good morning sunshine....i have to keep saying that to myself b/c i am far from being a sunshine this AM.  walker is "off the bottle" therefore he woke up at 5:30 this morning.  trying to be cheery but all i really want to do is crawl back into bed.....or pour my 3rd cup of coffee....

*images courtesy of anthropologie, pobox 607, stephmodo

Food Reward: a Dominant Factor in Obesity, Part VII

Now that I've explained the importance of food reward to obesity, and you're tired of reading about it, it's time to share my ideas on how to prevent and perhaps reverse fat gain.  First, I want to point out that although food reward is important, it's not the only factor.  Heritable factors (genetics and epigenetics), developmental factors (uterine environment, childhood diet), lifestyle factors (exercise, sleep, stress) and dietary factors besides reward also play a role.  That's why I called this series "a dominant factor in obesity", rather than "the dominant factor in obesity".
Read more »

just in case....

 

you felt the need to make those cookies from friday's post......
i did and they didn't disappoint, well my shorts were a little tighter and that might have been disappointing  but besides that they were pure heaven.  best- hot out of the oven and with a big glass of milk, followed by a nice, long nap.  enjoy :)
ps. love the picture recipe...so easy to follow!!

*images from are so happy, styleswoon/pinterest, katy elliot/ chance co.

Google search by image

Last week Google introduced Search by Image feature. There were a handful of web-sites that suggested content-based image retrieval in the Internet, but the quality was low, as I blogged earlier. I repeated the queries TinEye failed at, and Google image search found them both! It found few instances of Marion Lenbach (one of them from this blog, which means the coverage is large!), and I finally remembered the movie from the HOG paper: The Talanted Mr. Ripley.

So, from the quick glance Google finally accomplished what the others could not do for ages. Why did they succeed? There are two possible reasons: large facilities that allow building and storing large index efficiently, and a unique technology. The former is surely the case: it seems the engine indexed a large portion of the photos in the web. I cannot say anything about the technology: there is nothing about that among the Google's CVPR papers, so one need to do black-box testing to see which transformations and modifications are allowed.

Google seems to expand to the areas of multimedia web, even where the niche is already occupied. Recently they announced their alternative to grooveshark, the recommendation system for Music beta (the service is unfortunately available on invitation basis in the US only). The system is not based on collaborative filtering (only), they (also) analyse the content. I planned to investigate this area too, but given that it is becoming mature and thus not so alluring. I am eager to see if the service will succeed. After all, Buzz did not replace Twitter, and Orkut did not replace Facebook.

Back to School

Ben Field

Ben is the recently appointed manager of Sport Pembrokeshire at Pembrokeshire County Council

With schools across Wales being asked to get their pupils to fill in the national School Sport Survey, Ben describes his work so far to sell the benefits of the project.

When details of the survey came out I could certainly see the benefits of having the data – both for my team working in sport and the schools themselves – and I wanted to make sure we did our bit to sell the benefits.

We started off with an e-mail from the Director of Education to all our schools. This wasn’t a directive but an opportunity to stress the importance and encourage them to take part. It was good to have that endorsement from the Director.

I met with the Education Advisors for the School Improvement Teams to talk them through the detail and gain their support.

I presented to Primary School Headteachers while my Head of Service presented to Secondary Headteachers.

All Sport Pembrokeshire staff work in some form or another with local schools – peripatetic PE tutors, 5x60, Dragon Sport and sport specific officers – and they are key to reminding schools about the survey and giving that extra encouragement.

We’ve got a newsletter that goes out to schools and the public and we’ve included a full page article on the survey in our current edition.

I’m maintaining regular contact with Headteachers via phone and email. If the school has completed or started the survey I’m e-mailing them to make sure I thank them for their support. And also trying to build up some healthy competition.

The key message I’ve been selling is around the well-being agenda and the information that will be made available for schools to use, particularly as evidence for any impending Estyn Inspections.

I’ve had some constructive feedback about the questions, the terminology and the length of time it’s taken some pupils to fill in.

With the data that we could have, I certainly hope the end will justify the means.

For more information on the School Sport Survey visit: http://www.sportwales.org.uk/research--policy/our-surveys/school-sport-survey-2011.aspx

hope y'all have an awesome weekend....however you plan on spending it!!

