YOU: on a Diet ( 03/01/08 - 05/31/08 )

[jezzie]

Saturdays Menu

Pre-Breakfast:
2 cups two thirds decaf with soy milk and evap. milk
almnds

Breakfast:
1 fried egg
old fashioned oatmeal w/cinnamon, buckwheat honey
Granny Smith apple

Pre-Lunch:
walnuts, Cranberry/Concord grape 100% juice

Lunch:
Healthy Harvest rotini in Classico hot sauce w/parmesan
red pepper, yellow onion in ex vir olv oil & apple cider vngr.

Pre-Dinner:
organic plain yogurt w/canned peaches added

Dinner:
vegetarian chili, 5.5 oz. V-8 juice

[jezzie]

•Sleep Away Colds

Getting a little extra shuteye may help you avoid getting sick.

Sleep appears to boost the body's immune system, enhancing its response to viral challenges, according to research. Sleep also may increase the activity of cytokines, growth factors that play a role in cellular immune responses. Aim for 6 to 8 hours of sleep each night.

If you don't get enough sleep, try taking naps to make up for your sleep debt. A 20- to 30-minute nap can help decrease your sleep debt and thus enhance learning and information processing. A study revealed that even a 10-minute catnap may be enough to improve alertness.

Afternoon is the most efficient time to take a nap. Try not to nap after 6 p.m., which could disturb sleep habits.

RealAge Benefit: Getting 6 to 8 hours of sleep per night can make your RealAge as much as 3 years younger.

[jezzie]

•Note to Self: Schedule Time to Worry

Unpaid bills, overdue projects, groceries to get, and messes to clean . . . Worry pileups like these at the end of the day can make sleep as elusive as Bigfoot.

A better plan: Set aside time to worry about these things before you crawl under the covers. That way, the space between lying down and drifting off won't be filled with sleepless fretting. Here's how to make a date with your worries.

Make a Date with Paper

If nagging thoughts won't let you nod off, give yourself 15 minutes before bedtime to grab some paper and a pen and jot down what's on your mind, advise Paul Glovinsky, PhD, and Arthur Spielman, PhD, in their book The Insomina Answer. (Browse their book online.) They suggest listing your concerns on the left page of a notebook and then brainstorming some solutions on the right side.

And don't shoot for perfect problem-solvers. Even temporary solutions should help you sleep.

More Sleep-Better Strategies

* Keep a sleep diary.
* Adopt healthy sleep habits.
* Warm up your feet.
* Start a walking routine.

RealAge Benefit: Getting 6 to 8 hours of sleep per night can make your RealAge as much as 3 years younger.

[xbumblebeex]

Wow there is sooo much good information and recipes on here! Thank you for taking the time to post all of this.

[jezzie]

Nice to see you B.Bee


•A Berry Good Memory

A basket of berries may be a good way to boost your memory.

In a recent study, researchers discovered that the extracts of certain berries helped combat oxidative stress and DNA damage, both of which play roles in the development of Alzheimer's disease.

The researchers studied extracts from blackcurrants and boysenberries, two kinds of berries high in potent disease-fighting anthocyanins.

Blackcurrants are small, juicy, dark purple berries that are high in vitamin C and have a slightly bitter taste. Boysenberries are genetically similar to blackcurrants. Both berry types are rich in anthocyanins, potent disease-fighting antioxidants.

Fruits high in anthocyanins tend to have deep red or purple hues.

In a recent study, researchers discovered that both blackcurrant and boysenberry extracts helped combat oxidative stress and DNA damage, two processes that contribute to Alzheimer's disease, cancer, and aging.

Although the study results are preliminary and need to be confirmed with further research, antioxidant-rich fruits remain a smart food choice. Eat a colorful assortment of different fruits and vegetables to get a healthy mix of disease-fighting compounds every day.

RealAge Benefit: Getting the right amount of antioxidants through diet or supplements can make your RealAge 6 years younger.

