The more salt you eat, the more your taste buds get used to the taste -- meaning you shake more on your food each day to get the same flavor. If this sounds like you, ditch the salt shaker and high-sodium soups for 1 or 2 weeks to let your palette readjust. You will then find that a little shake of table salt will be much more potent on your taste buds. Despite popular belief, table salt alone is not a major risk for raising most people's blood pressure, but it can cause water retention and bloating -- something that most of us would prefer to avoi
By the time you're conscious of feeling thirsty, your body is already dehydrated. It's essential to drink adequate fluids -- at least 6 cups of water every day. More fluids will make your skin and hair shine, and will help regulate your body temperature and appetite. A common side effect of dehydration is fatigue -- many people respond by pouring coffee, when water actually would do a better job of perking you up.
With a few tips, you can sneak them --painlessly -- into your diet. Try these tricks: At a salad bar, fill up your plate with salad greens before adding anything else; the next time you make pasta with vegetables, use half as much pasta and twice as many vegetables; add frozen vegetables to canned soup; add vegetables to pizza or omelettes.
Juice: Not So Sweet a Deal 6/20/2004
Sure, commercial fruit juice has vitamin C and other nutrients, but even 100% fruit juice is loaded with sugar. Get the same nutrients and flavor -- and skip the empty calories -- by eating a piece of fresh fruit instead. Even when sugar is "natural," it's still high in calories. And to your body, there's no real difference whether the sugar comes from fruit juice, soda or candy. Yes, there's more nutrition in juice than in soda, but the amount of sugar added to juice is still far greater than is found naturally in fruit. Fresh fruit also has fiber your body needs, which you won't get from juice.
With just a few easy tricks, you can bring more veggies into your day. Try these no-hassle ideas: Top broiled chicken or fish with salsa; buy ready-to-eat, pre-washed salad greens; keep your kitchen well-stocked with vegetables that won't spoil quickly -- onions, green onions, garlic, potatoes, winter squash, carrots -- and which can be prepared quickly in a microwave or vegetable steamer
10 Minutes Before "Seconds." 6/19/2004
Feeling like getting a second helping of food? Hold back for 10 minutes before you make your move. It takes at least that long for your brain to get the message that your stomach is full. Many of us can eat a double portion, or one very large portion, in less than 10 minutes -- so you may be full and not even realize it. Before you act on the urge to refill your plate, sit down, drink a glass of water, and then ask yourself if you really need more food. Remember: Eat so that you're not hungry, not necessarily until you feel "stuffed."
Dark meat chicken, or any chicken eaten with the skin, can have just as much artery-clogging saturated fat as red meat. For the healthiest poultry meal, choose white meat and remove the skin before eating. For the best taste, though, cook the bird with the skin intact -- this will help retain the moisture in the meat, and won't affect the fat or calories.
Put just a few more veggies on your plate, and you can reduce your disease risk. People who live in regions where vegetable consumption is greatest live the longest. How can you eat more veggies? Toss a bag of baby carrots into your bag or briefcase, and nibble on them throughout the day. Add frozen vegetables to canned soup. Add crunch and brilliant green color to salads with snow peas and sugar snap peas -- first cook them briefly, then refresh them under cold running water.
Health Tip: Caring for Sutured Wounds 6/17/2004
A wound that's been closed with stitches (sutures) requires special home care:
Here's what to do:
- • Keep the wound completely dry for the first 24 hours.
- • After 24 hours, you can take brief showers. Avoid soaking the wound.
- • Apply antibiotic ointment three times a day.
- • If the area becomes soiled, clean it with warm water.
- • Change the wound dressing when it gets wet or soiled.
- • Once the edges of the wound have closed, you no longer need the dressing.
- • After 24 hours, you can take brief showers. Avoid soaking the wound.
When yogurt's live active cultures colonize your digestive system, they draw a line in the sand against disease. The cultures -- especially acidophilus and bifida - muscle out potentially threatening bacteria. Low-fat or fat-free yogurt has a lot of other things going for it: It's easy to digest, especially for those who are lactose-intolerant and have difficulty digesting milk and many cheeses; it's an excellent source of calcium, protein, riboflavin (a B vitamin), vitamin B-12 (which may be low in vegetarian diets) and vitamin A; and provides selenium, potassium and magnesium.
Peppers rank surprisingly high on the list of healing foods. For instance, hot chile peppers contain capsaicin, a compound that acts as an anticoagulant and may help prevent heart attacks and strokes caused by blood clots. A half-cup of chopped red bell peppers provides 141mg of vitamin C and 4,250 IU of vitamin A -- more than an adult's daily needs for both. And whether they're mellow and sweet or fiery hot, all peppers are all good sources of potentially cancer-fighting antioxidants, especially vitamin C.
Cholesterol in your food is not the biggest culprit for raising your blood cholesterol level. Saturated fat (red meat and whole dairy) and trans fats (fast foods and processed foods) are the primary dietary contributors to high cholesterol. Egg yolks, for example, may have lots of cholesterol, but are considered unlikely to raise your cholesterol level if eaten in moderation as part of a diet low in saturated fat. High-fiber foods, such as oats and beans, help diminish "bad" cholesterol levels, as will regular moderate physical activity.
Save calories by choosing chicken or fish over red meat and make sure it's baked, broiled or grilled rather than fried or sautéed. Avoid anything scalloped, au gratin, breaded, creamy, à la king or Alfredo: All are loaded with fat. Steer clear of the classic French butter sauces: beurre blanc, Béarnaise and Hollandaise. Simple pasta dishes without butter or cheese make good choices. Stick with fruit or sorbet for dessert.
