Charity D.'s blog
Scientific
On Stress and Belly Fat
Writer and runner Haruki Murakami has a great line in his book Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World: Walking behind a beautiful young fat woman, the narrator speculates, "There must be as many paths of human fat, as there are ways of human death."
Well, some Wake Forest researchers have found an exception to Murakami's rule: The searchers fed monkeys an "average American diet," and the monkeys got fat. Shocker! But here's the wrinkle: The researchers also found that if the monkeys ate American food and experienced prolonged stress, they got fat in a particular, common way. They developed belly fat.
That's bad news because belly fat is linked to heart disease in monkeys and in humans. People with larger waistlines -- over 40 inches in men, and over 35 inches in women -- are at significantly higher risk for all sorts of trouble: Diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, among others.
Yet another reason to manage your stress: Lose the belly, and nurture your own, natural, even literary, fat profile.
Home Stretch
I Involuntarily Pumped My Fist in Spin Class
"Very out of character for me, but I was feeling so freaking great it just happened!" — jenniew, today, 1:34 P.M.
My Body
Patricia Starr on Pedaling Over the Rockies and Changing Your Life in Your 60s
Patricia Starr, age 71, was Ms. Senior California in 2006 and Ms. Senior Nebraska in 2008, and in 2005 she pedaled across America wearing short short and pantyhose to raise money for music scholarships at her local college. Her new book, Angel On My Handlebars, chronicles her ride.
Before I started, I’d never ridden more than 62 miles in a day. I’ve been walking two miles a day for about 30 years, so I had strength from that, but everyone thought I was absolutely nuts. I was 67 at the time, so people were just laughing at me. Once I got on the road and they saw what was actually happening, though, they though it was wonderful. Some days it was 120 miles. That is so far. I live in Santa Barbara, and it’s like from Santa Barbara to Disneyland.
More...Retreats
Yoga and Backpacking in Yosemite
- Who: Balanced Rock Foundation
- What: Two daily yoga classes, morning meditation, and backpacking, hiking, and camping in Yosemite National Park's backcountry.
- When: May 26 - 30, 2010
- Where: Yosemite National Park, California
Breakthroughs
The Nation's First Female High School Head Football Coach
"Some of the kids tried to test her knowledge of football, and she just shot them down. At the end, they were clapping for her."
— D.C. school official, speaking of Natalie Randolph, 29, a science teacher and former wide receiver for the D.C. Divas, who today, was formally named head coach of the Coolidge High School varsity football team. (via Jezebel)