[jezzie]

A High-Calorie Snack That’s OK for Your Waist

If you love nuts as much as a backyard squirrel does, but you're caught up by your calorie-counting conscience, relax. And read on . . .

Peanuts may be one high-calorie treat that doesn’t do serious damage to your weight or your waistline.

Say Hi to Mr. Peanut

In a recent small study where people were given a daily snack of peanuts, researchers were surprised to find that no one’s weight changed significantly after many weeks, despite the extra calories. Why?

Seems peanuts fill you up (thanks to the fiber, protein, and healthy monounsaturated fats) but don't necessarily fatten you up, because the fat and calories in the nuts aren't completely absorbed by your gut. Now, if only Girl Scout cookies worked the same way.

Lost in Digestion

More good news about peanuts: We may burn off the fats in them better than we burn off the fats in potato chips or cookies. Our bodies break down the monounsaturated fats in peanuts and convert them into energy more easily than saturated fats.

So go ahead -- unleash your inner squirrel. Just limit your daily dips in the peanut dish to 1-ounce servings (about 30 peanuts). They’re not made of air, after all.

RealAge Benefit: Eating a low-fat diet -- and eating healthful unsaturated fats when you do eat fat -- can make your RealAge as much as 6 years younger.

[jezzie]

Go Nuts

Making a heart-smart grocery list? Add a bag of peanuts.

Saving your own life doesn't get much easier than this: Eat a handful of peanuts twice a week. Or almonds, walnuts, or Brazil nuts, if you prefer. Men who do this slash their risk of suddenly dying from a heart attack by almost half. Why? It's all about the good fats.

What makes nuts so heart-healthy? Monounsaturated fats -- those good-for-you fats that lower bad LDL cholesterol and increase good HDL, which helps keep your arteries clean and clog-free. Nuts are full of good fats, as are olive oil, canola oil, avocados, and flaxseed.

In a study, men who nibbled on nuts at least twice a week had a 46 percent lower chance of dying from an out-of-the-blue heart attack than men who rarely or never ate nuts.

The only caveat: Nuts are high in calories -- although other studies have found that, thanks to a happy quirk of digestive chemistry, the body doesn't absorb all the calories in nuts.

Still, if weight loss is a goal, substitute nuts for other snacks rather than just adding them to your daily diet. A little goes a long way: It only takes a small handful, the rough equivalent of a 1-ounce serving, to protect your ticker.

RealAge Benefit: Eating a low-fat diet -- and eating healthful unsaturated fats when you do eat fat -- can make your RealAge as much as 6 years younger.

[jezzie]

Cardioprotective Compounds in Nuts

Substituting dietary saturated fats with polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats like those found in nuts can decrease serum total and LDL cholesterol concentrations.

However, in some of the clinical trials, the cholesterol-lowering effect of nut consumption was greater than would be predicted from the polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat content of the nuts, suggesting there may be other protective factors in nuts. Other bioactive compounds in nuts that may contribute to their cholesterol-lowering effects include fiber and phytosterols .

Walnuts are especially rich in alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid with a number of cardioprotective effects, including the prevention of cardiac arrhythmias that may lead to sudden cardiac death. Other nutrients that may contribute to the cardioprotective effects of nuts include folate and potassium.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has acknowledged the emerging evidence for a relationship between nut consumption and cardiovascular disease risk by approving the following qualified health claim for nuts:

“Scientific evidence suggests but does not prove that eating 1.5 ounces per day of most nuts as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease.”

[jezzie]

Are You Drowning in Corn Oil?
2005

Find out why too much of this kind of unsaturated fat can put you at risk.

Have you pushed aside the butter dish and switched to the tubs of trans fat-free margarine? Have you kicked lard to the curb and now brown, sauté, and bake with corn or vegetable oil? Many of us are resting easy in the knowledge that as long as we eat mostly the good kinds of fat—meaning unsaturated fats—our hearts are probably in the clear, right?

