How Many Calories are in that Big Mac?

big macWould you be less likely to drink that Coca-Cola if you knew you had to run 4.2 miles to burn it off rather than simply knowing that it contains 210 calories? Scientists are calling for exercise data to be printed on packaging rather than for just the caloric information to be there.

They explain that the caloric information really doesn’t translate into understanding for most people – but that knowing how much exercise it would take to get rid of the drink or food would.

The researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore have found that teenagers who were given the exercise information were more likely to select healthier drinks or smaller bottles. The findings, published in the American Journal of Public Health, adds to the evidence that caloric information is ignored by most people.


As the study lead Professor Sara Bleich said, “People don’t really understand what it means to say a typical soda has 250 calories. If you’re going to give people calorie information, there’s probably a better way to do it. What our research found is that when you explain calories in an easily understandable way such as how many miles of walking needed to burn them off, you can encourage behavior change.”

For their study, the researchers at Hopkins displayed signs in six shops in Baltimore that presented the facts about a 590ml bottle of fizzy drink. The sign explained that it would take 50 minutes of running or a five mile walk to burn off the drink. The scientists found that customers bought far more healthy drinks when the signs went up than they had been afterwards.

Want Your Kids To Be Better Readers? Get Them Moving!

readA new study led by author Professor Charles Hillman of the University of Illinois shows that you might want to get your kids out for more exercise to improve their reading. Children who are physically fit have faster brain responses when reading than do their less fit peers, according to the study.

They explain that they did not prove that higher levels of fitness don’t guarantee better reading proficiency, but they do see a connection.

The researchers used electroencephalography (EEG) to capture electrical impulses associated with brain activity for reading and doing other activities. Researchers looked at brain waveforms N400 and P600 and found that children who were more fit had higher amplitude N400 and P600 waves than their less-fit friends when reading sentences.


As Professor Hillman explained, “Previous reports have shown that greater N400 amplitude is seen in higher-ability readers…All we know is there is something different about higher and lower fit kids. But more work must be done to tease out the causes of improved cognition in kids who are more fit.”

As Professor Hillman concluded, “Many studies conducted in the last decade, on children and older adults have repeatedly demonstrated an effect of increases in either physical activity in one’s lifestyle or improvements in aerobic fitness, and the implications of those health behaviors for brain structure, brain function and cognitive performance.”

Unique Travel in Oregon

caravans

Here is a unique idea in Portland Oregon. Kol and Deb Delman have created the Tiny House Hotel behind their home. Each of the hotels is 100ft-200ft and was developed when the couple bought a small plot of land next to their home in the popular Alberta Arts District.

Rates start at $125 a night and each home accommodates between 1 and 4 people. Each of the houses has electric heat, a bathroom and hot shower, a kitchen with a microwave and refrigerator and more. As owner Deb said,

“You actually get a lot more privacy than a typical hotel, because you have four walls all to yourself. But you also get that great sense of community and unique amenities not offered anywhere else.”

caravan

The seven small houses are in a circle with a central area for eating and drinking.

As Deb explained, “As the owners, we meet and check in every guest and are available to answer questions like a personal concierge. We’ve also partnered with a local restaurant to provide room service until 2am. There’s also a BBQ, a fire pit, Adirondack chairs, a hammock, and lots of funky, locally made metal, stained glass, and recycled art decorating the compound. You can rent out the whole place. It sleeps 20 people total, and we’ve even hosted weddings.

There’s been such a huge interest in the one year we’ve been open that we’ve actually started Sunday tours and have gotten calls about opening other tiny house hotels.”

Leaving a Legacy

36 year old mother of two, Charlotte Kitley, recorded her experiences battling stage four bowel cancer. She started a blog, writing about her various treatments and how the disease had impacted her life.

Passing away on September 16, her last blog post has gone viral. She asked her husband to upload the post to her blog when she died, and he did so on the day of her death. In the post, she wrote,

“As you read this, I will no longer be here. Rich will be trying to put one foot in front of the other, to get by, a day at a time, knowing I will no longer awake next to him. He will see me in the luxury of a dream, but in the harsh morning sun, the bed will be empty. He will get two cups from the cupboard, but realise there is only one coffee to make. Lucy will need someone to reach for her hairband box, but there won’t be anyone to plait her hair. Danny will have lost one of his Lego policeman, but no one will know exactly which one it is or where to look. You will look for the latest update on the blog. There won’t be one, this is the final chapter.

And so I leave a gaping, unjust, cruel and pointless hole, not just in Halliford Road, but in all the homes, thoughts and memories of other loved ones, friends and families. For that I am sorry. I would love to still be with you, laughing, eating my weird and latest miracle food, chatting rubbish ‘Charleyisms’. I have so much life I still want to live, but know I won’t have that. I want to be there for my friends as they move with their lives, see my children grow up and become old and grumpy with Rich. All these things are to be denied of me.”

And then she urged her readers to “in my absence, please, please, enjoy life. Take it by both hands, grab it, shake it and believe in every second of it. Adore your children. You have literally no idea how blessed you are to shout at them in the morning to hurry up and clean their teeth. Embrace your loved one and if they cannot embrace you back, find someone who will. Everyone deserved to love and be loved in return. Don’t settle for less. Find a job you enjoy, but don’t become a slave to it. You will not have ‘I wish I’d worked more’ on your headstone. Dance, laugh and eat with your friends.”


Her husband is asking people to support the Bowel Cancer UK and all donations will go to the Never Too Young and Time For Guts campaigns.

Cerebral Palsy, a Typewriter and the Magic of Creativity

Enjoy this incredible story of victory over disability. It’s amazing what we can do when we explore our hidden talents.

 


Hit Your Travel Destination at Just The Right Time

best places to beWe can’t always decide when we want to travel. Our plans are dictated by school schedules, office schedules and more. But, if you could pick the date that you wanted to travel – you should have this book under your arm when you plan. The Best Place To Be Today is filled with 365 suggestions for the best place to be on each date.

Because if you’re going to go all the way to the Galapagos Islands to see the sea lions, and you get there during the months when they aren’t around – you probably won’t be so pleased. So, as the book says, get there on March 27th.

The book includes a new adventure every day of the year, as compiled by Sarah Baxter. The best time to visit the Iguazu Falls, for instance, is in December when the falls are at their fullest, and you’ll want to go to the Pacific Coast beaches of Mexico and Central America in September or October since this is when as many as 200,000 turtles arrive to lay their eggs.


If you want to see the endangered giant pandas in China, get there in April, when the females are furtile for a few days. And to see the cherry blossoms in bloom in Japan, you’ll want to travel there in March.

As author Sarah Baxter says: “When you drill down into the calendar year, you can find the world’s seasonal secrets, like Vanuatu’s land-divers marking the start of the yam season or the brief window of opportunity to trek while listening to the sound of mating pandas. Organizing the planet this way helps you pick a destination for that June honeymoon or your October annual leave. You can even use it to inspire your whereabouts on your next birthday.”