Tag Archives: University of Alabama at Birmingham

Oklahoma City loves junk food

To add insult to injury- Oklahoma City/Tulsa showed up as the number one “junk food obsessed city” on a new Forbes list. Correct me if I’m wrong- but aren’t Taco Bell tacos junk food? Even if they are on a “healthier” menu?

I’m not trying to beat-up on Oklahoma City today. I love that city- I went to college at OU. It’s heartbreaking to see how poor the health is due to obesity, 27% of the population according to this Forbes report.

Also on the list:
1. Memphis
2. Birmingham
3. San Antonio
5. Detroit
9. Kansas City
13. New Orleans
16. Atlanta

While the Oklahoma City Mayor, Mick Cornett, is encouraging his city to lose a million pounds and get off the list of fattest cities in the US, there seem to be a lot of obstacles. Allowing Taco Bell to partner with the OKC Million Pound Challenge seems like one that could have been avoided. Oklahoma City should stand as an example for the many other cities it shares a place with on the obesity list.

What do you think about the cities on the list? Are weight loss efforts taking place in your own hometown? What do you think about Taco Bell partnering with OKC?

Posted on April 29, 2023 by Natalie K

Garlic Has Relaxing Effect on Blood Vessels

It’s not a news flash to say that garlic is healthy. It’s been touted as a beneficial addition to your meals for a long time. While previous studies on garlic’s health effects have produced mixed results, there’s now solid research to reassert the positive claims.

Garlic may make vampires uptight, but it relaxes the blood vessels in we mere mortals. A new study from the University of Alabama at Birmingham shows that red blood cells process compounds from digested garlic and turn them into the cell messenger hydrogen sulfide (H2S), which relaxes blood vessels and increases blood flow.

That means that eating garlic could increase your supply of H2S and play a role in reducing the risk of heart disease. Garlic is one of the few plants that contains the building blocks of hydrogen sulfide, and researchers say it’s the only one commonly used in our diet.

Posted on October 16, 2023 by Jason