So tailgate season is upon us and the time has come to bring out our barbecues, lazily relax outside and revile in the sunshine with our friends while we’ve still got beautiful weather on our side.  Or desperately hot, sticky, and humid weather, depending on where you go to school.  Whatever. The point is, it’s tailgate season and that means hot dogs and hamburgers and various other things cooked on an open fire. You drooling yet? Wait. Before you indulge in that perfectly grilled hot dog, there are a few things you should know.

Note: to those of you who want to continue to consume burgers and hot dogs in ignorant bliss, stop reading now.  If you are intrigued to know what these patriotic foods do to your body, however, let’s keep truckin’.

For all you hot dog, hamburger, and bacon lovers reading this, I really wish I could ease the blow of what I am about to report, but there is really no other way to present the facts: processed meat consumption, even more so than other forms of meat, is correlated to an increased risk of all types of cancer.  Red meat and processed meats contain more totally repulsive saturated and trans fats than any other animal product.  These types of fats have received recent media attention for their harmfulness to the human body, yet the fat issue doesn’t quite tell the whole story of why eating hot dogs, hamburgers, bologna, sausage, and other processed meats is ultra bad for you. 

Scientific studies show that consuming red meat and processed meats on a regular basis more than doubles the risk of many cancers, most commonly colon and pancreatic cancer.  Even eating just a bit of the stuff, like two or three ounces a day, has been shown to vastly increase the risk of cancer.  This is some freakin’ scary stuff.  Maybe that grilled hot dog will be less appetizing now that you know it will double your risk of getting cancer, and maybe even worse if you consume this stuff all through your childhood and young adult years.

While I am not done reporting on the scary involved in eating red and processed meats, I wanted to take a brief respite from presenting the negative and include some words of encouragement.  Veggie burgers taste absolutely amazing and there are SO many options on the market now.  Take Boca Burgers Roasted Onion Flavor, for instance.  Who doesn’t love the smell of mushrooms and onions on the grill?  I can personally attest that these burgers are hearty and flavorful.  Amy’s Organics sells like four or five different veggie burgers, all of which are dandy (The Texas Burger is a personal favorite).  How amazing is freshly grilled corn on the cob, a portabella burger, or veggie shish kabob?! So basically, even without a big, juicy (unhealthy) burger, all is not lost!

Okay, so back to the negative.  Turns out that toxic nitrogenous compounds are ever so abundant in red and processed meats.  Red meat also has a high heme (also called haem content).  Heme is an iron-carrying protein that has been shown in studies to eat up the cells lining our digestive tract and promote colon cancer.  Pleasant, right?

Other not so cool facts about meat:

1)   Animal products contain no fiber, remain in the digestive tract longer, and in general, slow digestive transit time.  This slower transit time heightens exposure to toxic compounds.

2)   Animal products contain far fewer antioxidants and other disease fighting chemicals than plant foods.

3)   Meat actually contains more fat than protein.  Did you know that broccoli actually contains more protein per calorie than a piece of steak?

4)  Studies (cited below) show that eating those hot dogs, hamburgers, bacon and balogna will increase your risk of depression and other mental health problems.

5)   Too much meat and dairy harm sperm (again references below).

6) Dioxin is the most toxic chemical known to science and is known to cause cancer in humans.  It is estimated that 93 percent of our exposure to dioxin comes through eating animal products, including processed meats. Dioxin settles and accumulates in fat, so the more animal food we eat, the more dioxin we get (last reference).

So there you have it.  The facts the Hamburger Helper Company and Oscar Mayer Inc. would like to keep under the rug.  I love tailgating as much as the next girl, but let’s recognize the truth about what those hot dogs and hamburgers can really do to our bodies.  Pass me the grilled veggies, fresh fruit, and veggie burgers please!

References:

1. Chao A, Thun JT, Connell CJ, et al. Meat Consumption and Risk of Colorectal Cancer JAMA 2005;293:172-182.

2. Sesink AL, Termont DS, Kleibeuker JH, Van der Meer R. Red meat and colon cancer: dietary haem-induced colonic cytotoxicity and epithelial hyperproliferation are inhibited by calcium. Carcinogenesis 2001;22(10):1653-1659. Hughes R, Cross AJ, Pollock JR, Bingham S. Dose dependent effect of dietary meat on endogenous colonic N-nitrosation. Carcinogenesis 2001; 22(1):199-202.

