Is Sugar Really the New Nicotine? Consortium of Researchers and Doctors Say Yes and That We Need to Fight It Just Like We Do Cigs [When research, public health and weird advertising collide]

 Did you know lots of lip balm has sugar in it? Katy Perry, you’re welcome.  “Sugar is the new nicotine!” proclaims Action on Sugar, a consortium of scientists and doctors whose mission is to reduce sugar consumption and diabetes worldwide, in a new public awareness campaign. According to their press release, “This group will initially …

Your Halloween Horror Story: Woman Gives Out “You’re Fat” Notes to Chubby Trick-or-Treaters Instead of Candy [Plus: 10 Creative Things To Do With Extra Halloween Candy]

The Andersen Family Halloween 2013: Son #3 (L) is Jack Frost from Rise of the Guardians, Son #1 (C) is an M&M (yes that’s a plastic snow sled hanging around his neck!), Son #2 (R) made his own “Stevie” costume from Minecraft (yep, he’s got a paper bag over his face but he came up …

The Gummi Bear Cleanse: Attack of the Flamethrower Toting Murder Bears [Bad reactions to artificial sweeteners are so so funny]

Sugar substitutes are not my friend. From lab rat to gym rat, really they’re not anyone’s friend. And yet over the years I’ve ingested way more than my fair share. I remember one incident, remembered only to my roommates as The Day Licorice Died And Took Our Cleaning Deposit With It. I was a young …

The Halloween Dilemma: Will no one think of the children?

To see more strange children’s Halloween costumes, check out this HuffPo slideshow. If you go, let me know what you think of this one. I almost threw up.  Leaves are falling, apples are everywhere, it’s a balmy 86 degrees here – all signs point to fall! (Ok, except the last one. We are having some …

The Sugar Substitutes Debate [How to diminish cravings for sweets]

Food labels are like ancient runes to me – I think that if I just study them hard enough eventually I’ll find the secret to perfect health. This is hilarious on two levels: first because labels lie in so many ways they make ex-boyfriends look lazy and second because while I’m so intent on reading …

New Research: Jelly Beans Will Kill You (Giveaway!!)

I don’t want to start your day off on a bad note but the health and fitness research this week has been, well, a downer. Item the first: Turns out your gut instinct was right – scientists (at Princeton, no less!) have discovered via our favorite furry rodent test subjects that high fructose corn syrup …

The Weirdest Tip for Managing Cravings – And it Just Might Work

The things I do for you people. Seriously. Everyone around me thinks I’m one tinfoil hat short of an alien encounter. And I did it for you. EFTPronounced “fffffftttt” (kidding – it’s actually pronounced “I spit a lot”), Emotional Freedom Techniques is, in brief, a series of body movements, singing, tapping and eye rolling that …

Sugar Bombed: The Cheat Day Debunked

Hot on the heels of the American Heart Association’s recommendation that all Americans drastically reduce their sugar intake – women are now recommended to limit added sugars to 6 teaspoons a day (for comparison, one serving of soda has 8 teaspoons) – comes more bad news about junk food. Scientists have discovered that not only …

Halloween Candy: To Give or Not to Give?

I am the official Halloween Grinch. Mostly it stems from a hatred of all things scary and icky. My theory is that between Iran’s second nuclear facility and OJ Simpson still roaming free there is plenty frightening stuff in the real world stuff. Roman Polanski apologists, anyone? (Off topic but you really have to click …