Africamap

 

Africamap is housed at the Center for Geographic Analysis at Harvard University with an initial grant from the Harvard Provosts Fund for Innovative Computing and ongoing support from the W. E. B. Du Bois Institute, the Department of African and African American Studies and the Committee for African Studies at Harvard University. AfricaMap grew out of a project, called Baobab, funded by the Seaver Institute.
 

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"How Dieting Makes the Lean Fatter" (Article Review)

In athletics, there is much focus on body fat percentage and weight. Whether it's to lose weight, gain weight or maintain weight everyone puts a lot of emphasis on these numbers, especially in the weight sensitive sports (wrestling, gymnastics, etc.). Many athletes restrict their diet to lose weight so they can possibly run faster, jump higher or push harder but do they really need to lose weight? Are they doing more harm than good? Are they losing the weight the right way?
A recent review published in Obesity Reviews found that lean people that restricted eating (dieting) to lose weight ended up not only gaining back the weight, but actually gaining more fat and weight compared to where they started. Interestingly, the leaner the person the more effect it had on fat and weight gain. Moreover, a single episode of dieting or more in adolescents increased the risk of becoming overweight by 3-5 times by the time they reached young adulthood when compared to non-dieters. So, if someone was dieting or "weight cycling", the leaner they were the more odds they had of gaining weight and possibly becoming overweight or obese. Gaining more fat and weight compared to what was initially lost is defined as "fat overshooting".

Taken from leanmansystem.com

The article notes that as the energy intake decreases (semi-starvation) and there is loss of fat mass (FM), there is also a loss of fat free mass (FFM = muscle, water and bone). When re-feeding occurs and weight is gained back, it takes more time to regain FFM compared to FM. This in turn causes what we call hyperphagia (abnormal increase in appetite to help reach previous levels of FFM). However, at that point FM is back to where it was before weight loss. By the time FFM is completely restored, FM has increased significantly. The leaner the individual is initially, the higher the fat overshooting will be (more FM). Higher FM is a result no one would want from "weight loss".

This article is a wake up call to those who are trying to lose weight when they shouldn't or to individuals that are over restricting their intake, especially if they are at a normal weight. Dieting or weight cycling can be detrimental not only to your body composition but also to your health. If weight loss is needed or if you are considering it, consult with a sports registered dietitian or a medical professional.


Dulloo AG, Jacquet J, Montani JP, Schutz Y. How dieting makes the lean fatter: from a perspective of human body composition autoregulation through adipostats and proteinstats awaiting discovery. Obes Rev. 2015 Feb;16 Suppl 1:25-35      

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NBC 5/KXAS (WBAP) Television News Collection (Portal to Texas History)

The University of North Texas Libraries will preserve almost 30 years of  DFW NBC affiliate Chanel 5 news broadcast footage and broadcast scripts on the Portal to Texas History. Once the digitization project is completed it will include over 10,000 reels of film and 200,000 scripts dating from 1950 to 1979. The project is made possible by a $275,000 grant from NBC Universal. Footage between August  to early September 1956 has already been digitized and can be viewed.

Explore the collection here. 

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New DVD at the UNT Dallas Library: Brokeback Mountain

Brokeback Mountain

“From Academy Award-winning filmmaker Ang Lee comes an epic American love story, Brokeback Mountain, the winner of the Golden Lion Award for Best Picture at this year's Venice International Film Festival. The film is based on the short story by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Annie Proulx and adapted for the screen by the team of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana. Set against the sweeping vistas of Wyoming and Texas, the film tells the story of two young men – a ranch-hand and a rodeo cowboy – who meet in the summer of 1963, and unexpectedly forge a lifelong connection, one whose complications, joys, and tragedies provide a testament to the endurance and power of love.” See more at http://www.focusfeatures.com/brokeback_mountain. 

This DVD is available at the UNT Dallas Library for checkout for two hours only.  It may be requested online.  To do this, go to the library website http://www.untdallas.edu/library, select Catalog, enter the title and click “Request this item for pickup.”  

This movie gives a perspective on homosexuality.  Students in sociology classes and others who are looking for this perspective on homosexuality would be interested in watching this movie to understand cultural views surrounding homosexuality. 

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New DVD at the UNT Dallas Library: Dances with Wolves

Dances with Wolves

“A "truly spectacular" (The New York Times) film that combines action, romance and breathtaking adventure, Dances With Wolves is "a cinematic masterpiece" (American Movie Classics) that is nothing short of "a triumph" (Roger Ebert)!
Sent to protect a US outpost on the desolate frontier, Lt. John Dunbar (Kevin Costner) finds himself alone in the vast wilderness. Befriending the very people he's sent to protect the outpost from, the Sioux Indians, Dunbar slowly comes to revere those he once feared.
But when the encroaching US Army threatens to overrun the Sioux, he is forced to make a choice. One that will forever change his destiny and that of a proud and defiant nation.” See more at http://www.mgm.com/#/our-titles/480/Dances-with-Wolves/. 

