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.

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.

Four Foods Help You Fight Off Flu

Happy New Year from all of us at AM Warner Insurance. January has started out with a nasty blast of cold arctic air. If you haven't had your flu and pneumonia shots, I encourage you to get them right away. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 98% of flu cases in the U.S. are related to swine flu, so make sure to get vaccinated for H1N1.

Adding four foods rich in germ-fighting antioxidants can help your immune system fight off colds and flu this winter.

• Colorful fruits and veggies contain beta-carotene and vitamin C, powerful antioxidants. So stock up on carrots and sweet potatoes and try to eat at least a half cup serving every day.
• Eating two 6-ounce servings of yogurt every day, particularly varieties containing probiotics, improves digestive health, can ease diarrhea and prevent yeast and urinary tract infections.
• Four tablespoons of lemon juice stirred into a glass of water or tea or sprinkled on salad helps maintain a healthy internal climate for good disease-fighting bacteria.
• Season your food with two cloves of garlic each day to stimulate infection fighting white blood cells.

Why We Spice Up Our Food

My mom likes her food hot. Perhaps not quite as hot as my friend from Texas who doesn't think salsa is hot unless it leaves a red ring around your mouth, but definitely spicier than my poor palate can handle. When we share a meal, mom ladles on the salt, tobasco or hot sauce. One bite would have me sweating and panting, but mom seems to have an asbestos-lined mouth.

As we age, our sense of smell begins to fade. We have trouble detecting and distinguishing certain scents. Because taste is so dependent on scent, this also affects our ability to detect flavors. The lack of flavor sends us in search of stronger, bolder flavors. Hence, the increased use of chilies, horseradish, jalapeno, wasabi and other sharp foods and spices among older Americans.

Interestingly, sweetness is one of the most enduring tastes which must by why mom still keeps Hershey bars and Oreos on the shopping list!

DASH Diet Controls Heart Attack, Stroke

A comprehensive study has proved that the DASH diet can save people from heart attack and stroke. The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan was developed to lower blood pressure in people with hypertension (high blood pressure). The diet plan recommends eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat milk and plant-based protein over meat.

Researchers tracked 88,000 healthy women over a 25-year period to compare food choices with incidents of stroke and heart attack. Women who followed the DASH eating plan were 24% less likely to have a heart attack and 18% less likely to have a stroke than women who ate more typical American diets. The DASH diet has previously been shown to prevent high blood pressure and cholesterol, which can also lead to heart attacks.

After age 50, two in five American women will develop cardiovascular disease which can cause heart attacks and strokes. The DASH diet can protect you from heart attack an stroke. Click here to find out more about the DASH diet.

It's Never Too Late to Get Healthy!

It's never too late to improve your health with exercise and diet, even if your past lifestyle has been less than healthy. Even after age 65, simple lifestyle changes can bring significant health benefits, says a recent study by doctors at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York. Eating a healthier diet and including exercise in your day can have a positive effect on many chronic diseases, including obesity, cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and osteoporosis.

"I think this is an extremely important and positive message," said study leader Dr. Richard Rivlin, professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College. "Many elderly people feel that it is too late for them to improve their health, but that is simply not true. When measures to combat chronic disease are started in one's 60s and 70s, there are still definite benefits. But older adults must realize that there is no quick fix. They must change their lifestyles."

Among the study's specific findings:

• Lowering high blood pressure through improved diet and exercise can prevent 20% of coronary heart disease cases in men and 30% in women.
• A low-calorie diet and regular exercise lower cancer risk by 50%.
• Weight training helps prevent osteoporosis.
• Calcium and vitamin D supplements slow bone loss and reduce risk of bone fracture.

Wake Up and Smell the Coffee!

Spring may be coming, but I still need a cup of coffee to get myself going on these cold, gray mornings. Roughly 8 in 10 workers depend on caffeine to get themselves through the day, according to Workplace Media, a consulting firm that tracks the habits of American workers. Half rely on coffee for their daily jolt, the other half depend on caffeinated soft drinks.

"Caffeine wakes up the brain and gets the metabolism going," said Workplace Media VP Dan Wheeler. According to the National Coffee Association, 57% of Americans drink at least one cup of coffee every day; up from less than 50% four years ago. For the first time since 1980, coffee beat out soft drinks as America's beverage of choice. Driven by the popularity and success of Starbucks, coffee consumption is growing fastest among 18- to 39-year-olds.

