Author: catherine w

I'm a feminist public health ethicist (yes, that's a thing). I'm interested in heath behavior change, particularly around eating and activity, and how things other than knowledge affect our health decisions.I'm also a cyclist (road, sort-of-off-road, commuter), regular yoga-doer, occasional swimmer and kayaker and leisurely social walker.
A green robot, forowning and lifting weights. By Unsplash. Catherine wishes September were not the new January
fitness · season transitions · self care

Catherine wishes September were not the new January

catherine w1 Comment

Is it just me, or is everyone getting blammed with “reset your workouts! reset your nutrition! reset your home decor! reset your nervous system!” messaging this month?

You may now be thinking, “I get the multiple fall resets, along with the deluge of pumpkin spice-filled potables and edibles messaging”. But reset your nervous system? What does that even mean? How am I supposed to do that? Also, is a cold reboot of my brain or body even a good idea?

I'm not sure I ever want to push this button-- the red hard reset button.
I’m not sure I ever want to push this button.
A green robot with a red reset button on its belly
Much less a hard reset on me…

Well, some folks think so and are enthusiastically offering us tips on restarting our environments, habits and even neural circuitry in time for fall. Here is an example of what I’m seeing/hearing.

Dan Harris, founder of my favorite meditation app Happier (nee 10% Happier), is doing a whole September reset month of podcast episodes on rewiring your nervous system to reduce stress, heal from trauma, and avoid self-sabotage. Here are some of the topics:

  • From self-abandonment to self-compassion: Elizabeth Gilbert’s path to inner refuge
  • Rewiring your inner critic: Beginning Anew for self-compassion and connection
  • Reclaim your calm: Resetting your nervous system for resilience

I have some thoughts about this.

First, I’m not super handy around the house, so when and if there’s rewiring needed, I outsource it to the professionals. Honestly, this is the kind of thing I don’t ever want to take on as a DIY project:

Who knows what these wires do, and would do to me if I even ventured near them? Thanks, Unsplash for the image.
Who knows what these wires do, and would do to me if I even ventured near them? Thanks, Unsplash for the image.

Similarly, for really big me-problems that require, as it were, major rewiring, I make sure to get some help. And I do, on a regular basis. I’m a long-term fan and participant in therapy, and also an intermittent and enthusiastic physical therapy client.

Second, I agree that it’s important to be the stewards of our own well-being; I mean, if not us, then who? And we all know this. I have my daily and weekly schedules of things-to-do and things-to-do-for-me, which are always in flux, but which I work on and adjust as life unfolds. And one of the things I like about these schedules and routines is that they can be tweaked when unexpected things happen, or when I just need a little change-up. Engaging in a major directional change is not easy– it’s super-disruptive in itself, so I try not to throw out my usual plans unless there’s a really compelling set of reasons.

Of course, sometimes there are compelling reasons. These podcast speakers talk in detail about those life extremes and offer an account of how they navigated through them to calmer times, along with some suggestions for us.

Third– as I said, deciding to embark on a completely new daily life plan is a very big deal. The fact that fall is here is not (for me) a good enough reason to throw myself into resetting my brain to fix all my life-long quirks and vulnerabilities.

September is an important transition time, even for those of you whose lives aren’t governed by the school calendar. I’m all for new beginnings, embracing the change, and welcoming in another season with its new foods, fabrics, and fun times. I’d prefer to meet these shifts without taking on extensive neurophysiology renovations at the same time.

So, dear readers, I encourage us all to take it a bit easier on ourselves from the neck up this month. Except for pumpkin spice– feel free to do you and swan-dive into sights and sounds and smells and tastes as you see fit.

Just a little pumpkin-spice inspo, courtesy of Dan Smedly for Unsplash. a pumpkins spice cappuccino, surrounded by orange leaves and little pumpkins.
Just a little pumpkin-spice inspo, courtesy of Dan Smedley for Unsplash.

KIds doing exercises outside. Byaleksandar-andreev for unsplash. Bring back the President’s Physical Fitness Test? Uh, just no. Why not? Read on.
fitness · research · Science · weight stigma

Bring back the President’s Physical Fitness Test? Uh, just no. Why not? Read on.

catherine w1 Comment

CW: some mention of body weight in children and use of the word “obesity”. Sorry, I’ll keep it to a minimum.

If you’re a news-attentive person, you know it’s become hopeless to keep track of all the evidence and good-sense-absent decisions by the Trump administration.