Not so. Merely switching to unsaturated fats is not the only key to healthful fat consumption.

If you're not paying attention to the kinds of unsaturated fats you choose, or how much you get of certain kinds of unsaturated fats in comparison to others, you may be leaving the door wide open to health hazards on par with killers like heart disease.

The old facts on fats

Some things haven't changed. As with other foods, if you are eating too much fat, regardless of kind, and are not expending a similar number of calories, you're risking weight problems and all of the related health complications.

However, there are many good things fat can do for you. Dietary fat is a necessary part of maintaining energy levels and it provides the body with essential fatty acids that it cannot produce on its own.

Dietary fats aid in nutrient absorption, make foods more palatable, and help you feel sated. They also assist the body in the production of substances that are essential for immune function, tissue repair, and prostaglandin production.

Fat is still part of a healthful diet, so it's important to know what kind of fat you are eating and stick to mostly unsaturated fats.

[jezzie]

Snack Smackdown: The 10 Healthiest 100-Calorie Treats

Those 100-calorie snack packs are tasty, convenient, and perfectly portioned for calorie counters -- and they're selling like iPhones on opening day. But what's nutritious about a handful of Cheese Nips or Oreo Thins (even with no creamy centers to lick)?

Instead, try these 10 far healthier 100-calorie treats. Stash them in your desk drawer, fridge, or car -- wherever hunger pangs hit you. The best part: Most will curb your appetite for hours because they're high in filling fiber or satisfying protein.

1. Midmorning Fill-Up: Just add hot water to a 100-calorie packet of McCann's Instant Cinnamon Roll Irish Oatmeal, which smells ahh-mazing and comes sweetened with Splenda. No doughnut guilt, and there's a bonus: 3 grams of filling, cholesterol-fighting oat fiber.

2. Peanut Butter and Crackers: Make sandwiches out of six All-Bran Multi-Grain Crackers (45 deliciously crunchy calories) and 1 1/2 teaspoons peanut butter (45 smooth calories). You'll get about 2 grams of fiber and a little healthy fat.

3. Apple Mousse: Mix a cup of unsweetened applesauce (50 calories) with 3 tablespoons of fat-free nondairy topping (45 calories), and 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon. Make a batch and refrigerate in portable snack cups. Supplies 20% of your daily vitamin C and counts as one serving of fruit. Sweet.

4. Veggies and Dip: Flavor ready-to-eat veggies from the produce section -- which have almost no calories -- with a dip: 2 tablespoons of hummus (60 calories) or light ranch dressing (80 calories). For the veggies, think broccoli and cauliflower florets, baby carrots, snap peas, pepper strips, baby squash -- all of them filled with fiber, vitamins, and protective phytonutrients.

5. Cafe Mocha: Stir a packet of Swiss Miss No Sugar Added Hot Chocolate mix (60 calories) into hot coffee for an instant afternoon pick-me-up that only tastes decadent. It actually delivers 30% of your calcium, 6% of your iron, and even a gram of fiber. Add a splash of milk for more goodness. Compare that to 200 calories for the smallest Starbucks Caffe Mocha (2% milk, no whip), with 6 grams of fat.

[jezzie]

6. Mexican Potato: Microwave a medium potato and slice in half (80 calories). Save one piece for tomorrow. Mash the other half inside the potato skin and top it with 2 tablespoons of salsa (10 calories). Eat the whole thing, including the skin. Warm, spicy, satisfying and 2 grams each of protein and fiber, some vitamin C, plus a little iron.

7. Finger Food: Munch edamame like nuts. 1/2 cup of these quick-cooked frozen soybeans (about 95 calories) makes a great nibble. That’s why they're a staple at hip bars -- which probably don't care that they're serving you 8 grams of protein, 4 grams of fiber, and lots of minerals.

