1771 Is Your Digital Life Making You Fat? http://jenxyandme.com/blog/post/is-your-digital-life-making-you-fat/ 1315420180 According to a new study on lab mice done at The Ohio State University, social engagement may be the key to decreasing white fat (the bad kind) and increasing the brown fat (the energy burning kind). Lab mice traditionally live in small cages, are given plenty of food and water, have a few playmates, but don’t have anything to do. In this study, mice were moved into more complex environments (mazes, wheels, toys, and more space) along with more individuals. Within four weeks, the mice were leaner, with abdominal fat decreasing by fifty percent.

The implications of this are very interesting for people, especially as obesity continues to rise. Is our digital social life inhibiting our ability to have a physical social life? Is this lack of in-person contact and stimulating environments the cause of the obesity epidemic? It’s all too soon to say, but it makes me want to participate in more activities.

]]> Jennifer Carey 0 1761 Summer Vacation http://jenxyandme.com/blog/post/summer-vacation/ 1312400723 As a kid, I loved the family vacations we used to take. They were never extravagant, but we always had fun. I am trying to give my child the same kind of fun and excitement I experienced as a child on vacation. This year, I let him choose where we went and what we did. I gave him options like Space Camp in Huntsville, AL, Washington DC, going to the beach, or visiting Grandma & Grandpa. Surprisingly, he chose Camp Grandma and Grandpa. His top memories were visiting a baby elephant, hiking in the Cuyahoga National Forest, riding a train, and golfing with Grandpa. He had a great time. I think it’s important to build those memories, even if the destination isn’t typical. Where you able to take a vacation this year? What did you do or where did you go?

]]> Jennifer Carey 1 1754 It’s A Bittersweet End Of An Era http://jenxyandme.com/blog/post/its-a-bittersweet-end-of-an-era/ 1310176629 Today, the final space shuttle lifted off from Kennedy Space Center. A bunch of MindCometeers went outside to see if we could catch a glimpse of it, knowing that it was unlikely due to the cloud cover. We wanted to try anyway. We started talking about all of the shuttle launches we’ve witnessed over the years. The first flight was April 12, 1981 and space was once again a fantasy for all children. It didn’t hurt that the launch of Columbia was situated in between the premier of Star Wars, Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars, Return of the Jedi. Space was once again new and exciting for a whole new generation, my generation.
I remember where I was when the Challenger exploded. I was in Anatomy class and we were watching it on the television. I had my Mom pick me up from school that day because I was so upset. The Space Program has brought us so many interesting and exciting scientific discoveries. It saddens me that we will now have to piggyback on the efforts of countries like Russia and China to get there. Science in the US has taken a major hit and I hope that we can survive the impact. To quote one of my favorite Twitter posters, Neil deGrasse Tyson, “Many lament the shuttle era’s end. But that’s misplaced sentiment. Lament instead the absence of an era to replace it.“

]]> Jennifer Carey 0 1751 Demystifying Sunscreens http://jenxyandme.com/blog/post/demystifying-sunscreens/ 1308943025 There is an excellent article in the New York Times on how to understand both the new sunscreen labels and the existing ones. SPF is about burn time, the higher the number the longer you can stay out in the sun without burning. The term “Broad Spectrum” is meant to indicate protection from UVA rays as well, but it is unclear on the packaging how well it works. Consumer Reports “Best Buys“ for total protection are Target’s Up&Up Sport SPF spray and No-Ad with Aloe and Vitamin E, both are low cost alternatives.

]]> Jennifer Carey 0 1741 The Pyramid Is Now A Plate! http://jenxyandme.com/blog/post/the-pyramid-is-now-a-plate/ 1307578122 The USDA has replaced the food pyramid with a plate! The plate image is more applicable to real-world eating than the pyramid and should promote smarter choices about the type and volume of food we consume. The USDA is also offering ten helpful tips to better nutrition, mainly centered around being conscious of what you’re consuming (know how many calories you need, eat more slowly, smaller portions more often, etc) The most interesting tools require you to log in to use them, but the Analyze My Diet and the Personalized Food Plan are worth a look. I entered what I had eaten so far today and am pleasantly surprised by how much I can eat for dinner tonight!! If you’ve not yet visited the site, you should think about checking it out.

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