10 Ways to Improve Your Day in Just 5 Minutes

1. Make your bed. This isn't about being a clean freak. It's a small ritual that can help create a calm environment for you in your bedroom -- and a soothing bedroom is part of "sleep hygiene" -- little habits that can help you sleep better. Author Gretchen Rubin recommends making your bed as a daily habit in her book, The Happiness Project. Do it first thing in the morning, and you've got one less thing to worry about for the rest of the day.

2. Pack a snack. Before you head out the door in the morning, prep a healthy snack to take with you. Ideas include fruit, unsalted nuts, and low-fat cheese or yogurt. When you get hungry later in the afternoon, you'll be ready!

3. Clear your desk. From stray papers to scattered coffee mugs, clutter can make you lose focus and curb productivity. Declutter your outer environment and you may feel more organized and better able to concentrate on the task at hand.

4. Pump up the music. Several studies have found that listening to music can help lower blood pressure, reduce stress, and boost mood. The right music has the power to change your attitude. So load up your MP3 player and create a playlist that will make you smile -- whether you're working or working out. As long as you don't blast it (bad for your hearing), this is a safe, healthy way to make your day more enjoyable.

5. Sniff a lemon. For a quick de-stressing trick, turn to an underrated sense -- your sense of smell. Japanese researchers found that linalool; a substance found in lemons, may turn down the classic "flight-or-fight" stress response. Not into lemons? Try basil, juniper, or lavender -- those scents have also been found to lower stress.

6. Stretch. No need to put on your yoga pants or get all bendy. Just a few easy moves will do. Stretch your arms overhead. Raise and lower your shoulders a couple of times. Stretch your legs as you lean your torso against a wall. Be gentle, so you don't overdo it. Stretching can help improve your circulation and flexibility, and may help ease the tight muscles that come with stress.

7. Meditate. It's easier than you may think. Here's how: Settle into a comfortable position in a chair or on the floor. Then follow your breath -- in, out -- for a few minutes. Thoughts are bound to bubble up in your mind -- no problem. Just let them float by and turn your attention back to your breath. Meditating daily, even just for a few minutes, may help tame stress.

8. Keep a gratitude diary. Take a minute every day to write downwhat you're thankful for -- big or small. It's easy to vent about weather, traffic, or job woes, but complaining brings negative energy along with it. Being thankful for what you have can make you appreciate all the positives in your life.

9. Turn off your electronics. Take a little break, already, from all your gadgets. Staring at computer screens and electronics all day long can zap your energy and encourage inactivity. So log off -- of everything -- every now and then. This is especially important to allow you to unwind and relax before bed. Just because the world is on, 24-7, you don't have to be!

10. Prioritize. Give yourself permission to admit that you can't do everything, all at once. Instead, you can nibble away at your to-do list, and feel more satisfied, by setting some priorities. So make a list, figure out what really matters, what can wait, and what you can skip. Work your way down the list, handling your top priorities first. Bit by bit, you'll get there!

WebMD Feature
By Jennifer Soong
Reviewed By Michael W. Smith, MD

Healthy Eating Tip 9

Limit sugar and salt

If you succeed in planning your diet around fiber-rich fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and good fats, you may find yourself naturally cutting back on foods that can get in the way of your healthy diet—sugar and salt.

Sugar

Sugar causes energy ups and downs and can add to health and weight problems. Unfortunately, reducing the amount of candy, cakes, and desserts we eat is only part of the solution. Often you may not even be aware of the amount of sugar you’re consuming each day. Large amounts of added sugar can be hidden in foods such as bread, canned soups and vegetables, pasta sauce, margarine, instant mashed potatoes, frozen dinners, fast food, soy sauce, and ketchup. Here are some tip:

Avoid sugary drinks. One 12-oz soda has about 10 teaspoons of sugar in it, more than the daily recommended limit! Try sparkling water with lemon or a splash of fruit juice.

Sweeten foods yourself. Buy unsweetened iced tea, plain yogurt, or unflavored oatmeal, for example, and add sweetener (or fruit) yourself. You’re likely to add far less sweetener than the manufacturer would have.

Eat naturally sweet food such as fruit, peppers, or natural peanut butter to satisfy your sweet tooth. Keep these foods handy instead of candy or cookies.

