"GummiBear" news and stories

Ah, the many ways to keep your teeth healthy: Brushing, flossing, and eating gummy bears. That's right. According to an article from this past Sunday's New York Post, a new study from researchers at the University of Washington reveals that the natural sweetener xylitol, which is used in Gummi Bears, may create healthy teeth.

Their suggested prescription?
Eat four gummy bears three times a day for six weeks. This will result in a low count of streptococcus mutans, a contributor to tooth decay. But, do not forget to make sure that they are made with xylitol which is also used in chewing gum (Orbit chewing gum and Trident gum). Interestingly, in China, Japan, and South Korea there's a brand of gum named "Xylitol" which contains the magic ingredient that keeps your teeth healthy.

Just when I thought I'd take a break from eating junk food. Gee, are there any other candies that can prevent tooth decay?

In my everlasting quest to find sports food products that 1) work; 2) taste good;  and -- most importantly -- 3)don't embarass me either while purchasing them or consuming them, I've come to Clif's new Shot Bloks.

The idea here is to avoid messy gels and sticky sports drinks (see my early point about having my foods embarass me), and the Shot Bloks definitely pull that off. A bit like gummi bears, a bit like jello, a bit like jelly beans ... but good for you, definitely good for you: they've got electrolytes, a blend of complex and simple carbohydrates, and -- do you want more? -- they're organic.

Shot Bloks come in five different flavors; of these five, two flavors (Black Cherry and Orange) come with a kick of caffeine.

Truth be told, I like candy and coffee more than I like exercise. But Shot Bloks make me think that maybe, just maybe, everything will work out in the end  ...