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Health Tip: Seniors Who Walk for Exercise
The American Podiatric Medical Association offers these better-walking tips:
• Warm up before you walk, and cool down afterward. Stretching improves circulation and decreases the buildup of lactic acid, which is the chemical byproduct that causes muscles to ache.
• Buy the proper footgear. Look for shoes that carry the American Podiatric Medical Association's Seal of Approval.
• Changes or pain in your feet or ankles aren't normal and could indicate a serious foot ailment or circulatory problem. If you experience any unfamiliar symptoms, see your doctor as soon as possible.
• If possible, walk on grass or dirt paths that are flat and even. With age, the natural shock absorbers in your feet deteriorate.
• Avoid walking outdoors in cold weather, which causes numbness and limits your ability to detect injury to your feet.
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Wed Jun 9,11:47 PM ET
(HealthDayNews) -- If your child complains of a severe itch in his ear after he's been swimming for a while, he may have swimmer's ear. This occurs when water repeatedly gets trapped in the ear canal. The lining of the ear becomes wet and swollen -- causing the ear to itch, feel painful and plugged up, according to the San Diego Children's Hospital.
Here's how you can treat a mild case of swimmer's ear:
- Give your child acetaminophen or ibuprofen for pain.
- If the pain is moderate to severe, apply a heating pad -- set on low -- for 20 minutes.
- • Avoid swimming until symptoms subside.
Call your doctor as soon as possible if your child looks or acts sick, has a fever, or his outer ear is red and swollen.
The healthiest picks at a diner: Grilled chicken sandwich; broiled fish; white meat turkey dinner, gravy on the side; chili; peel 'n' eat shrimp; broth; egg-white omelet; baked potato; buckwheat pancakes. Bonus tips: Focus on salads, soups and lean meats -- and beware the fats and oversized portions. Make healthy requests -- sauce or salad dressing on the side, no cheese, steamed vegetables, a butterless baked potato instead of fries. Use low- or no-fat condiments to add flavor -- ketchup, mustard, barbecue sauce, lemon, vinegar, light salad dressing.
All it takes is 20 minutes of the right weight-bearing exercise three days per week. Activity such as walking will stimulate bone growth and prevent bone loss throughout life. Strength training, such as weight lifting, fortifies bone and can reduce your risk of developing osteoporosis.
If you have type 2 diabetes, you may want to sprinkle cinnamon on your cappuccino.
According to the Johns Hopkins University newsletter Health After 50, a recent study found that when people with diabetes consumed between 1 and 3 grams of cinnamon daily, their blood glucose, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein, and total cholesterol levels dropped significantly.
Cinnamon extracts appear to enhance the efficiency of insulin and to help fat cells recognize and respond to the hormone.\
Beware the stealth calories in sugary juices and sodas if you're watching your weight -- they add up fast, and have little nutritional value. Even 100% fruit juice, which is packed with lots of great vitamins and minerals, can give you much more sugar than you bargained for. Choose water, flavored seltzer, vegetable juices and skim milk instead. Save soda for an occasional treat. Choose fresh fruit over high-calorie fruit juice for loads of fiber and much less sugar.
Chew on this.
If you visit the candy machine, sticking with gum may help you control calories. At 5 - 10 calories a sugar-free stick, it's a good alternative to hard candy, which is loaded with sugar and can contain up to 50 calories per little piece. And how many of us ever stop at one? One more bonus: Getting your jaw moving to chew burns about 12 extra calories per hour!
Running can place a great deal of stress on the knees; here's a tip for do-it-yourself massage packs. Simply fill small paper cups up with water and place in the freezer. Gently massage the area with the frozen cups for 15 - 20 minutes your knees will thank you for it!
Inactive adults over age 30 lose about 3 - 5% of muscle tissue every 10 years; here's what you can do. Go to the weight room. Strength training prevents the reduction in muscle tissue that causes the body metabolism to slow and makes the bones more vulnerable to conditions like osteoporosis.
Enjoy fresh or frozen vegetables, depending on your preferences, lifestyle and budget. The nutrient content of raw and cooked veggies is similar, but cooking some vegetables increases the nutrient content over raw. When vegetables are cooked, the body uses minute phytochemicals called antioxidants to repair cell damage caused by “free radicals,” toxic by-products of normal metabolism and the environment.
Eat when you are physically hungry
Eat when you are physically hungry, not emotionally hungry. You may have developed the habit of turning to food in an attempt to fulfill your emotional needs. Write a list of alternate methods for coping with loneliness, anger, boredom, sadness or even joy. Use food to nourish your body, but nurture your mind and soul in other ways
(HealthDayNews) -- Hot weather always brings the risk of heat stroke, which is the result of the body's inability to manage the heat properly, according to Johns Hopkins University's Bayview Medical Center.
Here are some tips on staying healthy in the heat:
- • If working outside, try to do so in the early morning or after 6 p.m.
- • If working in an area without air conditioning, drink a quart of water every hour.
- • If your diet allows, use extra salt on foods.
- • If it is extremely hot, consider spending the day in air-conditioned places, such as in a mall or library.
- • If working in an area without air conditioning, drink a quart of water every hour.
Inactive adults over age 30 lose about 3 - 5% of muscle tissue every 10 years; here's what you can do. Go to the weight room. Strength training prevents the reduction in muscle tissue that causes the body metabolism to slow and makes the bones more vulnerable to conditions like osteoporosis.
Ralph Giarnella MD
360 North Main Street
Southington CT 06489
Telephone: 860-628-2852
FAX: 860-621-8637
Email: GiarnellaMD@aol.com
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