Post-Thanksgiving Damage Control

So, Thanksgiving weekend is over and you find that you’re feeling more tired than usual and your pants don’t fit anymore. It’s time for some damage control.

Anne Marie Helmenstine explained in her blog that the reason we feel so tired after eating all that turkey is because of something called L-tryptophan, an amino acid found in turkey that converts into serotonin, which in turn, makes us sleepy.

To get back some of that lost energy and lose the extra pounds, get into a gym and diet routine for the next couple of weeks. Joy Bauer offers a 72-hour detox plan in her blog.

Coca Cola Lawsuit

I didn't think anyone could be more ridiculous than the woman who sued McDonald's for burning herself with hot coffee, but here she is.

Natalia Koshuba sued Coca Cola after suffering from insomnia and stomach illnesses after consuming at least three liters of coke every day for the past five years. Attornies explained that Koshuba had been consuming this much soda in order to collect bottle caps that could be redeemed for prizes. The Cola bottles had no warning against this type of consumption, and judges ruled in favor of Koshuba.

In 1992, there was a similar lawsuit where a woman sued McDonald's after she burned herself with a cup of their hot coffee, and won the lawsuit.

I can't decide whether the people filing these lawsuits are really stupid, or geniuses.

World's First Anti-Obesity Charter

With so many unsuccessful attempts to fight obesity, Europe has finally taken a step in the right direction.

Europe, with the help of the World Health Organization, passed the world's first anti-obesity charter.

According to the article, the charter "aims to curb the epidemic in the next five years, and hopes to reverse the trend by 2015," by addressing the issues of childhood obesity, the fast food chain problem and the lack of exercise by Americans.

While many organizations, such as the American Obesity Association, offer programs for and ways to prevent obesity, the epidemic only seems to be getting worse.

Hopefully, Europe's charter will have a significant impact that will resonate around the world.

Kirstie Alley on Oprah

You may remember her from the movie "Look Who's Talking" or the sitcom "Cheers," but lately, Kirstie Alley has been all over tabloid and magazine covers being bashed about her weight.

Well, Kirstie couldn't just take that.

She joined Jenny Craig last January and became their celebrity spokesperson, vowing to lose weight and appear on the Oprah Winfrey Show in a bikini when she did.

And she kept her promise.

Kirstie lost 75 pounds on the program and showed the world her new body last week on Oprah. She may not have been able to pull off a string thong bikini, but she sure looked amazing!

Going Organic

You may have thought eating healthy was a simple as buying fruits and vegetables from your local grocery store. But now, we have the choice of buying fruits and vegetables that are organic. So what’s the difference?

Organic foods are free of chemicals and pesticides, and usually contain up to 50% more vitamins, minerals and enzymes. Grocery stores have begun placing more and more organic choices on their shelves as their reputations grow. But are these organic foods all their hyped up to be?

Some argue that the organics are not worth the prices.

If you need more convincing, check out 10 reasons to go organic, complements of Ysanne Spevack, editor of OrganicFood.co.uk, the world’s no.1 organic online magazine.

Birth-Control Patch Crisis

With so many new forms of contraceptives coming out these days, it was just a matter of time before something went wrong.

Over 40 women are suing Johnson & Johnson, the maker of Ortho Evra birth-conrol patches, claiming that the patches caused blood clots and sicknesses in many and killed one.

Ortho Evra is a once-a-week birth-control patch being used by millions of women. But this patch does come with a warning label. According to their website, Ortho Evra is not intended for everyone, as it can cause blood clots, stroke and heart attack.

I guess in the end, the best and safest contraceptive truly is abstinence!

The Price of Obesity

It turns out that obesity can cost you more than just your health.

In April, the Associated Press reported that obese children are outgrowing standard car seats and companies are being forced to make heftier models to accommodate the heftier kids.

According to the article, these bigger seats can run up to $250.

A more recent Associated Press article covered a study that linked obesity to gasoline consumption.

It may sound silly, but if you think about it, it does make sense.

The more weight in the car, the more power it needs to go, thus draining the gas faster.

So, if you find yourself paying too much for gas too often, maybe you should consider making a pit stop at the gym.