Brains and Marshmallows

So I was over at Dr. J's place recently and discovered there was an update to the famous marshamllow study.

Remember that? Researchers put young children in a room with a marshmallow and told them if they could wait 15 or 20 minutes and not eat it, they could have 2 marshmallows instead of just one. They timed how long kids could hold out--generally about 6 minutes, but some gobbled it up quickly and others held out much longer, up until the entire time length.

Follow-up studies as the kids got older showed that the ability to wait longer was correlated with greater self-confidence and interpersonal skills, higher SAT scores, less likelihood of substance abuse, and the ability to go to Costco on a Saturday and not eat 35,000 calories worth of free samples.

OK, I can't quite find a source for that last one. I may be remembering that wrong.

Anyway, the implications are that self-control is a fairly stable aspect of personality over the course of life, and that it leads to success on a variety of fronts. 

I always loved reading about the marshmallow study, because I was the kind of kid who would have sat there patiently with that single marshmallow until I was in a nursing home about to expire of old age.  Seriously, if that's what it would have taken to (a) get more sugar, and (b) demonstrate to the adults in the room what a very very good little girl I was? I would have kicked marshmallow ass.

Well, if you haven't seen it already over at Dr. J's, there was a twist to the latest update that sparked a major epiphany for me. That's right, a mental shift of the sort that leads to insipid journal entries and tedious blog posts.   Lucky readers!

But what about the "brains" part of the post?  Well, I love to talk about brains, and not just because of my propensity to work in totally gratuitous brain-eating references in otherwise zombie-deficient blog posts.

Sorry, there are no zombie studies reported here.

But I'm guessing they wouldn't hold out for a second brain.

So what is the study twist, and the major f--cking epiphany it led to, and what does this all have to do with brains?

Lazy Links: Running from Zombies Edition

(Image: Zombies, Run!)

So, no, I haven't actually been running from Zombies recently. I've just been seriously offline this week due to our bi-annual cross-country schlep and all the attendant chores and whining logistical challenges and triumphs a relocation entails. Now there's so much to get caught up on!

Among stuff I missed, for example: while I was on a plane single-handedly holding the whole thing aloft by firmly gripping the armrests catching up on the latest health research periodicals, I missed the fact that Shape ran an online profile of Cranky Fitness! And there were announcements about an upcoming conference I'm going to attend hosted by the nice folks at Dole (who apparently have no idea how my desire for Free Things translates into blog coverage, or I suspect they'd have swapped me out for a more respectable blogger). There's also been all kinds of random health news over the last couple weeks, like what happens if you drink 10 cups of tea a day, or why your Facebook friend list could indicate you're not so bright.

And no, I won't forget about the running zombies...

Blog News:

First off, this is the last day of the Shape Fitness Blogger poll, so if you happen to be heading over there to vote for a better blog than Cranky Fitness, please consider stopping by first at the new "Jan of Cranky Fitness" story!  Why? Well, there's a new picture the Lobster took of me, for one.  And while the stuff I wrote is boring to read, (it was a rush job) it's actually an amusing little lesson on marketing karma.  I was trying to pimp a bit for my life and wellness coaching practice... but the Shape site one-upped me.  Looks like they'd previously sold off a bunch of fitness-related words that I happened to use--so there are annoying highlighted links everywhere.  And none of them, of course, lead anywhere near me.  Take that, greedy crab!

And in other Cranky Fitness developments, I'll be headed off to a conference for a few days next week hosted by Dole.  The coolest thing is the free massage! the other bloggers I'll get to meet!  I'll fill in the blog links later when I chase 'em down, just have twitter handles for now, but look at this awesome list--many of which you may recognize as they have much more informative blogs than mine:

Meghann Anderson, @MealsAndMiles; Sandy Cohen: @APSandy; Lorrie Fenn; @LorrieFenn; Christina Haupert: @CarrotsNCake; Monica Olivas: @RunEatRepeat; Kristin Porter: @iowagirleats; Leah Segedie: @bookieboo; Jenn Walters: @FitBottomedGirl; Tish Merritt: @luvandkiwi.  How cool is that?

