By now, nearly everyone knows that the best way to lose weight is to exercise and ingest fewer calories than you expend. Nevertheless, more than 17 million Americans persist in buying “miracle” over-the-counter weight-loss products in hopes of losing a lot of weight with no physical effort or dietary changes. An in-depth medical feature in the March issue of Self magazine examines the many worthless weight-loss products available and why these often risky pills and potions are allowed to stay on the market. Such products have proliferated since Congress passed the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act in 1994 deregulating the supplement industry.
Of some 20,000 products available, the FDA is thought to have conducted safety reviews on fewer than 50, according to the article. Meanwhile, millions of people are being duped and sometimes risk their lives and health by ingesting the supplements. If you think you’ve been taken, fight back by contacting your state attorney general, www.naag.org/ag/full-ag-table.cfm.
The good fat
Dietary fat gets a bad rap, yet certain fats are essential to the body in helping to insulate body tissues, aid in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K), to protect organs and maintain healthy hair and skin. Nearly all monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are helpful in lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol.
These fats are found in vegetable oils, many nuts and fatty fish, including tuna, salmon, trout and sardines. Trans fatty acids (TFAs), however, can harm the heart, says a report in the March issue of the Johns Hopkins Medical Letter Health After 50.
TFAs often are added to commercially processed foods and occur naturally in dairy products, pork and beef. To avoid unhealthy fats, use tub margarine or products such as olive oil rather than stick margarine. Also, limit or avoid fried fast foods, egg yolks, fatty meats and whole-fat milk products.
Vegetarian source
If you’re ready to toss out meats, fish and more from your daily diet, look for expert guidance at the Web site www.vrg.org, sponsored by the Vegetarian Resource Group. This not-for-profit organization operates on the advice of physicians, registered dietitians and other health professionals in educating people on vegetarianism and related issues.
The data advises both vegetarians (those who don’t eat meat, fish or fowl) and vegans (those who eschew meat, fish, fowl, eggs, dairy and honey). The resource offers recipes, nutrition, cookbook and travel information as well as excerpts from the Vegetarian Journal.
Topics here include issues such as food allergies, raising vegan children, hypoglycemia and vegetarian diets as well as a camp and school eating guide. There’s also a stadium-by-stadium guide to eating healthfully at your local ballpark without having to indulge in the very unvegetarian hot dog.
The strain of stress
Stress can be physically dangerous and even fatal if not kept in check. The March issue of the Mayo Clinic Women’s Healthsource offers a special report on how stress affects the body biologically and what can–and should–be done about it.
The articles include signs and symptoms of stress overload, how to cut stress at home and at work, and how to get a good night’s sleep. In addition, the feature offers muscle-relaxation techniques that can help ease stress, the basics of meditation, and how to use your time wisely if waiting in line drives you mad.
Yoga, too, can help with stress reduction by slowing your breathing, lowering your blood pressure and helping your heart to work more efficiently. And don’t forget to laugh. It truly is good medicine–promoting the release of endorphins in the brain that ease pain and induce a feeling of well being.
