FACIAL DIFFERENCE IN THE NEWS

And now this blog is back from the holiday break, and ready to get going again!
You know, one of the ways we can verbally describe Moebius Syndrome is to say that we are people who have a "facial difference."  And the thing to remember there is--we are not alone.  Many other people around the world have facial differences, too.  They can come in many different ways.

But just as we try not to let out differences keep us down or prevent us from achieving our goals, others blaze that same trail.  For example:  have you ever heard of Elizabeth Baugh?  She is now recognized as one of Canada's most successful women; but she also, years ago, helped found an organization with which we are very close--AboutFace.  Read more:

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After dedicating 17 years to Ovarian Cancer Canada, Elisabeth Baugh has now joined an elite group of Top 100 Award Winners that includes some of Canada’s most iconic women trailblazers.

Not only has the Colborne resident built and unified the only national charity dedicated to overcoming ovarian cancer, but she has also helped formalize partnerships with national organizations representing cancer specialists, cancer nurses and family physicians to join the movement.

Her accomplishments during those years have already netted her two previous Top 100 Awards from the Women’s Executive Network’s, and a third one in 2014 for once again being one of Canada’s Most Powerful Women.

According to WXN, the Top 100 Awards recognize Canada’s strong, fearless female leaders who have become agents of change in reshaping Canadian organizations at the highest levels.

“It’s recognition like this that sets us apart, that reminds the people in the community we’re trying to influence and those looking for a good cause to support.” Elisabeth Baugh, CEO, Ovarian Cancer Canada

“It’s a thrill,” Ms. Baugh, the CEO of Ovarian Cancer Canada, said when asked about the recognition. “We couldn’t have achieved what we have without a terrific team and a broader, even global community.”

As chairwoman of World Ovarian Cancer Day, Ms. Baugh captured the attention of corporate and industry partners, inspiring them to get involved in raising awareness about the disease, WXN said in its release of this year’s award winners.

The network said she has built and unified the charity while her efforts have formalized partnerships with national organizations representing cancer specialists, cancer nurses and family physicians to join the movement.

But before organizing the first Forum on Ovarian Cancer in 1999, Ms. Baugh made the Top 100 list as a founder of AboutFace, a national organization that provides support and information to people with facial differences.

“I was born with a facial difference and in the early 1980s had surgery to correct it as a adult,” she said, pointing out that it was the medical team that treated her who suggested she help others, including the parents of newborns with a facial difference. “I really had no experience (besides) undergraduate degree in psychology and I was an at-home mom with four kids.”

After meeting with families, she started AboutFace which quickly became a national organization.

“Then we actually took over the American organization and it expanded into other causes of facial difference, because when you have something different about your face, it’s not how you got it but how you live with it that matters,” she added, noting that it is a big social disability.

Her second award came when she worked briefly as the head of neonatal followup for the Hospital for Sick Children, Mount Sinai and North York General Hospital.

“It was a great opportunity and I did my masters while I was there, but I missed the close connection with the community,” she said.

That’s when she saw a job posting for executive director of a new charity for ovarian cancer.

“I knew nothing about ovarian cancer. I was well educated but I didn’t know this was such a terrible disease,” she said.

After joining the team she realized that the local chapter could amalgamate with its western counterpart, helping to reduce the duplication of services which were funded by public dollars.

“With 2,700 women diagnosed in Canada every year, I could not understand the benefit of having two organizations.” Ms. Baugh said. “It was dividing the community ... (and) the best thing for the women of Canada was one group.”

Seeing that amalgamation was a “real professional thrill,” she said.

Asked about the latest award, Ms. Baugh said that having this kind of recognition for a not-for-profit is important.

“We have all of the same challenges as the corporate world. We have IT issues, have to be accountable financially, have HR challenges and we’re expected to do it all on 20 cents on the dollar,” she said. “It’s recognition like this that sets us apart, that reminds the people in the community we’re trying to influence and those looking for a good cause to support.”