Full and happy discplosure: most of my info is from the superb podcast Maintenance phase episode on this topic. You can listen here and read the transcript here. And I recommend listening to other episodes of this podcast, hosted by the superb Aubrey Gordon and her superb co-host MIchael Hobbes.

If you need a reminder about what exactly was the President’s Physical Fitness Test:

It sort of started with the Kraus Weber Test, developed in the 1940s, which tested children once on a few physical tasks (this I got from Wikipedia):

  1. A simple sit-up with knees bent and feet planted
  2. A sit-up with legs extended and not bent
  3. Raising feet while lying on the back
  4. Raising head, chest and shoulders off the ground while lying on the stomach
  5. Raising legs off the ground while lying on the stomach
  6. With knees straight, bending forward to touch the floor

Then, American Bonnie Prudden used the test on American children (insert lots more detail I’m not including), and found that 58% of kids didn’t pass the test. Meanwhile, only 8% of European children given the test (under other circumstances at different times, etc.) failed the test.

Insert big panic here.

Then-President Dwight Eisenhower was horrified at these results. So, instead of turning to education or medical or public health experts to investigate to see if there was actually a problem (along with increasing funding for physical education in schools and communities), he founded a presidential commision:

The President’s Council on Youth Fitness, which morphed over time into the President’s Council on Fitness, and is now the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition.

Important and famous people have served on these commissions. However, no one did any research at all on:

  • whether the original or modified versions of the test actually measured anything meaningful or useful in children (Spoiler: NO)
  • why American children didn’t do better on the test (Spoiler: they hadn’t practiced calisthenics in school like the Europeans did; with 6–8 weeks of practice kids did fine on the test)
  • what a one-time physical fitness test should show– current physical fitness? potential short-term fitness? potential fitness in adulthood? overall health? predictions about future health? (Spoiler: it showed none of these, as determined by later research)
  • If all schools in the US gave ths test every year to school children, what they would do with the data, like develop funded programs for improving fitness from the baselines, or even track kids’ fitness over time (Spoiler: no one did any of this, ever)

The commissions did make very nice recommendations, like:

Set aside more time and facilities and staff and training for kids to do a wider variety of sports that are accessible to everyone—e.g. fishing, bowling, archery, etc. Also, make time for free play with other kids, without the parents/teachers supervising and guiding (from Maintenance phase transcript)

Doesn’t that sound sweet? (Spoiler: the commission’s recommendations were ignored in favor of modified versions of the original test, which– as I think I mentioned earlier– measured nothing at all, other than someone’s ability to do those required tasks at that time.)

So, this test was given all over the US to all the school kids with no health goals at all. Yep.

Until 2012, when the Obama administration pivoted away from the test and toward an emphasis on overall health and activity, rather than measured (for no reason) performance. Yeah, that sounds better, doesn’t it?

Hmmm. Then why does the Trump administration want to bring it back?

In short, (you can read the long version here) because Trump and RFK think that there’s a crisis of obesity, chronic disease, and poor nutrition in the US, especially among children.

Bringing back this test will Make American Active Again, according to the press release (Spoiler: it totally won’t).

Okay. But, just for the sake of argument, why not bring it back?

Glad you asked. In addition to the above information which leads us to believe that this test doesn’t measure anything or contribute in any healh-goal-directed way to children’s health or fitness, there’s this:

Everyone hates this test. Teachers hate it. Kids hate it. Parents hate it. Why? It makes almost everyone feel bad about themselves or children they care about for no good reason.

There’s some evidence that tests like these make kids hate physical activity. That’s the opposite of what we wanted, right?

Oh, and there’s overwhelming evidence from tons of research that physical activity does not have strong effects on body weight. Physical activity is predictive of all sorts of great health outcomes like longevity, improved mental and cognitive health, and loads of other things we blog about regularly. So, bringing back the test will arguably have no positive effects on distribution of body weight among school children.

Here’s a great quote from Aubrey and Michael:

There was no evidence to do it in the first place. The evidence that it works is non-existent. And the evidence that getting rid of it is good is out there.

Need I say more? Oh, I want to. There’s so much wrong with these tests. But I’ll leave it for another time.

