looking less paunchy. Australian researchers studied the postures of 20 adults as they sat hunched in a chair or stood with their backs arched and their bellies hanging out. Then they examined the same study participants as they stood or sat up straight. The scientists found that back and belly muscles were slack while slouching but contracted once the study participants straightened up.
Doing Cardio-Only Workouts
Sure, cardio melts fat, but if you’re skipping core-strengthening resistance workouts, your abs may be in hiding. Bring ‘em out by alternating aerobic activity with strength-training sessions. Korean researchers divided 30 obese women into three groups: those who performed 60 minutes of cardio 6 days a week, those who completed three strength-training and three cardio workouts per week, and a control group. Women in the combined aerobic and resistance training group lost more belly fat and gained more muscle than women in the cardio-only group during the 24-week study.
Doing Weights-Only Workouts
You can spend hours pumping iron, but without some cardio to burn the fat that’s stored around abdominal muscles you can’t show off your hard work. If you’re worried that running or cycling will turn your gym session into an all-morning or all-evening affair, try interval training. When Australian researchers assigned 45 young women to either 20-minute cycling intervals or 40 minutes of continuous cycling at moderate intensity three times per week, the interval group lost 5.5 pounds, on average, with significant reductions in belly, leg, and butt fat. Steady-state exercisers did not lose fat—on average, the women gained 1 pound after 15 weeks.
Keeping a Messy House
If you let dust bunnies take shelter under your sofa, you’re missing out on an at-home belly-flattening workout. The rotational movements associated with vacuuming and sweeping work your core muscles, and common household cleaning tasks burn serious calories. A 150-pound person burns about 85 calories during 30 minutes of dusting. Mopping or vacuuming will zap about 119 calories every 30 minutes and sweeping your porch or sidewalk will blast 136 calories in half an hour.
Not Drinking Enough Water
Fill up your belly to make it flatter. That may sound counterintuitive, but when you hydrate with good old H2O, it works. “Drinking water helps maintain your body’s fluid balance and guard against water retention,” says Glassman, “and can relieve constipation, which causes bloat.” Sipping water is also a way to ward off mindless snacking, a classic belly-fat culprit: “When you are hydrated you are less likely to eat when you are actually just thirsty,” says Glassman.
Skimping on Sleep
Adequate rest can help you shed pounds, but sacrificing slumber for late-night TV may explain why your body clings to stubborn belly fat. During a 6-year Canadian study, those who slept only 5 to 6 hours each night experienced a 58% higher increase in waist circumference and a 124% higher increase in body fat percentage than those who slept 7 to 8 hours a night. “Sleep deprivation lowers leptin, a protein that suppresses appetite and tells the brain when the stomach is full,” says Glassman.
Ranger Wellness Challenge 