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Healthy Ezine of the Week: Issue 225

Featured Article

Building Global Hamburgers

Fitness Tip

Find the right activity.
Answers to three questions will tell you if your exercise program is right for you. Try different activities, and ask yourself: Do I look forward to this? Do I enjoy doing it? Do I feel good afterward? If you answer yes to all three, it's an activity you'll probably keep doing. Remember, no exercise program will work for long if you have to force yourself to do it.

Nutrition Tip

B-12 Deficiency
When researchers measured blood levels of vitamin B-12 in 3,000 men and women ages 26 to 83, 39-percent had low levels of this vitamin. Previously, researchers believed B-12 helps maintain a healthy nervous system and normal brain function. B-12, along with B-6 and folic acid -- also helps keep artery-damaging homocysteine at healthy levels. You can get B-12 from supplements, fortified breakfast cereals, dairy, meat, poultry or fish. The recommended daily amount is 6mcg, but if you are over 50, 25mcg is better. However, if you've had gastric surgery or radiation, or have low stomach acid or an inflammatory condition in your GI tract, you may not be able to absorb B-12. In these cases, you would need B-12 shots.

Herb of the Week

Valerian Root
Valerian Root is a relaxant herb widely used in Europe, which has a calming effect on the autonomic nervous system. It is a good short-term sedative that works quickly, offering a healthy, nontoxic alternative to prescription drugs. For insomnia, valerian works best when taken right at bedtime to help induce sleep quickly. Ayurveda uses valerian for vata problems of the colon.

Quick Recipe

Chili Bean Pita Pizzas
Spread 1/4-cup fat free salsa over two small (6-inch) unopened pitas. Divide 1/2-cup canned black beans (rinsed and drained), 1/2 cup corn kernels, 1 chopped plum tomato, and 1-tablespoon chopped green chiles between the two pitas. Top with 1-1/2-ounce 2-percent Monterey Jack cheese. Bake in a 450-degree oven for eight to ten minutes.

Tidbit(s)

Too Much TV
Watching TV can be hazardous to your health. In a study of more than 50,000, every two hours per day of watching TV increased the risk of obesity and diabetes. Sitting while at work was linked to much smaller increases in risk. In contrast, every hour per day of brisk walking was linked to a drop in the risk of obesity and diabetes. An estimated 30-percent of new cases of obesity and 43-percent of new cases of diabetes could be prevented if people were to spend less than ten hours a week watching TV and walking briskly for at least 30 minutes a day.

Food Fixes

The next time you bake sweet bread or muffins, try greasing and sugaring pans instead of greasing and flouring. Everyone will love the slight hint of added sweetness.

Add a dash of soy sauce and sprinkle chow mein on your tuna salad to give it a new twist.

To add a sweet tang to ordinary fruit salad, sprinkle in powdered lemonade mix to taste.

If a recipe calls for espresso powder, you can substitute it with 1-1/2 times the amount of instant coffee.

This 'n That

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