 

How sugar is hidden on food labels

Check food labels carefully. Sugar is often disguised using terms such as:

cane sugar or maple syrup corn sweetener or corn syrup honey or molasses brown rice syrup

crystallized or evaporated cane juice fruit juice concentrates, such as apple or pear maltodextrin (or dextrin) Dextrose, Fructose, Glucose, Maltose, or Sucrose

Salt

Most of us consume too much salt in our diets. Eating too much salt can cause high blood pressure and lead to other health problems. Try to limit sodium intake to 1,500 to 2,300 mg per day, the equivalent of one teaspoon of salt.

Avoid processed or pre-packaged foods. Processed foods like canned soups or frozen dinners contain hidden sodium that quickly surpasses the recommended limit.

Be careful when eating out. Most restaurant and fast food meals are loaded with sodium.

Opt for fresh or frozen vegetables instead of canned vegetables.

Cut back on salty snacks such as potato chips, nuts, and pretzels.

Choose low-salt or reduced-sodium products.

Try slowly reducing the salt in your diet to give your taste buds time to adjust.

 

Healthy Eating Tip 8

Add calcium for strong bones

Calcium is one of the key nutrients that your body needs in order to stay strong and healthy. It is an essential building block for lifelong bone health in both men and women, as well as many other important functions.

You and your bones will benefit from eating plenty of calcium-rich foods, limiting foods that deplete your body’s calcium stores, and getting your daily dose of magnesium and vitamins D and K—nutrients that help calcium do its job.

Recommended calcium levels are 1000 mg per day, 1200 mg if you are over 50 years old. Try to get as much of your daily calcium needs from food as possible and use only low-dose calcium supplements to make up any shortfall.

Good sources of calcium include:

• Dairy: Dairy products are rich in calcium in a form that is easily digested and absorbed by the body. Sources include milk, yogurt, and cheese.
• Vegetables and greens: Many vegetables, especially leafy green ones, are rich sources of calcium. Try turnip greens, mustard greens, collard greens, kale, romaine lettuce, celery, broccoli, fennel, cabbage, summer squash, green beans, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, and crimini mushrooms.

Beans: For another rich source of calcium, try black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, white beans, black-eyed peas, or baked beans.

Healthy Eating Tip 7

Put protein in perspective

Protein gives us the energy to get up and go—and keep going. Protein in food is broken down into the 20 amino acids that are the body’s basic building blocks for growth and energy, and essential for maintaining cells, tissues, and organs. A lack of protein in our diet can slow growth, reduce muscle mass, lower immunity, and weaken the heart and respiratory system. Protein is particularly important for children, whose bodies are growing and changing daily.

Here are some guidelines for including protein in your healthy diet:

Try different types of protein. Whether or not you are a vegetarian, trying different protein sources—such as beans, nuts, seeds, peas, tofu, and soy products—will open up new options for healthy mealtimes.

• Beans: Black beans, navy beans, garbanzos, and lentils are good options.
• Nuts: Almonds, walnuts, pistachios, and pecans are great choices.
• Soy products: Try tofu, soy milk, tempeh, and veggie burgers for a change.
• Avoid salted or sugary nuts and refried beans.

Downsize your portions of protein. Many people in the West eat too much protein. Try to move away from protein being the center of your meal. Focus on equal servings of protein, whole grains, and vegetables.

Focus on quality sources of protein, like fresh fish, chicken or turkey, tofu, eggs, beans, or nuts. When you are having meat, chicken, or turkey, buy meat that is free of hormones and antibiotics.

Happy Mealtimes Tip

Healthy Eating Tip 6

Enjoy healthy fats & avoid unhealthy fats

Good sources of healthy fat are needed to nourish your brain, heart, and cells, as well as your hair, skin, and nails. Foods rich in certain omega-3 fats called EPA and DHA are particularly important and can reduce cardiovascular disease, improve your mood, and help prevent dementia.

Add to your healthy diet:

• Monounsaturated fats, from plant oils like canola oil, peanut oil, and olive oil, as well as avocados, nuts (like almonds, hazelnuts, and pecans), and seeds (such as pumpkin, sesame).
• Polyunsaturated fats, including Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, found in fatty fish such as salmon, herring, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, and some cold water fish oil supplements. Other sources of polyunsaturated fats are unheated sunflower, corn, soybean, flaxseed oils, and walnuts.