8. Snack on a Minimeal: When you're starving but trying to hold back, try this: Wrap a Morningstar Farms Vegan Burger (100 calories), a tomato slice, hamburger pickles, and a little mustard or ketchup in lettuce leaves instead of bread. The 10 grams of protein will keep you filled till it's really mealtime.

9. Happy Hour Combo: Mix 1/2 cup of tomato juice (22 calories) with 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 2 drops of Tabasco sauce, and a dash of lemon juice. Serve over ice with a celery stick and about a dozen dry roasted peanuts (about 60 calories). Have a second "drink" if you like -- no biggie!

10. Healthy Confetti Crisps: If chips are your downfall, make a batch of these RealAge crisps and divide into 6 portions (95 calories each). Munch through a bag while sipping your club soda and lime.

Remember to enjoy the good fat from the olive oil and the fiber and vitamins in the veggies -- these taste so good, you may forget they're healthy.

[jezzie]

REALAGE CONFETTI CRISPS
6 servings, 95 calories each

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 cup each of peeled and thinly sliced purple potatoes, carrots, and parsnips

Mix the oil and seasonings together, add the vegetables, and toss to coat. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet lightly sprayed with olive oil. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20–25 minutes or until crisp and golden brown.

If being able to easily button your tightest jeans isn't incentive enough not to double up on 100-calorie snacks -- they’re tempting, we know -- consider this: Steadily maintaining a desirable weight can make your RealAge 6 years younger.


# Feeling lethargic? Don’t blame tryptophan, an amino acid found in turkey. Other amino acids in the food block tryptophan’s absorption into the brain before it can make serotonin, which in turn would make you feel sleepy.

# Still sleepy? You probably just overindulged.

[jezzie]

6 Foods to Keep Your Mind Young
From YOU: The Owner’s Manual, by RealAge experts Michael F. Roizen, MD, and Mehmet C. Oz, MD

Generally, what’s harmful to your heart also is harmful to your brain.

Make no mistake about it -- while fried potato skins are busting your buttons, there’s also a portion that gets shuttled up through your arteries to your gray matter.

Saturated fats, for example, clog arteries that lead to your brain, putting you at risk of stroke, while omega-3 fatty acids -- the good fats found in fish -- are helpful for your brain because they help keep your arteries clear. They also alter your neurotransmitters and reduce depression.

These are the best foods to keep your brain and RealAge young:

Nuts
Nuts contain monounsaturated fats to keep your arteries clear, as well as levels of precursors of serotonin to boost mood. 1 ounce of nuts a day is just right. (More is fine, but be careful of calorie overload.) An ounce is about 12 walnuts or 24 almonds. Men: 3.3 years younger. Women: 4.4 years younger.

Fish especially wild salmon, whitefish, tilapia, catfish, flounder, mahi mahi Fish contain artery-clearing omega-3 fatty acids. Aim for 13.5 ounces of fish a week, or 3 servings, each about the size of your fist. 2.8 years younger.

Soybeans
Soybeans contain heart- and artery-healthy protein, fiber, and fats. 1 cup of soybeans a day. 0.4 years younger.

Tomato juice and spaghetti sauce
Tomatoes contain folate, lycopene, and other nutrients to keep arteries young. 8 ounces a day of juice or 2 tablespoons of spaghetti sauce a day. At least 1 year younger.

Olive oil, nut oils, fish oils, flaxseed, avocados All of these foods contain heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. 25% of daily calories should be healthy fats 3.4 years younger.

Real chocolate (at least 70% cocoa)
Real chocolate increases dopamine release and provides flavonoids, which keep arteries young. 1 ounce a day (to replace milk chocolate) 1.2 years younger.

[jezzie]

[jezzie]

The Mediterranean Diet

Can it Reduce Your Risk for Heart Disease?

Higher in fat (40%) than the 30% recommended by the American Heart Association, the Mediterranean diet is gaining in popularity as a tasty, heart-healthy alternative to low-fat eating.

The diet is from the Greek island of Crete where Cretans and other Greeks live longer than any other populations in the world - and - they are 20% less likely to die of coronary artery disease than Americans.

