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Last week we took advantage of the lovely weather to hit the trails at Bur-Mil Park.

Here's one of Greensboro's best hidden gems: the free bike loaner program.

All you need is $10 bucks and a picture ID and you'll get an awesome wide-seat cruiser to take riding on their paved trails. You get your deposit back when you return the bike.

The trails are heavily shaded, so even a sunny day is a nice ride. They've got lots of flat spots and little hills, so it's not too tough a ride for a beginner (or someone like me, who probably hasn't ridden a bike in five years.)

It's not one of those fancy 10-speeds, so every pedal push counts. That makes it a terrific work out.

And now that the pool is open for the summer season, you can take a dip afterward.

Check out more info on the bike program here.

Inspired by Kathy Freston's book Quantum Wellness, Oprah Winfrey is doing a 21-day vegan cleansing diet -- and she's blogging about it.

On Day One she wrote:

"So this 21-day cleanse gives me a chance to think about it differently and see what my attachments are to certain kinds of foods—and what I'm willing to do to change."

Don't know if I'm going to feel better or worse, but I'm willing to try to see if my body at least feels differently."

If you can get over the ridiculous title, Devin Alexander's new book looks like it will help you keep on your restricted diet.

If you haven't heard of her, Alexander is the author of The Biggest Loser Cookbook and has a show on FitTv. Her thing is taking those favorite recipes -- the ones that aren't so good for you -- and turning them into something your waistline can appreciate.

"The Most Decadent Diet Ever!" is no exception.

So far I tried out the zucchini boats and the banana coconut muffins. Both were tasty and easy to make.

Try the zucchini on for size. It's a cool way to eat your veggies without sacrificing taste.

Continue reading "Delicious...and good for you" »

Here are the folks who won prizes for their participation in the Get Healthy Guilford Challange. Congrats on your sucess!

Nutrition Consultation: Melissa Al-Rammal, Kim Lightsey
Family Pass to the Greensboro Children's Museum: Brooke Aukes, Bernice Bennett, Cheryl Cheston, Kim Everett, Pam Foxx, Gina Garrett, Shirley Marcus, Amanda Martin
Gold's Gym Gift Certificate: Ash Brown, Jeff Ryals, Ann Smith
Rush Fitness 1-year Adult Membership: Travis Compton, Terri Hancock
YMCA 1-year Membership: Vicki Morrow, Kerry Revels
Omega Sports Gift Certificate ($25): Diane Elliot
Food Lion Gift Card ($50): Diane Coad, Chris Marriott, Eleanor Nesbit, Joe Vereen
Let's Dish Gift Certificate: Susan Jones, Nancy Miller
Entrée Vous Gift Certificate ($25):Bobby Mitchell, Carolyn Spence
Greensboro Grasshopper Tickets: Jamie Owens
Grasshopper Paraphernalia: Karen Rowland
Triad Lanes Gift Certificate: Lynn Smith
Earth Fare Goodie Bag: Debra Whitesell

So my friend Chris calls me up.

"I've got something for the blog," he says. "A workout."

"All right," I said. "I"m listening."

"Well," he said. "Do you have a sledgehammer?"

Continue reading "The Sledgehammer Workout" »

If you're trying to eat better, and fresher, food, you probably discovered what Joe and I learned: fresh fruits and vegetables can cost you a bundle.

Never fear, thrifty shoppers. It's time for the farmer's market.

We hit up the Piedmont Triad Farmers Market last weekend. We knew we were going to get tasty, locally-grown commodities. What we didn't realize was how affordable it was going to be.

We picked up potatoes for 69 cents a pound, zucchini for 99 cents a pound and an 8 oz. package of baby portabella mushrooms for $1.89.

I saw the same mushrooms -- on sale -- at our regular grocery story for $2.50. Some deal.

And it's only bound to get better as the summer season rolls on, and more fresh offerings.

Food costs are rising, in part, because of fuel prices. It costs so darn much to ship fresh food all over the country. So why not shop locally?

By the way, there is also a farmers market in Greensboro, open on Saturdays and Wednesdays.

Reader Fred Gregory sends a link to an article about restaurants beginning to print their nutritional information on their menus.

Its title: Would you eat 2,900 calorie cheese fries?

For the record, Outback Steakhouse's Aussie Cheese Fries (the very ones that inspired this blog) have been named Men's Health magazine's #1 Worst Food in America.

Michael Pollan, author of In Defense of Food and The Omnivore's Delimma lectured recently as part of the Authors@Google series.

Here's the video. Really good stuff.

Pollan, a professor Science and Environmental Journalism at UC Berkley, has written extensively about everything from the health implications of the ubiquitousness of corn and high fructose corn syrup to the politics of the way we eat.

There's also an audio interview with him from NPR's Science Friday here.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The man who helped build the 31-flavor craze at ice cream store Baskin-Robbins has died at age 90.

Irvine Robbins died Monday at his home in Rancho Mirage, Calif. Daughter Marsha Veit says he had been in ill for some time.

Generations of kids trooped to Baskin-Robbins stores to buy ice cream flavors like Pralines 'n Cream, Daiquiri Ice and Pink Bubblegum.

Robbins opened his first ice cream store in Glendale, Calif., in December 1945, following his discharge from the Army.

Robbins offered 21 flavors at that store. His brother-in-law, the late Burton Baskin, opened his own ice cream store in neighboring Pasadena a year later. The two eventually joined forces.

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First the inventor of the Egg Mcmuffin dies at 89. Now one of the founders of Baskin-Robbins at 90. It's been a rough year for the visionaries of deliciousness, but at least it seems they've had a good long ride. Not too much of their own medicine, obviously.

Charlie Engle runs like it doesn't hurt. That's because the way he runs -- at 20, 50, 70 miles at a time -- is more about mental endurance than physical stamina.

"If you can enjoy the moment and get through it, you can change as a person," he said.

The Guilford county resident was the guest of honor at the first annual United Healthcare Greensboro marathon pasta dinner last Friday night. He told some incredible tales of his trip running across the Sahara.

Charlie kicked drinking and drug habits years ago, and promptly replaced those obsessions with another: running.

Running those insanely long distances, under incredible stress, was a habit he acquired accidentally while on a trip to Australia.

He joined a 100K thinking it was a 10K. And despite a total lack of preparation and a strong desire to stop, he actually won.

"I won simply by attrition," he said.

Charlie's not a fast runner. He averages about a ten-minute mile. But he's stubborn. So trekking across the Sahara (which you can see chronicled this summer in theaters in the documentary "Running the Sahara") seemed like an obvious thing to do.

He went through 25 pairs of shoes and drank 1,400 liters of Gatorade. He lost 40 pounds, despite his best efforts.

"My body finally said one day, "Oh I get it. You are trying to kill me.'"

His next endeavor? Running across America. In the heat of summer, starting June 21, Charlie will run straight across the continent from California to New York.

He's going to have to run about 70 miles a day to get there by August. With all the hell he's put his body through, will he actually make it there?

He's not sure. But he's going to go for it anyway.

"The next best thing to doing it is actually trying it," he said.

Sign up to run with Charlie during Running Across America here. Or you can run with him on any given weekend. He usually runs at Country Park on Saturdays at 7 a.m.