Reduce or eliminate from your diet:

• Saturated fats, found primarily in animal sources including red meat and whole milk dairy products.
• Trans fats, found in vegetable shortenings, some margarines, crackers, candies, cookies, snack foods, fried foods, baked goods, and other processed foods made with partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.

Healthy Eating Tip 5

Eat more healthy carbs and whole grains

Choose healthy carbohydrates and fiber sources, especially whole grains, for long lasting energy. In addition to being delicious and satisfying, whole grains are rich in phytochemicals and antioxidants, which help to protect against coronary heart disease, certain cancers, and diabetes. Studies have shown people who eat more whole grains tend to have a healthier heart.

 

A quick definition of healthy carbs and unhealthy carbs

 

Healthy carbs (sometimes known as good carbs) include whole grains, beans, fruits, and vegetables. Healthy carbs are digested slowly, helping you feel full longer and keeping blood sugar and insulin levels stable.

 

Unhealthy carbs (or bad carbs) are foods such as white flour, refined sugar, and white rice that have been stripped of all bran, fiber, and nutrients. Unhealthy carbs digest quickly and cause spikes in blood sugar levels and energy.

• Include a variety of whole grains in your healthy diet, including whole wheat, brown rice, millet, quinoa, and barley. Experiment with different grains to find your favorites.
• Make sure you're really getting whole grains. Be aware that the words stone-ground, multi-grain, 100% wheat, or bran can be deceptive. Look for the words “whole grain” or “100% whole wheat” at the beginning of the ingredient list. In the U.S., Canada, and some other countries, check for the Whole Grain Stamps that distinguish between partial whole grain and 100% whole grain.
• Try mixing grains as a first step to switching to whole grains. If whole grains like brown rice and whole wheat pasta don’t sound good at first, start by mixing what you normally use with the whole grains. You can gradually increase the whole grain to 100%.

Avoid: Refined foods such as breads, pastas, and breakfast cereals that are not whole grain.

 

Healthy Eating Tip 4

Fill up on colorful fruits and vegetables

 

Fruits and vegetables are the foundation of a healthy diet. They are low in calories and nutrient dense, which means they are packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber.

 

Try to eat a rainbow of fruits and vegetables every day and with every meal—the brighter the better. Colorful, deeply colored fruits and vegetables contain higher concentrations of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants—and different colors provide different benefits, so eat a variety. Aim for a minimum of five portions each day.

 

Some great choices include:

• Greens. Branch out beyond bright and dark green lettuce. Kale, mustard greens, broccoli, and Chinese cabbage are just a few of the options—all packed with calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, zinc, and vitamins A, C, E, and K.
• Sweet vegetables. Naturally sweet vegetables—such as corn, carrots, beets, sweet potatoes, yams, onions, and squash—add healthy sweetness to your meals and reduce your cravings for other sweets.
• Fruit. Fruit is a tasty, satisfying way to fill up on fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants. Berries are cancer-fighting, apples provide fiber, oranges and mangos offer vitamin C, and so on.

The importance of getting vitamins from food—not pills.

 

The antioxidants and other nutrients in fruits and vegetables help protect against certain types of cancer and other diseases. And while advertisements abound for supplements promising to deliver the nutritional benefits of fruits and vegetables in pill or powder form, research suggests that it’s just not the same.

A daily regimen of nutritional supplements is not going to have the same impact of eating right. That’s because the benefits of fruits and vegetables don’t come from a single vitamin or an isolated antioxidant.

 

The health benefits of fruits and vegetables come from numerous vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals working together synergistically. They can’t be broken down into the sum of their parts or replicated in pill form.

 

Happy Mealtimes Tip

Healthy Eating Tip 3

It's not just what you eat, it's how you eat

Healthy eating is about more than the food on your plate—it is also about how you think about food. Healthy eating habits can be learned and it is important to slow down and think about food as nourishment rather than just something to gulp down in between meetings or on the way to pick up the kids.

