Fw: [Mon, 19 May 2008 Daily Tips

[Guest guest]

Four Family Weight Loss Tips As a parent or grandparent, setting a good example is important. This is especially true around the dinner table, since children tend to pick up eating habits from the family routine. Try the following - your family may not even know they are eating more healthful meals:

1.Incorporate a vegetable into every meal, especially in casseroles. Peas, broccoli, asparagus, red, yellow or green bell peppers, spinach - you name it, vegetables provide nutrients and fiber. 2.Use more beans and legumes, and less meat. Chickpeas, lentils and beans of all varieties are good sources of fiber and protein. 3.Serve up whole grains. Brown rice and bulghur wheat provide a delicious, grainy taste and texture - and have more fiber and protein than their white counterparts. Choose true, relatively intact whole grains like these over grains that have been ground into flour. 4.Switch sweets. Instead of soda, stock the pantry with sparkling waters. Pour fruit juice into a pitcher and dilute it to lessen the sugar content. Stock your kitchen with fresh, whole fruits, and leave the cookies in the store.

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/TIP02858/Four-Family-Weight-Loss-Tips.html========================Four Simple Steps to Anti-Inflammatory Eating Want to prevent inappropriate inflammation, reduce the risk of age-related diseases, and promote optimum health at any age? Then try an anti-inflammatory diet - one in which you eat a variety of fresh, whole foods such as fruits and vegetables, and minimize your intake of processed and fast foods. Getting started is simple - try these four steps:

Step One: Look at your carbs. The majority of carbohydrates in your diet should be in the form of less-refined, less-processed foods with a low glycemic load. You can do this by replacing your snack foods made with wheat flour and sugar with whole grains, beans, winter squashes, and sweet potatoes.

Step Two: Replace your cooking oil. Instead of safflower and sunflower oils, corn oil, cottonseed oil, mixed vegetable oils, butter and margarine, use extra-virgin olive oil as your main cooking oil (for a neutral tasting oil, use expeller-pressed, organic canola oil).

Step Three: Decrease your consumption of animal protein. Except for fish (such as omega-3 rich salmon) and reduced-fat dairy products, animal derived protein should be limited. You can easily replace meat with vegetable protein such as beans, legumes and whole soy foods.

Step Four: Eat more fiber. Try to eat 40 grams of fiber a day, simple to do if you increase your consumption of fruit, especially berries, vegetables and whole grains.

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/TIP02859/Four-Simple-Steps-to-AntiInflammatory-Eating.html========================Coping with Creepy Crawlies?When I am sitting or sleeping, I feel as if an army of ants are crawling all over me, especially my arms and legs. What can I do? Doctors are at a loss.

The symptom you describe is called formication, from the Latin formicare, meaning to creep like an ant. If you are a woman in midlife, it could be related to the hormonal changes of menopause. I've heard the incidence of formication during perimenopause described as "rare," but I have also read that as many as 20 percent of all women experience it. It's no surprise that your doctors are stumped because there are no scientific studies on treating this unpleasant sensation.

The symptoms are thought to be a manifestation of menopause, much like a hot flash, and the cause is believed to be a reaction of estrogen receptors in the skin to reduced levels of this hormone. The good news is that formication usually does eventually disappear on its own. According to the North American Menopause Society, hormone replacement therapy and antihistamines may help. I've also read that acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine can help, so you might explore these options.

Sometimes, severe itching also occurs among menopausal women. If this is part of the problem, consult a dermatologist. Formication also occurs in alcoholism and can be a symptom of drug toxicity, particularly from overuse of cocaine and amphetamines.

Weil, M.D.http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA400401/Coping-with-Creepy-Crawlies.html========================RealAge Food Bites: 5 Super Healthy Salad Veggies

Antioxidant All-Stars for Super Healthy SaladsWhen temperatures start rising, there’s no more refreshing meal than a crisp, fresh salad. But as it turns out, not all veggies are created equal. Sure, they’re all good for you, but some -- five in particular -- are extra good, with antioxidant levels that are out of this world! Toss a handful of these superstar veggies into a salad bowl and you'll instantly up your defenses against everything from wrinkles to heart disease -- and help make your RealAge younger. Just season with some olive oil, vinegar, and a few of the herbs and spices below and you'll punch up the antioxidant power even more. Health food doesn't get any easy-breezier!

