Millions of H1N1 vaccine doses may have to be discarded

Despite months of dire warnings and millions in taxpayer dollars, less than half of the 229 million doses of H1N1 vaccine the government bought to fight the pandemic have been administered — leaving an estimated 71.5 million doses that must be discarded if they are not used before they expire. Between 81 million and 91 million doses of swine flu vaccine were injected into peoples’ arms or squirted up their noses through the end of February, according to federal officials, leaving about 138 million doses unused. An estimated 60 million of those will be donated to poor countries or saved for possible future use. But doses already in vials and syringes will be thrown away if not used before their expiration dates…

Cooking Light: You don’t have to bawk at chicken skin

Chicken skin: It’s the new health food. That may sound like a nutrition columnist’s idea of an April Fools’ Day joke. But the April issue of Cooking Light, a leading U.S. cooking magazine, makes the case that a bit of chicken skin now and then won’t hurt you and can even supply some healthful fat. That revelation appears in a list of 10 “Nutrition myths that shouldn’t keep you from the foods you love.” No. 8 among them: “You should always remove chicken skin before eating.” In its argument to debunk this, the article says, “You can enjoy a skin-on chicken breast without blowing your sat…

The Misfits: Ken Wilson, Volksmarcher

Ken Wilson’s obsession began 35 years ago in Germany, when an Army colleague persuaded him to go on a long walk with a group he had never heard of: Volksmarchers. This Story Step lively! Resources for walking in and around Washington The Volksmarcher Dan Silverman: A prince without a carriage or car Randy Weadon: Who needs the outdoors? Motivated by friends: Let fellowship lead the way View All Items in This Story View Only Top Items in This Story There wasn’t much to it. Volksmarchers take five- or 10-kilometer walks on marked trails, keep track of them and send their logbooks in to headquarters, where they are certified. In return, they receive patches and pins to mark their…

The many benefits of walking

You learned when you were barely a year old, so chances are you’re pretty good at it by now. Put in 30 minutes a day and your body will thank you; 60 minutes and your doctor will gush. Yes, I’m talking about walking, still one of the easiest, most accessible and least expensive forms of exercise in a world of Aqua Zumba, Kangoo jumps and aerial fitness classes. Most people can do it. If you’re physically able, all you need are a good pair of shoes and a safe place to go. The benefits are enormous. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, physical activity — which, for adults, includes 150 minutes weekly of brisk walking — reduces the risk of dying from coronary …

Dan Silverman: A blogger who gets the news by foot

Before cellphones and e-mail, before land lines really, reporters made their rounds on foot. They visited sources, met people for meals, ran out to the places where news was happening. Dan Silverman, who single-handedly produces the popular Prince of Petworth blog, is as 2010 as they come, but his reportorial technique is so “The Front Page.” He walks. And walks. And walks. It is the only way, he says, to get to all corners of the city that fascinate him and find the hyper-local info his 40,000 unique monthly visitors crave. …

Three generations of women find fellowship on their daily walk

No one remembers exactly when Carolyn Kokulis, Pat Boler and Lois Williams began walking together. They think it was about 10 years ago, but at this point, it doesn’t really matter. The three Potomac women had been good friends for decades when they found yet another way to intertwine their lives. Two miles a day, five days a week, in all but the worst weather, they make their loop around the neighborhood right after the bus leaves for Potomac Elementary School…

Randy Weadon: Stepping into a groove, indoors

Back in 2001, William “Randy” Weadon and his wife moved into the Greenspring retirement community, and Weadon immediately began to gain weight. He became a Type 2 diabetic, dependent on increasing amounts of insulin every day. “It was an entirely new lifestyle. You get everything done for you. There’s a restaurant-style meal every evening,” says Weadon, now 83. One evening he had a severe hypoglycemic reaction, possibly from the combination of insulin and alcohol, or too little food. He awoke completely disoriented. “I decided then and there, I’ve got to do something,” he said. The next day, Weadon started walking the three-quarter-mile-long hallway of the community, a series of interconnected buildings in Springfield, after …

Resources for walking in and around Washington

To get you started, here are three resources for walking in and around Washington. — WalkingTown DC features free walking and biking tours led by longtime residents, local historians, professional guides and others. Choose from more than 100 itineraries during the next WalkingTown DC weekend, scheduled for May 22 and 23. For more information, call Cultural Tourism DC at 202-626-1148 or visit http:/ / www.walkingtowndc.org. — No need to wait until May to use “City Walks: Washington, D.C.” (Chronicle Books, 2006…

Col. Ken Wilson: A Volksmarcher treks on

Ken Wilson’s obsession began 35 years ago in Germany, when an Army colleague persuaded him to go on a long walk with a group he had never heard of: Volksmarchers. There wasn’t much to it. Volksmarchers take five- or 10-kilometer walks on marked trails, keep track of them and send their log books in to headquarters, where they are certified. In return, they receive patches and pins to mark their progress. Wilson, an 81-year-old retired Army colonel, has logged nearly 90,000 kilometers since that first day in 1975. That’s nearly 56,000 miles of walking, almost all of it in the United States. According to the American Volkssport Association, which has more than 40,000 members in its database, Wilson is one of only 14 to …

Cooking Light introduces new rules for eating healthfully

Chicken skin: It’s the new health food. That may sound like a nutrition columnist’s idea of an April Fools’ Day joke. But the April issue of Cooking Light, a leading U.S. cooking magazine, makes the case that a bit of chicken skin now and then won’t hurt you and can even supply some healthful fat. That revelation appears in a list of 10 “Nutrition myths that shouldn’t keep you from the foods you love.” No. 8 among them: “You should always remove chicken skin before eating.” In its argument to debunk this, the article says, “You can enjoy a skin-on chicken breast without blowing your sat-fat budget.” …

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