Diet soda should lead to weight loss...right?

The word “diet” in “diet soda” can be misleading. While these drinks contain no calories or sugar, the consumption of them can lead to weight gain and other damaging health effects. These include heightened risks for heart disease and type 2 diabetes, weaker teeth and bones, and an irregular metabolism.

Those who consume diet soft drinks while dieting and exercising tend to actually consume more calories than those who cut soda all together. It’s a mental trick; if you saved calories by ordering a diet soda versus an alternative drink, then it’s okay to eat a bit more. In most cases, this is false. This leads to excessive calorie consumption, and in turn, weight gain.

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http://www.washingtontimesreporter.com/article/20140211/NEWS/302119917/1636/LIFESTYLE/?tag=1

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Western student Ashley Schulz, 22, goes in for a dig while warming up before her Intramural volleyball game at Carver Gym. Schulz has been involved with Intramural Sports since her freshman year, and has been playing volleyball since high school.

“My sister thought I should try it out and low and behold I loved it,” Schulz said.

This is her ninth quarter as an Intramural volleyball team captain. She enjoys that the program mixes both genders onto one team.

“I feel good showing people what I can do on the court,” Schulz said.

Local Music: In the Raw

From screeching out wicked rock verses to belting out Canadian opera at the top of his lungs, Jackson Bengtsson, 22, shows no fear with a microphone in hand.

Bengtsson is a Western Washington University student studying psychology after transferring from Willamette two years ago. He has been involved with the members of this band, which remains un-named, for about a year. The band mates consider themselves to be metal-core, which is a combination of pop, punk, and soft metal, Bengtsson said.

“You know what makes me feel better about being a singer?” Bengtsson said. “I can do other musical things.”

Bengtsson plays guitar and piano, and spends a lot of his time producing his own music, he said.

Bengtsson is also an off and on member of Western’s A’Capella men’s group, Undefined.

Environmental Portrait: In Their Element

            Bobby Faller, 21, is a frequent visitor to Vital, a climbing gym located in downtown Bellingham, Wash.

            While he enjoys the social aspect of the gym, he prefers climbing among natural elements, which was how he was first introduced to the sport, in California.

“The outdoors are so much better than inside,” Faller said. “There’s a different connection with the rock.”

Faller is preparing for his second climbing competition in Bellingham, which is to be held at Vital on Feb. 22.

“I have always been competitive, and with climbing you are competing with inanimate objects,” Faller said.

What Makes You Happy Bellingham?

Linda Lancaster, 64, sits on a bench on the pier at Boulevard Park with a smile on her face. Lancaster is at her happiest when along coastal beaches, and she swears there’s a scientific reason for that.

“If you spend the day at the beach, you know how relaxed you get?” Lancaster asks. She believes that the molecular makeup of the atmosphere along the water physically relaxes the human body.

“I like the waves, the smell, the negative ions,” Lancaster said.

“I like having a good day,” Western student Terra Ramsey, 22, said, “I like having a good adventure.” Ramsey is at her happiest finding spots out in the woods to hike. This last weekend, Ramsey found herself walking along the train tracks in the Chuckunuts, a popular outdoor destination for Skagit Valley locals.

            “This is what I love, this here,” Leroy Carlson, said, referring to his figurine adorned hat. Upon closer inspection, these little figures are actually turtles, made up of shells, stones, and old bottle caps.

            Carlson gathers material from Lake Whatcom, along with other local beaches and parks. He pulls out his wallet and takes out a crumpled piece of paper, torn with age. It is an artist’s release form. His proudest moment was when director Steven Spielberg approached him and asked him if his turtles could be used in one of his films.

“They are dead when I find them, I just bring them back to life again,” Carlson said.