Growing up in Montreal, raising her family in Niagara-on-the-Lake and moving to Toronto in the early 1990s, Ms. Baugh has called Colborne home for five years after locating her “dream home” in the community.

“I permanently moved there in the last two years since it was a good distance from Toronto and was a small town,” she said. “I wanted to live somewhere that once I got there I didn’t have to drive and Colborne just fit the bill.”

Other Canadian women presented with the Top 100 Award include astronaut Dr. Roberta Bondar, Venture Communications CEO Arlene Dickinson, Sleep Country Canada president Christine Magee, Royal Bank of Canada chair Kathleen Taylor, and former Governor General of Canada Michaëlle Jean. 

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FRIDAY FOOTBALL PICKS

Here we go!

NFL PICKS

Philadelphia at Washington.  My pick:  EAGLES   34-14.  The Eagles suffered a tough loss last week. But the Redskins are a mess.  Look for RGIII to be under pressure all day.

San Diego at San Francisco.  My pick:  CHARGERS   24-23.  Will the 49ers still play, now that they're out of the playoffs and Jim Harbaugh may be leaving.  My guess is:  yes.  But Colin Kaepernick has not played well, the Niners are riddled with injuries, and look for Philip Rivers' short passing game to help the Chargers squeak one out here.

Baltimore at Houston.  My pick:  RAVENS   24-10.  Why?  Two reasons:  it's playoff time, and the Ravens have a history of getting it done when that time comes.  Also:  Ryan Fitzpatrick is hurt; Houston must go with Tom Savage at QB.  Who?  Precisely.

Buffalo at Oakland.  My pick:  BILLS   21-10.  Why?  That Buffalo defense.  It's rock-solid.

Cleveland at Carolina.  My pick:  PANTHERS  27-14.  For the Browns, Johnny Manziel is not yet ready for prime time, and I think that will show again this week.  Meanwhile, even if Derek Anderson must again sub for Cam Newton, he has experience, and can win a game like this.

Indianapolis at Dallas.  My pick:  COLTS  31-24.  I think both of these teams are good.  But--look at how Dallas has performed, at home, coming off big wins.  They've struggled--not sure of the reason why.  But they have.  And Andrew Luck should be able to find passing openings in that Dallas secondary.

Detroit at Chicago.  My pick:  LIONS 20-7.  I think the verdict is in on the Lions' offense--it struggles to score and move the ball at times.  I suspect their offensive line is a main culprit.  But--in this game, Jimmy Clausen will make his first start for the Bears.  When was the last time he took a snap in a regular-season NFL game?  And he has to do it against that tough Detroit front 4?  The Lions defense should dominate.

Green Bay at Tampa Bay.  My pick:  PACKERS   27-21.  Green Bay has many weapons, and of course Aaron Rodgers; it should win this game.  I don't though expect a blowout--Tampa has been competitive in many of their losses, and the Pack is not the same team on the road.

Minnesota at Miami.  My pick:  UPSET ALERT:  VIKINGS  24-21.  Mainly because:  the Dolphins have regressed--their defense no longer stops the run effectively, and offensively they struggle.  Teddy Bridgewater meanwhile slowly makes progress for the Vikes.

New England at NY Jets.  My pick:  PATRIOTS  27-10.  I just can't see the mighty Patriots letting this one slip by them against the lowly Jets.

Atlanta at New Orleans.  My pick:  SAINTS   27-24.  The Saints have struggled and struggled.  Everytime I've thought they've turned a corner--they haven't.  But this time maybe they really have; and again, it's just so hard to see them losing, again, at home.

Kansas City at Pittsburgh.  My pick:  UPSET ALERT:  CHIEFS  26-24.  Why?  Again--the Steelers are another team that has been up and down.  Last week they were up; they won on the road in Atlanta.   But this week?  Plus--a big factor in several of their wins have been turnovers.  Don't look for the Chiefs to hand out many gifts; and that will help them pull the upset.

NY Giants at St. Louis.  My pick:  GIANTS   20-17.  The Giants are coming together a bit, and are still playing for their coach.  Note how well they're using Odell Beckham.  Look for Eli Manning to throw to Beckham and help the G-men pull this one out late.