3. Akbaraly TN et al. Dietary pattern and depressive symptoms in middle age. Br J Psychiatry. 2009 Nov;195(5):408-13.

4. Brinkworth et al. Long-term Effects of a Very Low-Carbohydrate Diet and a Low-Fat Diet on Mood and Cognitive Function. Arch Intern Med. 2009;169(20):1873-1880

5. Beezhold BL et al. Preliminary evidence that vegetarian diet improves mood. American Public Health Association 2009 National Meeting, Abstract 206464.

6. Leung BM, Kaplan BJ. Perinatal depression: prevalence, risks, and the nutrition link–a review of the literature. J Am Diet Assoc. 2009 Sep;109(9):1566-75.

7. Mendiola J, Torres-Cantero AM, Vioque J, et al. A low intake of antioxidant nutrients is associated with poor semen quality in patients attending fertility clinics. Fertility and Sterility 2010; 93(4): 1128-1133.

8. Arnold Schecter. “Intake of Dioxins and Related Compounds from Food in the U.S. Population,” Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part A, 63:1-18, 2001, http://www.ejnet.org/dioxin/dioxininfood.pdf.

[Everyone’s got a vice, a bad habit, something they know they need to change. Unfortunately, everyone also has a million excuses why they just can’t do it. Not anymore. Every month we will be following a different CollegeCandy writer as she takes on a personal challenge. Last month we followed Ariel as she went a(n almost) full month sans Facebook. This month things are getting even crazier. Yes, Meredith is giving. up. junk food. Oy.]

I will be the first to admit that I put on some unwanted pounds this summer. Towards the end of August, I was having some boyfriend troubles and was coping with the fact that my dad was getting married in about a month. Because of this, I ate. To name a few favorite treats that I indulged in, I ate funfetti cake, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, fruit snacks, Cape Cod potato chips, Starbursts, Chili’s Chocolate Molton Lava Cake, and many other delicious things.

And it was good.
But no more. For the month of September, I am GIVING UP JUNK FOOD.

I Googled “junk food” just to see what I’m dealing with and the first definition that came up was, “food that tastes good but is high in calories having little nutritional value.” I’m going to stick to that for my definition. No more cake, ice cream, cookies, gummies, chips, pizza, cheeseburgers, frappuccinos…basically anything that contains empty calories. The idea is to do more than merely give up junk food, though; it’s to adopt a generally healthier lifestyle. I’m going to try to introduce more whole grains into my diet, drink more water rather than Coke Zero (one of my many horrible addictions), and work out more. Basically, I’m going to take every aspect of my life, then ask, “Would my hero, Jillian Michaels, approve?” God, I love her.

There are a lot of people out there who will give me a hard time for what I’m doing. They will say that I’m crash dieting and that every snack is okay to eat in moderation. I don’t disagree that food is great in moderation, but to me, that’s not what this is about. This is about finding a new way to cope with my problems that doesn’t involve eating sweets. I want to deal with issues by talking them out with my friends, going for a long run, or even immersing myself in schoolwork. I’m not doing this so that I never eat junk food ever again and I know that I’m never going to look like Jillian Michaels. Instead, I’m aiming for a journey more like Hayley Hoover’s (of YouTube fame). Although she didn’t opt to give up junk food as I am, she struggled with similar problems as I do. Months from now, I would love to be in the same state that she writes about in this inspiring blog.

It has already been a couple of days sans junk food and things have been going fairly well. The best thing so far has been enlisting the support of my friends. I have friends cutting down on junk food as well, friends who are giving me food recommendations, but most importantly, everyone is supporting my cause and telling me that it’s a fantastic idea. So far I really love it. I have eaten more vegetables and whole grains in the past couple of days than I would normally eat in a week, just because I’m counting on them to get the nutrients and the calories that I need. I’m not going to lie and say that it has been all easy so far, though. I definitely wanted to grab a slice of chocolate cake at the dining hall the first night. And the second night. Plus, I forgot how delicious the pastries in Starbucks look behind that glass case, especially after an early morning class.

So far, I’m staying strong and enjoying this process. Just as long as no one dares eat a bag of potato chips in front of me. Let’s hope things only get easier as this month goes on.

[If you’re curious, or looking to give up junk food yourself, you can check out my Twitter - @br8ybrunch - and track my progress...and the inevitable long list of my daily cravings.]

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One of the hardest parts of being a friend to someone is actually being a friend to someone.

It’s not like when we were little we were taught how to be a friend outside the realms of “sharing is caring.” There are certain sticky situations, like dealing with a friend in a bad or abusive relationship, where no how-to guide can instruct us how to be a true friend.

