Eat for Good Health

The concept that you can permanently shrink yourself by temporarily eating less is mostly bunk -- for most of us. In fact, the health benefits of short-term weight loss still need to be closely examined. Instead, your goal should be to eat nutritious foods that make you younger -- and make that a lifelong habit. The good news? Your waist may shrink as a fringe benefit.


Kick-start your lifelong healthy-eating habits with these tips:

Focus on your waist, not your weight.

Eat three main meals, plus snacks, so you're never hungry.

Don't buy anything with more than 4 grams of saturated fat or 4 grams of any sugar (especially high-fructose corn syrup) per serving.

Strive for a rainbow of colors in your meals. Here's how to do that.

Eat a little healthy fat -- like a handful of walnuts -- about 20 minutes before a meal. It will take the edge off, so you won't be tempted to overeat.

Eat a fiber-rich breakfast every day.

Walk every day for 30 minutes.

Bacteria

Most strains of bacteria are harmless... or even beneficial. They peacefully co-exist with us the vast majority of the time. In fact, there are normally more bacteria in your colon then there are cells in your body.

Antibiotics don't discriminate between bacteria that are causing disease and bacteria that are doing a good job for us. You may be taking an antibiotic for a skin infection, but the antibiotic doesn't just go to the area of infection. It kills any bacteria in your body that are sensitive to it. This causes problems in a couple of ways.

First, it allows for the development of bacteria resistant to the antibiotic.

More immediately, you may experience diarrhea, a yeast infection, or a colon infection caused by Clostridium difficile. (Clostrium difficile - "C diff" in medical jargon - is a spore-producing bacterium that can overgrow and cause disease when normal bacteria in the bowel are disrupted.)

Taking a couple of steps will reduce your risk of these problems. First, take antibiotics only if you really need them. Second, if you do need them, take probiotic capsules (beneficial bacteria) while you're taking the antibiotics and for at least a few weeks after you finish treatment.

Beans

What makes beans so effective at stabilizing blood sugar? Fiber and protein.

This powerful combo helps slow digestion and blunt the spike associated with eating other carbohydrate-rich foods.

Plus, you'll stay full longer and eat less, which is the key to losing weight... and keeping it off.

Shot for Health

MonaVie is one of the hottest nutritional products right now, and it comes with health claims that are as numerous as its many neighborhood distributors. But this product could not only drain your wallet, it could harm your health.

The alleged benefits of MonaVie come from its "high level of antioxidants," which, according to the company, are primarily derived from acai (the fruit of a palm tree). But go to MonaVie's website and see if you can find the ORAC score (Oxygen Radical Absorbancy Capacity) of their product. Nope. How about just finding out how much acai is in the blend? No again. The company states: "Because MonaVie product formulas are proprietary, the extract amount of acai or other fruits in our blend is not disclosed."

Benzene is an aggressive carcinogen, even in minute amounts. And science shows that it can cause severe damage to mitochondria, the power station of your cells. Not exactly a "health miracle in a bottle," if you ask me.

Another not-so-sweet tidbit you may want to consider before you jump on the MonaVie bandwagon is the amount of sugar in the blend - six grams per ounce. Drink the "recommended" four ounces a day, and you're downing 24 grams of sugar (mainly fructose). That's a recipe for a blood sugar spike.

Antioxidants are an essential part of a healthy diet, and one of the keys to aging gracefully and preventing disease. That's why Jon and I stay well-stocked with the best organic sources. Here are a few that we always have on hand. They are ORAC chart-toppers according to the government's 2007 Agricultural Research Service report:

Whey

Muscle in your body is constantly being built up and broken down. That makes whey protein an excellent food to consider. Whey comes from the liquid that remains after milk has been processed into cheese, and there are very good reasons why it's so popular with body builders. In one study, published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, whey not only increased muscle more than casein (the protein found in cheese), but also contributed to loss of body fat.

But whey can do a lot more than help you build healthy muscles. It can help you build a healthy immune system and boost your metabolism, thereby helping to keep your mood upbeat and sunny. Simply put, its whey cool!

You can pick up whey at any health food store. Blend it into your favorite shakes or mix it into an eight-ounce glass of milk. You can also find lots of recipes online for other tasty beverages.

Glaucoma and Omega-3 Fatty Acids

3 million+ Americans have glaucoma, according to the Glaucoma Research Foundation. Although there is no cure for glaucoma - which causes blindness - a simple addition to your diet can help reduce the incidence of this disease.

Just add some omega-3 fatty acids to your meals.

They can help reduce the risk of diabetes, improve your cholesterol and triglycerides, reduce asthma and allergies, increase fertility and improve sexual function, fight cognitive decline, reduce wrinkles, improve skin tone, increase your overall energy, and much more. Now, research proves they can protect your eyes too.

