Mickey Mouse Overkill

Last week I went to Orlando for work to exhibit at the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners’ (NAPNAP) annual meeting. When I was told I was going to Orlando, I was excited to get away from the cold temperatures and nasty weather in Atlanta.

However, I did not realize that this conference was not only in Orlando but also on the “campus” of Disneyworld. There are not many kids out there who don’t fantasize about Disneyworld. The cool rides, funny characters and junk food create the ideal spot for most children. They do not, however, make for the ideal spot for anyone over the age of 12.

Everything at our hotel was Mickey Mouse – the mirrors, the pool tiles, the chandeliers, the water glasses, the wake-up calls – the list could go on forever. It was serious mouse overkill. All of the employees at our hotel kept telling us to have a magical day.

Plus, everything at Disneyworld is so expensive. Even a diet soda was expesnive. Don' mess with my diet soda prices!

After being there for two days, I called to thank my parents for suffering on my behalf when I was younger and taking me to Disneyworld. My children will not be going there unless someone else is willing to take them. Or, if they could get rid of Mickey Mouse – he’s kind of scary.

Anyways, NAPNAP went incredibly well – the nurse practitioners were incredibly intelligent and interesting and overall it was a great experience…except for the mouse.

Thought for the Day

I hate Disneyworld and I hate that large, scary Mouse. That is all.

Thoughts? More on this tomorrow.

Is Variety the Spice of Life?

If the variety is the spice of life then when it comes to soda choices, we are a very spicy nation – perhaps too spicy? With all of the new beverage choices coming and going, it’s hard to know what’s out there.

This article from USA Today illustrates this point. They point out the new soda trends that seem to be making their way into our supermarkets. Let’s take a look:

Better-for-you bubble beverages: I’ve mentioned these new sodas a few times on my blog but basically they are functional diet sodas. They are packed with vitamins and minerals such as B12, zinc, B3, B6 and vitamin E. People are more health-conscious now and they want to feel like they’re doing something good for their bodies when they take a sip. If this sounds like you, then check out Diet Coke Plus or Pepsi’s Tava. Both varieties sound pretty cool to me.

New no- and low-calorie beverages: Coke kicked off 2005 with a bang when it introduced Coke Zero, marketed at a younger generation and for men who are trying to cut calories but hate the word “diet.” This line has been very successfully and they recently came out with Cherry Coke Zero. Pepsi is preparing to introduce Pepsi Max, which will contain extra caffeine and ginseng. Ginseng has got some really great health benefits so I'm very interested in checking this new beverage out.

Tons of different flavors: There’s regular, lemon, lime, lemon-line, strawberry, vanilla, caramel – the list goes on forever. In my opinion, they’re taking these flavors a little far- caramel flavored soda? Ewww. But hey, variety is the spice of life, right?

Energy drink/soda combos: These sodas taste like regular sodas but they pack a supersized dose of caffeine. There’s Vault, berry-flavored Vault Red Blitz and Pepsi’s MDX. I actually haven’t tried either product but I suppose I will next time I’m in the mood for soda and an energy booster.

I am definitely a diet soda aficionado and try to stay abreast all the latest products and news regarding diet soda but even I’m confused with all the different products and flavors. The soda market has become very saturated and I’m interested to see how it will all pan out in the future.

Delicious Lower-Calorie Drinks

Well, with the season getting warmer, I thought I’d provide you a delicious recipe for lower-calorie margaritas. Olé!

Cranberry-Lime Margarita Punch*

Ingredients
6 cups water
1 container (12 ounces) frozen cranberry juice cocktail, thawed
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup aspartame or your favorite low-calorie sweetener
2 cups ice cubes
1 cup diet ginger ale or tequila**
1 lime, sliced
Fresh cranberries (optional)
Lime slices (optional)

Preparation
Combine water, cranberry juice, lime juice and aspartame in punch bowl. Stir until sweetener dissolves.

Stir in ice cubes, diet ginger ale and sliced lime. Garnish each glass with fresh cranberries and lime slices, if desired.

Nutritional Information
Calories 71
Protein 0 g
Carbohydrates 19 g
Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 8 mg

*recipe courtesy of Equal.com

Words of Wisdom - Don't Worry, They're Not Mine

Spring makes me walk a little slower, smile a little brighter and be a little more thankful. I know it’s pathetic that it takes warm weather for me to reflect on all of the wonderful things in my life. But, when it’s cold outside, I’m just thankful I’m indoors and not living in North Dakota.

