Decaf Coffee Not So DeCaf

I have never really gotten the point of decaffeinated coffee, probably because I feel like the point of coffee is that it has caffeine in it and will therefore wake you up/keep you awake. If you don't want that, then I think "why would you drink coffee at all?"

The only reasons I can come up with are that you want to "look" like you are drinking coffee when you can't actually consume caffeine (maybe you're hiding a pregnancy? or the doc has given you a caffeine ban), or because your host offers you coffee after dinner and you don't want caffeine right before bed, but you don't want to appear rude so you accept, or you are trying to ween yourself off coffee and are using decaf as a poor substitute.

If those are your reasons (or if you have another one, let me know), then this article on the caffeine levels in decaf might be a bit disheartening for you. But, I will tell you about it anyway.

Here we go: Undercover coffee cops from Consumer Reports recently tested 36 cups of decaf coffee brewed at Dunkin' Donuts, Starbucks, Seattle's Best Coffee, 7-Eleven, McDonald's and Burger King, and found the caffeine levels in some of the cups to be surprisingly high.

A normal full-caffeine packed coffee has between 85 and 100 milligrams of caffeine, and most decafs have less than five milligrams - but not all. One decaf from Dunkin' Donuts had 32 milligrams of caffeine (the same as a can of coke classic), a cup of Seattle's Best had 29 milligrams of caffeine, and a tall cup of Starbucks had nearly 21 milligrams

Now, I don't think anyone expects a decaf cup of coffee to be completely caffeine-free, but I think most people assume that they come a lot closer than that (and most do). But, what this study really demonstrates is that the decaf process is unreliable, so while sometimes you're going to get a near perfect decaf, other times it might provide a little buzz than you would like.

In response to this study, I want to say "don't drink decaf, drink the real thing," but I realize that this is a little harsh - there may come a time when I find myself having to drink decaf. So, instead I will say, "Be aware that coffee is coffee, and coffee has caffeine, so even decaf has the potential to keep you awake."

Sleep Issues: Try These Solutions?

Women's Health recently ran an article reviewing different natural sleep remedies as an alternative to prescription pills like "Ambien." Considering that Ambien has got a bad rap for producing some pretty weird side-effects (think night binges, freaky night phone calls, sleep-walking and talking; all of which are forgotten the next morning), this article sounded like a good idea. However, as someone who frequently has problems getting to sleep, the natural alternatives they came up with seemed a little weak.

The first one was "Bach Flower Remedies Rescue Sleep," a six-flower essence that you spray on your tongue before getting into bed. The spray is supposed to produce a calming effect that lulls you to sleep. The magazine tester said, "After spraying this stuff under my tongue, I became so focused on the taste and aroma that I stopped worrying about my to-do list." Maybe that is truly what she thought, but I'm pretty sure that would not have been my reaction. If I had a disgusting taste sitting in my mouth, I would fixate on that, and then that would be the reason I couldn't sleep.

The second one was "Sleep Garden zMovie," an hour-long DVD of a Pacific coast sunset designed to send you straight to la-la land. The magazine tester, this time, said, "I could stay up all night watching "Weeds," but the muted nature scenes were so hypnotic, I was out in 15 minutes." Now to this product's credit, the blue light from the TV (which can inhibit production of melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate your sleep cycle), was eliminated from the DVD, but I'm still skeptical of its sleep-inducing efficacy. Maybe I'm weird, but I've never fallen asleep while watching TV or a movie or anything, so I highly doubt that this would put me to sleep. The remaining light of the DVD would probably still annoy me (light is one of my sleep paranoias - I have two blankets taped to my window), as would the DVD sounds.

The third product Women's Health tested was "Dreamerz All Natural Sleep Beverages," a creamy milk-based, melatonin containing liquid. The tester said, "After a week of drinking a hot mug every night, I was able to fall asleep in half an hour." Considering that it contains melatonin, I can see how this might work. But, If I drank a mug of anything right before I went to bed, I would have to get up to pee in the middle of the night, for sure.