This DVD is available at the UNT Dallas Library for checkout for two hours only.  It may be requested online.  To do this, go to the library website http://www.untdallas.edu/library, select Catalog, enter the title and click “Request this item for pickup.”  

This movie has a perspective on Native Americans and their relationship with European Americans set back when the West was the frontier.  Sociology majors might find the cultural perspectives on Native Americans interesting, especially as the past is glorified in this film.  Students in history classes might be interested to see how the past is portrayed in popular culture.  An interesting paper might be comparing the portrayal of Sioux Indians in the film with their actual beliefs. 

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Historical Thesaurus of English Published to the Open Web

Since 2009 the Historical Thesaurus of English has been a resource only available to those with an account to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED). However, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the start of the Historical Thesaurus project, the University of Glasgow has made the project freely available on the open web!

The website provides information to more than 800,000 English words used in the English language during the past 1,000 years. The resource is organized using an hierarchical system and provides information when the word was first used and when it fell into disuse.

The resource also provides a direct link to the OED which requires an account, but thankfully UNT Dallas students have access to the OED by following this link. The web site will be of interest to any logophiles, or student of history or sociology.

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New Book at the UNT Dallas Library: How to Succeed in Business Using LinkedIn

How to Succeed in Business Using LinkedIn: Making Connections and Capturing Opportunities on the World’s #1 Business Networking Site

“Hailed as the “MySpace” for professionals, LinkedIn has taken the Internet by storm. It is now estimated that 19 million business professionals log in to this site every day to look for job opportunities, search for potential clients, get recommendations from colleagues, and reconnect with former coworkers. LinkedIn allows users to create a profile detailing their professional experience and accomplishments, which will help them connect with literally thousands of qualified professionals in their field. How to Succeed in Business Using LinkedIn takes users through every aspect of the site, from getting registered and building their network to posing questions and creating groups. Readers will learn how to: *create their home page so other users can find them, *give and receive references, *search for experts in their field, *find leads, *market their business, *look for and become a service provider, *find and recruit for jobs, *conduct business research, *discover people outside their networks Unique and practical, this is the only book available that shows users how to make the most of LinkedIn and the powerful networking opportunities it offers.”  See more at http://shop.oreilly.com/product/9780814410745.do.  

This book is available at the UNT Dallas Library for checkout for one week.  It may be requested online.  To do this, go to the library website http://www.untdallas.edu/library, select Catalog, enter the title and click “Request this item for pickup.”  

Business majors (BUSI) and people interested in pursuing a career in business might benefit from reading this book.  It explains the ins and outs of LinkedIn and how it relates to the business profession.  If you are interested in this book, you might also be interested in The Power Formula for LinkedIn Success. 

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The Rutabaga

The majority of people have no idea what a rutabaga is. In fact, they may even have a hard time pronouncing it (pronounced root-a-bayga). A rutabaga is actually a cross bread between a turnip and a cabbage. It is a root vegetable that can be eaten raw or cooked. Originally, it was used to feed cattle, however, today it is used by many in salads, stews, pastries or just as a baked side dish. Rutabaga is in season from October to April but you can probably find it year round.

Nutritionally, rutabagas are high in fiber, have no fat or cholesterol, are low in calories, are an excellent source of vitamin C and are a good source of potassium, zinc and vitamin A which are all important for performance. Rutabagas taste slightly sweet and peppery. They can be stored for a long time in the fridge (about 2-3 weeks) or about 1 week in the pantry. They have a waxy exterior and that is mainly to keep the moisture. This exterior needs to be peeled off before eating. Many people will use rutabagas instead of potatoes since they contain more fiber and slightly less carbohydrates per serving. Meaning, you can mash it, bake it, boil it, stir-fry it and even fry it.

Here are some ideas of what to make with these lovely roots:

• Rutabaga mash 

  

  Pic from blog.freshharvestga.com

• Roasted rutabaga 
• This is a great recipe of rutabaga with carrots, lemon and honey but I would use more close to 2 Tbsp of olive oil or coconut oil vs 1/2 a stick of butter
• Rutabaga fries: Peel and cut about 1 lb of rutabagas in fries shape and spread on an oven tray. Season with a little olive oil, garlic powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Heat oven to 375 F. Bake for 30 minutes or until crisp to your liking
• Rutabaga stew to help you warm up on cold days
• Rutabaga soup - here is a collection of 5 different soups

As you can see it is very versatile and can be a part of your main entree or as a side dish. With so many health benefits and uses as well as the ease of buying it and its price, I highly suggest trying this great vegetable. 