They also have 1/3 less cancer than in the U.S. Is the Mediterranean way a better way to eat? Let's look at the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid and compare it to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Guide Pyramid.

Note 1: The authors of the Mediterranean pyramid recommend regular physical exercise, drinking 6 glasses of water a day and moderate consumption of wine.

Purple grape juice may offer the same heart health benefits of red wine without the concerns of alcohol.

Note 2: Other oils rich in monounsaturated fats, such as canola or peanut oil, can be substituted for olive oil. People who are watching their weight should limit their oil consumption.

[jezzie]

How does the Mediterranean Pyramid differ from USDA Food Guide Pyramid?

* Both pyramids recommend eating lots of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, but the Greeks ate very little red meat, and, they consumed far more plant foods - averaging nine servings a day of antioxidant-rich vegetables.
* The Greeks ate cold water fish several times a week - another heart-healthy investment since fish contain omega-3 oils that not only reduce heart disease risk but also boost immune system functioning.
* The USDA Food Guide Pyramid groups high protein foods together and does not separate out the red meat from the heart-healthy fish and nuts.
* The Greek diet contains little of the two kinds of fats known to raise blood cholesterol levels: saturated fat and trans fat (also called "hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil" in the ingredients section of food labels).

The USDA Food Guide Pyramid does not make the distinction between the healthy fats like monounsaturated oils and the unhealthy fats like saturated (found mostly in red meats and tropical oils) and trans fats (found mostly in margarines, snack foods, processed peanut butter and commercial baked goods). Both recommend limiting total fat if watching weight.

What we can learn from the Mediterranean diet about reading food labels?

Understanding the differences in kinds of fats and knowing how to read and interpret food labels can help one become a smarter food shopper. Look for snack chips without hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils (check the ingredients section).

Try natural peanut butter instead of the pasty, hydrogenated kind. Alter recipes whenever possible to replace unhealthy fats with healthy fats like olive, canola or peanut oil. Use butter very sparingly or use butter flavoring.

Don't believe "Fat Free" or "Cholesterol Free" labeling means that a the product is good for you. Many of these items are made with hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils and they have "empty calories" that can raise blood triglyceride levels.

[jezzie]

Is this a good diet for people with known heart disease?

In one study, French researchers assigned 600 heart attack survivors to follow either a Mediterranean diet or a regimen similar to the one recommended by the U.S. Government and American Heart Association.

The short-term results were virtually the same: both diets reduced cholesterol levels by comparable amounts, but the long-term results were surprising. Only 8 new heart attacks occurred over the next two years in the Mediterranean group, compared to 33 in the other group. What the researchers don't mention, however, is the gender of participants.

Statistically, women are at much greater risk of suffering a second heart attack. Another consideration is that heart disease is multi-factorial. Diet is just one factor. Family history, lifestyle and blood pressure management are other risks.

What about wine?

The authors of the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid recommend moderate consumption of wine. The American Heart Association recommends drinking in moderation. Most Mediterranean people drink with their meals. Consuming an alcoholic beverage in moderation means drinking no more than one glass of beer, wine or a cocktail a day for a woman and two for a man.

This may reduce heart attack risk by raising HDL levels somewhat and by inhibiting blood clotting, however, alcohol is addictive and can lead to destructive behavior. Over-consumption can cause high blood pressure and weakening of the heart muscle. Studies suggest drinking grape juice can have the same beneficial effect as drinking wine.

OPC's (Oligomeric Proantho Cyannidins) are located in the skin and seeds of grapes and are powerful free radical quenchers. If you do drink, do so in moderation. If you don't drink, don't start. Drinking purple grape juice may be a healthier alternative for some.