• Eat with others whenever possible. Eating with other people has numerous social and emotional benefits—particularly for children—and allows you to model healthy eating habits. Eating in front of the TV or computer often leads to mindless overeating.
• Take time to chew your food and enjoy mealtimes. Chew your food slowly, savoring every bite. We tend to rush though our meals, forgetting to actually taste the flavors and feel the textures of our food. Reconnect with the joy of eating.
• Listen to your body. Ask yourself if you are really hungry, or have a glass of water to see if you are thirsty instead of hungry. During a meal, stop eating before you feel full. It actually takes a few minutes for your brain to tell your body that it has had enough food, so eat slowly.
• Eat breakfast, and eat smaller meals throughout the day. A healthy breakfast can jumpstart your metabolism, and eating small, healthy meals throughout the day (rather than the standard three large meals) keeps your energy up and your metabolism going.
• Avoid eating at night. Try to eat dinner earlier in the day and then fast for 14-16 hours until breakfast the next morning. Early studies suggest that this simple dietary adjustment—eating only when you’re most active and giving your digestive system a long break each day—may help to regulate weight. After-dinner snacks tend to be high in fat and calories so are best avoided, anyway.
 

Healthy Eating Tip 2

Moderation is key

People often think of healthy eating as an all or nothing proposition, but a key foundation for any healthy diet is moderation. But what is moderation? How much is a moderate amount? That really depends on you and your overall eating habits. The goal of healthy eating is to develop a diet that you can maintain for life, not just a few weeks or months, or until you've hit your ideal weight. So try to think of moderation in terms of balance. Despite what certain fad diets would have you believe, we all need a balance of carbohydrates, protein, fat, fiber, vitamins, and minerals to sustain a healthy body.

For most of us, moderation or balance means eating less than we do now. More specifically, it means eating far less of the unhealthy stuff (refined sugar, saturated fat, for example) and more of the healthy (such as fresh fruit and vegetables). But it doesn't mean eliminating the foods you love. Eating bacon for breakfast once a week, for example, could be considered moderation if you follow it with a healthy lunch and dinner—but not if you follow it with a box of donuts and a sausage pizza. If you eat 100 calories of chocolate one afternoon, balance it out by deducting 100 calories from your evening meal. If you're still hungry, fill up with an extra serving of fresh vegetables.

• Try not to think of certain foods as “off-limits.” When you ban certain foods or food groups, it is natural to want those foods more, and then feel like a failure if you give in to temptation. If you are drawn towards sweet, salty, or unhealthy foods, start by reducing portion sizes and not eating them as often. Later you may find yourself craving them less or thinking of them as only occasional indulgences.
• Think smaller portions. Serving sizes have ballooned recently, particularly in restaurants. When dining out, choose a starter instead of an entree, split a dish with a friend, and don't order supersized anything. At home, use smaller plates, think about serving sizes in realistic terms, and start small. If you don't feel satisfied at the end of a meal, try adding more leafy green vegetables or rounding off the meal with fresh fruit. Visual cues can help with portion sizes–your serving of meat, fish, or chicken should be the size of a deck of cards, a slice of bread should be the size of a CD case, and half a cup of mashed potato, rice, or pasta is about the size of a traditional light bulb.

Good Eggs: For Nutrition, They're Hard to Beat

What would we do without the egg? It's a dietary mainstay, not only for breakfast but to feed finicky kids, stand in for a quick lunch or supper, blend raw into holiday nogs, and as an ingredient in all kinds of sweet and savory dishes.

But for a few decades there, eggs had a rather unwholesome reputation. Thanks to its high cholesterol content, the egg was deemed villainous. Years went by while many of us shunned eggs, ate only the whites, or ventured into the world of egg substitutes.

 

Then, in 2000, the American Heart Association (AHA) revised its dietary guidelines and gave healthy adults the green light to enjoy eggs once again. The AHA's guidelines now allow an egg a day for healthy adults while still advising a total daily cholesterol limit of 300 mg.

 

The confusion over eggs stems from their cholesterol content. One large egg contains 213 mg of cholesterol, accounting for two-thirds of the recommended daily limit.

 

When scientists learned that high blood cholesterol was associated with heart disease, foods high in cholesterol logically became suspect. But after 25 years of study, it has become evident that cholesterol in food is not the culprit -- saturated fat has a much bigger effect on blood cholesterol. Full-fat dairy products and fatty meats are examples of foods that are loaded with saturated fat and which trigger the body to produce cholesterol.

 

Let Us Eat Eggs

 

With science on our side, we can once again enjoy the wonderfully nutritious egg. Along with milk, eggs contain the highest biological value (or gold standard) for protein. One egg has only 75 calories but 7 grams of high-quality protein, 5 grams of fat, and 1.6 grams of saturated fat, along with iron, vitamins, minerals, and carotenoids.