The final product they looked at was "Johnson & Johnson Melt Away Stress Body Lotion," a moisturizer infused with a blend of calming fragrances. The tester said, "My fiance slathered lotion on my feet and calves while I breathed in the soft, not over-whelming, scent. How could I help but feel relaxed?" To be honest, I thought this was the lamest product of the lot. A moisturizer? No. That would not put me to sleep.

Looking back on this I think I've portrayed myself as a crazy insomniac, when really I'm not. Unless I am majorly stressed, I don't have a problem putting away deadlines and whatever else is on my mind. My problem (and maybe this is why those natural remedies wouldn't work for me) is not stress per se, but rather stress about my environment. I'm very sensitive to any light or sound. And the room has to be nice and cold for me to get to sleep. (I swear I'm the most annoying person to sleep with, because I seriously think I would sleep best in a cold, dark, isolated cave). But since this isn't really an option, instead I have three fans in my room, earplugs, and blankets on my windows. Haha - I don't know how hubby puts up with me.

Cooking Oil: Which One Is Best?

I'm not much of a cook. Not that I can't cook - I just don't particularly enjoy it; I cook so that I'm not hungry anymore. My husband, on the other hand, is a fantastic cook, and takes great pleasure in everything and anything that is culinary related. So, over time I've gradually picked up a mild interest in cooking too, which is why I find myself reading articles like "What's the Healthiest Oil to Cook With?"

What is the answer to this burning question you might ask? Well it depends on what you mean by "healthy." If you're going to go by calories, then all vegetables oils are basically the same: 120 calories per tablespoon serving. But if you're going to look at heart health, then not all oils are created equal.

All olive oils (and canola oil) are good for your heart because they help reduce unhealthy "LDL" cholesterol (a substance that in excess can lead to heart attacks) and boost healthy "HDL" cholesterol (a substance that can decrease your chance of getting a heart attack); but extra-virgin olive oil has an edge.

It might be the priciest oil of the lot, but new research suggests that this particular olive oil is the best, because it hasn't gone through any chemical processing (the only processing it's gone through is a mechanical pressing of the olives), which means that it's still rich in the natural antioxidant, polyphenol.

This article provides information on why antioxidants are so good, but basically what they do is remove molecules from our body that we don't need, and thus make our cells, and therefore our bodies, healthier and happier.

So, next time you're cooking (I know that might not be too often), consider splurging on extra-virgin olive oil. Your body will thank you for it.

Birth Control for 11 Year Olds

OK, as I'm sure you've heard by now, or read by now- in Portland, Maine, girls who are just 11 years old can get birth control without their parents' consent. Shock horror.

As usual, the media has majorly over-sensationalized this snippet of news, simply because it involves young girls and sex. But, you know, at 12 years old, girls can get birth control pills without parental consent, so really what is one year?

I've been doing a lot of research lately on sexual behaviors amongst young girls, and I have come to the overwhelming conclusion, that whether we like it or not, girls are having sex - or oral sex, really young these days, so why not make sure that at least they don't get pregnant?

It's not like making birth control available is going to make these girls go out and have sex. There is no evidence to suggest that. At all.

In fact, I think, 11 years old is probably the perfect age to make birth control readily available to girls, because after all, this is the age at which they are being targeted for the HPV vaccine. Therefore, if they are going to be protected against an STD, shouldn't they also be targeted against getting pregnant?

Clearly, not every 11 year old girl is having sex ( a study by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy and the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, showed that 80 percent of middle school kids were not having sex), so it's not like there is suddenly going to be this massive rush to fill birth control prescriptions for this age group. But, some girls are getting pregnant at this age, so doesn't it make sense for at-risk girls to be able to go and get birth control without much hassle?

I wasn't having sex at 11 years old, but if I was, I know that I wouldn't have told my parents. I don't think I even told them when I kissed a boy, so I sure wouldn't have gone up and asked them if they could sign a form letting me go pick out a form of birth control. Who does that?!

