Just In

        Let it snow: A little cold weather is no excuse for staying inside, says the Cincinnati Board of Parks Commissioners.

        Among the options for outdoor recreation:

        • Ice skating at Eden Park and Rapid Run Park. Look for the blue flag to ensure ice is safe.

        • Ice hockey at Eden Park's Twin Lakes.

        • Sledding at Mount Storm, Rapid Run and Stanbery parks.

        • Cross-country skiing at Ault and French parks and the Mount Airy Forest.

        • Winter hikes at the Mount Airy Forest and the nature preserves at California Woods, Caldwell Park, LaBoiteaux Woods and Buttercup Valley.

        For information, call 352-4080 or log on to www.cinci-parks.org.

Calendar

        Race meetings: Team leader meetings for the March 24 Humana Heart Mini-Marathon will be held at noon Wednesday at Humana's corporate office in Walnut Hills and again at noon Thursday at the TriHealth Fitness and Health Pavilion in Blue Ash. For information, call 281-4048 or visit www.heartmini.org.

        Marathon session: The Wellness Community will have two informational meetings on its Strides for Hope Marathon Team for the June 23 Kona Marathon. Meetings are scheduled at 7 p.m. Thursday and 7 p.m. Feb. 7. Reservations: 791-4060.

Research

        Yum factor: Fatty foods do taste better than their no-guilt, fat-free cousins, say researchers at Purdue University.

        For years, scientists said fat only affected the food's texture, not its taste.

        But research by Richard Mattes, a professor of foods and nutrition at Purdue, indicates humans can taste fat.

        The finding helps explain why fat-free foods aren't as popular as full-fat versions.

        Some scientists hypothesized that people might be able to smell fat. In Mr. Mattes's study, some people were allowed to taste and smell full-fat cream cheese on crackers. Another group was allowed only to taste it, and a third group was allowed only to smell it. A fourth group, the control group, received no sensory stimulation.

        Researchers found that the blood fat levels rose three times more in subjects who tasted and smelled the cream cheese and who only tasted it than in the control group. No change was seen in the group who only smelled the cream cheese.

Tips

        Safer supplements: The Ephedra Education Council issued the following safety tips for using the popular — but highly controversial — herbal weight-loss aid:

        • Use ephedra with the same care as any over-the-counter medication. That means read the label, and ask your pharmacist or doctor about drug interactions.

        • Read and follow the warning labels.

        • Follow dosage recommendations: The council recommends taking a maximum dose of 25 milligrams per serving, or 100 milligrams per day.

        • If you have heart disease, thyroid disease, diabetes or high blood pressure, don't take ephedra products without checking with your doctor first.

        • If you're under 18, don't take ephedra at all.

        For more information, check out www.ephedrafacts.com or the Food and Drug Administration's Web site, www.fda.gov.

        Contact Peggy O'Farrell by phone: 768-8510; fax: 768-8330; e-mail: pofarrell@enquirer.com.

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