 

ContiThe egg is a powerhouse of disease-fighting nutrients like lutein and zeaxanthin. These carotenoids may reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in older adults. And brain development and memory may be enhanced by the choline content of eggs.

 

But the full health benefits of eggs can only be realized if you store them properly -- in the refrigerator -- and cook them thoroughly to kill any potential bacteria. As a child, I loved my father's eggnogs, made with fresh, raw eggs blended with milk, vanilla and ice. These delicious treats are no longer considered a good option -- unless pasteurized eggs are used in place of the raw eggs.

 

Creating Designer Eggs

 

Not all eggs are created equally. Manufacturers and chicken farmers have taken steps to enhance eggs' nutritional properties, spawning an entire industry devoted to improving the dietary quality of the egg.

 

"Designer" eggs may come from chickens that are allowed to roam freely (free range) or whose feed is supplemented with omega-3 fatty acids. Hens given feed that is free of animal products produce vegetarian eggs, while those given all-organic feed produce organic eggs.

 

Some chicken feed is enriched with canola oil, bran, kelp, flaxseed, marine algae, fish oil, or vitamin E to increase the eggs' healthy omega-3 fatty acid content. Certain types of feed are designed to reduce the saturated and total fat content of the egg yolk. Marigold extract has been used to increase the lutein content of eggs.

 

Beyond nutrition, other specialty eggs use a pasteurization process that heats the egg just enough to kill bacteria without affecting the texture of the raw product.

 

Keep in mind that, with designer eggs, you generally get designer prices. The good news is that if you prefer organic, vegetarian, or nutrient-enriched eggs, they are widely available on the market. When choosing eggs, check the label and contrast the nutritional content of designer eggs to the profile of the generic egg, which is 213 mg cholesterol, 1.6 g saturated fat, 1 IU vitamin E, and 35-40 mg omega-3s.

 

A Satisfying Source of Protein

 

Another good reason to eat eggs is that they help keep you feeling full. An egg, a few slices of whole-grain toast, and half a grapefruit is a low-calorie breakfast that will keep you satisfied until lunch. As you face the challenge of losing weight, it's important to eat foods that are naturally nutrient-rich and stave off hunger between meals. The egg is an "eggcellent" example.

 

Eggs are easy to eat, well-tolerated by young and old, adaptable to any meal, and inexpensive. Whether you prefer designer or generic eggs, manage your egg intake over the course of a week. On days when you enjoy eggs for breakfast, it's wise to limit foods high in cholesterol and saturated fat for the rest of the day.

 

Of course, it's a good idea to know your blood cholesterol level and talk with your physician about the cholesterol and saturated fat content of your eating plan. People with high cholesterol levels should follow their doctor's advice about eating eggs.

 

By Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD
WebMD Weight Loss Clinic - Expert Column

Healthy Eating Tip 1

Set yourself up for success

 

To set yourself up for success, think about planning a healthy diet as a number of small, manageable steps rather than one big drastic change. If you approach the changes gradually and with commitment, you will have a healthy diet sooner than you think.

 

Simplify.

Instead of being overly concerned with counting calories or measuring portion sizes, think of your diet in terms of color, variety, and freshness. This way it should be easier to make healthy choices. Focus on finding foods you love and easy recipes that incorporate a few fresh ingredients. Gradually, your diet will become healthier and more delicious.

Start slow and make changes to your eating habits over time.

Trying to make your diet healthy overnight isn’t realistic or smart. Changing everything at once usually leads to cheating or giving up on your new eating plan. Make small steps, like adding a salad (full of different color vegetables) to your diet once a day or switching from butter to olive oil when cooking. As your small changes become habit, you can continue to add more healthy choices to your diet.

Every change you make to improve your diet matters.

You don’t have to be perfect and you don’t have to completely eliminate foods you enjoy to have a healthy diet. The long term goal is to feel good, have more energy, and reduce the risk of cancer and disease. Don’t let your missteps derail you—every healthy food choice you make counts.

Think of water and exercise as food groups in your diet.

Water helps flush our systems of waste products and toxins, yet many people go through life dehydrated—causing tiredness, low energy, and headaches. It’s common to mistake thirst for hunger, so staying well hydrated will also help you make healthier food choices.

Exercise.

Find something active that you like to do and add it to your day, just like you would add healthy greens, blueberries, or salmon. The benefits of lifelong exercise are abundant and regular exercise may even motivate you to make healthy food choices a habit.