In the meantime, dear readers: do you recall taking these tests in gym class? What did you think? Was there one kid who climbed the rope all the way to the top, and can you remember their name?

dried prunes against a blue background. From Wikipedia. Prunes for bone health– who knew? Who wants prunes? Uh…
fitness · nutrition

Prunes for bone health– who knew? Who wants prunes? Uh…

catherine w

Yes, science is always testing more foods that might or might not help us live longer, get less injured, stay more cognitively engaged, or avoid various serious medical conditions.

The latest one of these studies that we’ve come across at Fit is a Feminist Issue is: Prunes.

Yes, these.

Prunes in a bowl, with plums hanging out beside them. From Forks over Knives.
Prunes in a bowl, with plums hanging out beside them. From Forks over Knives.

Prunes are the new new fruit for bone health (well, according to a 2022 study that just came across our social media feeds, and also a 2024 study by the same prune-forward research group).

In the 2022 study, they looked at the impact of daily prune intake on hip bone mineral density in postmenopausal women. They divided the study participants into three groups:

  • no prunes
  • 50 grams of prunes daily (4–6 prunes)
  • 100 grams of prunes daily (10–12 prunes)

What did they find? Read on…

A 50-g daily dose of prunes can prevent loss of total hip BMD in postmenopausal women after 6 mo, which persisted for 12 mo. Given that there was high compliance and retention at the 50-g dosage over 12 mo, we propose that the 50-g dose represents a valuable nonpharmacologic treatment strategy that can be used to preserve hip BMD in postmenopausal women and possibly reduce hip fracture risk. 

Fine print: participants in the 100-gram group (10–12 prunes a day!) didn’t keep up the prune pace very well; their dropout rate was much higher than in the no-prune or the 50-gram group.

The same good prune-induced effects happened in this 2024 study, measuring cortical bone structure and estimated bone strength of the tibia bone in postmenopausal women. Here’s what one of the researchers said in this article:

“This is the first randomized controlled trial to look at three-dimensional bone outcomes with respect to bone structure, geometry and estimated strength,” said Mary Jane De Souza, distinguished professor of kinesiology and physiology at Penn State. “In our study we saw that daily prune consumption impacted factors related to fracture risk. That’s clinically invaluable.”

“It’s pretty exciting data for a 12-month study,” De Souza said. “We were able to maintain and preserve bone at the weight-bearing, cortical bone of the tibia and the maintenance of cortical bone and bone strength is key to avoiding fracture.”

This Penn State-based research group is doing a variety of studies to better understand the relationships between prunes and bone health, including how prune consumption affects the bacteria in the gut biome. I’ll spare you the details, but those really motivated can read more about it here.

Let’s now take a moment to put this new research in perspective.

We have all seen a ton of articles touting some food or supplement and its effects on some aspect of our functioning, longevity and overall health. And (I hope that) we have all learned to take these splashy headlines with a grain or pinch of salt (but not too much salt, as that’s supposed to be bad for us… sigh…)

I mean, it’s hard enough to manage our busy and complex lives without piling on extra daily portions of prunes or blueberries or flaxseed or kale or grapefruit or whatever the new food-of-the-week is. And, the effects of some of these foods on our particular long-term health goals are often pretty diffuse and small, compared to factors like regular physical activity or good sleep.

For me, this prune news has captured enough of my interest that imma buy some prunes and see if I like them enough to eat them regularly. You do you.

Hey readers, any prune fans out there? Let us know– I promise this is a safe space for sharing.

A person on a table being evaluated by a physical therapist. By Judy Beth Morris for Unsplash. Five lessons Catherine is learning from Physical Therapy (this time)
fitness · functional fitness · injury · Physiotherapy

Five lessons Catherine is learning from Physical Therapy (this time)

catherine w1 Comment

I’ve been in physical therapy for six weeks for sciatica, which has been centered on my right hip and glute. I had the same problem in my left hip and glute two years ago, and got physical therapy for it, which helped enormously.

But it came back, this time on the other side. Which brings me to the first lesson from this round of PT:

Lesson one: our physical vulnerabilities don’t ever go away; they’re always there and in need of attention and care.

I knew this, of course, as do we all. But when we devote concentrated attention to some problem, we tend to hope and believe that it’ll be fixed, once and for all. Well, in the case of our musculoskeletal bodies, this just isn’t true.

Lesson two: slow and steady actually works.

Once I got into physical therapy and made a little progress– less pain and more function– I was ready to throw myself into more intense activity. But they counseled me to let pain guide me; if doing something hurt a lot, stop doing it. Sounds simple, but this bears repeating.

Lesson three: more activity brings more discomfort, but it’s okay.

