What I’ve learned since moving to D.C. (some of which should be obvious): 0076

3751.  A study published in The Journal of Experimental Social Psychology found that subjects who wore white coats they thought belonged to doctors performed better on tests than those who wore regular clothes.  They found that the symbolic meaning of the clothes and the experience of wearing them impacted the psychology and confidence of the wearers;

3752.  The way you enter a group and first interact with those around you shapes your enduring status among these people;

3753.  Research published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology found that the secret to achieving any goal requires confidence and confidence is bolstered by recalling times you succeeded in a similar endeavor or simply felt genuinely powerful and respected.  The catch, researchers found, is to not recall too many of these instances or else you might become complacent.  So, focus on a time you felt truly powerful, respected and/or charming and that feeling will likely be replicated;

3754.  According to research led by Professor Dennis Y. Hsu of Northwestern University and published in Social Psychological and Personality Science, music, especially bass-heavy music, makes us feel powerful – and also behave powerfully!

3755.  If you want to feel confident throughout your entire life, never stop learning.  Research by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills has found that learning boosts self-confidence and raises an individual’s aspirations;

3756.  According to Psychology Today, swearing gives us a greater sense of power and agency.  Feeling empowered boosts our self-esteem and confidence;

3757.  Apparently, I wear a size 6 ½ ring if it’s a thin band and a size 7 if it’s a thick one;

3758.  Apparently, if your ring has a thick band, you should go half a size bigger than if your ring has a thin one;

3759.  Mike Isabella (i.e., former contestant on “Top Chef”) (and his wife) eat(s) (brunch) at Del Campo in D.C.;

3760.  According to a 2015 study conducted at the Netherlands Centre for Human Drug Research, men who drank the equivalent of just two drinks (i.e., 20 grams of alcohol) increased their subsequent food intake by 19 percent;

3761.  People tend to prefer high fat, savory and salty foods after consuming alcohol;

3762.  If you’re set on having a bottled juice or smoothie, first check the ingredients label and make sure it contains no more than 15 grams of carbohydrates per serving.  Ideally, it should only contain one serving of fruit.  The rest should be vegetables;

3763.  Many veggie chips are just as fattening as the potato chips you’re likely trying to avoid;

3764.  When you remove the gluten out of a food product, you’re taking away the ingredient that provides that delicious, chewy texture in breads, muffins, cakes, pasta and more.  To make up for the loss of flavor and texture, food manufacturers often add in other fillers, including sugars, fats and other chemical additives.  Ultimately, your gluten-free snacks end up with more calories and sugars and don’t even taste as good;

3765.  Far too often, “smart,” “whole grain” and “healthy” cereals aren’t all that different from the sugary stuff you ate as a kid.  On average, foods displaying the yellow “Whole Grain Stamp” contain more sugar and calories than do whole-grain foods that don’t sport the label, according to research from Harvard University.  Instead of looking at the front of the box to make your selection, you should look at the back.  The cereal should contain fewer than 10 grams of sugar per serving, at least 5 grams of fiber per serving and contain bran in the ingredients;

3766.  The fiber in bran has been shown to help reduce cholesterol, regulate blood sugars and contain beneficial antioxidants.  However, commercially produced fiber like resistant starch, polydextrose, indigestible dextrins and inulin may not provide the same benefits of plant-based fibers like wheat and oat bran;

3767.  Many protein bars contain as much sugar as a candy bar but with a few extra grams of protein;

3768.  Many quinoa pastas contain more corn flour, a cheap gluten-free flour, than anything else.  The result: It contains just as many calories, more carbs and fewer grams of protein than if you just stuck with wheat pasta.  Before buying any quinoa pasta, flip over the box.  Look for brands that contain one ingredient: quinoa flour;

3769.  Multigrain breads only indicate that the bread contains multiple grains.  It says nothing about their degree of refinement.  Refined grains have been extensively processed, and their bran and germ, the fiber-, vitamin- and mineral-containing part of the grain, have been removed, leaving only simple carbs that spike your blood sugar and promote weight gain.  Look for breads that have some sort of whole grain – whole wheat, whole rye or whole oats – as their first ingredient;

3770.  Some nut butters, even those labeled as natural, contain added sugars or trans fats, harmful fats that increase bad cholesterol and decrease good cholesterol.  Before you buy, make sure the only ingredient is nuts.  And even if your nut butter doesn’t contain additives, you still need to limit serving sizes.  A single tablespoon contains nearly 100 calories;

3771.  A typical six-ounce fruit-at-the-bottom yogurt container contains 29 grams of carbs and 24 grams of sugar.  That’s the equivalent of a candy bar.  Opt for buying plain yogurt and adding in fresh fruit;

3772.  Many prepackaged salads you’ll find at restaurants, airport terminals and supermarkets contain upwards of 1,000 calories.  Meanwhile, the cheese, croutons and meats pack a ton of sodium, which is used both as a preservative and to boost the salad’s flavor.  Unfortunately, many prepackaged salads don’t come with ingredient or nutrition labels.  If that’s the case with whatever salad you’re eying, don’t buy it.  Look for ingredient labels and make sure neither calories nor sodium is through the roof;

