The Cold Weather is Upon Us

It is really starting to get cold out there on the prctice field and during this time of year it is especially important to stay warm. Not only will you be more comfortable during your practices, but you will also be keeping you immune system strong so that you can hopefully avoid the inevitable fall cold. Student athletes should make sure that they are wearing the proper attire when the mercury starts to drop. This is including but not limited to any type of long sleeves under short sleeved uniforms, and also some type of long legged bottoms or long socks even. I know that sometimes it is hard to stay mobile and comfortable during our sports if we wear a ton of gear and clothes, but it is worth it in many ways.

It is not just student athletes that should be aware of the changing seasons. You should also be prepared if you play any scholastic intramurals, or even if you are just a regular student who spends a ot of time out doors. Staying warm in the fall and winter are essential to the health of the body and also to your general quality of life.

Weight Loss Supplements

I recently read an article about a local woman who, after having three kids and experiencing the general stress of being a married working mom, had gained a reasonable amount of weight. She said at her heaviest she was weighing over 180lbs. After trying many of the brand name diets (ex Atkins, Jenny Craig, Nutri-Slim, Slim Fast, South Beach) she was not keeping any weight off. She would fluctuate between losing but then gaining 10-12 lbs.

She goes on to tell about seeing a Dr. Perricone on the "Rachel Ray" show one day who was advertising a product called Acai berries (in pill supplement form). These are a berry native to the Amazon region which are high in vitamins and nutrients. She writes about how she began to take this product with another called "Col-n X" which is designed to "remove thick built up sludge from the colon which can reduce the waist size by inches". She says that after maintaining this supplemental intake and dieting and exercising for the 30 day trial period she lost 32 lbs. On the show Dr. Perricone claimed that these supplements would shed pounds what could not be lost with diet and exercise alone. The diet resulted in a total weight loss of 47 lbs.

I have a hard time believing that these miracle supplements would be able to cause you to lose weight that diet and exercise would not. Also, in the article the woman has a before and after picture of herself and they are distinctly different. How could diet and exercise not play a part in the loss of weight in this individual? I cannot imagine that there was even close to 47lbs of biult uo sludge in this person's colon.

Day Care Menu Makeover

Associated Press Medical Writer Lauran Neergaard has a very ineresting article about obesity in children who are in America's daycare systems, and what some of these daycares are and are not doing about the issue. Many daycare facilities are finally sacrificing quantity for quality when it cimes to the food thsat they are feeding our children. Instead of feeding them Chicken nuggets and sugar sweetened juices, they are moving to a more healthy alternative such as grilled chicken and 1% or lowfat milk. Instead of eating cookies for dessert, they are eating fruits such as strawberries or apples. These small changes may be a bit more expensive, but in the long run they are a much better choice. The point of feeding our children this healthy food early is to build a strong foundation of a healthy diet while they are young so that they can keep healthy as they grow and maintain this diet when they are old.

Some daycares are also going as far as to not only have a prolonged recess period, but to actually have a structured recess period of 60 minuites, and a non structured free play time of 60 minuites as well. This would result in the children having much more time to be outside having fun and learning to enjoy school and build strong social bonds with others, as well as more than meet their daily requirements for exercise.