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) Health & Exercise
About a year ago SELF magazine approached me to ask whether the UNC Eating Disorders Program would be interested in collaborating with the publication in developing and conducting a national survey of women designed to produce an unfiltered snapshot of disordered eating behaviors in American women.The first thoughts that went through my head were really images -- images of SELF covers with thin women, diet headlines, recipes, rapid weight loss promises. At the same time, they promised dissemination of accurate information to 50.8 million readers, which was many more than we could ever reach through academic outlets.So I remained open-minded and met with the editors of SELF in New York. The Conde Nast building, at first glance, was a caricature. If you've seen "The Devil Wears Prada," you get the picture: young women teetering in their heels and short skirts, makeup and perfect hair everywhere. More>> - (
) Don't Say Diet: Recipe makes for a trim tostada
When Don't Say Diet reader Jonathan Claxton saw my lighter version of quesadillas, he wrote to ask if I had any more Mexican recipes to share."I am currently on Weight Watchers, and I love Mexican food - probably why I got to where I needed Weight Watchers," he wrote.
He gave my quesadilla recipe to his online support group and wondered if I could come up with any other slimmed-down recipes.
"There are so many folks like me that can't live without good Mexican food! Thanks for any help you could send to a fellow weight loser," he wrote.
No problem, Jonathan. Here's a recipe I came up with for tostadas. It's one of the healthier meals I've created to keep Mexican food on my own menu.
I lighten up this dish by choosing reduced-fat cheese and the leanest ground beef I can find. More>>
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) Commission to Analyze State Mandates
Monroe County's Republican administration continues to blame unfunded state mandates for high taxes and cuts to services.Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks announced Tuesday her county will try to do something about it. Brooks said a new commission will be formed to analyze the state mandates and come up with solutions to decrease the spending burden on taxpayers.
Brooks says Monroe County only controls 29 percent of its budget. She says the state mandates Monroe County spend the other 71 percent on services like, Medicaid, welfare and public safety.
“I don't think people understand how much of their tax dollars go to things we don't control. And number two I think by having a group of talented citizens come together to make recommendations maybe we will force the state to listen to what we have to say," said Brooks. More>>
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) Cancer survival handbook aims at Alaska Natives
The best defensive weapon of choice for Alaska Native cancer survivors is a return to traditional subsistence food.In a world gone awry with high-fat, processed food, scientific health studies show that a cancer-fighting, low-fat, low-processed diet can be found locally for Alaska Natives - indigenous people with the highest cancer death rates in the country. In fact, the evidence is so powerful that the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium has built a book, "Traditional Food Guide for Alaska Native Cancer Survivors," around the research.Beyond its role for cancer patients, the book serves as a practical guide to wild food available throughout the state.
"The traditional food guide is not only for Alaska Native cancer survivors and their medical providers, but (also) for everyone who enjoys the natural foods from Alaska's lands," said Desiree Simeon, a Tlingit nutritionist from Ketchikan. More>>