[jezzie]

Mondays Menu

Pre-Breakfast:
2 cups two thirds decaf with soy milk and evap. milk
almnds

Breakfast:
1 fried egg
old fashioned oatmeal w/cinnamon, buckwheat honey
Granny Smith apple

Pre-Lunch:
Kashi trail mix bar, 5.5 oz. can of V-8 juice

Lunch:
Healthy Harvest rotini in Classico hot sauce w/parmesan
salad w/ex vir olv oil & apple cider vngr.

Pre-Dinner:
organic plain yogurt w/canned peaches added

Dinner:
salmon, 1/2 sweet potato mashed with apple juice
5.5 oz. V-8 juice

[jezzie]

Tuesdays Menu

Pre-Breakfast:
2 cups two thirds decaf with almnd milk and evap. milk
almnds

Breakfast:
1 fried egg
old fashioned oatmeal w/cinnamon, buckwheat honey
Cara Cara orange

Pre-Lunch:
sardines in extr virg oliv oil, 5.5 oz. can of V-8 juice

Lunch:
Healthy Harvest rotini in Classico hot sauce w/parmesan
salad w/ext virg olv oil & apple cider vngr.

Pre-Dinner:
organic plain yogurt w/sliced banana added

Dinner:
quinoa & beans, fried cabbage, scallions and zucchini
grn tea w/orange blossom honey

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[jezzie]

Wednesdays Menu

Pre-Breakfast:
2 cups two thirds decaf with almnd milk and evap. milk
almnds, 5.5 oz. can of V-8 juice

Breakfast:
1 fried egg
old fashioned oatmeal w/cinnamon, buckwheat honey
Cara Cara orange

Pre-Lunch:
walnuts, grn tea w/orange blossom honey

Lunch:
Healthy Harvest rotini in Classico hot sauce w/parmesan
red peppers/yellow onion w/ex vir olv oil, red wine vng

Pre-Dinner:
organic plain yogurt w/mashed banana added

Dinner:
vegetarian chili w/brown rice
5.5 oz. can of V-8 juice

[jezzie]

Best Way to a Killer Middle

Good news! You don't have to kill yourself with crunches to get a sleek stomach.

But it turns out that you do need to get your heart rate up. Aerobic exercise is key to banishing both the deep belly fat and the superficial doughy stuff that give you a pooch.

Going the Distance

How much aerobic exercise does it take to trim a tummy? In a recent study, overweight people who jogged, cycled, or hit the elliptical for about 3 hours a week had the best belly-busting outcome -- as long as they exercised at an up-tempo pace. Not ready to go that distance yet? Try walking briskly for just a couple of hours per week. That's enough to at least keep belly swelling in check.

It's All Good

It's almost a guarantee that people who do nothing as they age will be watching their waists grow along with their risks of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. So whether you do it a little or a lot, sweat is still a sweet way to manage your middle.

In addition to up-tempo exercise, try these tips and tools for training your body and toning your tummy:

* Heart Rate Recovery
* Trunk Tune-Up
* The YOU Diet
* Walking Wish List

RealAge Benefits: Exercising regularly can make your RealAge as much as 9 years younger.

[jezzie]

Getting Off the Cow
Reducing the amount of red meat in your diet can be easy with these tips.
Written by RealAge, Inc., peer-reviewed by Dr. Axel Goetz, October 2005

Cutting back on red meat makes good health sense and makes your RealAge younger. Studies show that eating too much red meat can increase your risk of many chronic health conditions.

But what kind of nutrition hole is created when you limit red meat in your diet? The truth is, it's easy to miss out on important nutrients when you cut back on a major food source.

So, when you cut back on red meat, make a balanced eating plan to help ensure you don't shortchange yourself on important nutrients such as protein, vitamins B12 and D, calcium, iron, and zinc.

To get enough of these important nutrients, replace red meat with other foods that contain them. Soy products, such as tofu or soy burgers; legumes, such as lentils or garbanzo beans; low-fat dairy; dark green, leafy vegetables; nuts; and whole grains can supply many of these nutrients.

Also, poultry and fish are leaner sources of protein that provide many of the same nutrients found in red meat.