Weekly Wellness
Issue 161
Featured Article
Health At Every Size -- Be healthy, no matter your size!
Fitness Tip
Drinking Too Little Water A lot of people are walking around in a state of mild dehydration. Our thirst mechanism is poor to begin with; it does not kick in until one to two percent of your body weight is lost as fluid. Even slight dehydration - a loss of one to two percent of body weight as fluid - may make you feel tired or lethargic because it can lower your blood volume, which means not as much blood gets to your brain and your heart has to pump harder. Think ahead about when you are going to drink, just as you would with your meals. Carry a water bottle with you. If you are sedentary, aim for at least nine cups of water per day; if you are active, closer to 12 cups. You can also increase your water intake by eating lost of soup, fruits and vegetables.
Nutrition Tip
What to Know about Trans Fat in Foods
Some products have already listed the amount of trans fat on the
Nutrition Facts Panel. All others will do so before January 1, 2006.
Since the presence of "hydrogenated" or "partially hydrogenated" oils
does not serve as the best determinant of the trans fat content in foods,
here are some facts to consider:
Some margarines contain some partially hydrogenated oils, but the
combined amounts of trans and saturated fats are often less than the
amount of saturated fat in butter.
Spreads with plant stanol or sterol esters also contain partially hydrogenated
oils. The plant stanol/sterol esters provide a LDL-cholesterol labeling benefit
and trans fat content is a negligible 0.5-1 gram per tablespoon.
Peanut butter, which is rich in mostly beneficial unsaturated fat, may
contain 1 to 2 percent partially hydrogenated oil to prevent oil separation.
The resulting amount of trans fat is not detectable in a 2-tablespoon serving.
Source: IFIC
Nutrient of the Week
Valine (Essential Amino Acid)
Valine promotes mental vigor, muscle coordination and calm emotions.
Quick Recipe
Guilt-free Pasta
Switch to tomato or vegetable-based sauce for guilt-free pasta. A
half-cup of pasta adds another serving to your six to 11 for the day
in the grain group. Alternatively, spice up spaghetti with salsa and
chopped green chilies for a Southwestern flair on a powerful meal
ready in minutes. See also: Pasta Power Q and A, Perfect Pasta, Pleasing Pasta.
Tidbit(s)
Surprising Warning Signs Could Signal Diabetes
A new report explains why people should be aware of the "non-standard"
symptoms of diabetes: including, change in vision and gum disease.
While many people assume they´ll know if they develop diabetes, experts
say that the list of warning signs is long and not all the symptoms are
well-known. Among other things, the disease can cause changes in
vision - for better or for worse - and contribute to everything from gum
disease to weight loss to darkening of the skin around the eyes. In fact,
symptoms can last for months before patients bother to seek attention,
experts say. By that point, the damage can be hard to reverse.
Food Fixes
To quickly soften brown sugar: Place in a microwaveable container. Also place 1-cup of water in the microwave. Cook on high for 1-minute and you have instantly softened brown sugar.
Fresh rosemary has silver-green, needle-shaped leaves and a lemony pine flavor. Store it in the refrigerator, wrapped loosely in a dampened paper towel, until ready to use.
Use an empty pringle can to store dry spaghetti. Holds it great and there's and no need to worry about how to keep the opened bag sealed.