Healthy Eating

Easy Tips for Planning a Healthy Diet & Sticking to It

 

Healthy eating is not about strict nutrition philosophies, staying unrealistically thin, or depriving yourself of the foods you love. Rather, it’s about feeling great, having more energy, stabilizing your mood, and keeping yourself as healthy as possible—all of which can be achieved by learning some nutrition basics and using them in a way that works for you. You can expand your range of healthy food choices and learn how to plan ahead to create and maintain a tasty, healthy diet.

Healthy eating tip 1: Set yourself up for success

Healthy eating tip 2: Moderation is key

Healthy eating tip 3: It's not just what you eat, it's how you eat

Healthy eating tip 4: Fill up on colorful fruits and vegetables

Healthy eating tip 5: Eat more healthy carbs and whole grains

Healthy eating tip 6: Enjoy healthy fats & avoid unhealthy fats

Healthy eating tip 7: Put protein in perspective

Healthy eating tip 8: Add calcium for strong bones

Healthy eating tip 9: Limit sugar and salt

Video game helps elderly keep their minds sharp

A video game shows the brain is more ‘plastic’, or versatile, in healthy ageing people than thought.

 

A VIDEO game can help elderly people fight cognitive decline, scientists reported in the journal Nature on Wednesday.

 

The novel game shows the brain is more “plastic,” or versatile, in healthy ageing people than thought, which opens up new paths for warding off mental decay, its inventors said.

 

Devised by researchers at the University of California at San Francisco, NeuroRacer requires participants to race a car around a winding road while a series of road signs pop up.

 

Drivers are told to keep alert for a specific kind of road sign, and to press a button when it appears.

The point is to encourage multitasking, an ability that typically goes into dramatic decline as we age.

 

The investigators recruited volunteers aged 60-85 years old and trained them on a laptop for 12 hours, spread over a month.

 

Rather basic in looks, the 3D game had hidden complexities, pushing participants to go further once they had mastered a skill.

 

By the end of their training, the group were as good at the game as people in their 20s who were playing it for the first time. Six months later the skills of the elderly participants were just as good.

 

The improvement not only boosted the ability to cope with several tasks at the same time. It also enhanced working memory and sustained attention.

 

“The finding is a powerful example of how plastic the older brain is,” said Adam Gazzaley, an associate professor of neurology at the university.

 

While they trained on the game, the participants wore caps with sensors that measured activity in various parts of the brain.

 

The intriguing picture that emerged was a boost in a key electrical signature in the pre-frontal cortex, and its linkage to the brain’s frontal and posterior regions.

 

As the older participants got better and better at the game, this cerebral network strengthened, adding to evidence that they able to focus on a multiple task for longer.

 

Asked to comment, Emil Toescu, an experimental neurologist at Britain’s University of Birmingham, said the work showed important differences with past research.

 

“We have known for some time that ‘you can teach an old dog new tricks’, as the brain can learn and improve,” Toescu told the Science Media Centre in London.

 

“The main problem is that the improved cognitive performance is specific to the one repeated task – you can end up with specialist elders who are great at number-crunching or word recognition but don’t have a significant improvement in their daily life cognitive performance.”

 

This is where the new experiments are interesting, he said.

 

“(It) shows that if you multitask during a specific training routine, it improves performance with more than just that single task. The improvement is transferred to other cognitive domains.”

Gazzaley has co-founded a company that is developing the next generation of the game, the university said in a press release.

 

 – AFP Relaxnews

7 Steps To A Healthier Heart

Foods You Think Are Healthy

7 Foods That Aren't as Healthy as You Think

When your family bites into a fresh fruit or a steamed vegetable, you know you're serving up something that’s good for them. But beyond that, it's hard to be sure. Even if the package says that a food is healthy or loaded with all kinds of vitamins and minerals, check the label. It may be full of other things your family doesn't need. Some foods, like these seven, may not be as healthy as you think.

Raisin Bran

Even though some kinds can be high in fiber, this whole-grain cereal can be loaded with sugar in part because the raisins often are coated with sugar.

Angela Lemond, RD, a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, suggests making your own because raisins are naturally sweet and store-bought versions often add more raisins that you need.

"It's better to buy plain bran flakes and sprinkle a tablespoon of raisins into your serving," she says.