Seattle at Arizona.  My pick:  SEAHAWKS   14-10.  You have to go with Seattle here; that defense...against Ryan Lindley, having to fill in for AZ at QB?  Not fair.  But i look for this to be a closer game than some think. That Cardinals defense is good.

Denver at Cincinnati.  My pick:  UPSET ALERT:  BENGALS  28-26.  Why?  The Bengals are a good holme team--13-2-1 in their last 16 games.  It's likely to be cold; Peyton Manning and that offense don't like that kind of wealther.

AWARENESS UPDATES

Two interesting items today:

First, does your child perhaps have both Moebius Syndrome and autism?  If so, note--there is a designer working on interiors that are effective and soothing for autistic children.  Read on:

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MINNEAPOLIS — A.J. Paron-Wildes’ home, a walk-out rambler in suburban Oak Park Heights, Minn., is a study in calm — all clean, uncluttered spaces and earthy, neutral hues that echo the autumn leaves framing the view of the St. Croix River. On an autumn afternoon, daughter Eva, 6, is having an after-school snack, while son Devin, 19, sketches intently, seated at the studio desk in his orderly bedroom.
This peaceful environment is entirely by design. When you have a child child with autism, calm is a precious commodity — and Paron-Wildes has become an expert at creating it, starting in her own home.
That journey started 16 years ago when Devin was diagnosed with autism at age 3. “It was very traumatic,” Paron-Wildes recalled.
At that time, Devin didn’t speak but was prone to explosive tantrums when he was upset or confused. “He’d drop to the floor and start screaming.” She and her husband stopped bringing Devin to the grocery store or on other errands because they never knew what might trigger an eruption. “We’d have to drop everything and leave.”
At the time of Devin’s diagnosis, Paron-Wildes was a very young interior designer, only recently graduated from the University of Minnesota. “I thought, ‘There’s got to be some great research'” about designing spaces for children with autism, but she was wrong. “There was nothing,” she recalled. “Everything was done in the ’70s, when kids were institutionalized.”
Determined to keep Devin at home, Paron-Wildes committed herself to creating an environment where he could learn and thrive. So she started educating herself — by working backwards.
She read books about autism, and pored over studies about the neurological workings of the brain, becoming fascinated by the different ways people with autism perceive colors, patterns and lighting. She tried to determine what design elements would likely trigger difficult behavior — and then did the opposite, learning through trial and error.
“You can’t really get the information by asking, ‘Is this too bright for you?’ ‘Does this make you dizzy?’ You have to watch for cues,” she said.
Devin, too, was watching for cues. That’s a necessary strategy for children with autism, who usually develop language skills much later than their peers. Those who have difficulty communicating verbally often look to their environment for cues about what’s happening and how they should respond, Paron-Wildes said. They crave order and are easily distracted by its absence. They read meaning into seemingly random visual signals, and tend to be hypersensitive to harsh artificial light and to environmental toxins.
Paron-Wildes learned that the Crayola-bright, busy spaces most people consider kid-friendly — “like Ronald McDonald threw up” — are so stimulating that they can easily confuse and overwhelm a child with autism.
She remembers taking a young Devin to speech therapy — “in a room with a jungle gym and kids running around screaming.” The lesson was going nowhere, until she suggested moving it to a closet, the only quiet place available. There, Devin started to respond.
Information about autism and design may have been scarce when Paron-Wildes began searching for it, but that’s changing as autism rates have soared. The incidence may now be as high as 1 in 50 children, a 72 percent increase since 2007, according to a 2013 report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