Five Superstar VeggiesArtichokesRadishesBroccoliRed chicoryLeeks

Seven Stellar SeasoningsSageRosemaryMarjoramThymeTarragonCuminGinger Garlic

The Very Best VeggieOf the 27 vegetables that scientists have studied, the almighty artichoke, rich in both fiber and folate, leads the antioxidant pack. Look for plump but compact globelike artichokes with thick, green, fresh-looking scales.

The Runners-Up You’ll find radishes, broccoli, and even luscious leeks at most supermarkets. But what about red chicory? An Italian salad favorite with an oddly appealing bitter taste, red chicory is also called radicchio. It’s becoming more widely available, so keep an eye out for its purpley-red leaves. Once you get it home, try mixing it with romaine.

High-Powered Herbs and Spices Sage, rosemary, and thyme . . . when Simon and Garfunkel made them famous, nobody knew these herbs had disease-fighting powers -- but they do. And cumin, a spice used heavily in Indian food, is even more impressive, as is ginger. Truth: All of these seasonings can boost the healthfulness and flavor factor of any salad (soups, too). Here's a recipe to get you started:

Cool-Beans Artichoke SaladThis elegant mix is both light and filling -- perfect to serve to a few friends on a sultry night.

Serves 4

10 baby artichokes (outer leaves removed), quartered2 cups diagonally cut asparagus 1/3 cup thinly sliced radishes 3 green onions, thinly sliced1 19-oz. can white beans, rinsed and drained 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 teaspoons lemon juice 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon black pepper8 large romaine leaves

1. Steam the artichokes for 8 minutes. Add the asparagus and steam about 2 minutes more, or until tender but still crisp. Drain and run vegetables under cold water. Let cool.

2. To make the dressing, whisk together garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

3. Combine radishes, onions, and beans in a salad bowl with half of the dressing and toss well. Gently stir in artichokes and asparagus.

4. To serve, place two romaine leaves on four plates. Divide salad equally among plates, and drizzle with remaining dressing.

http://realage.typepad.com/food_bites/2008/04/antioxidant-all.html========================The Fruit That Fights Wrinkles

You really can fight wrinkles from the inside out. And there's a fruit that can lead the charge.

It's papaya. What makes papaya so perfect? Easy. Vitamin C. Papaya has loads of it, and getting lots of vitamin C may mean more youthful skin -- fewer wrinkles and less thinning and dryness. A recent study in women over 40 confirmed it.

The Mysteries of CVitamin C is a natural friend to skin. The nutrient is essential for making collagen, the protein fibers that give skin its strength and resiliency. And being a powerful antioxidant, C also disarms free radicals that would otherwise chip away and weaken collagen. (Did you know? Vitamin C helps protect skin from this sun scourge, too.) http://www.realage.com/ct/tips/4746

More Food for Your FaceA little extra vitamin C isn't all it takes to plump your complexion. Here are a few more food tips that can help keep your face fresh:

-Munch on walnuts. In the vitamin C study, researchers also noted that diets rich in linoleic acid -- an essential fatty acid in walnuts -- meant moister, plumper skin. (Bonus: Walnuts will make this happy, too.) http://www.realage.com/ct/tips/3230-Ease up on fats and refined carbs. Scientists found both were linked to aging skin. Discover the dark side of processed foods with this article. http://www.realage.com/NutritionCenter/Articles.aspx?aid=10498-Think whole grains. The magnesium and B vitamins you get from them help with the regeneration of skin cells. Find out what foods are mostly whole grains. http://www.realage.com/NutritionCenter/wholegrainsquiz.aspx-Keep the fruits and veggies coming. To stay smooth and healthy, your skin needs a whole slew of antioxidant-rich produce. Like this root vegetable. http://www.realage.com/ct/tips/3194

Read this article for a complete chart of healthy food choices for your skin. http://www.realage.com/NutritionCenter/Articles.aspx?aid=10334

RealAge Benefit: Eating a diverse diet that includes 4 servings of fruit per day can make your RealAge as much as 4 years younger.

References Published on 05/19/2008. Dietary nutrient intakes and skin-aging appearance among middle-aged American women. Cosgrove, M. C., Franco, O. H., Granger, S. P., Murray, P. G., Mayes, A. E., American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2007 Oct;86(4):1225-1231. http://www.realage.com//ct/eat-smart/food-and-nutrition/tip/5906

"The many blessings of Hugo be upon you." DesertWind - the "stealth-snagger" @->--We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children--<-@

No virus found in this incoming message.Checked by AVG. Version: 7.5.524 / Virus Database: 269.23.20/1453 - Release Date: 5/18/2008 9:31 AM