Many cereals, including raisin bran, are also surprisingly high in salt. "People don't realize it because of the sweet flavor," says Lilian Cheung, DSc, RD, director of health promotion and communication in the Nutrition Department at the Harvard School of Public Health.

Look for cereals that have less than 300 milligrams of sodium and 8 grams (about 2 teaspoons) of sugar per serving.

Better yet, make oatmeal using steel-cut oats. They are a whole grain and have no sodium or sugar that you may find in instant varieties. Add fruit or a teaspoon or two of honey if you like.

Low-Fat Salad Dressing

"Low fat," "reduced fat," and "fat free" processed foods like salad dressings, peanut butter, and snacks like crackers can have added sugar or salt. Why? To make up for a lack of flavor because fats are missing.

You may even gain unhealthy weight eating them. "Sometimes they're actually higher in calories than full-fat versions," Lemond says. Carbohydrates from sugar often take the place of fat in these foods. Your body digests these faster than fats, making you feel hungrier sooner.

Cheung suggests mixing your own salad dressing. Use oils that have healthy fats.

"Don't be afraid of healthy fats," Cheung says. "Olive, canola, safflower, corn, soya bean, and peanut oils are rich in heart-healthy unsaturated fats."

To make your own dressing, mix olive oil and balsamic vinegar or lemon juice. Use it to dress up a salad or roasted vegetables.

Ground Turkey

Ground turkey can be healthy, but some is ground whole turkey, which has more fat than the breast. When shopping, check the label to see that it is ground from either turkey breast or 97% to 99% lean turkey meat.

A surprising alternative? Extra lean ground beef can be healthier even than lean ground turkey. It’s lower in cholesterol.

But extra lean beef can be dry, so it's best for browning and crumbling into foods like tacos and spaghetti sauce. When shopping, look for labels that say 96% lean and less than 2 grams of saturated fat per serving.

Smoothies

Before you order that orange-mango smoothie, check out the nutrition information. Many 12- and 16-ounce fruit smoothies have nearly a 1/4 cup, or 12 teaspoons of sugar. A few have as much as 18 teaspoons. That’s as much sugar as in a milkshake.

How does so much sugar wind up in smoothies? Some of it is from natural sugars found in fruits. But some store-made smoothies are made with a lot of juice, flavored syrups, or even sorbet. That adds sugar and calories without the benefits of fiber that you’d get from a smoothie made with only frozen fruit chunks and ice. The fiber in fruit helps keep you and the kids feeling full.

When your family is craving something fast and fruity, reach for a piece of fruit.

If smoothies are a must every now and then, make them at home to save money and calories. Blend fresh or frozen fruit, ice, plain yogurt, and a teaspoon of honey.

Gluten-Free Foods

People who have celiac disease, a disease where gluten from wheat damages their digestive system, need to follow gluten-free diets to stay in good health. But if you don't have celiac disease, there's no need to go gluten-free.

Experts say many gluten-free foods -- especially processed ones -- are another sugar trap.

"Taking out the gluten removes much of the taste," Lemond says. "Sugar is added to make it taste better."

Eating many gluten-free foods can also mean skimping on some nutrients.

"Removing wheat, rye, oats, or barley often removes the B vitamins, minerals, and fiber," Lemond says. The bottom line: Don't go gluten-free for your health unless you can't digest wheat, barley, or other grains. Your doctor can test your or family members for celiac disease.

If you have celiac disease, see a registered dietitian to make sure you eat a balanced diet. If you don’t need to go gluten-free, remember whole grains are better than refined. Read ingredients lists. Buy breads, pastas, or crackers that list a whole grain first.

Sports Drinks

Kids and parents sometimes think sports drinks are “healthy” because they see famous athletes on TV drinking them. But unless you or your kids are exercising very hard for an hour or more, you don't need a sports drink. You'll be fine just drinking water.

Why skip them? In addition to electrolytes like salts and minerals, sports drinks also have sugar added. Why drink those empty calories you and your family worked so hard to burn?

A single serving of a sports drink or vitamin water may have about 3 teaspoons of sugar. But people don't usually drink one serving.

"Most bottles contain nutrition information for one serving only, but the bottle itself often contains 2 or more servings," Cheung says. "So you have to do the math to find out how much sugar you’re really drinking."

For an average 20-ounce bottle, that's 32 grams or more of sugar.