*images courtesy of you are my fav, moth design, everly true, where the sidewalk begins, styleswoon

Drug Cessation and Weight Gain

Commenter "mem", who has been practicing healthcare for 30+ years, made an interesting remark that I think is relevant to this discussion:

Recovering substance dependent people often put on lots of weight and it is not uncommon for them to become obese or morbidly obese.

This relates to the question that commenter "Gunther Gatherer" and I have been pondering in the comments: can stimulating reward pathways through non-food stimuli influence body fatness?  

It's clear that smoking cigarettes, taking cocaine and certain other pleasure drugs suppress appetite and can prevent weight gain.  These drugs all activate dopamine-dependent reward centers, which is why they're addictive.  Cocaine in particular directly inhibits dopamine clearance from the synapse (neuron-neuron junction), increasing its availability for signaling.
Read more »

Oh my....i'm still obsessed with a good monogram.  seriously, can't get enough of them.  so much so that i once thought i wanted to buy a commercial monogramming machine and open a store. i googled it and found out that they cost as much as a very nice car.  and then i could not ignore reality- i have never even sewed a button on a shirt...how was i suppose to operate a machine?!!  but i still can be obsessed with them.  i need those chairs in my life.

*images courtesy of bippity boppity boo, number four eleven, merrill curtis, and my napkins from gramercy

Viva the Street Food Revolution!

Ummm...street food...it’s fast, affordable, convenient and desirable. Whose mouth doesn’t start watering at the sight of Lloyd’s taco truck as it rolls around the corner at lunch time? Over the last 5 years mobile food vending as really taken off; an explosion of gourmet, off-beat and regional food trucks are roaming cities from NYC to San Francisco. Not just tacos, ice cream and hot dogs any more. Food trucks offer everything from waffles to fancy grill cheese. Local residents (and tourists) follow them on twitter and flock to them wherever they appear. Whole festivals are popping up across the county to celebrate their yumminess. For example, this year Sacramento and Inland Empire celebrate their first annual festivals, while San Francisco’s festival will be three this year. 


Buffalo is not behind the trend. Lloyd’s Taco Truck, The Roaming Buffalo, The Whole Hog and others are serving food at local events and across the city but outdated or non-existent regulations/permitting issues cause difficulties for Mobile food vendors here and in other cities. Buffalo’s common council will address the issue in the coming months and many others have or will pass updated mobile vending regulations/permitting rules. This challenge also presents a unique opportunity to support and increase healthy and sustainable food practices.


Food on the go doesn't have to be a health "no"!
Mobile food offers a great alternative to fast food chains. Typically, unique and made to order, this new breed of food vendors has made street food cool by responding to the demand for tasty and diverse fast food made with fresh (and sometimes organic and local) ingredients . Part of what makes brick and mortar fast food restaurants popular is not the food. Rather, cheap prices and quick drive-through service make it irresistible to people on the go. Mobile food trucks capitalize on the fast pace of city living but offer an entirely different experience. Often sold out of trucks or carts, street food is a wonderful opportunity to showcase unique local and regional foods. Street food also offers a lower risk small business opportunity for food entrepreneurs.


Good Policies Make a Difference
Many city governments are also starting to recognize the potential of food trucks (or carts) to increase access to healthy and culturally preferred foods while providing increasing economic development in underserved neighborhoods. Some cities use city ordinances to incentivize access to produce through mobile vending. New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s Green Cart program made 1000 permits available to mobile food carts selling uncut/unprocessed produce in underserved neighborhoods. The program also incentivizes green cart ownership with low cost loans and technical assistance to entrepreneurs for the creation of green carts in targeted areas. The City of Chicago has an ordinance that reduces the cost of vendor permits to those who sell produce on their carts. While Mobile Produce Vendors are not new – Buffalo’s Massachusetts Avenue Project has been operating a mobile produce market for years –what is new, is that city governments are starting to recognize the health, equity and economic development opportunities that mobile food presents.