That means Paron-Wildes’ expertise is increasingly in demand. “People think, ‘Oh, I have to redesign my whole house,’?” she said. “No. Pay attention to the areas where the child needs to learn.” Those areas, as well as rooms where children rest and sleep, should be well-organized and orderly, with minimal distraction and muted, warm colors. “I’ve painted many little boys’ rooms pink — it tends to be a calming color,” she said.
She has worked with the University of Minnesota to develop research and design principles, co-chaired the Minnesota Autism Task Force, has written a trilogy of e-books on “Design for Autism” and spoke on “Design Empathy” for architects at a recent AIA Minnesota convention. The bouncy, enthusiastic designer managed to work an autism joke — with a message — into her presentation. Pointing out a mustard-yellow circle at the corner of each page of her PowerPoint, she asked: “How many of you are wondering what that is there for? I did that to confuse you!” she added with a girlish laugh. “That’s what it’s like for kids (with autism).”
A designer for the AllSteel workplace furniture firm, Paron-Wildes also consults with schools, medical facilities and other organizations that serve children with autism and their families. (Most of her consulting work is done pro bono.) At this point, she could probably do autism-related design full-time, but she enjoys working on a wide range of projects. “If my whole life was autism, I would lose perspective.”
One recent consulting project involved working with designers from Perkins + Will on a new space for Fraser, a program Devin attended from age 3 to 6. The designers transformed a former Life Time Fitness office into a speech and occupational therapy site for children with autism and others.
Paron-Wildes pointed out design features on a recent visit. Treatment rooms and “meltdown areas,” where children often struggle with transitions from one activity to another, are quiet and neutral. “It’s easier to add color than to take it away,” she said. In other areas, brighter hues are used as way-finding cues, guiding children down hallways and to color-coded cubbies. Most flooring is kept simple. “If you make a pattern, the kids will follow it.”
There’s a lot more color and pattern in the reception area, however, where parents wait for their children and sometimes meet with therapists.
“One of the biggest complaints in centers is that parents feel like they’re in an institution,” Paron-Wildes said. She vividly remembers the stark waiting room she sat in when she first heard Devin’s diagnosis 16 years ago. “It felt very institutional. There was nothing to look at. It added to the aloneness and trauma.”
Parents feel calmer and more comfortable in a vibrant, upbeat environment. “It’s all psychological,” she said. “These parents want to feel like their child is going to a school — a fun school — not to treatment.”
Today, Devin is a verbal and affectionate teen who graduated from high school, went to prom and has developed into a gifted artist. He hopes to study art further; his work has won numerous awards and is proudly displayed throughout the family’s house.
That house, too, was chosen and designed with Devin’s needs in mind. Up until last year, Paron-Wildes and her family lived in a historic house in Stillwater, Minn. It was not calm, at least not after Devin’s sister joined the family. “We didn’t think we’d have a second kid,” Paron-Wildes said. “Then we had Ava. She’s a screamer. It was hard on Devin. We were having a lot of behavioral issues.”
So they found another house, one with plenty of separation between the kids’ rooms. Devin has a large bedroom with a lofted ceiling and a big window overlooking the river. “It’s really quiet up here; the 6-year-old doesn’t bother him,” his mother said. His room has lots of natural light and views of nature, which he loves studying through his telescope. There’s even an adjacent “Lego room” where he can retreat to build elaborate structures. Devin didn’t want to move at first — transitions are still difficult — and threatened to run away. But he soon adjusted. “He is so comfortable here — he loves his space,” Paron-Wildes said. “We have zero issues now.”