Flavored Yogurt and Granola

If that's your ideal breakfast, you may just need to tweak it a bit. Both store-bought granola and flavored yogurt (even reduced fat) are high in unhealthy added sugar.

Serve your family reduced-fat, plain yogurt instead. For flavor and texture, add fresh fruit and sprinkle it with oats, walnuts, flaxseeds, or chia seeds.

If you're set on store-bought granola, read the label. Sugar should not be among the first few ingredients.

WebMD Feature By Camille Peri
Reviewed By Hansa D. Bhargava, MD

Benefits Of Cucumbers

The Bottled Water Myth

Rethinking Bottled Water.  How to be green on a budget.

Over the past decade, bottled water has become an ever-present part of American life. You’ll find bottles of Dasani, Poland Spring, Evian, or Aquafina at the gym, in the checkout line at the grocery store, in the office.

Sales of bottled water nearly doubled between 1997 and 2007, reaching about $11.5 billion. In 2007, Americans drank 29 gallons of water per capita.

But that’s begun to change. From a peak in 2007, bottled water consumption dropped in 2008, down by 3.8% from the previous year. Recently, cities, schools, natural food stores, and restaurants have begun to “buy local” -- offering tap water rather than bottled -- for environmental and economic reasons. For example, many of the mayors at a meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors voted to phase out the use of bottled water. And more and more individual consumers are following suit.

Picking up a bottle of water at the supermarket or the gym is quick and easy, but it has its costs.

· Bottled water is expensive. Depending on where you live, you’ll pay between $1 and $2 for the average 16-ounce bottle. (That’s between 240 and 10,000 times the cost of tap or filtered water.)

· Bottled water is hard on the environment. Even though about 23% of plastic water bottles are recycled, that still leaves about 2 million tons of bottles pouring into landfills every year.

· Bottled water isn’t necessarily purer than tap water. An investigation by the Environmental Working Group found chemical contaminants in every brand tested -- including disinfection byproducts, fertilizer residue, and pain medication.

What’s Really in Bottled Water? 
In a lot of cases, bottled water is just tap water. The EWG report found that at least two distributors (Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club) were basically bottling and selling tap water, while many other major brands, including Dasani and Aquafina, distill or purify tap water for their product. If your bottle doesn’t say “spring water” on it, chances are the water came from a municipal water source.

In most cases, you really don’t need to buy bottled water. Municipal tap water is almost always safe to drink, experts say.

“It’s often a question of palatability -- a lot of municipal water has some residual chlorine taste,” says Craig Mains, an engineering scientist at the National Environmental Services Center at West Virginia University. “But there’s a lot you can do to improve the taste and quality of your tap water.”

· Refrigerate. “Just putting a pitcher of water in the fridge for awhile will remove the chlorine taste that bothers many people,” Mains says.

· Boil. If you’re worried about contaminants in your water, boiling the water is an inexpensive way to remove microbes.

· Filter. There are many types of water filters available. You can buy water pitchers with built-in filters or filters to attach to your faucet. These are inexpensive options, ranging from $20 to about $60. Many refrigerators also come with filters for their water dispensers. Water filters can also make tap water safer for small children and people with compromised immune systems.

· Mega-filter. You can buy a whole-house reverse osmosis filtration system from a company like Culligan for about $1,000, plus a monthly service cost that includes filter replacement. Culligan claims that this works out to about six cents per gallon of filtered water.

Enjoy Bottled Water the Green Way

If you still love your bottled water, how can you make it more economical and environmentally friendly?

· Buy a dispenser and have large 5-gallon jugs delivered to your office or home. The company picks up and drops off the jugs, so there’s no recycling problem. Although it’s still more expensive than tap water, bottled water is much cheaper bought in large quantities.

· Get a reusable sports bottle (the metal ones made by companies like Thermos and Klean Kanteen cost between $10 and $20), and fill it with water from your home dispenser to use on the go.

· Recycle your bottles. “Plastic water bottles are every bit as recyclable as your newspaper, but many people don’t remember,” says Jim Karrh, formerly the chief marketing officer for Mountain Valley Spring Company. “The benefit of bottled water is portability, and when you’re out at the park or driving around, where do you recycle that bottle?” Instead of tossing it in the trash, hold on to your bottle until you get home or to a recycling bin.

By Gina Shaw (WebMD Feature)
Reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD