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On-the-job training
Hooters girl walks many miles a shift
Castagna

edmontonsun.canoe.ca

Edmonton Sun

YOUR LIFE Monday, February 12, 2007

Krystal Hawryluk is thankful that the famous Hooters uniform calls for a comfortable pair of running shoes. With all the brisk walking she does during a shift, the 20-yearold waitress says runners are an absolute must. I wouldnt be able to make it if I was wearing high heels, she Cary says with a laugh. Hawryluk, who has been working at Hooters Restaurant KIT in West Edmonton Mall since KEEPING FIT last April, estimates she walks at least five miles during what can often turn into a frenetic shift lasting up to 12 hours. If were busy, I might not get a break until Ive been there for eight hours, she admits. Its extremely strenuous. You have to build endurance for it. Despite her exhausting Hooters workouts, Hawryluk doesnt like to sit still on her down time either. The petite five-foot-four, 115-pound waitress and part-time college student enjoys keeping trim and limber with a variety of outdoor physical pursuits, including running. Twice a week, she heads to the 1,500-metre track near her Edmonton residence for at least 20 to 30 minutes of a combination of jogging and walking. After doing that I feel amazing, she says. I hate running inside on those treadmills. Thats why I dont have a gym membership. I cant do it. Three times a week, Hawryluk pulls out her yoga mat and goes through a series of pilates exercises and yoga stretches.

The pilates gets my heartbeat going and the yoga relaxes me, explains the self-professed tomboy who grew up on a Vermilionarea farm, where she enjoyed horseback riding and quadding. Over the winter, Hawryluk obviously not a fan of hibernation takes her snowboard to Rabbit Hill as often as she can. For her, it beats staying indoors and watching a movie. Ive always been an outdoorsy person, she says. I need the outdoors. I hate being cooped up too much. I hate just sitting and not doing anything. The former lifeguard whose background includes volleyball, swimming, soccer, basketball, and track and field also eats a wholesome diet composed of fare she relishes, like seafood, veggies and fruit. I dont eat anything I dont like. When I have a salad, its because I want to have a salad, she explains. Hawryluk says shes not into greasy fast food or anything deep-fried, but even she cant resist Hooters wings every now and then. And often when she needs a refreshing boost during an arduous 12-hour shift, shell run over to Booster Juice in the mall. Its better than drinking coffee, getting that (caffeine) buzz and then crashing afterwards, she explains. And yes, while many may consider Hawry l u k a he a l t h y pie c e of r e st a ur a n t e y e candy, keeping fit and eating right runs much deeper than that for her. The Hooters gal points out that she follows her busy regimen because frankly, it

TIM SMITH /Special to the Sun

College student and server Krystal Hawryluk gets her fitness on-the-go during 12-hour shifts at West Edmonton Mall Hooters Restaurant.
feels good. Kinda like a comfortable pair of running shoes. Its something I want to do. I dont want to let myself go, she says. Obesi ty is our No. 1 killer in Canada. Its a health hazard. Im just being healthy.

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A sweet solution for reduced blood pressure

DR. RICHARD BELIVEAU Special to Sun Media
Dark chocolate doesnt just taste good. It also has multiple positive health effects, particularly on the cardiovascular system. Who said eating healthy was unpleasant? Cocoa is a rich source of flavonoids, molecules that have an extraordinary antioxidant potential. For example, cocoas antioxidant activity is two times higher than the activity of red wine and up to five times higher than that of green tea. The antioxidant activity of an important role by helping neutralize free radicals, highly reactive molecules that can cause considerable damage to our cells and thus contribute to the progression of various diseases.

Health benefits
On top of its antioxidant potential, chocolate also has multiple biological effects that actively contribute to its health benefits. Reduction of blood pressure. Studies show eating flavonoid-rich dark chocolate significantly lowers blood pressure, especially among hypertensive people.

chocolates flavonoids, which increase the production of nitrous oxide, a molecule that stimulates the dilatation of arteries. Decrease in blood platelet aggregation. A great number of studies have shown that chocolates flavonoids decrease platelet aggregation. In normal conditions, platelets are cells that play an important part in the development of clots that are essential to blood coagulation. Sometimes, however, platelets aggregate themselves at the surface of blood vessels damaged by various aggressions (cigarette

tension, etc.), which leads to the development of clots that may obstruct the vessels and prevent them from adequately carrying oxygen to organs. Anti-inflammatory activity. Inflammation plays a key role in the development of cardiovascular diseases. Recent studies have shown that chocolates flavonoids reduce inflammation by blocking the recruitment of inflammatory cells at the surface of blood vessels. This reduces the development of clots and slows down the development of atherosclerotic plaques. Since inflammation plays

of several other diseases, like cancer, its possible that eating chocolate could also help prevent those diseases. All these observations indicate that the regular consumption of dark chocolate has an extremely positive impact on the risk of suffering from cardiovascular diseases.

Dark chocolate only

The positive effect is only observed with dark chocolate with a cocoa mass of over 70%. More common chocolates found on the shelves of our grocery stores and conven-

candies than chocolate. Their cocoa content is very low and therefore these products have no positive health impact. Fortunately, more and more quality chocolates are available and its now possible to easily find good chocolates with a 70% cocoa content at very reasonable prices. Despite the benefits of dark chocolate, we must not forget that its a food with a high calorie content that must be taken in moderation, that is, about 20 grams of chocolate with a 70% cocoa content per day. Disease prevention has