July 08, 2007

Slacker Sunday

So it's another laid-back weekend post, even though Crabby took two days "off" during the week. Does the Crab have no work ethic at all? Apparently not!

Actually, in her defense, Crabby is still not very good at getting away from the blog. She spent quite a bit of the time she was supposedly "off" catching up on some blog chores. So readers are getting Randomness and Blog chat today, as is somewhat customary on weekends. Tomorrow: a real health and fitness post again!

So what were these "blog chores?"

First off, Crabby finally updated the Reader Recommendations for the Amazon ads. She messed up the General Health one and didn't realize that it wasn't rotating for several days. It should be fixed now. Note: some of your helpful suggestions do not seem to have usable Amazon codes, or are temporarily unavailable. For example, Jen at The Working Writer suggested some products from The Firm, but Crabby couldn't do it right, so those of you who are interested might want to go to her fine blog to check it out. Beware of her newest post though: there is a picture of donuts on it that could be dangerous to any Sensible Eating Plan you might be on. (Also, as another warning: if you a writer in the aspirational phase of your writing career, as Crabby is, her main website may cause admiration but also moderate to severe pangs of jealousy).

And going back to the product discussion, Crabby is always happy to hear more recommendations! She will stockpile these and work them in over time. She always likes books, but she's also interested in featuring other stuff too, like DVD's, or gadgets like heart rate monitors or the Best Swim Goggles you ever owned or whatever. The main requirements are some relationship to health and fitness, and that you think the thing is really, really good and others might want to give it a try. And why would you bother to do this when there's nothing in it for you? Because Crabby's readers are Smart, Generous, Discerning, and sometimes they have Opinions to Share!

In addition to the Amazon updates, Crabby has a new sidebar addition: "About" pages! These are (a) Very Ugly and (b) Still Rudimentary, but if you're feeling bored someday, please go check them out. Crabby has never been able to figure out how to do "static" pages on Blogger, so this is just a half-assed solution. These hideous looking GooglePages do, however, provide a little more space than the sidebar to feature Policies and Information and Explanations. Crabby hopes to add to these over time. (She also wants to make sure they actually work and do not have sneaky ads on them that she did not put there, so please report any weirdness you might encounter).

Enough about the blog! Here are your Random Research Posts for the day.

Are you on some sort of liquid diet with yucky shakes instead of real food? Might want to rethink that. A study out of Purdue University on solid versus liquid food found that liquid foods did not seem to fill people up the way solid foods did. Those who drank their lunch rather than ate it consumed more calories during the day.

This one you probably heard already, but it's the sort of Good News study that Crabby doesn't want you to miss. Another study says Dark Chocolate is good for lowering blood pressure, but this one found small but measurable benefits even with tiny amounts of chocolate--only 30 calorie's worth. (Though to Crabby, that seems like a criminally low dosage of an Important Health Food!)

And finally, there's this amusing study, which isn't recent, but somehow seemed perfect for readers of Cranky Fitness. Though Crabby has not reached Old Age yet, she thinks she sees her future quite clearly!

11 comments:

  1. Happy Slacker Sunday, Crabby.
    I agree that the Dark Chocolate study called for a criminally low dose.
    In general, I don't buy into the silly human idea that if a little is good, then a lot must be better. This is my Notable Exception to that rule.

    I've always looked forward to being old and cantankerous. Now I have a Scientific Study to draw upon if anyone calls me out on it. It's not for a few years yet, but I can wait.

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  2. Hi Leah,
    With you on the Chocolate Exception to More is Not Necessarily Better. And if there were a true blood pressure correlation to the amount consumed, mine would be about 7/3 by now. And hooray for Old and Cantankerous!

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  3. I have a few friends who tried the various liquid diets. Instead of substituting the shakes for their meals, they drank the shakes in addition to their normal eating. I tried pointing out that the shakes were supposed to be meal "replacements" but met with little success. Oh well.

    Gal

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  4. I've turned up for Slacker Sunday although it's actually Monday here in New Zealand so I'm cheating.

    Now that Dark Chocolate study seems flawed. I can't believe they mean such a miserable amount. In the interests of scientific validity I will do more research in to it!

    Purely for the good of your readers, Crabby!

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  5. For being a slacker, you have a pretty solid work ethic. (I hope that doesn't ruin your street-cred.)


    It's fun to snazz up the blog from time-to-time, huh?

    I like to transform it, as I see myself changing...

    It's fun.
    Hope you had a good weekend.


    Toodles!

    (Opps. Was that too cheery?)
    ;)
    Sylvia C.

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  6. The statement."Those who drank their lunch", has a whole different connotation in the South :-)
    Dr.J

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  7. I have a question for Crabby. Do you find yourself referring to yourself in the third person by the time you've finished a blog entry? {insert grin}

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  8. I was thinking along the same lines as Dr. J. Drinking your lunch is not a SlimFast where I come from. :0

    I did try the SlimFast thing myself once, and found I was always hungry. Since I'm a flight attendant and always on the go I thought downing a quick shake would be easier. Not so, I was just hungry later and had to dash out for a hamburger. So I gave up that and started bringing healthier stuff with me and just munch more often.

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  9. Leah, hey there's a goat on my sidebar, hooray!

    Hi Gal,
    That's pretty funny. Talk about Unclear on the Concept of Replacement!

    Hi Dawn,
    I'm with you, more Dark Chocolate research needed, immediately!

    Hi Sylvia!
    Cheery commenters are most welcome, it is only Crabby who is required to be Crabby on a semi-regular basis and that is very easy for her. You, she suspects, have a Sunny disposition and that's to be envied!

    Dr. J,
    I'm glad someone spotted that, and I should have known you would be the first!

    Marijke,
    Weirdly enough, yes, this blog does make me think in the third person. And not just right after I'm doing it, either. I was coming back from a walk recently and released I'd been narrating it most of it to myself in the third person, as Crabby. Is that twisted or what? As in, "Crabby noticed that the same dog who she had seen defecating on her lawn was again running around unleashed..." Very perceptive question, Marijke, and sorry the answer confirms I am indeed a nutball!

    Hi Noah!
    As a flight attendant, I imagine you must have to deal with the most obnoxious of people after they drink their lunch from all those cute little bottles. (I've always wondered if there's some guideline as to when you cut them off or it's case by case?). Anyway, I think it's great that you actually listened to your body and figured out the liquid thing for yourself. Sounds like you found a much better alternative.

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  10. I love dark chocolate. I polished off an Endangered Species 88% dark bar over the last few days.

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  11. Hi Goinggone!
    As long as the bars are made out of dark chocolate and not Endangered Species!

    Just kidding--seems like a great cause, and like some very yummy looking chocolate!

    And hey, I wonder if you can get them on Amazon? Probably not, but if so, I'll check it out and add them in!

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