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And in other news--disability-related hate crimes are down:

The number of reported hate crimes targeting people with disabilities fell last year, the FBI says.
There were 92 hate crime offenses based on disability bias recorded in 2013, according to statistics released this week from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program. That’s down from the year prior when 106 incidents were reported.
The decline mirrors a drop in the overall number of hate crimes documented. Last year, the FBI logged 5,928 criminal incidents, a decrease from 6,573 in 2012.
Disability bias represented 1.4 percent of the hate crimes reported in 2013. Of them, 69 were related to mental disability and 23 were linked to physical disability, the FBI said.
For the first time this year, hate crimes statistics include data on crimes stemming from gender and gender identity bias, categories which were added under the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crime Prevention Act of 2009.
Hate crimes reporting also includes data on criminal incidents motivated by a bias toward a particular race, religion, sexual orientation or ethnicity in addition to disability.

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FRIDAY FOOTBALL PICKS!

Last week I was 14-7; I am now 131-79-1 for the year.
Let's go:

NFL PICKS

Pittsburgh at Atlanta.  My pick:  FALCONS   30-27.  Who knows with either of these teams just who will show up?  The Steelers have been up and down.  They were up last week; so now they're scheduled to be down.

Washington at NY Giants.  My pick:  GIANTS   27-10.  Both teams have had problems.  The Giants' issues have been well-documented.  But last week's win in Tennessee showed--New York is still playing for their embattled coach.  I think they'll play this week, too.

Miami at New England.  My pick:  PATRIOTS   31-10.  New England is very, very tough at home.  Last week's win in San Diego, where for a good while they shut down the Chargers' offense, shows their defense is coming around, too.

Oakland at Kansas City.  My pick:  CHIEFS   24-14.  The Raiders have improved a bit under Tony Sparano.  But the Chiefs are tough at home, still have something to play for, and won't make the mistakes the Niners did last week.

Houston at Indianapolis.  My pick:  COLTS  24-20.  I expect this to be a close, tough battle.  Houston's defense is tough.  J.J. Watt is an amazing player.  Houston's playoff chances are kind of slim, but they continue to play hard.  They gave the Colts a real battle earlier this year in Houston.  But--expect Andrew Luck again to find a way to pull another game out.

Jacksonville at Baltimore.  My pick:  RAVENS  28-7.  I don't expect Baltimore, with it being crunch time for the playoffs, to allow the Jags to give them too much trouble.

Green Bay at Buffalo.  My pick:  PACKERS   21-17.  Again, I expect a tough battle here; this game is in Buffalo, and the Bills have a very tough defense, capable of pressuring Aaron Rodgers.  But you just have to think that Rodgers and his many weapons will prevail here in a bruising game.

Tampa Bay at Carolina.  My pick:  UPSET ALERT--BUCCANEERS  27-21.  The reason:  Tampa Bay is still playing hard.  They have weapons at wide receiver in Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans.  Carolina had a big win last week on the road.  But now--letdown?  And I would be shocked in Cam Newton plays; I expect he won't due to his injuries.  There's going to be an upset somewhere this week; this could be one spot where it happens.

Cincinnati at Cleveland.  My pick:  BENGALS  20-16.  Who knows with these teams?  Again, up one week; down the next.  I know--Cincy had a bad loss last week at home.  Cleveland whipped them on the road earlier this year.  But--the Bengals, yes, had a bad week last week.  Expect them to bounce back and play better.  They've done it before.  And if Johnny Manziel starts for Cleveland?  Remember--he's a rookie.

NY Jets at Tennessee.  My pick:  JETS  17-10.   Because the Jets seem to be in slightly less of a mess than do the Titans.  Someone has to win!

Denver at San Diego.  My pick:  UPSET ALERT:  CHARGERS  31-27.  I know, San Diego lost last week.  I know, Denver has been winning.  But--something seems slightly off with Denver's offense, especially the passing game.  The execution isn't quite there.  Remember too--Philip Rivers has a history of giving the Broncos' defense fits.  Look for Rivers and the Bolts to pull the upset.

Minnesota at Detroit.  My pick:  LIONS  31-21.  The Lions have a formula for games like this, against lesser teams:  throw the ball to Calvin (Johnson), and have their front four pressure the opposing passer.  I can see it working again here.

San Francisco at Seattle.  My pick:  SEAHAWKS   24-6.  The Seattle defense is flying around, and looking pretty dominant.  On the other side, Colin Kaepernick seems to be in a mess; he's not playing well.  That's a bad combo for the Niners as they head up to the Legion of Boom.  Hard to see Seattle _not_ dominating this game.

Dallas at Philadelphia.  My pick:  EAGLES   31-24.  I think both these teams are good; there's no doubt the Cowboys have exceeded expectations this year.  But I just have a feeling that the Eagles kind of have their number.