"Americans have developed a taste for more inventive, upscale, premium-priced coffee products," noted market-research firm Mintel. Demand -- and big bucks -- have sharpened competition. Everyone from McDonald's to Dairy Queen is concocting specialty coffee drinks. McDonald's has captured 51% of fast-food coffee sales, but fast-food and other family restaurants account for only 20% of total coffee sales. More than 23% of us prefer to buy our cup of joe from gourmet coffeehouses like Starbucks. However, in a taste test last year Consumer Reports picked McDonald's Premium Roast coffee over Starbucks, which it called "bitter." Think about that next time you fork over $5 for a grade latte!

New Book Helps You Select Best Diet for You

Everyone is dieting! There seem to be as many diet books and diet plans out there as there are dieters. Bookstore shelves are filled with great sounding titles like: The New Sugar Busters, Fit for Life, Good Mood Diet, Intuitive Eating. How do you choose and, more importantly, how do you know what will actually help you without hurting you?

A good place to start is the excellent new book, The Diet Selector: From Atkins to The Zone, More Than 50 Ways to Help You Find the Best Diet for You. Written by Judith Rodriguez, a clinical dietitian and professor at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, the book evaluates 50 weight-loss diets and 25 disease management or healthful eating plans.

In choosing a diet, Rodriguez says the first question you have to ask yourself is: "Does it fit your lifestyle and your (food) likes and dislikes?" She believes that multi-approach diets that address food, behavior and physical activity provide the greatest possibility of success.

Easy to use, The Diet Selector includes a history of each diet or plan, a description of how it works, pros and cons, and a sample menu. Diets are rated on long-term strength, flexibility, cost, family compatibility and scientific basis. While the book doesn't make recommendations, Rodriguez admitted she has her favorites. "There are some diets that I thought had healthier approaches -- such as the Frenchwomen's diet, which doesn't talk about dieting but about behavior and lifestyle values. The Mayo (Clinic Healthy Weight Program) diet is another one." She also liked the heart healthy DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet and the Mediterranean diet which focus on eating plans for life.

Don't Fall for Weight Loss Scams

"Losing weight consistently ranks as one of the top New Year's resolutions,and many people look for fast, easy fixes or an easy way to get back into
shape," said Joan Coughlin of the Ohio Better Business Bureau.

With more than 100 million Americans fighting extra pounds or obesity, it's no surprise that fat-fighting frauds were the most-reported consumer scam last year, according to the Federal Trade Commission. An estimated 4.8 million folks fell for weight-loss scams in 2007, most of them losing money on purchases of bogus products. The only thing many of these "miracle" products will lighten is your pocketbook, the BBB is warning consumers; these products won't do a thing for your waistline. It's another case of buyer beware. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

The BBB offers these tips for spotting weight-loss scams:

• If there's no scientific evidence that the product promotes weight loss, it's a scam.


• If the product promises to reduce fat or cellulite in specific body areas, it's a scam.


• If the product promises, effortless, large or fast weight loss, it's a scam.


• If the product promises weight loss without exercise or without managing food intake, it's a scam.


• If the company requires large advance payments or a long-term contract, it's a scam.

Remember the adage: No pain, no gain. Weight loss is work, pure and simple. But the rewards are life-changing. So stop looking for a quick fix and just get on with it. Start counting your calories, decrease portion sizes, eat 5 small meals a day instead of 3 big ones, fill your fridge with veggies and fruit, stock up on whole grains, drink lots of water, join Weight Watchers, sign up for a session at Curves, join your local gym, lace up those tennies and start walking! Like they say in the commercial: "Just do it! "

Healthy Snacks Satisfy Munchies

If you're like most people in January, you're trying to eat better and exercise more. My downfall is always snacking. I get tired of crunching carrot and celery sticks. It's time to add a little pizazz to your diet! If you've got the munchies, try some of these healthy snacks:

• Popcorn. Popcorn has everything going for it. As a whole grain, it helps fight heart disease, diabetes and cancer. It's also fiber rich which is good for your colon. And it's low glycemic which means it's less likely to make your blood sugar spike which can cause you to feel hungry even when you're not. When air-popped, three cups of popcorn have only 93 calories.
• Dark chocolate. Chocolate when you're dieting? You bet! Rich in antioxidants, dark chocolate can help lower blood pressure and might protect your heart (the verdict isn't in yet, but let's not look a gift horse in the mouth). Dark chocolate does not spike blood sugar. An ounce of dark chocolate (about 3 pieces of Dove) has 126 calories.
• Prunes. Sweet and delicious, prunes have the lowest effect on blood sugar of dried fruits, half the sugar boost of raisins! Recent studies indicate prunes may help fight colon cancer. Three prunes have 69 calories.
• Hard-boiled egg. Packed with filling protein and rich in choline which optimizes brain function, each small white orb packs a nutritional wallop. One egg is just 80 calories.
• Almonds. Rich in fiber and protein, a handful of almonds makes a delicious and filling snack. Eat them in their skins which are packed with antioxidants. Almonds are good for your cholesterol and may cut the risk of lung cancer and heart disease. A small handful of almonds (about 15) is 100 calories.
• Peanut butter. It may be high in fat, but snacking on peanuts and peanut butter helps suppress appetite. Spread a tablespoon on celery sticks or apple slices for a delicious crunchy snack. One tablespoon of peanut butter is 90 calories.

Diet, Exercise Decrease Risk of Breast Cancer

While science offers no guarantees, multiple research studies suggests you can lower your risk of getting breast cancer by taking a few simple defensive measures:

• Eat more fruits and veggies. Five servings (3 or more cups) daily are recommended. Plants contain substances that protect cells the from damage that can lead to cancer growth. Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts and cabbage contain particularly potent cancer fighters. So stock up next time you're at the store and Go Green to stay in the Pink!
• Eat less fat. Diets high in fat usually include more calories and cause weight gain. Studies on connections between fat and cancer have been inconclusive to date, but weight gain, particularly after menopause, is strongly associated with increased cancer risk.
• Drink less alcohol. The use of alcohol has been clearly linked to an increased risk of breast cancer. One drink a day increases your risk only slightly over non-drinkers, but risk escalates quickly as alcohol consumption increases. (Remember, one drink = 5 oz. wine, 12 oz. beer or 1 oz. liquor. Those giant margaritas you love at your favorite Mexican restaurant, each of those can count as 2 to 3 drinks!)
• Add soy. There are no definitive studies on the merits of soy as a cancer deterrent, but Asian women who eat soy all their lives have a significantly lower incidence of breast cancer. Researchers suspect that benefits are greater if soy is a part of your diet from a young age, as opposed to being added to your diet after menopause. At any rate, soy is a healthy food, so it sure can't hurt to add it to your diet, and it might help.
• Exercise. There is growing evidence that regular exercise (30 minutes, 3 times or more a week) reduces breast cancer risk. In fact, exercise is a crucial element of good health and can significantly reduce your risk of other diseases such as heart attack, stroke and diabetes. One thing to remember, it's cumulative exercise time that counts. Ten minutes three times a day is just as good as 30 minutes once a day. So get out there and get moving!
• Enjoy your coffee. Thank heavens caffeine doesn't increase your risk of breast cancer. So you don't have to feel guilty when you sit down with that well-earned cup of java after a day of healthy eating and exercise.

Myth Busters! Do You Know Your Food Facts?

Like urban legends, food myths linger for decades. Remember these from our youth?

• Gelatin strengthens nails.
• Coffee stunts growth.
• Grapefruit burns fat.

None are true, nutritionists inform us. Perpetuated by celebrity magazines and internet "facts," food myths seem to go hand-in-hand with the latest fad diet. Remember the cabbage soup diet or the cider vinegar diet? Cleansing diets of yesteryear, they still crop up on talk shows and celebrity interviews from time to time. Just last week on Jay Leno I heard a Hollywood starlet credit the cabbage soup diet with her remarkable return to her svelte figure just two months after giving birth. Of course the 8-week, 6-hour a day, 6-day a week sessions with her personal trainer didn't have anything to do with it!

Detox or "cleansing" diets (I call them "potty" diets because that's where you spend all your time!) are all the rage in Hollywood right now. Unfortunately, a lot of fad diets can actually harm your health and any weight loss you achieve is only temporary.

The American Dietetic Association is encouraging people to eat "100% fad-free" this year. Balanced nutrition coupled with regular exercise is all most people need to maintain a healthy body and weight range. In support of healthy, fad-free eating, we invite you to take the following quiz.

Fact or Myth?

You lose weight when you skip breakfast.

