So, the big 5K race on Saturday turned out to be... well, a piece of cake! Ok, exaggeration. It wasn't easy, but it certainly wasn't as scary as we made it out to be.

It was, in fact, heaps of fun. So much so that we're already talking about taking part in the Baltimore Running Festival's relay team next year or --gasp-- maybe a 10K come spring. To think, a year ago, my idea of running was a quick scurry across the street to make the light. Yes, we have thoroughly lost our minds.

Stephanie, my former colleague here at Picture of Health, and I held a steady -- i.e. slow -- pace throughout the 3.1 miles. That was key for us first-timers. Our expert running colleagues Julie Scharper and Anica Butler, meanwhile, left us in the dust early on. But we didn't mind so much. Stephanie and I chatted the whole time, waved at the awesome spectators who were cheering us on and didn't once try to walk or roll up in the fetal position on the corner somewhere. We really couldn't have asked for a better day with the cool breeze, throngs of cheering onlookers and upbeat music blasting when we made it to the finish line.

Real runners talk about that endorphin rush that comes after any meaningful run. I'm not sure if I felt that, or rather, complete and utter relief that the race was over. Nevertheless, I spent the rest of the day smiling at my new accomplishment, eager to set the next challenge.

Anyone else take part in the Baltimore Running Festival this weekend? How'd it go?!

Posted by Kelly Brewington at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: Healthy Living
        

A few days ago, we discussed the scary tale of E.coli contamination in hamburgers and some of you commented that you had gone vegetarian  to avoid the recent meat scares.

Well, turns out veggies can be bad for you too. Leafy greens, tomatoes, even sprouts are among the 10 foods that pose the biggest risks of food poisoning, according to a new report from the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest. These 10 foods account for nearly 40 percent of all foodborne outbreaks linked to FDA-regulated food, the report found. Jeesh.

Leafy greens top the list, followed by eggs and tuna, foods with nutrients that doctors have told us for years are essential for good health. Cheese, a great source of calcium, came in at #6 and berries -- loaded with antioxidants -- round out the list at #10. Also on the list: oysters, ice cream and potatoes.

Together, the 10 foods resulted in more than 1,500 outbreaks, responsible for nearly 50,000 reported illnesses, according to the center. Many more illnesses may go untreated and unreported, so the figure may actually be much larger, the center said.

So, let's get this straight. We've been told that processed foods are bad and meat has its risks, but now that veggies are getting a bad rap, what exactly are we supposed to eat?

Continue reading "Even healthy foods pose risks" »

Posted by Kelly Brewington at 12:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Healthy Living
        

Boots are in style these days, but they aren’t always comfortable and healthy for your feet. So, the American Podiatric Medical Association  has come out with a handy-dandy chart that shows the kind of boots people favor and what to look for when shopping for them.

For example, if you like snow boots, look for ones with rubber bottoms and deep grooves for traction. If you like cowboy boots, don’t wear them too long because the toe space is too limiting.

Use arch insoles with your rain boots for support in such a rigid boot. And limit the height of fancy dress boots and look for a substantial heel so you don’t fall over.

Some tips for buying boots: Have your feet measured because your feet can change sizes; try boots on in the afternoon because your feet swell throughout the day; buy for your larger foot (people tend to have two different size feet); and carry an insole in case the boots don’t have arch support.

Also, make sure there is plenty of toe room, a good sturdy heel and traction; make sure they fit in the store because there shouldn’t be a "break in" period; and look for natural materials like leather that will keep your feet dry and comfortable in the winter.

And perhaps the most important advice: Take the boots off occasionally and wear some comfortable sneakers!

Associated Press file photo

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 6:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Healthy Living
        

Are you a runner -- or interested in becoming one? The Baltimore Marathon is coming (Oct. 10) and our friends at The Sun have launched a handy webpage to keep you posted on the latest marathon info.

Anyone planning to run in this year's marathon?

Posted by Kelly Brewington at 2:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Healthy Living
        

The way a group of leading nutritionists and economists sees it, taxing sugar-sweetened beverages could lead to smaller waistlines, expanded government coffers and big savings on health care costs.

In a report published in today's New England Journal of Medicine, the group, led by Yale's Kelly D. Brownell, tries to make the case for a 1 percent per ounce excise tax on caloric sodas, fruit drinks and other beverages containing high-fructose corn syrup. They say that these drinks are a major culprit in the nation's obesity epidemic and costs associated with overweight and obesity issues are estimated to be 9 percent of all health care expenditures in the U.S.

"The science base linking the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages to the risk of chronic disease is clear," they write.

Continue reading "The case for a soda tax" »

Posted by Stephanie Desmon at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (11)
Categories: Healthy Living
        

Do you take natural supplements to ease your joints, visit a chiropractor for an achy back or do a little yoga here and there to find your Zen? Count yourself among the Americans who spent $34 billion last year on alternative medicine, according to a new study from the National Institutes of Health.

About $22 billion of that total was spent on everything from yoga classes and acupuncturists' visits to natural supplements such as fish oil, glucosamine and Echinacea (multivitamins and mineral supplements don't count).

For context, about $14.8 billion went to the supplements -- that's about one-third the total out of pocket spending on prescription drugs. Meanwhile, another $12 billion went to practitioners such as chiropractors and massage therapists -- roughly a quarter of out-of-pocket spending on doctors visits.  

So do they work?

Continue reading "Americans spend billions on alternative medicine" »

Posted by Kelly Brewington at 4:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)
Categories: Healthy Living
        

Electronic cigarettes -- smokeless devices marketed as a way to deliver nicotine without the harmful effects of tobacco smoke -- may be just as unsafe as the products they mimic, officials with the Food and Drug Administration said yesterday.

For months, the FDA has wanted to keep e-cigarettes, as they are known, from being sold in the United States. They have blocked shipments at the border. They have warned that people can't know what they are inhaling when they use the product. But their efforts are being held up, as an e-cigarette manufacturer questions in court whether the FDA has regulatory authority over the devices.

Now, the FDA is saying that a small sample of e-cigarettes that it analyzed contained carcinogens and toxic chemicals such as diethylene glycol, an ingredient used in antifreeze.

Continue reading "FDA: E-cigarettes contain bad stuff, too" »

Posted by Stephanie Desmon at 12:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (20)
Categories: Healthy Living