Get the Greatest Antioxidant Value from What You Eat

Antioxidants help slow and prevent damage to our bodies caused by disease. They enhance immune defenses, lower risk of infection and cancer and can increase your risk of heart disease and stroke. Nutritionists suggest increasing fruit and vegetable servings to 5 per day to boost antioxidants in your body. Tea, nuts and fruit juices are also high in antioxidants.

Want to increase the effectiveness of antioxidants in your diet? Try these tips:

• Raw veggies are a good source of antioxidants, but tomatoes, carrots and spinach release more antioxidants when they are stir-fried, microwaved or lightly steamed.
• To get the greatest advantage from the antioxidants in tea, brew your own and drink it hot, strong and right away. Bottled and instant teas have virtually no antioxidants. Even home-brewed teas begin to lose their antioxidant advantage if they sit in the fridge or are diluted with ice.
• Not all chocolate is created equal in the antioxidant universe. Only dark chocolate has high levels of antioxidants and the darker, the better.
• Buy nuts like almonds with the skins intact. Most antioxidant value is in nut skins, not their meat.
• When shopping for fresh fruits and veggies, those with the deepest and brightest colors provide the most antioxidants.
• Frozen fruit and veggies match their fresh counterparts in antioxidant value, but only canned tomatoes retain antioxidants in the form of lycopene. Other canned products lose any antioxidant value in the canning process.
• Don't ignore fruit juices. Purple grape juice is loaded with antioxidants. Apple, grapefruit and cranberry juices are also good antioxidant sources. The closer to 100% juice, the better.
• Organic fruits and veggies don't have any more antioxidants than commercially grown produce. Buy them for other healthy reasons, but not for antioxidant value.

Exercise Reduces Anxiety of Chronic Illness

Coping with chronic illness is a difficult challenge. The uncertainty of how you'll feel each day and how your illness will impact your plans, your job and your family life creates daily anxiety. The up and down nature of chronic illness -- bad days and good days -- coupled with lack of definitive treatment for many chronic illnesses only increases anxiety. Researches have now found that exercise can help alleviate the anxiety experienced by sufferers of chronic illness.

According to a University of Georgia study recently published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, regular exercise decreases anxiety in the chronically ill no matter what the status of their illness. In a comparative study of 3,000 chronically ill patients who lived mostly sedentary lives, 30 minutes of even mild exercise reduced anxiety symptoms by 20%. This was true for patients suffering from myriad types of chronic illness including fibromyalgia, heart disease, depression and cancer. Only those with multiple sclerosis did not respond to exercise.

While the benefits of exercise in combating depression have been known for some time, the new study shows that exercise also has a positive effect on anxiety.

Moisturize to Protect Skin from Winter Dryness

It's been a harsh winter and our skin is paying the price. Frigid temperatures suck the humidity out of the air. Forced air furnaces in homes and office buildings create an arid atmosphere that leaves skin dry, flaking and itchy. It's not the cold that damages skin but the dryness of the air that destroys the natural moisture barrier that protects our skin from damage.

Dermatologists recommend daily moisturizing as well as a weekly exfoliation to remove dead skin cells. Removing dead cells allows the new skin underneath to absorb moisturizer and rejuvenate more quickly. A gentle scrub or peel once a week will slough off dead skin cells.

Moisturizing dry skin is big business and there are thousands of products on the market from inexpensive familiar cremes to high-priced designer-label oils. Some newer moisturizers have impressed dermatologists with their ability to repair damaged skin barriers. Lotions and creams containing synthetic ceramides mimic the skin's natural fatty acids and help maintain skin moisture barriers. CeraVe Moisturising Lotion and Cream are two products that contain synthetic ceramides. Clinique Comfort on Call Allergy Tested Relief Cream Skin Protectant, while pricey, uses a natural antifreeze found in carrot roots to protect skin.

You don't have to spend a fortune to protect your skin this winter. Some very affordable inexpensive products are among the most tried-and-true moisturizers on the market. For dependable dry skin relief, dermatologists recommend Aveeno Skin Relief Moisturizing Lotion, Eucerin Dry Skin Therapy Plus Intensive Repair Body Creme and Nivea Creme.

Contrary to human nature, dermatologists recommend lukewarm showers or baths in winter. Hot showers or baths cause skin to release a chemical that makes skin itchy. The itchiness causes more vigorous rubbing while toweling off and that breaks down the skin barrier, making it more susceptible to chapping and dryness. A cooler shower or bath and application of a thick coat of moisturizer within three minutes of exiting the shower or bathtub will keep skin hydrated during the winter.

Gum Disease Can Impact General Health

When was the last time you saw your dentist? Researchers have discovered that periodontal or gum disease is as big a risk factor for heart disease as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity and smoking. Gum disease releases powerful bacteria into the bloodstream that can negatively impact your overall health. In addition to heart disease, periodontal disease has been linked to diabetes, stroke, respiratory infections, low birth weight and premature births.

Research has found that diabetes puts people at greater risk of developing periodontal disease. Many physicians refer to gum disease as "the sixth complication of diabetes." Diabetics and those with pre-diabetes should see their dentist regularly -- every 6 months. Don't ignore red or sore spots on your gums or bleeding gums when you brush your teeth. It could be an indication of periodontal disease and should be addressed promptly to protect your health.

Get Off Your Fanny and Get Moving!

The Winter Olympics starts tomorrow night. Many of us will spend much of the next two weeks snuggled down on the sofa cheering on our favorite athletes. Researchers say our time would be better spend emulating them than watching them compete.

A recent survey showed that adults spend an average 8 hours a day -- 56 hours a week -- sitting on our fannies. New research shows that sitting for long periods of time puts our bodies into sleep mode. Fat burning enzymes -- the things that break down triglycerides in our blood stream -- simply stop working. Triglycerides provide our bodies with energy but an excess can also contribute to high blood pressure, high blood sugar and the build up of bad cholesterol. Exercise helps keep triglycerides regulated.

Researchers believe that Americans are burning an average 1000 fewer calories per day than we did a generation ago. Our sedentary lifestyles that focus around computers at work and television at home are to blame. More exercise is the answer. At work, take a lap around the office every few hours or use the stairs instead of the elevator. At home, take a daily walk and charge up the stairs a few times each day.

Something to think about while you watch world class athletes performing during the Olympics. No one expects you to achieve the same level of physical perfection as an Olympic athlete, but you'll do your body good if you get up out of your armchair during commercial breaks and MOVE!

Less Salt Decreases Risk of Heart Attack, Stroke

Cutting our salt intake could cut the number of U.S. heart attacks and strokes by 155,000, recent research shows. Decreasing salt intake can decrease the high blood pressure associated with heart attacks and strokes. The average U.S. male consumes 10 grams of salt a day which adds up to 8 pounds of salt a year. Women consume just a little less, about 7 grams of sodium a day. A study conducted by medical researchers at the University of California-San Francisco showed that reducing sodium consumption by just 3 grams per day significantly decreased an individual's risk of stroke or heart attack.

By extrapolating study data across the U.S. population, researchers said decreasing sodium intake by 3 grams per day could decrease the number of heart attacks nationwide by 11% and reduce strokes by 4%. National health care costs could be reduced by $10 billion to $24 billion.

As much as 80% of the salt consumed by Americans comes from prepared and restaurant foods where salt is used to enhance flavor. To live a healthier life, study authors recommend preparing more meals at home, buying low-sodium foods at the grocery and adding less salt at the table.