Even when city ordinances aren’t in place, other city agencies have used agency specific policies and/or request for proposal selection processes to restrict the type of foods that can be sold by instituting nutritional and sourcing guidelines. For example, the City of San Francisco Department of Parks and Recreation favors permits for food vendors that source local, sustainable and minimally processed foods in city parks and Kansas City’s Departments of Parks and Recreation favors vendors who adhere to specific nutritional guidelines and allow “healthiest” vendors to roam up to 3 city parks with one permit. 

The Mobile Food Movement is here to stay and there is an opportunity not only to grow the local food economy but also to increase access to healthy and culturally preferred foods in underserved neighborhoods. It’s up to cities now to create innovative policies and regulations that facilitate mobile food as well as favor healthy vending, increased access to food and food entrepreneurship.

Moveable Feast: Fresh Produce and the NYC Green Cart Program

Gabriele Stabile, Untitled (From the series: Street Smart), 2009

Links:

Mobile Food Blog http://roaminghunger.com/

Mass Ave Project Mobile Market http://www.mass-ave.org/MobileMarket.htm

NYC Green Carts Program http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/cdp/cdp_pan_green_carts.shtml

 ___________________

Sources:

Tester, J. M., Stevens, S. A., Yen, I. H., & Laraia, B. A. (2010). An Analysis of Public Health Policy and Legal Issues Relevant to Mobile Food Vending. American Journal of Public Health, 100(11), 2038. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

WGRZ News Buffalo. (2011) City Lacks Permit Process for New Food Trucks. Retrieved at http://downtown.wgrz.com/news/news/city-lacks-permit-process-new-food-trucks/55769

Career advice: want to be a sports psychologist?

Dr Joy Bringer is a Sport Psychologist, working full-time with elite athletes and coaches at Sport Wales in Cardiff. She is a Chartered Psychologist and is accredited to the High Performance Sport level with the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences.  



Sport Wales' Dr Joy Bringer



In her role, she has travelled to the Athens and Beijing Paralympic Games supporting British athletes. She has also been an integral member of Team Wales at the 2006 and 2010 Commonwealth Games.

We managed to catch up with her to get some career advice for those who fancy a career as a sport psychologist...

What made you decide on a career in sports psychology?

I first learned about the field of sport psychology, when I was completing my undergraduate degree in psychology at Pepperdine University in California. Pursuing a career in sport psychology was a great way to combine my love of sport and my ambition to help others.

How would you define sports psychology?

Sport psychology is the study of psychological principles applied to sport. It is actually a very broad area of study which can include looking at ways to improve an individual’s performance (for example, an athlete, a coach, a team manager, or even a referee), a team’s performance, or indeed the whole sporting organisation. Some researchers study what motivates people to get involved in sport and continue to participate, which is very important from a national health perspective. In terms of elite sport, researchers look at what will help athletes and coaches excel at their sport, and applied sport psychologists help athletes and coaches put this into practice.

How did you get into it?

 I was encouraged to present my undergraduate dissertation on coach feedback at a student conference, which made my application stronger when I applied to study for my master’s degree at the University of Oregon. My master’s degree programme was focused on teaching us about the theory of sport psychology and how to become good researchers.

There was no structure for gaining applied experience. However, for those students who were motivated to work in sport, the professors did provide guidance. I had worked in tennis previously, so I approached the university tennis coach and offered to help out. I worked 20+ hours a week, doing anything from feeding balls, to evaluating matches, to helping with admin, and reviewing applications from prospective players. I was also able to put into practice some of the ideas that I was learning about during my sport psychology course.

After completing my master’s degree, I answered an advert to complete a PhD at the University of Gloucestershire. In addition to doing the research required for the PhD, I completed three years of supervised experience to become a British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences applied sport scientist. As my area of expertise was in sport psychology, I felt that it was important for me to able to call myself a sport psychologist (which is a protected title) so I also made sure that my training would prepare me to become a Chartered Psychologist with the British Psychological Society and register as a practicing Sport Psychologist with the Health Professions Council.

What do you do now? 

I have been working at Sport Wales as a Senior Sport Psychologist since 2003, helping elite athletes and their coaches train and perform better. When I start working with a sport, athlete, or coach, we will go through a process of a “needs analysis” where we will identify areas where improvements might be made. This could include teaching skills such as goal setting, refocussing strategies, imagery, and managing emotions.