Researchers at the University of Melbourne, Australia studied the association between dietary omega-3 fatty acid intake and glaucoma. They fed rats either an omega-3-sufficient or an omega-3-deficient diet from conception. The omega-3 diet contained safflower, flaxseed, and tuna oils, and the omega-3-deficient diet contained safflower oil only. Animals raised on the high-omega-3 diet had a decrease in intra-ocular pressure when they got older, meaning the tuna oil reduced their risk of developing glaucoma.

You can get your omega-3 fix by eating eggs, grass-fed beef and wild game, fatty fish, flaxseeds, and walnuts. You can also take a fish oil supplement.

Dem Bones...

European researchers studied 237 early-post-menopausal women (average age of 53). For one year, the women consumed a soy product diet (providing 110 mg of isoflavones) or a control diet without soy products. The results showed that, contrary to popular belief, the soy isoflavones did not improve the women's bone mineral density.

Instead of soy, try good old-fashioned weight-bearing exercise to improve the strength of your bones.

At the very least, every woman should have a daily walking program. In addition, women should perform at least two total-body resistance-training workouts per week.

Not only will this improve your bone mineral density, you will also get stronger. And strength and muscle mass can help reduce your risk of falling as you age.

Teeth

Wisdom Teeth

In the United States, third molars are popularly known as "wisdom teeth." Here is what they are called in other countries:

20-year teeth in Turkey

Mind teeth in Romania

Love teeth in Korea

Unknown-to-parent teeth in Japan

Preserve Strength

Many people have never not done enough strength training or built enough muscle mass to avoid falls as they get into their late 70s and early 80s. But there's some good news from Tufts University.

Researchers studied the diets and blood and urine of 384 men and women with an average age of 65. The results showed that a higher intake of foods rich in potassium, such as bananas, oranges, spinach, and tomatoes, may favor the preservation of muscle mass in older people.

The best way to increase strength and muscle mass is with a total-body resistance-training program two to three times per week. But to preserve those hard-earned gains, follow up your workouts with a healthy diet that includes lots of fruits and vegetables.

Microbots

At the Korea Institute of Technology, researchers are designing 6-legged robots tiny enough to travel through blood vessels.

The goal is to get these microbots to blocked arteries, where they can release medicine to clear them.

The scientists believe they will be ready for human testing in about 12 years.

Coffee

At least six research reports show that people who drink coffee are up to 80 percent less likely to develop Parkinson's, have a 25 percent drop in their risk for colon cancer, an 80 percent drop in their risk for liver cirrhosis, and an almost 50 percent lower risk for gallstones. Not only that, research from Harvard shows that drinking six or more cups of java cuts the risk for Type II diabetes by 54 percent for men and 30 percent for women.

Coffee actually provides more than just the legendary caffeine jolt. It's a big source of antioxidants, containing such compounds as chlorogenic acid and tocopherols and even minerals like magnesium. The trick is not to over-consume it. For some people, excess coffee can increase heartbeat and jitters. However, the increase in blood pressure that many worry about is largely temporary.

Foam Rolling

Foam rolling, also called self myofascial release, is one way to help combat all the awful side effects of sitting. It's like getting a very good massage. But you do it on your own, with a simple foam roller, a medicine ball, or a tennis ball.

Foam rolling can:

help alleviate tightness in your muscles
increase your range of motion in joints (such as the shoulder)
decrease your muscle soreness
keep your muscles at their optimal lengths
help relieve joint stress

In other words, it can help you rid yourself of existing aches and pains and prevent injuries.

Put your bodyweight on the foam roller, medicine ball, or tennis ball. Move around until you find your tender spots or "knots." Make sure to "massage" the sides of your legs, your butt, under your armpits and sides of the ribs, chest, calves, and your middle and upper back.

When you find a tender spot, hold your position until 75 percent of the tenderness subsides. Then continue to slowly roll until you find the next tender spot.

Dangers of Sitting

You might be surprised to learn that sitting - at your desk, in your car, and on your couch - could be causing major muscle imbalances. It can...

give you faulty posture - which can lead to orthopedic problems
weaken your core
make you more sedentary than you should be
create lower-back pain
make you less flexible
cause weight gain
create cellulite
result in headaches and fatigue
and even make you constipated.

Your Tap Water

The market is flooded with water filters - microfiltration, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, reverse osmosis, electrodialysis reversal, membrane bioreactors, and combinations of membranes in series.

At the recent conference on Wastewater Reclamation and Reuse for Sustainability, reverse osmosis filters proved most effective at removing all pollutants, including pharmaceuticals.

Looking for the most user-friendly and economic filter? Check out the RioFlow Complete 5-Stage Reverse Osmosis System.

For about $180, you can rest assured that you are doing everything you can to keep your body free and clear of "other people's drugs."

Green Is Great

Forget the green beer and the green shirt today. Going green inside your home is where it's at.
That's right. Sprucing up your home with some live greenery helps keep you healthy. How?

Plants can prime you for good health and better blood pressure.