When I was on vacation in Canada, swimming and dog walking and just generally being more active, I had some level of pain every day, for much of the day. Because I’d been prepped for this, I didn’t freak out. I did what I wanted and could do, took Tylenol when needed, and enjoyed the fact that I was able to be more active and out there than the previous month. Yay.

Lesson four: sitting in cars and planes is evil for the body (or at least my body).

Yes, I knew this, but driving from Boston to Ontario and back again (with some detours along the way) showed me once again how my body is vulnerable. And don’t get me started on air travel; that’s what precipitated this flare-up. This doesn’t mean I can no longer drive. But it does mean that 1) I should stop more often and get out and stretch and walk around; 2) I should know that after a very long drive, my body will need attention through stretching, rest, and movement; and 3) If I ignore and push through this, I do so at my peril.

Lesson five: bodies are wonderful things. They take a licking and keep on ticking. And they respond to focused attention and care. This means that I have renewed appreciation and love for my physical self. This time around, both the physical therapists and I are working on a maintenance plan that I can and will follow. I really love what my body can do, and I want to keep doing it for a long time to come.

A long stairway, by Chrisian Chen fr Unsplash. When is 7000 just as good as 10,000? When you’re stepping (says science)
fitness · research · walking

When is 7000 just as good as 10,000? When you’re stepping (says science)

catherine w

We are a numbers-obsessed people (we humans, I mean). We always want to know:

  • How much do I have?
  • How many do I need?
  • Is more ever too much?

These are hard questions. Luckily, I’m not here to try to answer them. But I can tell you one thing: the number of steps recommended per day according to scientific studies is definitely NOT 10,000, but rather 7000 seems to be a sufficient number for loads of health benefits. We’ve written about this before, but a new meta-analysis came out in Lancet Public Health re-affirms this claim.

The researchers found studies meeting their criteria that showed associations between number of daily steps and the following health outcomes:

  • all-cause mortality
  • cancer incidence
  • cancer-related mortality
  • cardiovascular disease
  • cardiovascular disease-related mortality
  • type-2 diabetes
  • dementia
  • depressive symptoms
  • physical functions
  • falls

Here’s what they said:

Three key findings emerge. First, even modest daily step counts were associated with health benefits. Second, 7000 steps per day was associated with sizeable risk reductions across most outcomes, compared with the reference of 2000 steps per day. Third, even though risk continued to decrease beyond 7000 steps per day, it plateaued for some outcomes. Notably, the dose-response relationship might differ by outcomes, participant age, and device type.

So, the latest research analysis is saying that, compared with 2000 steps a day, 7000 is great for a lot of very important health outcomes. In other individual studies, an average of 4200 steps a day provides modest improvement in lowering health risks. And, I might add, activity researchers happen to agree with this blog that every step counts– small amounts of activity contribute to health and well-being in lots of ways that we appreciate.

Oh, and speed doesn’t seem to matter, say some researchers. This from a WBUR CommonHealth article:

Researchers have also tried to pin down whether speed makes a difference. Here, the new Lancet study could not make any definitive conclusions, in part because there are various ways to measure intensity and because differences could simply reflect better overall fitness and physical function.

“We actually don’t see an association once we consider the total number of steps,” says Paluch, who has also looked at this question. “So, essentially, the total number of steps, regardless of how fast you’re walking, seems to have a benefit,” she says.

So– faster or slower, harder or gentler, up or down, to or fro– all of these add up to the message (which we knew already, but science is reaffirming it) that movement is key to a number of the features of well-being and health as many of us think of it.

Oh, last thing: those 7000 steps don’t all have to be all up. Just saying.

A very steep and long stairway. You make the call. By Ozlem for Unsplash.
A very steep and long stairway. You make the call. By Ozlem for Unsplash.

From left: Diane, Carla, Kim, Susan, Cate, Sarah, Natalie, Samantha, and me (Catherine). FIFI Bloggers August BBQ– it’s becoming a thing
fitness · season transitions · vacation

FIFI Bloggers August BBQ– it’s becoming a thing

catherine w1 Comment

August is a glorious month. Yes, it’s the last month of summer, bringing with it wistfulness and reflection back on all the things that one could have done this summer (like, say, painting my dining room, revamping my fall courses, reading at least twelve books, taking up parasailing– okay, not that last one). But it’s also the month of perfect ripeness (like the fresh tomatoes I ate today), perfect blue skies and blue water (like what I enjoyed at Lake Huron this week) and perfect leisurely company– like the FIFI Bloggers BBQ, held at Samantha’s house on Saturday.