'Round the Web:

And now, about those zombies: In this round-up of fitness apps, one caught my eye, though it's still in development:

"ZOMBIES, RUN! will immerse you in an audio zombie apocalypse environment, and when you go out on a run in the real world, you will be collecting ammo, medicine, and other tools to help you survive. The game will also record stats such as calories burned, time, pace, and distance, to help you track your real world runs while you destroy zombies." Sound cool? Check it out at: ZOMBIES, RUN!

I don't know why so many women don't want big strong muscles, other than on their fellas.  But I'd sure like some, and I haven't found a way to order some up online.  So I was intrigued by this Men's Health article on the three best ways to target training for bigger stronger muscles.

Finding calorie counting a hassle?  Over at Live for Food there's a quick way to estimate fruit and vegetable calories.

Do you have a "boy" job or a "girl" job?  At GapingWhole there's an interesting comparison of what fields women and men gravitate towards, and it looks like there are still whopping differences. Interesting question to ponder as to why.

Stuff I Tweeted About Since Last Time:

Study links BPA in womb to behavior problems in preschoolers. http://t.co/WAsBynbV But (big surprise), industry spokeman says it's safe.

Big Study says: no increased cancer risk for cell-phone users. http://t.co/BpGmbxXp Yay! But don't go nuts--more study needed on heavy users.

More evidence that green tea helps weight loss. http://t.co/WEVx9AJ7 Er... if you drink 10 cups a day. But smaller amounts should help too.

Uh oh: The number of Facebook friends you have correlates to gray matter in the brain. http://t.co/EzJQarMK Not good news for me, alas!

Spores! Who knew they were awesome? Take 1 of the 3 toughest types of probiotics for most benefits: http://t.co/Ur2Y3NWH

Many obese folks in denial about health risks: http://t.co/GEoh1KAH Odd, given media's constant exploitation & shaming of fat folks.

We needed a study to learn this? "Neighborhoods with busy intersections discourage children's play." http://t.co/2inTHdk7

Volunteers motivated by altruistic reasons live longer! http://t.co/3sQSTnLj Those with ulterior motives don't.

Walnuts boost inferential reasoning skill--says study funded by the CA Walnut commission. http://t.co/kvtALWiC Infer whatever you want...

Wanna avoid excessive snacking w/out wiring your jaw? Protein should make up at least 15% of your diet. http://t.co/YdeJxFuz

But nicer cars? RT @MentalHealthSoc: Materialistic Couples Have More Problems, Poorer Quality Relationship http://t.co/xTtnfqNV

And just to test out a different way of doing links in a post no one is reading anymore, here's what Huffpo has to say about smuggled honey.

Th.. that's all folks!  BTW, I so appreciated those of you kind enough of to comment while I was gone, and I'm still a bit behind on things in the blogosphere.  But I'm totally looking forward to finding out what all my blogging pals have been up to lately. I'll be back making blog rounds over the weekend... after a few more boxes get unpacked. Also, I didn't get a chance to test the links, so if anyone spots a broken one & is kind enough to let me know, that would be awesome.

Got any thoughts, gripes, insights, news to share?  Just wanna say hi?  Would love to hear from you! And have a great Friday y'all.

Oh Goody, a New Health Horror!

Photo: Drunken Monkey

Important Legal Disclaimer: there are no actual Zombie-Prevention tips in this post. You will still be at the same risk level for Zombie attack after reading the Other Important Health Warnings below. Plan accordingly.

So as longtime Cranky Fitness readers may have noticed, I have a love/hate relationship with health studies. But one thing I always love about them, even when I'm busy hating them, is that they give me something to write about. Hooray for actual health-related subjects!

Fortunately, while I was busy taking a break from serious health reporting in order to frolic with friends, the Research Factories did not shut down and stop production. In fact, a bright shiny Annoying Study came off the assembly line recently just made to order for Cranky Fitness!