It's not clear why, but nursing-home residents who were surrounded by greenery got fewer infections than peers who were in less green environments. And plants seem to have a soothing effect that helps keep blood pressure under control. Plants may help protect your lungs, too. In particular, English ivy, rubber plants, and spider plants are known to remove chemical pollutants from indoor air.

Allergic to pollen? You might consider a few silk plants instead.

Go ahead and give yourself a double helping of cabbage.

Cancer-Fighting Spice

Whether you steep it, saute it, or soak it, oh-so-savory rosemary can elevate both your culinary skills and your health.

Why? Because not only is it one of the trendiest cooking spices, but the fragrant needle-leaved herb is also showing early promise as a cancer killer.
Human studies are needed to confirm the effects, but in cell studies, rosemary extract has given both breast cancer and leukemia cells a real fight. That's good news about an herb we already know is chock-full of antioxidants -- those free-radical killers that help protect you from cell-level damage.

Ways to Get More Rosemary into Your Life

Stick a fresh sprig in your lemonade, or steep it in hot tea. Add chopped rosemary to your tossed salads. Use fresh or dried rosemary in marinades for meats or vegetables (olive oil, fresh or dried rosemary, and soy sauce make a nice, simple one).

It could give your brain a boost. Find out how with this aromatherapy article. It may make your meats safer.

Do you have a pain in the neck?

Well, maybe you're boss will get fired, but until then, here is
a one-minute stress-relieving stretch that will help - especially if you do it several times over the course of the day. It may look and sound easy - but years of forward shoulder slumping could make it a real challenge for you.

Stand with your back against a wall. Your feet should be six inches away from the wall, and your butt, upper back, and head should be in contact with the wall throughout the entire exercise.
Stick your hands up over your head. Try to keep your shoulders, elbows, and wrists in contact with the wall.

Keeping your shoulders, elbows, and wrists in contact with the wall, slide your arms down the wall and tuck your elbows into your sides. This will bring your shoulder blades down and together. You should feel a strong contraction in the muscles between your shoulder blades, as well as in your shoulder muscles.

From this position, slowly slide your arms up the wall until they are in the "stick-em-up" position - again, trying to keep everything in contact with the wall.

The goal is to improve your range of motion more every week by improving shoulder mobility and posture control.

Trouble with Green Tea

Most of the free-radical fighters in green tea never make it to your bloodstream? But there's a solution.

To get a better grasp on the healthy catechins in your green tea, flavor your cuppa with a squeeze of citrus juice.

Green Tea Booster Catechins -- the antioxidants in green tea famous for lowering your risk of chronic disease -- quickly lose their power in your intestine. In fact, as much as 80 percent of the catechins in green tea are never absorbed.

The solution to boosting absorption, researchers recently found, is as simple as flavoring your tea with freshly squeezed and strained lemon, orange, lime, or grapefruit juice.

Taking Tea with CThe vitamin C in citrus may help with absorption by increasing the acidity in your small intestine.

Other unidentified substances in the juice probably lend a hand, too.

Researchers found a 50-50 mix had the greatest catechin-preserving effect, and lemon did it best, closely followed by orange, lime, and, in last place, grapefruit.

More Green Tea News

It may help you lose weight.
It may help keep your knees young and strong.
It can help your skin look great.
It can help you stay sharp.

Fresh Start

There are four simple steps middle-aged people can take to lower the risk of death in the ensuing four years by 40 percent -- even if they haven't been a health superstar to date.

Make these modest changes to start undoing all the unhealthy things you did before:

Eat more than five servings of fruit and vegetables daily.

Walk at least 2.5 hours a week.

Cut your BMI* to under 30; 24.9 is ideal.

Quit smoking.

All Four Is BestTry to take all four changes to heart -- it's your best shot at lowering your risk of heart disease. But tackling even one or two items will still have an impact on your longevity

*Because pounds only tell you how hefty you are. They don't say a thing about how healthy you are. Waist size does—belly fat is linked to multiple medical problems. So does body mass index, or BMI, a height/weight measure that estimates body fat.

The healthier these numbers are, the healthier you are, especially in terms of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Caffeine

Most adults around the world consume caffeine every day, in coffee, tea, cola, or chocolate. And we continue to hear about new studies - some warning us to stay away from caffeine and others glorifying its benefits.

So what is the truth?

A scientist from the UK reviewed 41 caffeine studies from the last 15 years. Most of the studies found that low to moderate caffeine intake - less than 400 mg per day (the equivalent of no more than eight cups of tea or four cups of ordinary coffee) - improved alertness and mental performance. Studies also found that up to 400 mg of caffeine per day did not cause dehydration, which is thought to be a common side effect of caffeine intake.

But beware of mega-coffee! Find out exactly how much caffeine is in your so-called "cup." For example, a "tall" Starbucks beverage can range from 75 mg of caffeine (Cappuccino) to 150 mg (Caffe Americano) to 260 mg (regular coffee).