New Orleans at Chicago.  My pick:  SAINTS   27-23.  Both these teams have problems.  The Saints were horrible--brutal--last week.  Yet they still have a shot at the playoffs, and I just can't see Sean Payton and Drew Brees allowing them to be that bad again.

HEALTH UPDATE: THE TRUTH ABOUT METABOLISM

I thought some of you really interested in health, exercise, etc would find this interesting:

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A source of confusion for some and a scapegoat for extra weight around the midsection for others, metabolism has long been a topic of hot conversation. Without it, we would lack the energy to get out of bed in the morning, let alone burn calories all day long.

However, even with its numerous benefits, metabolism often gets the brunt of the blame for weight gain. With all of the fad diets and special tricks meant to speed up one's metabolism (hot sauce anyone?), the facts often get blurred with fiction.

To help clear up the confusion, we uncovered the truth behind the top five metabolism myths.

Myth #1: Skinnier individuals have a higher metabolism.

Some thinner folks appear to eat whatever they want with seemingly no consequence. Surely, they have a faster metabolism than the average Joe, right? Not so fast.

Metabolism actually has quite a bit to do with body size, but not in the way many think. According to Dr. Yoni Freedhoff, assistant professor at the University of Ottawa, "Skinny individuals almost invariably have slower resting metabolisms; there is literally less of them to burn while at rest."

As a result, larger individuals usually have a higher metabolism (that is they burn more calories at rest) than their thinner counterparts.

But don't rejoice just yet. It's not just any additional weight that boosts metabolism. Muscle, in particular, has a huge effect on the amount of overall calories someone burns throughout the day. Comparing two individuals of similar weight, the person with the larger amount of muscle will generally have the faster metabolism.

This is just one of the reasons it's important to pair any weight loss program with a proper strength training plan. Research has found the extra muscle can help accelerate weight loss much faster than a diet-only plan.

Truth: While body size does factor in, body composition has a far greater effect on metabolism.

Myth #2: Skipping a meal slows down your metabolism.

Anyone looking to drop a few pounds better be grazing on frequent meals and snacks throughout the day right? Turns out the old notion of eating a meal every three to four hours to ramp up one's metabolism wasn't exactly perfect advice.

In fact, how frequently someone eats has little to do with the speed of their metabolism. Freedhoff explains, "Eating every four hours is popular because eating frequently, for many, helps them to keep a lid on both stomach hunger as well as cravings." That, in turn, allows for better portion and choice control, Freedhoff says.

Certain individuals (those prone to cravings or with special dietary needs) may benefit from consuming multiple meals through the day. However, for the rest of us, the most important factors to consider are the quantity and quality of the food we consume.

Whether you eat 2,000 calories of rice in one sitting or spread it out throughout the day, it still has a similar effect, Freedhoff says. Instead, it might be best to focus on eating quality food in a timeframe that fits your individual schedule.

Truth: Quality and quantity of foods have greater bearing on metabolism than how often you eat.

Myth #3: Everything eaten late-night turns to fat.

"Avoid eating late at night" is one of the most popular pieces of nutrition advice on the planet. While it may be easy to think our bodies have an internal clock set to store anything eaten after 8 p.m. as fat, it's not quite so simple. Many aspects including various hormones, food quality, food content and energy expenditure influence how our bodies store fuel.

Unfortunately, simply refraining from eating late at night isn't enough to prevent fat storage.

Instead of focusing on time of consumption, more attention should be placed on what and how much we're eating. In fact, having a meal late at night isn't any worse than eating at any other point during the day provided the meal consists of healthy foods (and not a bucket of ice cream).

Freedhoff likens this scenario to fueling up a car. "The time of day you fill your car with gas isn't going to impact how far you'll go on that tank," he says. Provided you're eating high-quality food in the right portions, most individuals won't notice a difference between eating at night versus earlier in the day.

Truth: If you're taking in the right types of calories, eating later at night shouldn't derail your diet.

Myth #4: Metabolism is all about burning calories and breaking things down.

Many understand metabolism as how quickly someone burns calories. But while breaking things down is certainly an important part of metabolism, there are actually two main components.