But rather than just whine about the study and warn you about the awful health hazard that's going to give you a bunch of horrible fatal diseases, wanna have a little fun with it? How about we look at this latest warning as sort of a personality test. A Research Rorschach, if you will.

Test? What test? You mean not everyone sees two
pesky beavers pulling on a skeleton-lady's pigtails?

Here's The Research.

According to a report in Medical News Today, a new study found "a substantial link" between the nitrates, nitrites and nitrosamines we ingest, and death rates from scary diseases like Alzheimer's, diabetes, and Parkinson's. The authors said, "not only do we consume them in processed foods, but they get into our food supply by leeching from the soil and contaminating water supplies used for crop irrigation, food processing and drinking."

According to the article, nitrites and nitrates are generally carcinogenic, and are found in lots of foods, like cured meats, cheese, beer and water.

So What's Your Reaction?

Don't worry, it's just a one question personality test.

After reading this study:

a. I am now going to drink only water that's purified and tested for nitrates, nitrites, and nitrosamines. I gave up processed foods long ago, but now I'm going to stop buying produce from any source that does not have data on the purity of its water supply, even if it means I have to live solely on beets and alfalfa sprouts and rutabagas grown in my own basement.

b. I don't give a crap. Nitrates, schmytrates, we're all gonna die someday. Pass the bacon!

c. I'm really afraid of Alzheimer's and those other diseases so I'm going to stay up all night worrying about this. And the next night. And probably the next too, unless I read some other study that's even worse. But how can I not panic about this if the poison is already in our water supply? We're all doomed! Doomed!

d. I already try to limit my intake of processed foods. But if I see more studies like this, perhaps I'll try to investigate the safety of my local water supply and consider a filtration system or bottled alternative if it turns out it's especially funky. Otherwise, there's not much I can do!

e. What kind of a horsesh*t study is this? I clicked on the link and looked at the methodology. They looked at the timelines for increase in fertilizer use, and the increasing death rates, and then concluded that there's a cause and effect relationship? Aren't there a million other lifestyle changes during this period that could also be responsible?

f. Nitrates? Did you just say something about nitrates? I thought this was supposed to be about Zombies.

What's Your Coping Style for dealing with Annoying Research?

Note: it is quite possible to combine strategies, so you may have more than one answer.

If you answered a, you may be an Extreme Health Activist! To prevent anxiety and/or premature death, you do every freakin' thing you can think of to limit your health risks. Upside: to the extent these studies are right, you may actually live longer. Downside: with all the time-consuming, pain-in-the-ass precautions you take, you need extra years just to come out even!

If you answered b, you may be a Devil-May-Care Hedonist! To prevent Annoying Health studies from spoiling your fun, you just ignore them. Who cares what a bunch of bespectacled lab geeks say is good or bad for you? Upside: Fun! Fun! Fun! Downside: sometimes, the studies all say the same things and if you ignore them you may croak early.

If you answered c, you may be a Professional Worrier. It's not that you enjoy worrying exactly, but it's such a natural state you prefer to freak yourself out rather than take concrete action to minimize your risks. Upside: Well, not a whole lot, but it's treatable! See your local shrink or consult an anxiety self-help book. Downside: Worrying about your health is actually bad for your health. Which will make you worry more about your health which will...

If you answered d you may be a Lifestyle Pragmatist. You do what you can to minimize risks, but you're not going to spend a whole lot of time panicking over things you can't control. Upside: you maintain a good balance between virtue and Fun. Downside: You will rarely be a Trendsetter or an Amusing Nutball, and thus might never get your 15 minutes on Jerry Springer or Oprah.

If you answered e you may be a Perennial Research Skeptic. (D's and E's frequently occur together). You don't take the conclusion of a study or an "expert" seriously until you have some notion of how reliable the underlying data is. You may or may not have any clue what makes for reliable data (and may even think a peer-reviewed journal is something fisherman read), but you do know that you can't believe everything you read. Upside: less likely to worry about bogus health hazards. Downside: often over-analytical and kinda tedious at cocktail parties.