The Lofton High School here in Gainesville frequently has middle school girls in their program, which works with girls who are pregnant, and the co-ordinator says that these girls really could be anyone - they are just like other teenagers who think they are bulletproof. Additionally, especially if these girls are going out with older guys, at 11 years old - really at any age, it is hard to stop in the middle of sex and be like 'hey, so where's your condom?' At least, if the girls were on birth control, they wouldn't get pregnant.

You might not personally agree with the decision to make birth control readily available to 11 year old girls, but is it really harming you for it to be available? I don't think so. Also, you have to remember this is just one decision by one school district in one state. It's not like it's going to affect the lives of every 11 year old girl in America.

Hedda Fruit Update

So as you can see from these pictures, pineapple did not make the list of acceptable fruits. Nor did raspberries (even with sweetener) or pears.

However, despite these setbacks, there has been some progress. Hedda now voluntarily buys apple slices to snack on throughout the week. So, while apples may be one of the only fruits she likes, they are something she's happy to eat whenever, so that is fantastic!

The pluot (half apricot, half plum) was suggested as the next fruit to try, so maybe that will be the next fruit challenge.

Does Exercise Make Us Svelte?

I think it is fair to say that almost everyone correlates weight loss - or at least weight maintenance, with the amount of exercise they do. In fact, I think it is probably the main reason people bother to get their bodies moving at all. Sure, there are other benefits too - you feel better, it relieves stress, gives you something to be proud of, but these are really just little perks for most of us. The big motivator is weight loss - which is why this article is so shocking.

Essentially, it asserts that despite popular belief, there is really no scientific evidence to support the notion that exercise leads to weight loss. No. Instead, it is apparently a simple case of biology. If your body wants you to be fat, you will be. If your body wants you to be thin, you will be.

The way this works is that if someone is programmed to be thin, their body will naturally want to exercise more to burn off the calories they consumed, and vice versa. Even if someone who is programmed to be fat exercises as much as a person programmed to be thin, they will never be as thin as the "naturally thin" person because their fat cells don't want to let go of their food.

Another component to this argument of the failure to lose weight through exercise, is that exercise makes us hungry, so we eat more when we exercise, and less when we don't. Considering that exercise really doesn't burn all that many calories (This site allows you to see how many calories you burn for different exercises), I can see how exercise might not be a miracle weight loss solution.

However, in my own experience, I've always been able to maintain my weight while eating a lot when I exercise. Every time, I've had a major injury and have been laid off for months, I've gained a little weight. Part of this might be that I think I was used to eating a lot with running, so even when I wasn't running, I would still want the same amount of food. I think it takes a while for your appetite to adjust to being sedentary, and a while to get into a new eating routine. Additionally, when I'm exercising regularly I'm more motivated to eat healthily as well. So I think it's probably true that your eating habits play a role in whether exercise works for you as a weight loss tool.

I understand the argument against exercise leading to weight loss, but I think despite the evidence, it can still be an effective weight loss/weight maintenance tool, if only for the fact that you can eat more, and eat a little crappier, without immediately putting on weight, because no matter how unsubstantial the calories burned through exercise are, there are still some calories burned.

So, while this article might be a little depressing, I wouldn't suddenly quit exercise as a weight loss tool. After all, it is still true that exercise revs up your metabolism at least some. And the more muscle you build through exercise, the leaner you will be. This other article goes into that a bit more.

So, I say find an exercise you enjoy, and as Nike says "just do it."

Puppy Depression

My husband is deploying to Iraq soon, so he's driving our puppy - Mimi - down this weekend, to come and live with me. Anyway, that's why I have dogs on my brain at the moment, so this post is about the depression dogs face when their owners go back to school or work or whatever takes them away from the house for extended periods of time.

When I was back in Louisiana for the summer, Mimi (she's half corgi, half aussie shephard), was such a needy little puppy that it seemed like she got sad if you were away from her for like five minutes. So, since I found out Mimi was going to come stay with me, I've wondered how she'll handle being left alone for hours while I'm at school or doing other stuff.