Standing by as a friend suffering through an unhealthy relationship can be confusing, frustrating, and often scary. How do you support a friend without doing them an injustice? And at what point do you draw the line between supporting and enabling?

One of my best friends is in a horrible relationship that resembles a really bad re-run episode of Degrassi.

I’ve tried to be there for her through it all. I’ve listened to her, offered advice when she’s asked for it, I’ve been her shoulder to cry on, I’ve been her tough love when she needed a reality check, and I’ve supported her by telling her to make her own decisions.

But nothing has worked and I’m still standing by as I watch her suffer. Her boyfriend is hot and he’s cold (and not in the catchy Katy Perry kind of way) and is all around bad for her.

But after watching her cry and complain so many times, I’m really starting to get sick of it. I want to support her, but I’m tired of having the same conversations with her when she keeps making the same mistakes and refuses to making any changes to get out of the relationship.

If she isn’t willing to leave the relationship (as its way past the point of repair), I don’t know if I can just stand by and watch.

As a friend, I don’t want to just give up on her. But at the same time, shouldn’t I let her make her own decisions and support them? After all, friends are supposed to support one another through everything. Or, in doing that, am I enabling her toxic relationship by letting a boy treat her like she’s worthless and not doing anything about it?

If she won’t take my advice and concern for her seriously, what else is there to do? Anyone else have this problem? Please help!

No. A fantasy is stealing Brad Pitt away from Angelina for a night of steamy hot sex. A fantasy is moving to a deserted island with half-naked men fanning you with palm leaves. A fantasy should NOT be holding the world record for World’s Largest Woman, because that translates to poor health and a dramatically shorter life.

There are so many things wrong with this situation. Here are 4:

1. She’s got a daughter
While Simpson actually tries to wolf down enough food to gain another 350 lbs. onto her already obese frame, her three-year-old daughter is still in the picture. Shouldn’t she be less concerned with her goal weight and more concerned with living long enough to see her daughter graduate high school? And the $750 a week eating habit is money that would be better spent on toys, clothes, and outings with her daughter. She might be in the running for a Guinness World Record, but it certainly won’t be for World’s Best Mom.

2. 12,000 calories per day
2,000 calories per day is the way to a naturally healthy weight for most women, and women who want or need to gain weight are usually told to do so in a healthy way, by upping protein intake and what not. 12,000 calories is BEYOND excessive, and would push anyone’s digestive tract into overload. Plus, she’s doing so by eating McDonald’s! She’s literally eating herself to death, exponentially increasing her risk for diabetes, colon cancer, and heart disease.

3. Exhibitionism
In order to pay her weekly food bill that approaches a grand, as mentioned above, Simpson has resorted to the internet where people pay to watch her stuff her face with 70 (seventy!!!!!!) pieces of sushi, among other things. She says, “It makes people happy.” I say, “who are these freaks that would pay to watch someone eat?!”

4. She’s being encouraged
Her boyfriend (who reportedly weighs in at a whopping 150), actually ENCOURAGES her to do this, and said he’d love it if she was bigger. People who love us are supposed to want the best for us, which means being healthy. Cheering someone that you supposedly love on to an early death is not my idea of a healthy relationship!

I’m in no way knocking people who are overweight or obese. I realize that overweight people might be healthy, just as thin people can be unhealthy. But someone who is trying to make herself famous for harming her body doesn’t deserve the spotlight, as far as I’m concerned!

Food. Body image. Health. Things we think about everyday. With ads on TV, in magazines, on the radio and with restaurants and fast food places changing menus to provide healthier options, it’s not our fault that food is on our minds a little bit too often. But did you know that even thinking about food could be having a dangerous affect on us?

Eating disorders have always been around, and are spreading like wildfire nowadays. But we’re not just talking about anorexia and bulimia, disorders where you either starve yourself or binge and purge. We’re talking about a new disorder associated with eating healthy. Meet Orthorexia, a serious disorder that may plague a lot more people than you think, including yourself.

Orthorexia nervosa is a condition in which people become obsessed with eating the “right” kinds of foods. We may roll our eyes and call them “health freaks” but the truth is that this is a very serious condition. Orthorexia causes people to obsess over what is eaten, how much is eaten, and how it is prepared.

So what’s so bad about being obsessed with eating healthy?

Anything is bad if you are obsessed. Washing your hands prevents germs, and what not, but if you are a compulsive hand washer, it can affect the rest of your life. Overdoing any healthy practice can compromise other healthy practices in your life, and this in turn, reduces your overall health.