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New Book at the UNT Dallas Library: The Networking Survival Guide

The Networking Survival Guide: Practical Advice to Help You Gain Confidence, Approach People, and Get the Success You Want

“Network your way to the highest levels of success!

No matter how smart and talented you are, you need the help of others to reach your true potential. Solid connections with the right people are just as important as being good at what you do.

This fully revised edition of The Networking Survival Guide reveals tried and- true networking tactics, as well as new ways to harness the extraordinary influence of social networking sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. It teaches you how to: *identify and develop mutually beneficial relationships, *create a strategy so your network is in place before you need it, *succeed at networking even if you’re an introvert, *use the proper etiquette in any situation, *turn conversations into opportunities, *become a resource for fellow networkers.”  See more at http://mhprofessional.com/product.php?isbn=0071717587. 

This book is available at the UNT Dallas Library for checkout for one week.  It may be requested online.  To do this, go to the library website http://www.untdallas.edu/library, select Catalog, enter the title and click “Request this item for pickup.”  

Anyone interested in learning more about networking might want to look at this book.  It contains basics on good communication and information about how to create and grow your network. 

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Paleo Diet for Athletes (Article Summary)

Not long ago I heard this great presentation from a fellow RD (Steve Hertzler PhD, RD) about the Paleo diet (caveman diet) for athletes. Since the Paleo diet has been such a popular topic in the past several years, I decided why not share the wealth of information with you. Here is a summary of his talk and article from SCAN's Pulse. He reviews and references The Paleo Diet for Athletes by Loren Cordain and Joe Freel as they paved the way for this diet in the past decade.

First lets try and define the paleo diet: It's typically defined as the diet that was available in the paleolithic era which was in the pre-agricultural period between 2.5 million to 10,000 years ago. However, different regions had different diets during those times which means there was no one paleolithic diet. Books on Paleo state that humans should not have dairy products nor grains/legumes, since they did not exist in that era, but have a diet rich with meat/fish, vegetables and fruits, low in starches and only natural sources of sugar. The theory is that our "human genome was developed based on this diet" and by sticking to it we decrease risk of multiple chronic diseases and improve human performance. However, some of the science shows otherwise; anthropologists have evidence that during that era there was more reliance on starches and tubers. Moreover, research shows that our guts have evolved and continue to evolve since 10,000 years ago allowing us to digest many foods not present during that era. Lastly, to replicate that exact diet is quite impossible since most of the foods we currently have (meats, produce, fats) are very different than what they had back then. 

Pros about the diet and book:  

• The diet promotes eating less refined carbohydrates and more fruits and vegetables
• Lean meats (including game) are recommended
• Adequate fish (containing omega 3) is highly encouraged
• Healthy fats are important
• Timing is important when it comes to performance
• For recovery, combination of carbs and protein is important post exercise

Cons about the diet and book:

• Elimination of several food groups (e.g. grain, dairy) leads to limited variety which in turn could cause defeciencies
• Interestingly, alcohol in moderation is permitted (I wonder what caveman drank alcohol?!)
• The book itself only addresses endurance athletes, not power nor strength athletes
• To date, there are not many studies on the Paleo diet in athletes. The studies that have been done were done on mainly obese and sick individuals (heart disease, diabetes) which have seen improvements in body composition and health markers (blood lipids, blood sugar). Athletes are very different than obese individuals
• In the book there are multiple exceptions to meet the high carbohydrate demands of the endurance athlete. If there are so many exceptions are they really eating Paleo?!
• "The diet is nutritionally inadequate, expensive and impractical". Studies show that the diet would lack calcium, Iron and fiber recommendations as well as cost 9.3% more annualy
• "Acid ash theory states that by eating a diet high in grains and dairy we produce a high acid load on the body and the body must remove calcium from the bone to buffer the load." The more the food is acidic the more we are supposed to see calcium in the urine. However, urine pH does not represent blood pH as it stays more or less the same. Moreover, there is no evidence indicating that high calcium levels in the urine mean that there is less calcium in the bone or a decrease in calcium balance
• Some of the research quoted by the authors for "avoiding certain foods such as potatoes, peanuts and canola oil are misinterpreted and taken out of context"
• The authors mention that the Paleo diet is the best. However, currently, the people that live the longest (to about 100 years of age) eat meat infrequently and their diet is based on grains or starch

In summary, the Paleo diet promotes certain healthy habits that are worth keeping such as limiting processed foods, eating fruits and vegetables, healthy fats and lean meats. However, by adding dairy, legumes and grains in your diet you can have a more complete varied and healthy nutrition plan to promote your activity.   

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