If you answered f you are... Normal! What are you doing reading Cranky Fitness? Instead of boring health news, you could be finding out which movie stars are cheating on each other and what Michelle Obama was wearing last night!

What's your coping style? Worried about nitrosamines or zombies attacks or do you take it all in stride?

Random Friday

[By Crabby]

So it's Friday, and that means it's we've got another mishmash of health research and Weird Stuff waiting here for you at Cranky Fitness. And it's a short mishmash too, maybe more just a mish, due to an untimely computer disaster.

Now wouldn't it be a shock if one day you checked in to a Random Friday post and there was no disclaimer, just a well-organized round-up of important health news? Ha! Anyway, let's jump right in, shall we?

Boil your vegetables?
You may have read that boiling your vegetables destroys the nutrients in them, but new research says: does not! In fact this study found that boiling vegetables preserved or even boosted nutritional value in comparison to raw vegetables, whereas frying allowed more loss of nutrients. Broccoli, in particular, got an antioxidant boost when it was boiled or steamed.

Another Weight-Related Health Hazard:
According to this research, obese people are less likely to use their seatbelts than other folks, with about 55 percent of extremely obese individuals reporting they did not use a seatbelt. The researchers said: "efforts should be made to raise public awareness about seatbelt extender availability, and manufacturers not offering seatbelt extenders should be encouraged, or required, to make them available." Crabby says: "hell yeah."

File This One Under: Oops!
Apparently some hospital's 'Do Not Resuscitate' wristbands look a lot like Lance Armstrong 'LiveStrong' bracelets. So far, close calls have been reported, but no accidental Lance-related dnr's... yet.

And File This One Under: Yecch!
Don't know how we missed this article, but it says that 1 in 5 Chicago area restaurants studied had more bacteria and fecal matter in their ice cubes than in a random testing of toilet water. I'd say "glad I don't live in Chicago..." except it's probably the same everywhere. Curiously, however, many of us go to restaurants and aren't dead yet. Maybe this is another study endorsing the relative cleanliness of toilet water and/or toilet seats, which have proven cleaner than cell phones, steering wheels, and drinking fountains.

Specialized Food Pyramid:
This silly link supplies an antidote to one-size-fits all nutritional advice.

And Yeah, Christmas is Over, but...
Those of us with a twisted sense of humor can still enjoy this creepy but strangely compelling cartoon.

Too Many Demands?
Crabby already has a Ph.D. in How to Avoid Responsibilities, but some of you go-getters might need some tutelage. Sample advice:

"The ‘required amount’ of work is arbitrarily determined. How often does the car need washing; how much of our work is necessary? More to the point, how little could we get away with? People who talk a lot about duty and responsibility probably never know how much they depress everybody else."

Trying to Get Unhealthy?
This amusing video will show you how. Note: for those of you who frequent the comments section, the guy who put it together is "weightlossguru," the cheerful man who shows up sometimes with a duck on his head.

News from the Sidebar...

Cranky Fitness is very pleased to have added a couple of great new sponsors, whom we hope aren't scared off by all the shenanigans that go on beside their ads. Note: these are not soul-less corporate conglomerates like G**gle, but actual live human bloggers with lots of great weight-loss and fitness tips and insights! For example, at Iowa Avenue, which is a whole weight-loss community, you can explore whether your body image is realistic or get better about planning your meals. And Fat Man Unleashed has tons of great advice, including a special ass-kicking workout for bloggers who have trouble leaving their laptops long enough to get fit.



So have a great Friday everyone! (Crabby will be praying to the Computer Gods for speedy delivery of a new laptop to replace the one that died. She is working on an ancient one dug up from the basement that freezes, crashes, and needs rebooting approximately every three seconds. She will be boning up on Stress Management over the weekend.)