An Upside to a Downed Freeway

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It's been a terrible week for those of us whose commute includes the I-15 corridor. CalTrans closed the express lanes for construction, and my normally 30-minute drive home in "normal" San Diego freeway traffic grew to 90 minutes no matter which alternate route I sought. This is the problem with living around millions of people, all of whom get around by car. (And in my defense, there are no other public transportation options where I live in Carmel Valley, which is, of course, why the roads are so congested.)

Sitting so long in traffic has had one advantage -- more time to catch up on news. I used to listen to NPR on my MP3 when I commuted by bike at my previous job. Then they outlawed earplugs/headphones for cyclists in California and the trips became better remembered for grinding up the 56 bikepath hills in sweltering 90-degree heat. I saw some current cycling sufferers on one ill-fated attempt to get home sooner and was wistful.

One report that was particularly of interest was on a Harvard Public Health study that concluded what we eat contributes to weight loss and gain, but not in the way you may be thinking. Potatoes, for example, no matter how prepared are not good for you if you wish to lose weight. Meantime, fatty nuts are. And yogurt and cheese.

The reason these foods win over many fruits and vegetables are because they stay in your stomach longer, meaning you aren't hungry an hour later and in search of more food.

Here, listen for yourself.

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