What NOT to do on a First Date

Dating Don'ts and Disasters
-->

Finally home after what seems like the worst date I've ever been on, I feel compelled to share what I consider the faux pas of dating. I'd assumed this was common knowledge, but after tonight I know it's safe to assume nothing when it comes to dating.

1.     Do not show up in a wife-beater T-shirt and jeans, or any other outfit that looks overly casual. Your date doesn't expect you to wear a coat and tie or a ball-gown, but the first time you see your date in person, it helps for that first impression if you are well-dressed.
Automatic strikeouts – blue jeans and a blue T-shirt (don't you like any other color?), socks with sandals, those "barefoot" shoes with toes, excessive cleavage (meaning acres of chest and yards of legs – pick ONE to show off and save the rest for later)

2.     Do not call your date "dude" or use the word "like" twice in every other sentence. Your date doesn't expect you to speak like a college professor, and to flaunt a massive vocabulary on the first date can be intimidating and off-putting. Still, excessive use of "dude" and "like" gets old real fast, even in Southern California.

3.     If your date is a big sports fan, and you go somewhere together to watch the game, watch the game with them. When you try to interview them during the game, you will get incomplete answers and building resentment. Talking is what the commercials are for. No one is suggesting you have to sit in complete silence while the game is going on, but if your date is a huge sports fan and he/she is watching a playoff game, it is NOT a good time to ask them about their career goals and their family life. Choose your moments, or you'll strike out looking.

Green-Eyed Guide presents Food Science Note-worthy News: BPA

Another research study that can be spun both ways about the safety of BPA

Obese children and teenagers were found to have elevated BPA levels in their blood, according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association [Association Between Urinary Bisphenol A Concentration and Obesity Prevalence in Children and Adolescents]. 

Those against BPA will say that this study suggests BPA is to blame for the obesity. BPA has zero calories, soda has too many "empty" calories, but well-founded arguments can and have been made that the mere presence of BPA in the system affects metabolism and consequently leads to obesity.

Those against BPA bans will say this study does not show that BPA caused the obesity. In fact, the researchers from NYU School of Medicine acknowledged that their study design doesn't allow them to definitively conclude BPA caused obesity. The study's main author said it's possible obese children have higher amounts of BPA in their blood because the chemical is stored, then later released from fat.

Conclusion – the science world still does not know enough about BPA to definitively conclude one way or the other about the safety of BPA. There are well-qualified experts on both sides, and both arguments can be backed by several well-done studies. 

I believe that if you are truly worried about something, you can find ways to live without it ("When in doubt, leave it out"). Personally, I feel that avoiding BPA for fear of the potential harm is not much different than slamming on the brakes for every single yellow light you ever come to for fear of running the red and getting hurt. There is not a clear or easy answer when it comes to usage of BPA. This study provides more information, but not any answers.

Link: Article Summary by IFT.org

Green-Eyed Guide presents Food Science Note-worthy News: Cinnamon and Type 2 Diabetes

-->

Daily doses of 3 grams of cinnamon helps type 2 diabetics
Adding 3 grams of cinnamon to their daily diet helped patients with type 2 diabetes improve their fasting blood glucose, triglyceride levels and BMI, according to research in the Journal of Preventive Medicine [Effects of Cinnamon Consumption on Glycemic Status, Lipid Profile and Body Composition in Type 2 Diabetic Patients].

This is not the first study to link health benefits with consuming cinnamon, but these benefits are negated with increasing spoonfuls of sugar sprinkled onto cinnamon toast.

Furthermore, none of these studies advocates eating cinnamon by the spoonful. PLEASE DO NOT join the masses of fools on YouTube who try to swallow tablespoons of cinnamon. Cinnamon is so dried out that it coats the windpipe, making suffocation entirely possible. The Mythbusters themselves have verified that this practice is incredibly hazardous to one's health [Myths and Tests: Special 1 - Mailbag Special: Air Date May 20, 2012] [Mailbag Special Videos - Mythbusters Site]

Links: How To Calculate BMI --> Quick Easy BMI Calculator

Links: Type 1 Diabetes vs Type 2 Diabetes -->  Type II Diabetes Overview