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THE FUTURE OF WOMEN'S BASKETBALL?

My mother played basketball when she was in high school. She originally tried out for the cheerleading squad, and didn't make it. Basketball was not a high status sport so she had no problem making the team, even at five feet four inches.

She started as a freshman on the junior varsity team, progressed to varsity and had the talent to make the All-City team. Yet after each game, next to her name in the paper were the same stats: 0 points, 0 assists, 0 rebounds.

My mom played from 1958-1962. She was a guard during the era of six-player basketball. Not only was she not allowed to take a shot, she was not allowed to cross the center line of the court. Those that made the rules thought that it would be too taxing or too unfeminine for young women to exert themselves.

A girl either played offense on one side of the court or defense on the other. During my mother's last year, one of the positions was changed to "roamer". Only the roamer could cross the center line without penalty.

Last month, 17-year-old Candace Parker won the Slam Dunk contest at the McDonald's High School All-American Game, over a number of talented young men. In high school games, she's dunked twice. The slam dunk win came at the end of a season that started with games missed due to a knee injury.

Parker is headed to the dominant basketball program at Tennessee next year. She can play all five positions and she'd probably laugh at those mid-century rule makers who deemed running up and down the court like boys inappropriate for young women.

Yet shortly after Parker's win, naysayers appeared. ESPN.com's Sports Guy, columnist Bill Simmons wrote that it reminded him of family reunion softball games, "…when my cousin Carrie always insisted on playing even though she was a little kid, so we would let her swing the bat and make contact, and then my Dad would throw the ball over my Uncle Don's head so Carrie could get on first base, and she would think she got a legitimate single…

Join me as we collectively throw the slam dunk trophy over my Uncle Don's head and allow Candace Parker to reach first base."

My mom was embarrassed when her photo appeared in the paper for basketball, and she does not have fond memories of the one-piece, split skirt uniforms she had to wear.

Forty-two years later, Candace Parker signed autographs for fans after her win, and can look forward to a possible career in the WBNA after college.

Perhaps Mr. Simmons would be more comfortable if women still couldn't cross the line at center court, but Candace Parker could probably beat him to the hoop.

By K.C. Hoffman

Sources:
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncw/columns/story?id=1771877 http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/040406

More on the history of women in basketball:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0822598639/103-8046906-4386217?v=glance

CARB CRAZED! LOW-CARB DIETS: LONG-TERM HEALTHY LIFESTYLE CHANGE OR QUICK FIX?

Low-carb diets have become as popular as apple pie (although apple pie wouldn't be allowed!). Everywhere you go, the message is "low-carb" or "no-carb". Unfortunately, this message oversimplifies many of the healthy eating habits that nutrition experts have been teaching. We have become an "all or nothing" food society. We should have learned this with the low-fat craze, but here we are now with a low-carb craze. The truth is, there are no quick fixes or easy answers when it comes to healthy eating, and one size never fits all!

The idea that carbohydrates are bad or unhealthy is a misunderstood message. Low-carbohydrate promoters push the theory that carbohydrates are to blame for the nation's obesity problems.

The truth is that overeating and lack of exercise are mostly to blame for the obesity epidemic.

The Truth About Carbs

Proponents of low-carb diets claim that when carbs raise blood sugar and insulin levels, the process can make our bodies store fat more readily. This is true, but did you know that all carbs are not created equal?

There are different kinds of carbohydrates: simple and complex as well as low glycemic and high glycemic. This is where most people fail to understand better carbohydrate choices. There are no bad food choices - just those foods that should be eaten daily and those that should be eaten once in awhile.

Fruits and Vegetables

While it is true that fruits and vegetables are made primarily of carbohydrates, the majority of them have a low glycemic index (glycemic index is a measure of how quickly a food increases blood sugar).

This is because fruits and vegetables contain fiber, which naturally keeps blood sugars level. Fruits and vegetables are also the most important food groups in our fight against chronic diseases. They are loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytochemicals which act like our own personal arsenal against chronic diseases.

The American Institute for Cancer Research has compiled over 4,000 studies and has concluded that eating five servings of fruits and vegetables per day can decrease our cancer risk by 20 percent. Eliminating fruits and vegetables from your diet can lead to potentially serious health problems such as heart disease and cancer.

Whole Grains: The Important Difference

Both whole grains and refined grains are high in carbohydrate, but whole grain foods like oats, barley, brown rice and whole wheat breads and cereals, contain all parts of the plant kernel, thus keeping their important fiber and nutrient content intact.

Refined grains are stripped of these nutritious components during the milling process. It is true that eating large amounts of refined carbohydrates on a daily basis can drive blood sugar levels up quickly. The fiber in whole grains slows the rise in blood sugar and therefore the insulin response.

Eating small amounts of whole, complex carbohydrates throughout the day can keep blood sugars at a more even level. Research shows that people whose diets are high in whole grains and fiber decrease their risk of diabetes, certain cancers, and heart disease.

Portion Control

Most people consume extremely large portion sizes of carbohydrates, eating more refined carbohydrates than the healthy complex carbohydrates.

The answer, however, is not to give up all carbohydrates. We need to learn how to balance our diets to provide enough energy and nutrients from all food groups throughout the day. By removing all carbs from your diet you are setting yourself up for potential health problems - not to mention bad breath (side effect of ketosis), hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), and low energy levels.

