We established in earlier blogs that commuting by bicycle is energy and time efficient.  But just how safe is it? According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Association (NHTSA), bicyclist deaths accounted for two percent of all traffic fatalities and traffic injuries in 2006. That translates to 773 deaths and 44,000 people injured that year. Clearly, bicycle riding has some risk. But so does being sedentary. You can maximize your calorie burning and health benefits by regularly using your bike to get to work. Learn how to minimize your injury risks at www.bicyclinginfo.org. Also, www.commutebybike.com offers a wealth of information including how

In an earlier blog posting, we described the energy efficiency of biking instead of driving a car.  But what about time efficiency?  Here’s a fun video clip that pits a bike, a car, and mass transit against each other in a New York City commute.   Guess who gets to the destination first?  In addition to saving time and the environment, commuting by bike helps the body burn more calories which is essential for effective weight management.  Of course, you know that there a gazillions health benefits associated with regular exercise and fitness.  Is your local area fit for bike commuting?  Check

We queried readers in the last blog for ideas on how to reduce excess daily calories from sweetened beverages such as soda, fruit drinks, and sweetened tea and coffee. “Switch to diet versions of these products” would be a logical answer, right? Well, it may be logical but it appears not to be accurate. In a study published in the December 2007 issue of the Obesity, researchers reported that in a weight loss study of 118 overweight women, replacing sweetened caloric beverages with drinking water was associated with an average decrease of about 200 calories per day. In the statistical

“I don’t know why I am gaining weight.  I haven’t changed what I eat” is something we hear a lot. And in fact, a person may NOT have changed what they are eating. But what about what they are drinking? New research from the University of North Carolina shows that in 2002, American got 222 more calories from beverages than in 1965. Over the same period, calories from all other foods actually decreased slightly. So the nearly 200 calorie increase in total daily calories observed between 1965 and 2002 can be attributed mostly to the increase in beverage calorie intake. Not surprisingly, the researchers showed