Catabolism, or the breaking down of chemical bonds to release energy, is the most well known part of the process as it releases energy in the form of calories. However, what's just as essential is anabolism, the storage of energy in the form of chemical bonds for later use, including carbohydrates and fats. A properly functioning metabolism is a delicate balance of both functions.

Truth: Metabolism consists of both breaking things down and building things up; both are vital to our health.

Myth #5: You have no control over your metabolism.

When faced with unwanted weight, it's easy to place the blame on your metabolism. However, it turns out that individuals have more control over their metabolism than previously thought.

As mentioned above, body composition has a huge effect on how quickly someone's body burns calories. One easy way to ramp up your metabolism is to build muscle through lifting weights. Alongside modifying your workout routine, there are several other ways to be sure you're burning calories at a higher rate:

• Sleep more. The amount of rest you get each night doesn't only affect your mood and productivity the next day. Researchers have found that it also affects your metabolism. Sleep-deprived individuals have a decreased ability to manage blood sugar levels and also may find themselves hungrier (particularly for high carbohydrate foods). So, sleep more for a healthier metabolism. (Win, win!)

• Gulp down some water. Ditch the sugary soft drinks. Researchers have found that consuming water may have a positive impact on how many calories you burn throughout the day. This is due to a process called thermogenesis wherein the body must burn calories to warm the water up to body temperature. Hydrating with water also saves calories over alternative beverages and plays a key role in helping to regulate whole-body metabolism (especially during exercise).

• Don't forget caffeine. Coffee lovers rejoice! It turns out that cup of java may give you more than just an energy boost midday. When researchers gave subjects coffee and then measured their caloric burn, they found that the caffeinated individuals burned more calories than their decaf-ordering counterparts.

• Get enough protein. Dietary decisions (especially protein intake) have a profound impact on metabolism. Researchers examining the effect of dietary compositions on caloric burn have found that those taking in adequate levels of protein have a higher energy expenditure at rest.

Truth: Simple dietary modifications and exercise habits can make a big difference in how fast someone burns calories at rest.

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FOR MOEBIUS MOMS AND DADS (AND ALL OTHER PARENTS, TOO!): OKAY FOR YOUR CHILD TO BELIEVE IN SANTA CLAUS?

Maybe...yes?:

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I’ve never had much of an opinion, one way or the other, about whether my kids should believe in Santa.
We’ve always played along with the story in our house, but my four older kids – all sons – have believed to varying ages: the oldest two boys, now 16 and 14, gave it up by the second grade or so, while my second two, now 10 and 8, still claim to believe, but have begun to make it clear it’s all for show.
The way I’ve always seen it, Santa is about the experience a child needs during the holiday, not the parents. If a child really wants to believe, she will cling to the Saint Nick story until the bitter end, pretending she didn’t really see those toys marked “FROM SANTA” in the back of the minivan that one night Mom and Dad went shopping alone, and convincing herself to believe lame excuses like, “Oh, Santa asked for our help picking this one out” when parents make a faux pas. I know, because I’ve been that kid.
And, in my experience with my four boys, kids who don’t care as much, whose childlike belief in the magic of the holiday isn’t tied up in this one particular aspect of it, seem to give up the belief readily and without much fuss, letting themselves be easily convinced by a more cynical friend, or noticing with eyes unclouded by sentiment that the Santa wrapping paper has been in a Target bag in the hall closet for the last month.
So when the yearly “should you tell your kids about Santa or is the whole thing a huge, disillusionment-inducing way to lie to your kids” debate rages, I’ve mostly stayed on the sidelines. After all, I’ve never jumped through any crazy hoops to extend my kids’ belief, or done much at all except go along with whatever they seem to feel about the jolly old elf. As a Santa-neutral mom, I’ve always felt like I was safe from judgment and not particularly interested in joining the fray.
But.
My 5-year-old daughter, Clara, I fear, is about to throw a wrench into this whole theory.
Clara is imaginative. She loves fairies and fantasy and magic and play-pretend. Clara also asks a lot of questions and seems to notice everything, remembering with awe-inspiring clarity that one offhand comment I made about maybe getting ice cream next week, or the fact that she asked for a particular Littlest Pet Shop raccoon six months before her birthday. (Of course I got the squirrel instead. Seriously, they all look the same to me.)