Here we all are, well-fed and feeling very convivial:

From left: Diane, Carla, Kim, Susan, Cate, Sarah, Natalie, Samantha, and me (Catherine).
From left humans: Diane, Carla, Kim, Susan, Cate, Sarah, Natalie, Samantha, and me. From left dogs: Chase and Cheddar.

Samantha hosted us at her place in Guelph, and folks came from all over Ontario for the party. I had made plans a while ago to combine a trip from Boston to my friend Norah’s rental cottage in Goderich on Lake Huron with a weekend visit to Guelph to visit with Samantha, Sarah, Kathleen (Sam’s mom), her in-town kids, resident animals and any neighbors who stopped by.

This week was one of near-perfect relaxed activity:

  • swimming in Lake Huron
  • walking on the lakefront boardwalk in Goderich
  • drawing the trees and flowers of the area in my journal
  • hanging out with Sam, Sarah, and the fam
  • dog walking and farmers’ market purchasing
  • prepping for and enjoying a yummy potluck BBQ meal

But the best part was seeing folks I hadn’t laid eyes on in a while and also meeting some of the bloggers I’d never seen in person. Diane met all of us for the first time in the flesh– thanks so much for coming, Diane!

We shared stories, bubbly beverages of all sorts, yummy salads brimming with the best produce Ontario has to offer, and loads of other treats brought by folks. Not to play favorites, but Diane’s just-picked fresh cherry tomatoes will go down as some of the best I’ve ever had.

Like you, we bloggers have gotten to know each other through our writing. But there’s nothing like sharing space, food, hugs and laughs together. preferably in someone’s leafy green backyard. Don’t you agree?

This is the second year we’ve met as a group. Not everyone was available– this is just the reality of complex full lives– but I’ve gotten to see just about everyone in the past two years. And I’m pretty sure we’re going to do a repeat event next August.

Now, all we have to do is either a) find a way to transport our Newfoundland bloggers Martha and Christine here next year; or b) ROAD TRIP TO THE ROCK (which is supposedly a nickname for Newfoundland, according to Google; my apologies if this is wrong). Anyway, you get the idea.

I hope all of you, dear readers, are enjoying the last half of August, including (especially?) the tomatoes.

Possibly a view of a road in Newfoundland. It's what Unsplash gave me, courtesy of Volodymyr Grytsiuk.
Possibly a view of a road in Newfoundland. It’s what Unsplash gave me, courtesy of Volodymyr Grytsiuk.
A woman cycling down a road by a big tree. By John Torcasio for Unsplash. What to wear on a bike: bib shorts or regular cycling shorts? (reblog)
cycling · fitness

What to wear on a bike: bib shorts or regular cycling shorts? (reblog)

catherine w1 Comment

HI folks– I’m traveling today and instead of writing a new post, I’ve been packing and watering plants and trying to clean out my fridge, etc. This post was one I wrote ten years ago (whoa) about a little-known cycling clothing controversy: bib shorts or regular cycling shorts? I won’t issue any spoilers, but ten years later I’m much more casual about what I wear on a bike; still, it’s good to have options and information.

So, herewith my post from 2015 on the case for (and against) bib shorts for cycling.

See you all with a new post soon.

-caw

Bibs vs. bike shorts for women: no contest, the bibs have it
A buffet of egg and waffle and fruit dishes for breakfast. By Rachel Park for unsplash. Is a 55+ breakfast actually a thing? Catherine thinks definitely NOT
diets · eating · fitness · nutrition

Is a 55+ breakfast actually a thing? Catherine thinks definitely NOT

catherine w4 Comments

Dear readers, we at FIt is a Feminist Issue are constantly vigilant, keeping watch for encroaching messaging that suggests that we need to do some ridiculous cockamamie thing in order to maintain our health, fitness, sanity, and good humor as we run, jump. cycle, swim, climb, paddle, and dance our way through the life trajectory.

Here’s the latest insult that Samantha encountered recently. She put out an APBB (all-points-bloggers-bulletin) our our bloggers FB page, and I quickly responded. Take a deep breath, then take a quick look:

A breakfast menu page with the horrifying headline "55+ Menu". I know, I know. Take another deep breath-- I'm handling it.
A breakfast menu page with the insulting and deeply flawed headline “55+ Menu”. I know, I know. Take another deep breath– I’m handling it. It’ll be okay.