• Myth. You'll compensate for the missed calories by eating more during the day. Of course, if you have a box of donuts for breakfast every morning, the answer might be "fact." Sugary breakfasts can make you eat more because they cause a rapid rise and fall in blood sugar which makes you feel hungry. Your best bet for breakfast? Protein for energy plus fiber for staying power.

Eating at night makes you fat.

• Myth. It's total calories that count, not when you eat them. The best plan is to space your food intake out over the day by eating several small meals and keep track of your calories. Spacing your meals keeps you from getting too hungry and overeating or snacking on fattening foods. Decreasing late-night snacking, particularly of unhealthy foods, can help you lose weight.

Fasting rids the body of toxins.

• Myth. The body comes fully equipped with an efficient and self-sufficient "detox" system that filters out harmful products. Depriving the body of food won't make it work any better or faster. Detox diets tout claims of extravagant weight gain -- 10 pounds overnight! Sounds great, but it's all water weight that you'll gain right back.

Olive oil is lower in calories than other fats.

• Myth. Fat is fat. All oils are 100% fat and have the same approximate number of calories: 120 per tablespoon. Olive oil is a "good" oil that contains monounsaturated fats, but it still packs the calories. Oh, and light olive oil refers to flavor, not calories.

Low-fat means low calories.

• Myth. If you see low-fat or fat-free on the package, make sure you read the label. Sugar may have been added to compensate. While sugar doesn't contain fat, it has calories in abundance. And remember, if you eat a box of low-fat cookies, you're still going to gain weight. Don't be taken in by words or misleading advertising. Watch your portion size and count the calories.

Honey is better for you than sugar.

• Myth. Honey may have a more "natural" appeal or taste better to some people, but to your body honey and sugar are the same. Your body breaks both down into glucose and fructose. Since honey is a bit sweeter than sugar, you might use less, but that's the only real nutritional benefit.

Organic food is more nutritious.

• Myth. There have been few studies, but so far scientists have found no correlation between the nutritional value of food and the way it's farmed. Some evidence suggests that organic produce may be higher in some antioxidants, but there appears to be no nutritional advantage in organic milk or meat. Organic foods have the same calorie content as conventional foods, so don't use them as an excuse to pig out.

Frozen vegetables are as nutritious as fresh.

• Myth. Freshly picked vegetables contain the maximum amount of vitamins and minerals. Vitamin and mineral contents decrease each day with shipping and storage so "older" vegetables in your grocery may, in fact, be less nutritious than frozen ones which are flash-frozen soon after picking. To maintain the most nutrients from fresh or frozen vegetables, microwave, steam or stir-fry them.

Multigrain foods are always made with whole grains.

• Myth. You have to read the label. Multigrain just means the product contains more than one grain. Look for the word "whole" in front of every grain in the ingredient list to make sure the product was made from whole grains.

Is Drinking Diet Soda a Health Risk? Say It Isn't So!

Just when we thought diet news couldn't get worse, now researchers are saying that even diet sodas can be bad for our health. Is nothing sacred?

According to a new study, drinking as little as one can of soda a day -- either regular or diet -- increases the risk of metabolic syndrome by 48% Metabolic syndrome is a key predecessor of heart disease and diabetes and includes excessive abdominal fat, high blood-glucose levels, high blood pressure, high blood triglycerides and low levels of high-density lipoprotein, the "good" cholesterol.

Previously only regular soda was thought to contribute to heart disease and diabetes. This is the first study to implicate diet soda. Researchers at the Boston University School of Medicine who conducted the study had no idea why diet soda would pose the same risk as regular, sugared soda.

Study leader Dr. Ramachandran Vasan said it is unlikely that an ingredient in diet soda is to blame. He suggested that the consumption of sweet sodas may change dietary patterns or may be simply indicate general poor eating habits.

Naturally, the soda industry was incensed by the new findings. Susan Neely, president of the American Beverage Associations, said, "...it is scientifically implausible to suggest that diet soft drinks -- a beverage that is 99 percent water -- cause weight gain or elevated blood pressure."

Just to be safe, guess I'll start stocking up on green tea.

Eat Like a Cave Man!

Shattering some of our most cherished myths about food and diet, psychologist Deirdre Barrett in her book Waistland explains the science behind obesity. The Harvard Medical School professor says our bodies are hard-wired for existence in the brutal environment of our cave man ancestors. That and the myths we've built around food and diet create stumbling blocks to healthy eating. She sets out to dispel the myths and remove the stumbling blocks in our path.