Maybe it won’t be this year. Maybe it won’t be next year. But soon – and with a persistence and inquisitiveness that will surely try everyone’s patience – I know this to be true: Clara’s going to start asking tough questions about the Big Man In The Red Suit. And I’m just not sure how I’m going to handle it. After all, Clara is the baby of the family, the youngest of five. She represents the fleetingness of childhood, and has marked my final opportunities to experience the holiday through the eyes of a baby, a toddler, and now, a little girl. And this year, along with the warm buzz that always accompanies my favorite holiday, I feel an underlying sense of dread.
Will this be the last year she believes? Next year? Or the year after that? Whenever it happens, the day of truth is coming, and I don’t feel nearly as nonchalant about it as I did with the boys.
When you have a number of small children in the house, it can still feel like you have all the time in the world for make-believe and magic. But as it turns out, the number of firsts and lasts, of holidays all under one roof, of the times you’ll string popcorn or cut out cookies, of times you’ll wrap a gift and scrawl “Santa” in the “From” line on the tag, are painfully limited whether you have one child or 10.
I spent years longing to get to that light at the end of the tunnel: the time when all my kids would be bigger and more self-sufficient, when life would feel more orderly, when I’d have some time for myself. And I’m glad to be here. Still, Santa, like baby dolls and board books, LEGO and little shoes, is just one more symbol of a chapter firmly closing, its magic and mystery tightly caught between the pages. Once it’s closed, I can go back and re-read, but I can’t ever live it again. And Clara’s eventual evolution from belief to understanding will mark the definite end of an era.
In my imagination, I see myself clinging to Clara’s belief with all sorts of sitcom-worthy hijinks: stamping loudly around on the roof Christmas Eve, shaking bells loudly near Clara’s window; hiring a stout actor to be “caught” placing presents under the tree in a carefully-staged hoax. In reality, though, I will probably treat her waning belief the same way I’ve handled it with the other kids…at first, answering their questions with “What do YOU think?” then stalling, and finally, when the truth can no longer be delayed or camouflaged, coming out with it as gently as I can.
But somewhere, something inside me will wilt a little at the admission, the white-flag surrender to children growing up and growing older, moving on and eventually, moving out. I’ll wish for a time when I could casually hold their beliefs in my palms, shaping and embellishing at will.
And if I have to be honest, I’ll likely shed more than a few tears for the enlightenment of the last believer.

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AUTISM UPDATE: THOUGHT MARKERS?

The latest research:

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Autism diagnosis currently relies on clinical evaluation, but a new study suggests it may be possible to detect the disorder with near perfect accuracy using brain scans.
Researchers say they were able to identify “thought-markers” — or differences in the way the brain responds to certain thoughts — specific to those with autism. The method was successful in identifying whether or not a person had autism with 97 percent accuracy, according to findings published Tuesday in the journal PLOS ONE.
For the study, researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging to perform brain scans on 17 adults with high-functioning autism and 17 typically-developing controls. During the scans, the individuals were asked to think about various social interactions like “persuade,” “adore” and “hug.”
The researchers then used a machine-learning technique to assess patterns in brain activity and decode how the thoughts were processed. They found a clear distinction between those who were and were not on the spectrum.
Among the typically-developing controls, thoughts of a hug, for example, activated an area of the brain associated with a representation of one’s self, but this was largely absent in individuals with autism.
“We found that we could tell whether a person has autism or not by their brain activation patterns when they think about social concepts,” said Marcel Just of Carnegie Mellon University who led the study. “We’ve shown not just that the brains of people with autism may be different, or that their activation is different, but that the way social thoughts are formed is different. We have discovered a biological thought-marker for autism.”
Researchers said their approach could lead to quicker and more certain diagnosis and allow for therapies that are more targeted to specific areas of the brain.

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