You may find yourself intuitively troubled, but not yet able to articulate exactly what is wrong with this picture. Again, don’t worry. Here goes…

On the one hand, the actual listed portions work for me personally (a 3-egg omelette is always more than I want in one sitting). Also, 2 slices of French toasts sounds fine. But I’m not now, nor have I ever been a hearty breakfast eater. Even when cycling or paddling in the morning (yes, I have documentation for these admittedly rare events), I tend to eat a little lighter before activity, and then eat energy bars or blocks during activity. One’s mileage varies.

(Parenthetical note: when ordering two slices of French toast, I’d love an egg on the side, but not an egg*. I have no idea what an egg* is, so am rightly suspicious. More research is needed here).

On the other hand, I strongly resent:

1) the idea that 55+ folks have to worry 1a) about calories; and 1b) about calories more than 54- folks. There’s data to suggest the opposite, namely that as people age, their metabolisms manage body weight differently. In particular, more body weight presents fewer risks to health and mortality in older people than in younger people.

2) the idea that 2a) 55+ people should avoid egg yolks for “health” reasons, or 2b) any folks at all (55+- )should avoid egg yolks for “health” reasons. I just wrote a blog post with the latest in egg-news, including the results of a July 2025 study showing that eating 2 eggs a day in fact reduces LDL cholesterol more than eating a high saturated fat diet, with or without an egg.

3) the suggestion that so-called Fit Fare reflects current– or any– research on 3a) nutritional needs for humans 55+-, or 3b) specialized nutritional needs for folks 55+. I looked around online and didn’t find anything, or at least anything positive to say about chain menus that offer lower-calorie variations on their usually-extremely-high-sodium menu items.

Past marketing research does show that casual-dining chains benefit financially from offering both packaged low-calorie food combos and so-called “healthier” combos. But it doesn’t mean that such combos are a) actually healthier, or b) what I want.

So, readers, when it’s breakfast time, my advice is eat what you want. You’ve got loads of options, no matter whether you are 55+ or 55-.

A montage of unsplash-provided breakfast from around the world. Enjoy...
A montage of unsplash-provided breakfast from around the world. Enjoy…

Hey readers– what DO You eat for breakfast? I’d love to hear your ideas, as it’s fun to switch thiings up every once in a while.

A 2400 -year-old skeleton mosaic with ancient Greek script saying something like "don't worry be happy" Self-care is timeless– here’s proof
fitness · self care

Self-care is timeless– here’s proof

catherine w

As a long-time blogger who strives not to repeat herself endlessly, I probably shouldn’t share these with you, but duty compels me to acknowledge the following:

  • Everything old is new again.
  • There’s nothing new under the sun.
  • What goes around comes around.
  • History repeats itself.
  • We’re all just reinventing the wheel.
A mosaic of Unsplash art depicting these sayings. Isn't baby Groot sweet?
A mosaic of Unsplash art depicting these sayings. Isn’t baby Groot sweet?

Honestly, though, it’s not so bad to keep revisiting the same themes. After all, we haven’t (yet) solved all the world’s big (or even medium-sized or small) problems, so chipping away seems like not a bad idea.

Among those eternal conundra is this: “what is my obligation to self, living in a world where so much is broken and needs fixing?”

We at Fit is a Feminist Issue devote significant time and copy to addressing this problem, encouraging our readers to set aside time for their own self-care, be it rest, creative pursuits, time with friends or family, or just me-time.

Funny that me-time keeps coming up. Unsplash has ideas.

Unsplash thinks self-care is inextricably linked with tea, but I like the idea of just looking at light fixtures; it seems soothing.
Unsplash considers self-care inextricably linked with tea, but looking up at light fixtures also seems soothing.

Lest we think the search for me-time is an artifact of our modern techno existence, let me set the historical record straight. In 2012, Turkish archaeologists discovered a 2400-year-old mosaic with advice in Ancient Greek about self-care, from a skeleton. (The article, which I just saw yesterday, is here).

A mosaic with reclining skeleton holding a cup, near some bread and an amphora, with advice in Ancient Greek.
A mosaic with reclining skeleton holding a cup, bread and an amphora, with life advice in Ancient Greek.

And what, pray tell, does the skeleton’s advice say?