Some severe consequences of this orthorexia involve not being able to enjoy certain social activities, becoming depressed, or always feeling guilty if you happen to indulge or eat something that isn’t “healthy.”

Do you know someone, or are you someone who is constantly obsessing over food? Is food something that is always on your mind? Do you plan every meal that you are going to have? These are all signs of orthorexia. So what do you do?

Be Mindful
The best kind of eating is mindful eating. Eating a meal is not supposed to be a task, a chore. It’s supposed to be something that we can enjoy and feel good about. Food gives us energy and it can make us happy, excited, and satisfied. Each food is unique in its own ways. Being mindful means being aware of the smell, the texture, the taste of food. It means enjoying every bite, every lick. Next time you sit down for a meal, really think about what you are eating and how freakin’ good it tastes.

Eat when you are hungry
Don’t just eat because you have nothing better to do or because its your typical “dinner time.” Eat because your body wants it and needs it. It will satisfy you that much more and keep you fuller for longer. Also, it will allow you to not plan the next thing you are going to consume, and rather focus on all the other things going on in your life. We are busy people with busy lives so we can’t let food get in the way!

Indulgence is a good thing!
Listen, you only live once so you gotta make the best out of it. Indulging once in a while won’t kill you, and it wont make you fat, either. As long as you aren’t eating a Big Mac everyday, fulfilling an occasional craving is okay!

Don’t classify yourself by the food you eat
You are more than just a vegan, a vegeterian etc. You are a person. And food is such a small aspect of life and by no means should it define who you are in any way. There are so many more important things about who we are as individuals, and how we eat and the types of food we eat are just not part of that.

Gossip and rumors are main staples on college campuses across the nation, and the website Juicy Campus (which was recently shut down), shows just how far people are willing to go to spread gossip. At some point in everyone’s life, gossip comes up – good or bad. Gossip, in moderation, can be just another thing, but in a culture that obsesses about pop culture and dishing dirt (think of websites like Perez Hilton), the fixation of dishing dirt about someone else isn’t going away any time soon.

Although many of us love to gather on Monday nights to watch Gossip Girl and watch the scandals of the Upper East Side unfold, no one likes it when their own personal life is exposed in the cafeteria over wilted lettuce or when private information rolls off the lips of classmates before the professor starts the class. While gossip may seem like something that comes and goes, it can leave its dirty scars behind all too often.

Maybe because it’s an all-women’s college and women often use each other to bring others down, or maybe it is the size of the university, but the Hollins rumor mill never seems to cease on campus. It constantly peeks its nasty little head around the corner for students that least expect it. Whether it hurts friendships, ruins reputations, or isolates students from campus events — gossip can cause tremendous damage.

Remember when my mom and I met with the President to discuss the bullying that happened my first year? Well, upon arrival at Hollins for my sophomore year, the student body buzzed (never to my face, though) with the rumor that Hollins implemented a bullying policy because of me… being a bully. No one knew that my mom and I brought forth the issues that happened with me because of a bully on campus, demanding the President to come up with a bullying policy. No one knew what happened to me as a first year. However, everyone seemed to accuse me of things that I did not do.

Time after time, I have met girls on campus who tell me how “mean” I sounded from other students’ tales of meetings with me. One of my friends was even warned by another student to not be my friend. Whenever I hear these stories, the people who spoke out against me are always peers I have never met myself. They are usually students who I have never had contact with. How can anyone pass judgment before they have met someone else, especially in the context of putting someone else down? I don’t know how anyone could go around talking so negatively about someone else, when they have never personally had an experience with that person.

I have seen gossip make people unable to maintain decent friendships on campus, as well. For example, this girl named Emma (name changed) was known around campus to have a “private jet,” an extensive collection of designer apparel in her closet, and people even talked of her having major connections to the sports industry. Girls on campus thought they would take advantage of Emma by befriending her, only to go into her closet and steal her designer clothes. Not only would they go and steal her stuff, but they would talk about taking from her because she deserved it as a “rich kid.”

Truth is, Emma does not have a private jet (although her dad is a pilot), she doesn’t have immediate connections to the sports industry, and the only designer clothes she owns come from outlet malls. Now, whenever students meet Emma for the first time, they can’t get past her “rich kid” reputation. How can Emma expect to make friends on campus when everyone seems to focus on what they heard about her, instead of actually getting to know her?