I work within a team of sport scientists and sports medicine providers, so whenever possible I link in with the other support staff. For example, if an athlete wants to improve concentration during competition, the performance nutritionist will work with the athlete to develop an appropriate nutrition plan for competition days, and I will help the athlete with refocussing strategies.

What do you enjoy about it?

I love working with highly motivated sports people who are striving to perform better.

What would your advice be to anyone thinking of becoming a sport psychologist?

Currently, if you want to be an applied sport psychologist, you must complete a Health Professions Council (HPC) approved programme of training and successfully register with the HPC. Anyone wanting to become an applied sport psychologist should start by reading the advice on the websites for the British Association for Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES), the British Psychological Society (BPS), and the Health Professions Council (HPC) to learn about what qualifications are required. Then, speak to those already working in the field.

Find out what the current job market is and learn about the career paths for applied sport psychologists, academic lecturers, and researchers in sport psychology.  Seeking out opportunities to volunteer or work in sport, whether it is through coaching or other roles, is a great way to make contacts and find out whether or not the hours and the environment suit the way you want to work.

The Sport Wales website gives lots more information about volunteering and you can sign up to get involved today!

Any myths about it?

In the past, some athletes thought sport psychology was only needed if something was wrong with them. Fortunately, most athletes and coaches now value the input sport psychologist can have in terms of improving preparation and performance. For example, sport psychologists can play a major role in helping athletes, coaches, team managers, and support staff to anticipate and respond better to pressures that might occur during the upcoming London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games. 

If you want to find out more about becoming a sport psychologist, the following links might be helpful: 

http://www.hpc-uk.org/apply/psychologists/

http://www.bps.org.uk/careers/careers_home.cfm

Chicago's mayor wants win over food deserts!

Chicago's Mayor, Rahm Emanuel, wants to get rid of food deserts and he's turning to urban agriculture and food retailers to make it happen. Using planning tools like mapping, local ordinances and economic development incentives, the Mayor hopes to ensure implementation of policies aimed at increasing food access.

Urban Agriculture...
In a progressive move, Mayor Emanuel sees urban agriculture as a part his plan to "win" the battle against food deserts and plans to see food grown in the city sold in the city. He also plans to eliminate burdensome barriers for farmers and develop site guidelines for urban growing.

Supermarkets...

Mayor Emanuel sees large supermarkets as an important part of the plan to eliminate food deserts. According to the ABC news article he plans to designate certain neighborhoods as food deserts and then provide incentives for the construction of supermarkets in those areas. However, smaller markets are concerned that they may lose business if big chains come into those areas.

Don't forget corner stores...

We applaud the Chicago's commitment to increasing food access for all residents and suggest that they include corner stores in the conversation. Corner stores can be a critical piece in increased food access since they are already located in food deserts and are very accessible to residents without cars. If provided with technical assistance or other incentives, corner Stores could have a positive impact on reducing food deserts and also provide economic development in struggling neighborhoods. HKHC Buffalo facilitates a Healthy Corner Stores Initiative in Buffalo. We are working to bring healthier foods to more people by eliminating policy barriers and partnering with the economic development field to provide loans and incentives to small grocery stores for equipment purchases.

To see how corner stores can have a positive impact check out what other cities across the country are doing as part of the Healthy Corner Stores Initiatives

Philadelphia, PA

http://www.thefoodtrust.org/php/programs/corner.store.campaign.php

New Haven, CT

http://www.wtnh.com/dpp/news/new_haven_cty/healthy-corner-store-initiative

Washington DC

http://www.dchunger.org/projects/cornerstore.html

Providence, RI

http://ejlri.wordpress.com/our-work/healthy-corner-store-initiative/

Minneapolis, MN

http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/dhfs/ship-cornerstores.asp

happenings...

walker happen to turn 1 over the weekend....we had a little b'day party for him on saturday.  he is such a love bug...he, hands down, gives the best hugs.  kind of hurts my heart that he is already one.   

on thurs i called my mom and begged her to come a day early to help me out....poor thing, i think i worked her to death....moms are the best.  b/c of her, i got my mirror painted and a party cranked out (even if all of our work was in vain b/c it rained 20 minutes into the party and everything had to be brought inside).  

Land War in Asia (aka, CS undergraduate education)

Today on Scientopia I get involved in a land war in Asia.