Myth #1: If we would just listen to our bodies, we would crave healthy food.

• Actually, if we listen to our bodies, we crave all those nasty high calorie fast foods and snacks we love! Why? Because our bodies are wired for the cave man era before agriculture when nutrients like fat, salt and sugar were rare commodities and necessary to stay alive. Our environment has changed, but our body still thinks we struggling to eek out an existence as a hunter/gatherer on the savanna. It's just our bad luck that McDonalds is around every corner!

Myth #2: Our society is uniquely obsessed with being thin.

• Our society's love affair with a svelte body image isn't new to our generation. Admiration for the lean hunter/gatherer look has been pretty consistent over the ages. Perhaps we focus our attention on athletes, movie stars and models today because they are the groups who consistently evidence our ideal body type. The difference with our generation seems to be the desire to achieve thinness instantly through unhealthy eating and diet practices. We should emulate cave men who out of necessity ate small meals and got plenty of exercise catching them.

Myth #3: You have to address the underlying cause of overeating before you can successfully lose weight.

• While it is more difficult to lose weight if you are depressed or anxious or have post-traumatic stress syndrome, you can change the habits that lead to overeating before you fix the emotional problem. In that regard, overeating is just like smoking. We get into unhealthy routines about food that our brain is wired to help perpetuate. We can change the routine and rewire our brain's reaction.

Myth #4: It takes willpower to change habits.

• Actually, it takes time, not willpower, to change habits. It takes 21 days of consistent action to create a new habit. You can train yourself and your brain to act consistently. Willpower -- resolutely following a program without getting derailed by short-term temptations -- is a trainable skill.

It seems clear that our modern habits are killing us. It's time to toss out old myths, recognize our hard wiring and eat and exercise like the cave men our bodies think we are!

Good News and Bad News About Chocolate

Well there's good news and bad news on the health front. Chocolate, at least the right king of chocolate, is good for you. It seems that dark chocolate lowers blood pressure. Yea! Unfortunately, it only takes a small amount to get the job done -- the equivalent of just 2 tiny Hershey's Kisses. (Boo!) And here I was hoping to add a box of bonbons a day to my daily diet plan. Oh, well.

New research from Germany adds to other studies that have linked chocolate with health benefits but is the first to suggest that a tiny amount will do the job. Study volunteers who ate about 6 grams of dark chocolate daily for nearly five months (the equivalent of 1 1/2 Hershey's Kisses) lowered their blood pressure. A control group who ate the same amount of white chocolate did not.

Although decreases in blood pressure readings were typically small among study participants, scientists believe it is enough to potentially reduce the risk of cardio-vascular disease. Because of the high number of calories usually found in chocolate bars, the study tested small amounts of chocolate -- the equivalent of 30 calories -- which would not adversely impact weight gain.

Roughage Is Latest Health Buzz Word

Fiber is back in! Roughage is the latest buzz word at health clubs across the country. High-fiber diets are the latest health craze. The Fiber35 Diet by Brenda Watson (Free Press, $26) is the bible of the fruit and veggie set. Watson specializes in digestive problems, her co-author, Leonard Smith, is a gastrointestinal and vascular surgeon.

A shortage of fiber is the root cause of many health problems and one of the reasons Americans are overweight, Watson says. She recommends eating 35 grams of fiber a day. Medical experts recommend 25 to 35 grams of fiber daily, but Americans average only 10 to 15 grams, according the Columbia University's Institute of Human Nutrition. People on low carb diets may eat as few as 7 to 8 grams of fiber daily.

According to Watson's book, fiber:

• Fills you up and suppresses your appetite.
• Allows you to eat high volumes without high calories.
• Slows the body's carbohydrate conversion to sugar which supports blood-glucose stability and helps you lose weight.
• Eliminates calories from the food you eat through waste excretion. Watson calls this "fiber flush."

"For every gram of fiber you consume, you don't absorb seven calories," Watson says. "That's 245 calories a day (eating 35 grams a fiber per day). She contends that adequate daily fiber can counter common digestive problems such as acid reflux, irritable bowel syndrome and hemorrhoids.

Try these quick easy ways to add fiber to your diet:

• make sandwiches with whole grain breads
• snack on hummus with whole grain flat bread
• spread peanut butter on apple slices for a quick energy boost
• eat whole oranges instead of orange juice at breakfast
• don't forget to serve a salad with dinner