3773.  Stop worrying about what everyone else is doing, the people around you have nothing to do with you, just do your own thing and stop.  Everyone has this tendency to mark themselves against other people and the world just does not work that way;

3774.  The Friday night concert series at Yards Park (in D.C.) is like “Jazz in the Garden” (at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden) except there’s more space . . . and you can still bring your own booze;

3775.  Unrequited love is just as valid as any other kind.  It’s just as crushing and just as thrilling.  You love someone purely because you love them and not because you think you’ll ever have your affections reciprocated.  You are admiring something for its beauty without needing to own it;

3776.  The Shakespeare Theatre Company hires some (pretty) accomplished actors/actresses;

3777.  Sara Topham (of the Shakespeare Theatre Company) is rather attractive in person;

3778.  Apparently, they had carni(val) food (i.e., funnel cakes, pie on a stick, smoked turkey legs, etc.) during the Renaissance;

3779.  Smoked turkey legs taste like ham;

3780.  Smoked turkey legs are rather tough. . . . They’re (really) chewy with a lot cartilage and gristle;

3781.  Apparently, there’s no tax for groceries in D.C.;

3782.  Apparently, I’m not as clever as I thought. . . . I wouldn’t make a very good assistant for Sherlock Holmes.  Just ask Cuba, Ireland and New Zealand;

3783.  Sun-kissed is a good look . . . sun-scorched, not so much;

3784.  Strength training primarily works your fast-twitch fibers, which is contributed to high-intensity, short-duration exercises.  In response to training, the fibers get stronger by becoming bigger and growing in number – which is to thank for any size gains in your biceps;

3785.  Endurance exercise primarily trains your body’s slow-twitch fibers, which are responsible for fueling low-intensity, high-duration exercises like running, swimming, and biking.  They are tiny, and while they are vital to sticking with any cardio class or endurance event, they don’t really add to your body’s muscle bulk;

3786.  While strength training largely leaves slow-twitch fibers alone and lets them do their thing, there is some evidence that cardiovascular exercise can convert fast-twitch fibers into slow-twitch fibers;

3787.  Cardio can also disrupt the growth of fast-twitch fiber through what’s called the interference effect.  During exercise, your body sends out both anabolic (muscle-building) and catabolic (muscle-breaking) signals, and it’s believed that aerobic exercise can promote a more catabolic environment;

3788.  On Mondays( all day), you can get a Black Angus steak (with mashed potatoes and a side salad) for $10.95 at Overwood Wood-Fired American Kitchen (TheOverwood.com) in (Old Town) Alexandria;

3789.  If you want to roast a pig, Seth’s your man;

3790.  Have a mind that is open to everything and attached to nothing;

3791.  Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.  Where there is hatred, let me sow love; Where there is injury, pardon; Where there is doubt, faith; Where there is despair, hope; Where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy.  O “divine master,” grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console; To be understood, as to understand; To be loved, as to love.  For it is in giving that we receive; It is in pardoning that we are pardoned and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.  Amen;

3792.  If you follow the herd, you’ll end up stepping in shit.  The shit is living with yourself when you ignore what you know to be right and true and instead follow the instructions of others who are afraid to leave the herd and want you to be just like everybody else;

3793.  A study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition found that subjects who drank both water and beer after an hour-long run were equally as rehydrated as those who drank just water, suggesting that beer isn’t quite as dehydrating as previously thought (probably due in part to the drink's, well, high water content).  That said, if you’re trying to lose weight, water is still the better option;

3794.  Research shows that sports drinks aren’t any more effective than water at preventing dehydration and most varieties are also high in calories and sugar (some contain the equivalent of 10 teaspoons);

3795.  It turns out stretching before a workout won’t keep you from pulling a muscle after all; in fact, one 2004 study found that stretching before activities such as cycling, jogging and swimming actually did nothing to prevent injuries;

3796.  According to one 2012 study by McMaster University, muscle protein synthesis may continue for 24 to 48 hours after exercising (as opposed to one hour, as commonly believed), but you don’t want to wait too long after working out to eat, as this will cause your body to go into starvation mode;

3797.  Stopping doesn’t mean apologizing.  Stopping doesn’t mean you can’t do something else or try again later (unless that’s what s/he’s asking you to stop);

3798.  The measure of love is not in saying you love, the measure of love is the time that you take toward the showing of love and the actions of love;

3799.  Money buys comfort; comfort is not happiness or satisfaction.  While it is good to be comfortable, it is more satisfying to be happy;

3800.  According to a study, rich kids have a higher risk of depression, anxiety and substance abuse than their less affluent peers.  Financial abundance usually provides more security, assets and opportunities, but research by professor Suniya Luthar of Arizona State University, published in the Journal of Development & Psychopathology, shows that young people whose parents have a combined income of $160,000.00 per year or more experience twice the standard national rate of depression and anxiety than those from less well-to-do families;