Sitting in 70-degree weather (jealous, much?), sipping my diet soda in Piedmont Park this afternoon, I started thinking about all of the advice I’ve given/received from people throughout the years. Some of it’s been good and some of it’s been bad…really bad. So, in honor of the warm weather, I’m posting the ten best pieces of wisdom people have given me throughout the years:

Pick your battles. Not every fight is worth fighting. – Apparently that’s key to a successful marriage judging by my parents.

A simple smile can make all the difference in someone’s day. – This one holds true for me. When I’m in a bad mood, someone smiling at me can pull right out of it.

Do your best, even if nobody’s watching.

Learn something from every mistake you make in life – even if it’s not to make the same mistake again.

At work, never say, “That’s not my job.” – I learned that one the hard way!

Few boys (or girls) are worth your worries or tears – Still trying to work on that one.

Always tell the ones you love how you feel – this time might be your last.

The words “I’m sorry” can go a very long way.

Be who you are and make no excuses.

The best quality a friend can have is the ability to listen.

Diet Soda is Stalking My Friend

My coworker Joe, who by the way is absolutely great, went to Chicago this weekend to visit a friend. He was telling me about the weekend and he briefly mentioned to me that it was a weekend of diet soda. A weekend of diet soda? I thought he meant that he simply consumed large amounts of this delicious concoction but no, Joe told me that diet soda followed him everywhere on his trip.

Riding the MARTA station to the airport on Saturday morning, Joe noticed a new Diet Coke sign on the train. Playing on the trend that many people are now turning to sodas in the morning rather than coffee, the ad featured a can of Diet Coke with a coffee sleeve wrapped around it and the ad said, “Good Morning.” You can check it out here. Pretty creative, if you ask me!

Once Joe arrived in Chicago, he sat down in the luggage claim area to wait for his friend. While waiting, a petite, young woman tripped and fell, accidentally spilling her Diet Pepsi all over Joe. Oops!! Being the nice guy that he is, Joe assured the woman it was no big deal and she went on her way. His pants were drenched and it was freezing outside but Joe was just glad to be in Chicago so he sucked it up.

His last encounter with diet soda came on the plane trip back to Atlanta this morning. Joe’s flight was at 6:30 a.m. (!!!) and he’s not a morning person. Once the plane was in the air, the flight attendant stopped by to bring him a cold beverage. Being a diet soda fan like me, Joe requested a Diet Coke. Thinking he could sip the small drink quickly and then catch some zzz’s, Joe relaxed and waited for his beverage even though he wasn’t really thirsty.

Airlines today are cheap and they pretty much never give you the can anymore but this day was different. The flight attendant gave Joe the can …on the one day he didn’t even want it! All he wanted to do was take a nap and now he had this annoying drink that he had to finish in order to put up the tray table and get some sleep but he didn't want it. Not a bad problem to have but you can see why that would be an annoyance if you’d been up since 4 a..m. At the hour of the day, life just seems an annoyance. Any normal day Joe would have been delighted to get the can but ironically, today was the day he got it.

Anyways, I was short on material today and Joe helped me out. I just might reward him with a diet soda, that is if he’s not sick of it right now!

The Wishy Washy World of Medicine

I get so frustrated sometimes with the field of medicine sometimes. They tell us to do one thing and then turn around and tell us not to do it. I understand that everyone is human and over time we are learning more about the body but it still drives me crazy.

For example, it was previously thought that pregnant women should avoid eating fish because of concerns of the mercury levels in fish. Now a study comes out indicating fish may help produce more intelligent children. So which is it? Pick one and stick with it!

I recently began taking a multivitamin supplement as well as Vitamin B complex because I thought I would be doing a little something extra for my body. I’ve always heard that people who take vitamins on a daily basis get sick less often and lead healthier lives. Plus, my doctor encouraged me to begin taking them because he worries I’m not getting all of the nutrients I need on a daily basis. Wrong! According to this article:

“There's not a lot of evidence they [vitamins] do any good, but that doesn’t
stop us. What we're really buying is not protection from illness, but a sense of
wellbeing – the illusion that we're doing a bit extra over what nature can do,
and that makes us feel satisfied.

Health experts know it's all a bit of a con, but they keep fairly quiet
about it – mainly because the prevailing belief is they don't do any harm, as
long as the dosage is moderate, and if people want to buy the illusion of
wellness in a capsule, well it's their money.”

In addition, a new study indicates that taking Vitamin A, Vitamin and/or beta carotene can actually increase your risk of death!

So, instead of making me healthier, vitamins are actually going to increase my chances of dying sooner? Well that’s absolutely wonderful news. Thanks doc.