Limit atau Batas Maksimal Posting pada Blogger

Dulu sewaktu memulai membuat blog, Rendra sering bertanya-tanya kepada diri Rendra sendiri "Berapa sih jumlah maksimal posting di blogspot?" Awalnya aku kira maksimal cuma 500 posting karena layanannya yang gratis. Kemudian salah satu teman Rendra melakukan uji coba kecil-kecilan. Dia berhasil memposting artikel di blogspot banyak sekali hingga jumlahnya mencapai ribuan! Waw... Setelah melihat sendiri posting yang banyak sekali tadi akhirnya Rendra menarik kesimpulan bahwa jumlah posting di blogspot tidak terbatas atau unlimited.

[Fakta selengkapnya]

Food Reward: a Dominant Factor in Obesity, Part VI

Reward Centers can Modify the Body Fat Setpoint

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter (chemical that signals between neurons) that is a central mediator of reward and motivation in the brain.  It has been known for decades that dopamine injections into the brain suppress food intake, and that this is due primarily to its action in the hypothalamus, which is the main region that regulates body fatness (1).  Dopamine-producing neurons from reward centers contact neurons in the hypothalamus that regulate body fatness (2).  I recently came across a paper by a researcher named Dr. Hanno Pijl, from Leiden University in the Netherlands (3).  The paper is a nice overview of the evidence linking dopamine signaling with body fatness via its effects on the hypothalamus, and I recommend it to any scientists out there who want to read more about the concept.
Read more »

Fakta Unik Tentang Capung

Capung merupakan salah satu serangga yang sering kita lihat di tempat-tempat tertentu seperti taman atau sekitar rumah. Seperti pada kupu-kupu dan lebah, capung juga mengalami metamorfosis dalam periode kehidupannya. Bedanya, serangga kupu-kupu mengalami metamorfosis sempurna sedangkan capung tidak, atau hanya mengalami metamorfosis tidak sempurna. Dimulai dari telur kemudian menjadi larva dan akhirnya menjadi capung dewasa yang dapat terbang indah.

[Fakta selengkapnya]

Achoo !

I feel strange not blogging much, like I didn't brush my teeth or something.

Life has been incredibly busy, though all for good reasons which I'll discuss here soon.

I think we need a panel not on work-life balance, but on blog-life balance. After housework, the blog is the first thing to go.

Anyway, it seems my first blog-a-versary is on Sunday, which is neat. I've enjoyed meeting so many of you online and interacting with you, reading your blogs, and learning from you. It's fun when people in meatspace mention some of your blogs at work, and I have to silently giggle under my thin veil of pseudo-anonymity.

Thanks for reading!

Check out the 2011 HKHC Annual Meeting presentations...

The Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities Annual Meeting took place on June 1-3. Check out the presentations and see what other sites have going on!

2011 HKHC Annual Meeting Website (click here)

day dreaming vs. reality

this blog serves as a place to store beautiful images.....
but it's not my real world. my real world is quite different, especially w/ two kiddos in the mix.  being home with them, trying to work, and preparing for a party we are having here on sat. is almost impossible...why, b/c i have to chase this kiddo around.  and he is into everything:

right after this pic was taken, he leaned in and did a handstand into the bath tub, no water was in there.  and i was right behind him to recuse him.
i start my day w/ a plan, a list of things i have to get done....
today i thought would be the day to paint this mirror that i got when i was in charleston....

luckily my sweet neighbor invited tay to the zoo....walker just went down for his nap and i am off to "try" and get a coat of paint on this....and answer my backed up email list....and try and shower....and clean up all of the toys that have taken over my LR/ DR......

so when y'all email me and say i don't know how you do it w/ two kids...well, i am by no means a "master" as you can definitely tell.....

* top 3 images courtesy of design darling, luna and chloe weddings, lisa stickley london

Cities battling sweetened beverages...

Here are some recent interesting articles about the challenges and opportunities of policies directed at reducing excess sugar consumption by targeting sweetened beverages...

LA Unified Removes Flavored Milk From Menus - LA Times

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lausd-milk-20110615,0,4882897.story

City Council souring on Nutter Plan to tax sweet drinks - Philly.com

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/city/20110615_City_Council_souring_on_Nutter_plan_to_tax_sweet_drinks.html

The Proposed Tax on Sugar-Sweetened Beverages - Vermont Public Radio

(4 part radio show debating the issue from both sides)

http://www.vpr.net/episode/50634/

20 ways in which boxer Sean Mcgoldrick's been helped by Sport Wales' sports science & medicine team

Sean Mcgoldrick with his
2010 Commonwealth Games gold

This week, Wales’ Commonwealth Games gold medallist boxer Sean Mcgoldrick will be competing in the European Championships in Turkey.




It takes more than lightning reactions, natural talent and committed boxing coaches to get to the top.

Like most, world class athletes, Sean is also supported by a team of sports science and medicine experts.

In our latest blog, Sport Wales’ sports science and medicine team take us behind the scenes and give us 20 ways in which they’ve been helping him prepare:

Strength & Conditioning Coach Joe Hewitt has:

·         been helping Sean to create force from the floor and transferring it into his punches

·         developed more mobility and stability

·         develop Sean’s structural strength which means that Sean is more able to hold strong body positions

·         increased his lower body strength which increases his ability to generate force, improves movement ability and resistance to fatigue and gives him a solid base from which to defend and attack from

·         developed his upper body strength which helps him to cover up and defend

·         undertaken circuit based conditioning sessions to develop Sean’s power endurance - while the boxer was recovering from hand surgery

·         helped develop his hand strength

Sean with from left: Performance Analyst Stuart Peacock, Performance Nutritionist Kathryn Brown,
Physiotherapist Sian Knott, Sports Psychologist Catherine Shearer, Sport Wales Institute
Manager Brian Davies and S&C coach Joe Hewitt

Sian Knott, Physiotherapist has:

·         provided rehabilitation following Sean’s hand surgery – mainly focussing on regaining full movement in the wrist, hand and fingers as well as regaining strength of the overall hand and forearm

·         undertaken more general work, so that Sean is in best shape possible to get maximum benefit from his training without getting injured

·         worked to keep Sean’s muscles at an optimal length, in conjunction with soft tissue massage therapist Dave Rowe

Sean in action at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi

Kathryn Brown, Performance Nutritionist has:

•   advised Sean on a nutrition strategy while he’s travelling to make sure that he’s getting all the nutrition he needs while also maintaining his target weight range
• advised him how to take in fuel and fluid post weigh-in so that he is nutritionally prepared for the event
• worked with Sean so that after his intense training sessions he is able to take in the right nutrients to refuel and repair his muscles and so that he rehydrates to replace sweat losses of sodium and water

Dave Rowe, Soft Tissue Massage Therapist has:

·         eased tightness and improved movement in back and shoulders

·         reduced delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) associated with intensive training

·         assisted in recovery and rehabilitation following injury to right fist

·         promoted recovery from competition and/or training

Cath Shearer, Sport Psychologist has:

·         worked with Sean on his pre competition goals to make sure he is on target to reach his competition goals

·         helped Sean develop contingency plans for any situation he is faced with

·         assisted Sean in developing  a competition plan

Kit Heath Trend Alert!

This season's trend appears to be led by stars at recent events such as Cannes and the MTV music awards such as Emma Watson, Penelope Cruz, Cheryl Cole and Uma Therman. These ladies we fastidiously study and they have led the way early on by sporting white outfits to events this summer.

The inspiration behind the latest all white trend? We are not entirely sure, but it could have something to do with our recent royal wedding and "that" dress which has seen a sudden influx of replicas hit the high street stores.

Or it could be the London Fashion Week catwalk inspired by Badgley Mischka and Gianfranco Ferre as pictured and then there's the Nina Ricci and Yves St. Laurent white trench coats, white dresses from Alexander McQueen, Just Cavalli, and John Galliano, AND then there are the white suits from Pucci, Louis Vuitton, and Blumarine. Phew!

Either way, here at Kit Heath we are delighted to be able to accessorise this season's hottest new trend with some whites of our own. 

Enjoy! 

dear grace- i ADORE harper's room....will you come and do walkers??!!  i could just eat up those window treatments.  and i love how she has such a knack at mixing patterns...to see more click here!

*all images from grace happens