Talk spreads like wildfire. I see it all the time. Just walk into the cafeteria on Monday morning and other people know where you were over the weekend. How? My first reaction to this, when it happened to me, was that those who were asking found out from Facebook. Since then I have had to make my Facebook entirely private, along with many other students on campus, in order to have any privacy. Though the gossip has not ceased.

Worst of all, it doesn’t help when the administration plays into the whole “Guess what I heard about you” game. On more than one occasion I have heard of students going to speak with the Dean of Students or head of Residence Life, only to come out with gossip from other students told to them by the authority figure who uses the gossip against them. If the administration lends an ear to gossip, of course the student body is going to keep it up.

I have heard many rumors about myself here at Hollins, and 99% of them never happened, resemble nothing from the truth, and have no merit. At first, I am not going to lie, the rumors really bothered me. A lot of them were hurtful, and a lot of them have stuck (despite not being true), but there comes a point when you have to displace yourself from that, even when it seems like everyone is talking about you. There have been so many times when I have seen my fellow peers break down about something that was said about them, and even though you want to stand up and say “No – that’s not true! That didn’t happen!” you can’t, and it doesn’t seem right or fair.

If sisterhood exists at Hollins, then why does gossip own the souls of most students? Whenever someone hears something that is obviously not true, no one speaks up – they just go along with it, and that is unacceptable. I am sick of hearing gossip about people and myself, especially at a school that talks about the loyalty and respectfulness of its students. If Hollins continues to let rumors take hold of the student body, I believe there will be no way to return to a clean, respectful state in the student body. No one will be able to avoid it, and that just seems entirely too extreme.

I know Hollins isn’t alone in this gossip battle – tell me about your school and how big of an impact gossip has on the student body? What is the worst rumor you have ever heard about yourself or someone else? Do you think gossip, in moderation, is healthy or just vicious in any degree? Time to share your story!

And since then, I have been completely 100% smoke free.

No packs. No puffs. No nothing. I went completely cold turkey after NYE and I’ve maintained it for an entire week. It’s very difficult; especially when I had a few glasses of wine this weekend and desperately wanted one, but I had the will power to say NO to myself.

I am a strong willed person and if I set my mind to something, I stick to it. After seeing a series of horrific smoking commercials, I made a serious resolution to myself that, on top of not wanting my teeth to turn yellow and my hair to permanently smell like an ashtray, I don’t want to die from lung cancer (cliché but true).

So, for now, I’ve a week smoke free. I feel cleaner, healthier, and will hopefully continue on this path. Wish me luck!

(Photo courtesy of smokefreezone.org)

According to an article in the New York Times, scientists have discovered a toxic yet invisible residue left behind after someone smokes. Unlike the second-hand smoke that someone can blow out a window or fan out of a room, these dangerous particles get stuck to surfaces like rugs, clothing and the fabric on a couch.

Also unlike second-hand smoke, which people can obviously see, people do not realize that these particles exist, which makes them even more dangerous. The article explains that the smell on someone’s clothes or in a room after someone smokes is a sign that the toxic chemicals are still present. So, just because the smoke has cleared from a room or car doesn’t mean that the air is clean and safe.

“There are carcinogens in this third-hand smoke, and they are a cancer risk for anybody of any age who comes into contact with them.”

This is something to think about if you are a smoker or know someone who is. This may also be a sign that banning smoking in restaurants and bars isn’t enough; soon they may make you change your clothes when you get back from having that much needed cigarette.

Ew. Ew. Ew.

I always knew I was consuming extra calories when I had a bar night. But, if you ask me, if you can’t read the “Nutrition Facts” label, the calories don’t count. That’s why I refuse to buy full-fat Ben and Jerry’s, but don’t mind ordering dessert at Olive Garden. What you don’t know can’t hurt you, right?

If that’s your mantra, you may not want to click here.

This lovely little program lets you enter in how many drinks you consumed last night… and then tells you approximately how many calories you imbibed… and then proceeds to tell you how much food would be equivalent to that number.

Let me tell you, I wanted to cry after what was a reasonably low-key night, by my standards. Since I want to lose weight, I’ve been torturing myself with Smart Ones and steamed vegetables. Little did I know, I could have eaten three slices of pizza and a few donuts if I hadn’t downed a bottle and a half of wine last night.

It sucks, because you don’t always get full from drinking, and it’s hard to look at liquids as fatty foods. So many of us brush it off, gain the freshman fifteen, and have new beer guts for bikini season. Well, the new year is upon us, and it’s time for some resolutions. You want some motivation? Click the link.