Surf your way to good health

Got a nutrition-related question that you don't want to ask your roommate, coach, or the cafeteria lady? The fastest way to get an answer is to look online, but that's not always the most reliable route _ there's a lot of misinformation out there. The key is to know where to look, and that's where this guide comes in. Here's a rundown of some websites that post nutrition and health information targeted at college students.

Ask Alice (www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/index.html) sponsored by Columbia University's Health Services, tops the list. The site answers all kinds of questions about physical, sexual, emotional, and spiritual health in a sane and non-judgmental voice. Click on "Fitness & Nutrition" to see what the Columbia nutrition staff has to say about fasting, disordered eating, dietary supplements, and how to get a healthy meal in a campus dining hall. Should you try a "raw" diet? Switch to herbal tea? Alice knows. The sixties-inspired title of this site may not speak to twenty-something readers, but the advice definitely will.

Another good site is Duke University Health Center's Healthy Devil Online, (healthydevil.studentaffairs.duke.edu). Click on "Health Information" for articles on men's and women's health, birth control, emotional health, STDs, and how to stop smoking. The nutrition pages cover basic topics like whether you should be concerned about how much salt you eat and how to choose a dietary supplement. There is also good background on caffeine _ what it is, how it affects the body, and who should limit their caffeine intake. The included chart lists the caffeine intake of common foods, beverages, and dietary supplements. Want to know which has more caffeine _ Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Fudge frozen yogurt or Starbucks coffee ice cream? The Healthy Devil can tell you.

Homeplate (www.bc.edu/bc_org/svp/uhs/eating/eating-homepage.htm), brought to you by Boston College's Eating Awareness Team, manages to cover the topic of disordered eating without coming across as frantic or judgmental. The authors explain the symptoms and complications of anorexia, bulimia and compulsive overeating, and acknowledge the emotional issues that commonly come with eating disorders.

Check the resources section for advice on what the "next step" is if you or a friend is struggling with an eating disorder and looking for help, including a list of what NOT to do. The site lists books and resources that readers can access for more information. Some of these links are specific to Boston College, but others are available to everyone.

Dr. Drew (www.drdrew.com) speaks clearly and candidly to teens and college-age readers on topics like substance abuse, sexual health, and depression (the site is an offshoot of his call-in radio show, "Loveline," so a lot of the questions deal with relationship issues). A great thing about this site is that the doctor doesn't try to be an expert in all areas. He enlists the help of a dietitian to answer the nutrition-related questions, and eating disorder specialists handle questions like, "How do I stop binging, purging, and starving myself?" and "Has throwing up done permanent damage to my body?" The nutrition pages, also authored by a dietitian, cover basic info like where to find fiber in the cafeteria and what nutrients you need to know about if you don't eat meat or dairy foods.

Before your next meal at Taco Bell, visit Wake Forest University' Drive Thru Diet (www.bgsm.edu/nutrition/FFMainF.htm). The site lets you easily tally the calorie, fat, and sodium content of a meal chosen from the menus of the 12 largest US fast food chains.

You can also sort through the entr?©e choices of each restaurant to find which ones are lowest in fat or calories per serving. So if you are trying to choose between a Subway sub and a BK Broiler and calories are the deciding factor, this site can help break the tie. (New menu items like Wendy's Garden Sensations salads are not included here, so check the restaurant's website if you can't find an item you are looking for on Drive Thru Diet.)