Accompanying the image are the words, “Be cheerful, enjoy your life,” according to a Turkish interpretation. [One writer] reads it as, “You get the pleasure of the food you eat hastily with death,” and believes that the mosaic was in a soup kitchen rather than a rich person’s dining room.

But…[others]…argue that a skeleton “partying with [the Romans] in the dining room” is… a reminder that life is fleeting—so imbibe the wine, eat the bread, and enjoy it while you can.

However, I think they’re both a bit wide of the mark. My hypothesis is that this skeleton is the originator of the timeless categorical imperative:

Those four little words: Don't worry. Be happy.
Those four little words: Don’t worry. Be happy.

Or, if you prefer Unsplash’s take on it:

We get the message, Unsplash. Thanks.
Thanks, Unsplash, for keeping the advice alive.

So folks, if you’re feeling overwhelmed, overworked, underslept, over the edge, or teetering on the brink, take some advice from Bobby McFerrin, Old Boney, and me:

Eggs with funny faces. From Unsplash. Your up-to-the-minute egg news: they’re good for you again (sort of)
fitness · nutrition · research

Your up-to-the-minute egg news: they’re good for you again (sort of)

catherine w

We at Fit as a Feminist Issue have been following and reporting on the eggs-good-eggs-bad nutritional controversy for years now. Researchers simply haven’t been able to decide, and we’ve been there to report.

Are all eggs bad eggs? Blogging the controversy

In remembrance of eggs past, or: not bad egg news again!

The new US dietary guidelines, or: just tell me, are eggs good or bad this year?

In late July of this year, a new study came out about the impact of eggs (which contain a low of dietary cholesterol) vs. saturated fat (which isn’t found in eggs) on our LDL cholesterol levels. And guess what? The eggs came out on top!

Let’s take a closer look at what they did and what it might mean.

Note: this blog post is not meant as medical advice. I am a doctor, but of philosophy, not medicine. But hey, I can read an article as well as the next person… 🙂

The study was pretty simple. Researchers created three groups:

  • high-cholesterol (600 mg/d), low-saturated fat (6%) including 2 eggs/d (EGG);
  • low-cholesterol (300 mg/d), high-saturated fat (12%) without eggs (EGG-FREE);
  • and a high-cholesterol (600 mg/d), high-saturated fat (12%) control diet (CON) including 1 egg/wk. 

For those who are visual processors, see below:

Two-egg-breakfast, a bunch of bacon, and one-egg breakfast.
Two-egg-breakfast, a bunch of bacon, and one-egg breakfast. All in the name of science.

And what did the researchers conclude? I won’t keep you waiting:

Saturated fat, not dietary cholesterol, elevates LDL cholesterol. Compared with consuming a high-saturated fat diet with only 1 egg/wk, consuming 2 eggs daily as part of a low-saturated fat diet lowers LDL concentrations, which may reduce CVD risk. However, this effect on CVD risk may be mitigated, at least in part, by a reduction in less-atherogenic large LDL particles and an increase in more atherogenic small LDL particles.

What does this mean? Well, the study reaffirms what science has known for decades, which is that dietary cholesterol doesn’t contribute to our LDL-cholesterol levels. What does contribute, however, is saturated fat. So, eating a lower-saturated fat diet helps reduce LDL-cholesterol. Which science already knew, but this study shows it. Again.

But what about the business with eating two-eggs-a-day vs. at-most-one-egg-a-week? Aren’t medical folks still recommending not eating a lot of eggs if your cholesterol is higher?

Yes. In this news article, which is about THE NEW STUDY, some medical professionals are still recommending avoiding eggs to manage cholesterol levels.

If you’re concerned about your cholesterol levels, Sharon Palmer, RDN, a registered dietitian nutritionist from California, suggests sticking to egg whites, as most of the cholesterol and saturated fat in eggs are in the yolk.

This woman is sighing in frustration, too.
This woman (who also read the study) is sighing in frustration, too. Thanks British Library, for the photo.

What does all this mean? Well, research, especially research that goes against previously-entrenched medical views, is not taken up and incorporated into medical practice very quickly or easily. Also, nutrition science is one of those areas where people vigorously disagree, even when lots of research seems to be pointing in one direction rather than another.

So, what should you eat for breakfast? It’s up to you, and there are lots of considerations, including health, convenience, access, ethical ramifications, and taste.

But, in honor of the season, may I recommend:

Yogurt with peaches, blueberries and granola. Fancy glass mandatory.
Yogurt with peaches, blueberries and granola. Fancy glass mandatory.