Very low-carbohydrate diets would not be of concern to health professionals and nutrition experts if they weren't so significantly low in important nutrients and so high in saturated fats.

Recent studies have found that low-carb diets are deficient in as many as 19 vitamins and minerals and as many as 11 micronutrients, including thiamin, folate, pantothenic acid, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, selenium and zinc.

According to Dr. Bruce Ames, a professor of molecular and cell biology at the University of California, Berkeley, vitamin and mineral deficiencies such as these can lead to DNA damage that can cause you to age prematurely and could lead to cancer and degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

It is important to remember that these diets were developed for weight loss and not as healthy eating guidelines. As a matter of fact, the opposite of the low-carb diet holds true for athletes young and old.

When we exercise, we use carbohydrates for our main energy source and to build up our glycogen reserves (stored energy in our muscles). This helps us to have more endurance and higher energy levels during training.

It is recommended to consume carbs before exercise, and carbs and protein after events for muscle repair and building up glycogen reserves.

Bottom Line

Choose small amounts (½ to 1 cup) of whole grains with each meal. If you are an athlete you may need up to 1 ½ cups per meal. Choose a variety of fruits and vegetables throughout the day and you will be able to manage your weight and your health at the same time! People who have achieved lifelong weight loss have done so by making lifestyle changes such as eating a balanced diet and increasing their daily activity, not by following fad diets.

Most importantly, don't depend on fad diets to give you nutrition advice. They generally look at a small piece of the puzzle instead of the whole picture. There is no need to increase your health risk to lose weight. Seek out advice from credible sources such as a Registered Dietitian or your healthcare provider. For credible nutrition information on the web go to the American Dietetic Association at www.eatright.org or WebMD at www.webmd.com.

By Meri Raffetto RD
Real Living Nutrition Services

KIRA'S JOURNAL

Part three in a series, the following is an excerpt of the journal of Kira Anthofer, a former collegiate and professional athlete who is working toward health and fitness of body, mind and spirit.

With our journal series we bring you the challenges and accomplishments of an average woman: someone who, like all of us, balances a life full of work, play, friends, family and occasional struggle.

We hope you find inspiration in their daily endeavors, and perhaps decide to try something new and challenging yourself!

Have you ever heard of the "yo-yo effect?" In regard to diet and nutrition, it is when you lose weight, then you gain it back. And you repeat the process a couple of times until you realize you are playing a game with yourself. I love to play games and be active, but yo-yoing is not one of them.

Let's review my goals: Lose 60 pounds within the year and create a lifestyle that includes fitness, health, spiritual connection and creativity. Little steps are turning into greater successes. For me, in order to make a change in my life, I have to be mentally ready. I have to want to make the change.

As you have read, I've made several attempts to lose the weight and go to the gym, only to eventually stumble and not continue my enthusiastic approach to weight loss. Then I would get down on myself and sulk. Well, let me share something with you: it is very important to stumble and fall. It reminds me that I am human. I am not perfect. I get myself up, dust myself off and start all over again.

February 23rd- Didn't go to the gym but I went to my second Artist's Way class at Adult Education. I really like my teacher. Within the past week I've noticed more and more the people that are in my life and choices I've been making that are sabotaging my personal success - the "crazy makers" that are in my life.

March 2nd - I haven't been in the gym for over a week. I'm taking Honey (my dog) on nightly walks. I'm eating anything in sight. Stress at work. I'm getting ready for a state inspection at the end of the month.

I haven't been in the gym for over a week. I'm taking Honey (my dog) on nightly walks. I'm eating anything in sight. Stress at work. I'm getting ready for a state inspection at the end of the month.

March 16th - I'm working around the house. My neighbor and I laid 1,100 square feet of sod. That was backbreaking work. Every night this past week, I've been a slave to watering the lawn. The adult ed class is really helping me to focus on my goals and to open up new doorways to a more creative approach to my life. One of my assignments is to cut out pictures from magazines that I am drawn to for no particular reason. This is something we are to do during the entire 12-week course. Out of this, certain themes and goals will become clearer for me.

April 1st - Did I mention that my sleeping pattern is totally off? I toss and turn and I often wake up around 2:30 a.m., then I can't sleep for at least an hour. The stresses of life and being overweight are major contributors to my lack of sleep. Sometimes I just feel my heart is struggling to pump while I lay down in bed. That is a bad feeling to have in the middle of the night when you can't sleep. Good news: my building passed inspection.

April 5th - I accepted a challenge at the gym. The person with the most dramatic change in 90 days will get a prize. I met with a trainer, got measured, weighed in and they took a photo of me. I sat down with the trainer and she seemed really cool. She was spunky and barely 5'2" tall. Standing beside me (at 6'4") we really looked like Mutt and Jeff in the gym. I went ahead and paid for ten weeks of training with her. And let me tell you… I am so happy!

April 23rd - My journal is late getting to The Buzz. But I have lost ten pounds and I've gone to the gym regularly for the past two weeks. I'm sleeping better, I'm making better choices in my life and I'm creating little art projects for myself on a weekly basis.

I made homemade greeting cards, hosted a gourmet holiday brunch and spent time alone just daydreaming (another important approach to self improvement).

My goal of losing 60 pounds is much more than dropping the weight. Now that I have invested in all aspects of my life, I have built a lifetime goal. Good luck, and I'll see you in the summer.

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