Drinking probably hurts the prostate

Being a male, I worry about prostate cancer. Being 23 and about halfway to my first exam, I also worry about being checked for prostate cancer. Childish, I know, but I at least accept it as a fact of life (or a growing pain).

I try to keep up with any news on how to prevent the onset of prostate cancer -- foods or activities that may make me more susceptible, etc. And when I stumble across a study condemning practices that I've been guilty of, I get a little worried.

A recent study by researchers from UC-San Francisco concludes that heavy drinking (at least four drinks per day) increases men's risk of prostate cancer. Damn it, college.

I've been guilty of drinking four-plus drinks a day every UF game day that I can remember. And I usually go out with a few buddies at least one more time a week. I don't know how many times I've managed to hit that level five times in one week, which the study says makes men most cancer-prone, but I hope it has been rare.

My health is important to me, but so is my fun. Unfortunately, earlier in my college career, I tended to have more fun at bars around Gainesville. Given the fact -- well, recent scientific claim, this fact may, too, get Pluto'd -- that continuing to hit the bars so frequently may lead to an earlier rear entry from my physician, I think I'll skip midtown and pick up basket weaving.

Since I started hitting the gym (semi-)regularly a few years ago, I knew it made me feel good. Sounds simple, I know, but that's the only way to put it. I could breathe more deeply and easily. I have more energy during the day, and I sleep better. After working out, I just plain feel better about myself -- physically and psychologically.

Exercise has been a natural energy shot with a nice, easy decrescendo, and I like it. Which is why I'm not surprised to learn that a new study has linked the physical act of exercising with improved self-image.

The study, which was conducted by researchers at the University of Florida (woot!), determined that people who exercise regularly are generally satisfied with their body images. Whether a person looks like big Oprah, little Oprah, Forrest Griffin or Turtle from "Entourage", working out makes a person feel like a million bucks.

I've felt the benefits of my weekend warrior gym attendance, and now my alma mater is backing me up. I don't foresee having a problem with my current gym policy.

The right shoes to go the distance (Pt. 2)

As a pronator (someone who steps more on the inside of my foot), I've experienced the pains and problems associated with over-pronating. More importantly, I've adapted to them. The problem is that excessive pronating can flatten your feet, loosen previously stable joints and cause you to tire out more quickly.

I've run with heel pain, knee pain, arch pain and shin splints. God knows I've been running with flat feet. I have yet to have the pleasure of enduring bunions or hammer toes, but as I get older I'm sure they'll come my way, too.

The most important step to take in fighting these annoyances, which may lead to injury, is to buy the right shoes. My feet have always felt best in Asics or Brooks running shoes with a stiff support for the inside of my feet and a softer cushioning for the outside of my feet. This helps to balance my foot by propping up the inside of my arch, which tends to lean inward. (Side note: Yes, the shoes can be expensive, but I'm pretty sure my comfort and well-being outweighs the higher price. Also, I've been happy with other shoe brands, but these two have served me best for years.)

I've been pretty picky about my shoes for a few years now, and I've had success in maintaining a pretty consistent running schedule. Shin splints are long gone and so is the pain in the arch of my feet. I'm still battling the tendonitis in my right knee, but I rest it appropriately.

If your problems differ from mine, then you may tend to step along the outside of your footprint. This is known as supination. It erodes the soles of your shoes starting from the outside and comes with its own set of side effects.

In the next -- and last -- installment of my footwear trilogy, I will go over the problems related to supination.

The right shoes to go the distance (Pt. 1)

To some, shoes are a nothing more than a foot's fashion statement. To runners, shoes are the gateway to a happy existence. Finding the right shoe isn't always easy: They can be ugly, or expensive, or both.

When it comes down to it, it doesn't matter if the shoe looks like it was made for Ronald McDonald. What really matters is that your shoes aim to protect you feet, ankles, knees, hips and back. They are all connected, and you need them all to run comfortably.

To kick off your shoe-shopping experience (forgive the pun, it was unintentional), you need to assess your step.

Do you walk on the insides of your feet? Do you tend to strike the ground with your heel first? Are you flat-footed? If you do any of the above -- and if you are guilty of one, you probably do them all -- then you're a pronator. You need shoes that support the inside of your feet. (Personally, I fall into this category, and my running life has changed since switching to the only brands I trust, Brooks and Asics).

Coming up in Part Two, I'll address the problems associated with pronation, and introduce its antithesis, supination.

A Caffeine-Induced Coma

I'm ending my love affair with coffee. It has been four good years, but, unfortunately, we've just grown apart.

I'm getting older (for the University of Florida campus, not for the earth), and I'm starting to feel the negative effects of coffee -- and caffeine in general -- more and more. Instead of jolting me back to life while I'm at the library, that late-afternoon latte only knocks me out. I might as well have a bottle of wine.

Let me be clear: There isn't someone new. Though some energy drinks are tasty, I don't want to sacrifice my well-being and my future for a fleeting pick-me-up.

The past few weeks I had been feeling increasingly on edge. Jittery. To remedy my situation, I decided to cut back my caffeine intake. My plan started slowly. But, as one morning stretched all the way into two weeks, I could feel myself taking deeper, fuller breaths and I was able to get through my early classes without a fight.

Since then, I've given in to the Starbucks temptation a handful of times, but I haven't bought any compulsive caffeine in almost a month. I've also managed to save a couple of bucks.

I hope coffee understands. It has plenty of other suitors and suitor-ettes, so I'm sure it will be fine without me.

Take a guilt trip to weight loss

Throughout high school, I was two parts nerdy smart-ass, one part chubster. I wasn't at risk for a pre-20s heart attack, but I felt uncomfortable. Junior year I was hanging out in the better (or worse) half of 180 lbs., but I was nearly five inches shorter. Shortly after graduation, I decided to shed my lazy ways and told myself to you-know-what or get off the pot. And I did (the former).

All I had to do was take a page from my mother and grandmother's book of nag, and I gently coerced myself into a much healthier lifestyle.

A recent study from a Japanese university says I'm not the only one who drops poundage after feeling a little down about myself. Apparently, negative emotions toward a tubby self can cause an impetus for reformation (in their words, patients "care more" about their state).

For whatever reason, it seems to work. Since then (about six years), I've consistently weighed about 20 pounds less and felt much healthier.

I haven't found a study to boast the benefits of emotional self-flagellation, and I doubt I ever will, but I don't see the harm in relying on a sub-par self-perception to peel a lazy, sweatpanted ass off a couch.

Don't Waste Time with Curls

I've never understood the benefit of the bicep curls. Being a skinny dude, this may sound like bitterness, but I've learned a lot since weight training during my sophomore year of high school. Bicep curls are pretty much useless (Bodybuilding and beach-flexing aside).

Last week in my health writing class, Matt Herring, strength trainer for the University of Florida men's basketball team, offered us a peek into the workouts he and his team designed for the players. They force the players to move laterally, rotationally and front-to-back. Each player must test his balance, strength and agility every time the training staff "tweaks" each exercise.

One of the exercises left out of the training regimen 99 percent of the time? Bicep curls. Herring referred to them "bone exercises," because the players only get to do them when the staff feels like throwing them a bone. Herring said bicep curls are ignored because they serve no functional purpose in basketball (though he hates the buzzword "functional").

Call me bitter or small, but I'm content with my 10-inch biceps, and now I can defend my toothpicks with testimony from someone who trains others for a living.