According to this article, it's not unusual for dogs to get depressed when their owners suddenly leave them for extended amounts of time - especially when they're young. A lot of it has to do with breaking their routine. Animals are routine-oriented, so if they're used to you being at home watching TV all morning, it really throws them when you're not there to do that.

Luckily, there are ways to to prevent your pup's separation-anxiety. Experts suggest:

-leaving the room for varying periods of time, until they learn that you'll always come back.
-keeping your departures matter-of-fact, so it doesn't seem like a big deal when you walk out the door.
-having them perform a command, such as sit, then giving them a treat before you leave.

Of course, these tricks don't always work. So if your dog gets depression, you have to take action.

Interestingly enough, exercise - a remedy that is also suggested for us - is often the most effective way to help your dog get over its depression. Exercise gets the endorphins flowing, and makes your dog feel good.

Another suggested method for easing separation-anxiety is to leave them a shirt or something of yours, so they can smell your scent, and be comforted by it when you're gone. (This tip was suggested to me, while my husband was in Afghanistan, which goes to show how alike we are to our canine friends).

If none of these things work (including waiting it out), then it may be time for more drastic measures. Puppy Prozac is being prescribed more and more to heal dogs who are down in the dumps.

I don't think Mimi will need that, but I will be sure to give her lots of exercise.

I'll let you know how the move goes.

Marion Jones Scandal

Marion Jones, the infamous U.S female sprinter, who stunned the crowds at the Sydney Olympics, winning three gold medals, and two bronze medals, yesterday admitted that she had taken steroids.

I can't say that I am surprised - but, I am sad.

I remember watching her win race after race and being amazed at just how amazing she was. Everyone around me was like "Oh she must be on steroids," but I was like "Maybe she's just good. Everyone who's good always gets suspected of taking drugs, but maybe she's just good." So, now I feel duped.

She had been under suspicion for a long time, but she had always so strongly denied it that I refused to believe it. She even sued Victor Conte, the founder of BALCO (Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative) - the lab at the center of the steroids scandal in professional sports, for repeatedly accusing her of taking steroids.

In August, last year, she tested positive for EPO - a drug used in blood doping, but she was cleared when a subsequent test came back negative.

Now, she says she took steroids several times before and after the Sydney Olympics.

Her defense is that she thought she was taking flaxseed oil. It wasn't until November 2003, she says, that she knew she was taking performance-enhancing drugs.

If this is true, then I think there is something wrong with the relationship she had between her and her coach. How can you not know what you're putting inside your body? And if the coach is trying to get her to win at all costs, he is just as bad as a pushy mom trying to live through her daughter. Actually he reminds me of a beauty pageant mom.

Jones is expected to be stripped of all her Olympic medals, and spend at least six months in jail for lying to federal investigators.

Prosecutors say the only good thing to come out of it is that maybe it will act as a further dis-incentive to not take performance-enhancing drugs.

The saddest part of all this is that I don't know if I'll ever trust an amazing athlete again. I will forever be a skeptic.

For more information, this article provides a lot of background information on the case, and is really comprehensive of Jone's revelation.

Friends with Benefits- All it's cracked up to be?

"Friends with Benefits" appears to be a fairly common sexual arrangement these days. But is it really the fantastic strings-free, whenever I want it, sex relationship it's supposed to be?

Apparently not.

A study, conducted among Michigan State University students, found that actually they can be quite awkward relationships.

The survey results (which were distributed to 125 students) show that many people in such arrangements worry that one or the other will actually fall for the person. Additionally, these friends who could once talk about anything, now feel awkward talking about sex and their relationship.

This article goes into it more, but my reaction is that "well yeah, what did you expect?" Of course, sex makes your friendship complicated- how could it not?

But I guess it could work if you absolutely clear that it was not going to lead into something else- but then how would you know that?

I don't know. Maybe you would get better perspective from talking to one of your friends who was in this arrangement- according to this study most college students have been in a relationship like this at least once.