Weekly Wellness
Issue 240
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
Brain check.
Physical exercise may mean as much for your mind as it does for your body. Research shows exercise can relieve anxiety and depression, increase your energy levels, enhance your self-image, help release tension, and may improve sleeping patterns. Exercise also reduces your overall risk of dying prematurely and helps you control your weight. See also: Brain Food, Body Food
Nutrition Tip
Winterize Your Bones
It turns out that the health of your bones can take a seasonal dip as well as your mood. During fall and winter, vitamin D levels in blood fall short of vitamin D significantly. This is not good, because one-third of us already have vitamin D levels that fall too low, which can compromise our body's ability to replenish bones. Your skin uses the energy from sunlight to manufacture vitamin D. Shorter days mean you get fewer hours of sunlight, while colder temperatures drive you inside. And when you are outside, the sunlight is weaker, while sunscreen in your moisturizer further cuts vitamin D production. Finally, although milk has vitamin D, you would need four glasses a day to get enough. In addition, vitamin D is not present in other calcium sources such as cheese and yogurt. The solution: A multivitamin is the only way to replace the sun. Look for one with 100 percent of the Daily Value for vitamin D.
Quip or Quote of the Week
Quip:
A bump on the skin of an orange led people to call it "Belly-Button orange" in the 1880's...and later, the navel orange.
Quick Recipe
Steamed Broccoli Florets
Freshly steamed broccoli florets are delicious as a side dish, especially when tossed with a unique dressing. For broccoli with a Mediterranean flair, combine 1/2 cup vinaigrette dressing, 1 tablespoon chopped sun-dried tomatoes and 1 tablespoon pitted kalamata olives; toss gently with the broccoli.
Tidbit
Can the symptoms of foodborne illness be mistaken for something else?
Yes. Foodborne illness often shows itself as flu-like symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or fever, so many people may not recognize that the illness is caused by bacteria or other pathogens in food.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that many of the intestinal illnesses commonly referred to as stomach flu are actually caused by foodborne pathogens. People do not associate these illnesses with food because the onset of symptoms often occurs two or more days after the contaminated food was eaten.
Food Fixes
To make lighter gravy, brown flour in a skillet. Cool slightly, then add some instant chicken, beef or vegetable bouillon granules and warm water. Cook and stir until thickened, then add salt and pepper if necessary.
Bring lemons to room temperature and roll them under your palm on top of the kitchen counter before squeezing to get the most juice from them.
Do not use Iodized Salt in making pickles as it causes them to become soft.