Weekly Wellness
Issue 239
Featured Article
Essential Fatty Acids -- The fats and oils in our diet are made up of chains of fatty acids. These fatty acids are classified as "essential" or "non-essential" according to whether or not they can be produced by our bodies.
Fitness Tip
Touch-tone up!
Some of the best opportunities to burn calories arise as you're talking on the phone. Stand up and do front, back or side leg lifts while you chat. Add ankle weights for greater toning and calorie-burning effects. Stand on tip toes for as long as you can until the muscle starts to burn. If you're on a cordless, walk throughout your conversation. Or grab a heavy can of food and do alternating bicep curls for tighter arms. For a firmer butt, lean against the wall and sit on an imaginary chair. See also: Double-Duty Calorie Burners
Nutrition Tip
High Protein Diets and Your Kidneys
As weight loss diets go, high-protein plans have staying power -- but so do questions about their safety. One concern is for your kidneys, since it is their job to filter out protein by-products. Scientists have discovered that, among a middle-aged group, one in four people had signs of mild kidney decline. Because this compromises their protein-processing ability, high protein intake could damage their kidneys. Therefore, scientists are warning that high-protein diets are a bad choice for many who have unsuspected kidney problems -- and you could be one of them. If you want to try a high-protein diet and have any kidney disease risk factors -- middle age, high blood pressure, or diabetes -- first get a blood test for creatinine levels, a measure of your kidney function. If you have even mild kidney dysfunction, this study suggests a safe limit of three ounces of animal protein a day, which is the size of a deck of cards. The amount of protein in high-protein diets can go up to eight ounces per day.
Quip or Quote of the Week
Quote:
"What some call health, if purchased by perpetual anxiety about diet, isn't much better than tedious disease."
-George Dennison Prentice
Quick Recipe
French Toast
Day old white bread is ideal for making French toast. Here's a quick and easy recipe: Combine 4 eggs with 2 cups milk, 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/4 teaspoon (each) vanilla extract and ground nutmeg and cinnamon in a medium bowl; beat mixture thoroughly. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Dip bread slices into the egg mixture, place in skillet and cook 5 minutes each side or until golden brown.
Tidbit
Heartburn Weighing You Down?
Research suggests that one of the best ways to avoid heartburn is to slim down.
Scientists have found that people who are overweight have an increased risk of gastroesophageal reflux disease, a condition marked by frequent heartburn symptoms and esophageal erosion. A portion-controlled diet and fitness plan can help reduce the extra weight that puts additional pressure on the stomach, triggering symptoms.
Food Fixes
Remove the tops of carrots before storing them in the refrigerator. Those little green tops drain carrots of moisture.
Add about 7 drops of lemon juice to 2 cups of whipping cream. It will make the cream beat up firm in about half the time.
Adding a pinch of sugar to the water when boiling corn on the cob helps bring out the corn's natural sweetness.