October 2009

Curing the Obesity Epidemic One Beatdown at a Time

October 30, 2009

In a shocking display of honesty or hubris (both?), the immensely likable Robert Verdi recently said, “A lot of women say ‘I should’ve been alive when Ruben was because I’m Rubenesque.’ So times have changed. There are different cultural norms and values and beauty identities, and the fact that thin is in — who cares? It’s why I stopped eating. I think food is for fat people and poor people. Rich people don’t eat. They get dressed up and go shopping.” [Emphasis mine.] Dear Robert,I adored you on Trading Spaces. And The Fashion Police was a guilty pleasure of mine [...]

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The Supplement Your Personal Trainer Won’t Tell You About

October 29, 2009

Ladies and Gentlemen, tonight I’d like to present to you to the 1992 winner of Molecule of the Year. (Yes, that’s an actual award. No, I don’t think you get a trophy or a modeling contract out of it. Yes, I know I’m a geek.) Nitric Oxide (NO)Tired of getting confused with it’s hilarious-at-parties-but-really-vacuous-cousin N2O (a.k.a. laughing gas), this sexy little number plays a big part both in polluting our atmosphere and in running our central nervous system. It is also involved with how much hair you lose, penile erections, and acclimating to high altitudes. But aside from these nifty [...]

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Three Hollywood Halloween Trends That Need to Die

October 28, 2009

Every year Halloween provides an opportunity to let out the parts of us that we normally keep under wraps in a nod to polite society. For one day a year however, you are encouraged to be as violent, sexual, inane or un-PC as your little heart desires. Even given these lax rules there are still ways to cross the line. Pregnant Cliches While the rest of the world is dressing up as the Octomom for Halloween (and laughing at their cleverness), this year Octomom Nadya Suleman is sporting the ever-popular-among-drunk-college-freshman Pregnant Nun costume. That costume was old and unfunny even [...]

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The Strangest Offer Anyone Has Ever Made Me in the Gym

October 27, 2009

Officially the weirdest offer anyone has ever made me at the gym (yes, this even beats all the Quixstar nee Amway pitches): “If you’re still pregnant next week, I’ll bring my gloves and I can just strip your membranes in the locker room.” Warning: Gross Biology Lesson Ahead!For those of you uninitiated with all things uterine, “stripping the membranes” involves separating the amniotic sac from the cervix. With their fingers. Take my advice and try not to picture it. This is often done as a way to start labor although a 2008 study shows, sadly, that it doesn’t work other [...]

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What To Eat When You’re Sick

October 26, 2009

Jell-O drink. That’s what my mom called the concoction of red Jell-O powder mixed with hot water and served in a mug that she gave us whenever we were sick. Looking back, I’m not sure if it was an actual recipe intended to soothe and heal rather than an attempt to stop the whining of a sick kid while using only what she could find in our depleted pantry. While it won’t win any health awards, it was so sugary delicious that no matter how sore our throats were she could still get liquids into us. I was reminded of [...]

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Coast Guard Recruits Anorexic Women in New Ad Campaign

October 23, 2009

Coast Guard Born Ready “Female” (If you get this via e-mail or a feed reader, please click thru to see the video.) First watch the above video; it’s only about 30 seconds. It’s an ad spot from the US Coast Guard sent to me by Reader A. She writes: I saw a commercial last night for the Coast Guard that blew my mind, and I’d love your opinion on it/other people’s opinions on it. Basically, the premise of the commercial is that this girl wasn’t born to sit at a desk, she was born to push herself, challenge herself, be [...]

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Using Light Therapy to Combat Seasonal Affective Disorder

October 21, 2009

For a girl who hates winter as much as I do, moving to the Land of Eternal Winter (a.k.a. Minnesota, The State That Might As Well Be Canada) may not have been the best idea. While I love snow and adore Christmas, the combination of super-cold temps and very short days have a drastic effect on my mood. My problem first started in Seattle where while it doesn’t have the Dementor’s Kiss-esque cold that Minnesota does, it is far enough north to have precious few daytime hours – hours that are besmirched by constant cloud cover. Come October, I’d feel [...]

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Wear Underwear: This PSA Brought to You Courtesy of Charlotte

October 21, 2009

This proprietor is obviously the victim of some seriously bad advice. Being the sort of person who has to learn things the hard way – as demonstrated by the time I lit the lab on fire because I wasn’t listening to the directions. That I gave. Because I was the teacher – I have had ample opportunities in my life to be on the receiving end of lots of good advice. So when Deb – lovely, smart but deluded woman that she is – asked me for the three best pieces I’d ever gotten it was hard to narrow them [...]

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Saturated Fats: Now With Less Evil!

October 20, 2009

Armageddon has arrived. I know it is the end times because I currently have this sitting on my counter: That’s right, at this very moment, a brick of honest-to-goodness liposuctioned-from-swine lard that I purchased and brought into my own home of my own accord is sitting in my kitchen. I know, I can’t believe it either. This little brick of Babe encapsulates everything I have tried to avoid for the past ten years. Aw heck, make it the past 20. It’s fat. Not just fat but saturated fat. Animal fat! Fat purely for fat’s sake!! I blame the apples. On [...]

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Trendwatch: How to be "Skinny Pregnant"

October 19, 2009

Thanks to Laura for the pic! It was awkward. And I have no one to blame but myself. There I was, surrounded by several of my good friends who took me out to remind me that I am actually a person and not just a non-exercising baby incubator, when this happened: Friend: Oh you look so adorable! You’re all belly!Me: Oh no, really I’ve gained a ton of weight.Friend 2: No! You look fabulous! Your face isn’t puffy at all.Me: It just looks that way because I straightened my hair. Trust me, it’s puffy.Friend 3: But your legs look great! [...]

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