The good fats
Sure, you want to eat healthier fats, but how? A recent American Heart Association symposium on obesity, lifestyle and cardiovascular disease offered lots of advice on making dietary changes. The complete list can be found in the October issue of the Weill Medical College of Cornell University Food & Fitness Advisor. Here is some of it:
– Don’t ask for butter at a restaurant. Dip your bread into olive oil instead. Though it’s high in calories, olive oil will help you consume less bread during your meal, according to a study by Cornell University in New York.
– If you must have a regular spread, choose a margarine that contains plant sterols or stanol esters to help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol, advises the Cooper Institute in Dallas. Also good are margarines containing healthful omega-3 fatty acids, such as Promise with Heart Healthy Essentials or Smart Balance Omega Plus with Flax.
– Select food products with 0 grams of trans fats. Avoid bread, crackers, cakes and cookies with labels listing partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
– A food label that says “low fat” still allows up to 3 grams of fat per serving. If it says “fat-free,” it must be less than .5 grams of fat per serving.
– Here are some foods with good fats: olive oil, canola oil, olives, most nuts, avocados, flaxseed and fatty fish such as salmon and tuna.
Seal the house, but …
While sealing your house to ward off the chill of fall, take precautions against carbon monoxide. Without proper ventilation, this colorless, odorless gas can build up in your home and cause heart or brain damage or worse.
To protect yourself and your family, the Mayo Clinic HealthLetter recommends:
– Have a professional inspect your furnace, gas oven, gas water heater, fireplace or wood stove. Be sure ventilation flues and chimneys are in good condition and not blocked.
– Install carbon monoxide detectors on every level of your home as well as in individual bedrooms. The detector should have an Underwriters Laboratories (UL) label.
– Don’t heat your home with a gas range or oven.
– Don’t use a generator in enclosed spaces such as the garage or basement.
– Never leave a running car in a closed garage.
Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include headache, dizziness, chest pain, nausea and confusion. If you have such symptoms, go to a place with fresh air and get emergency care immediately.
Cancer environment
After looking into breast cancer links to genetics and lifestyle, scientists are focusing on environmental connections from factors such as household chemicals, pesticides on golf courses, plastics and jet fuel emissions. Researchers are especially concerned about endocrine disrupters found in many household products, says a report in the October issue of Vogue.
When inhaled, ingested or absorbed through the skin, these chemicals mimic estrogen. Excess estrogen is thought to increase the risk of breast cancer. A free multimedia CD from Vassar College, called “Environmental Risks and Breast Cancer,” explains risks inside and outside the home and how to limit personal risk. The information is culled from about 200 recently published scientific articles. To get a CD, go to erbc.vassar.edu.
Cancer-fighting site
To find reliable cancer information fast, head to the Web site of the American Cancer Society, cancer.org. This health organization offers greatly detailed cancer information, community programs and services and more and is the largest source of private, non-profit cancer research funds in the United States.
The site includes cancer facts and figures, statistics, clinical trials and research programs. It also has guidelines to help those diagnosed with any type of cancer to make suitable treatment decisions. If you simply want to lower your cancer risk, there are tips for living a healthy lifestyle as well.
