(HealthDay News) — The American Heart Association recommends reducing saturated fat to no more than 6 percent of total daily calories for people who need to lower “bad” cholesterol. The AHA suggests how to limit saturated fat: Eat more fruit, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, poultry, fish and nuts. Limit red meat. high-fat dairy products, and sugary foods and beverages. Chose unhydrogenated vegetable oils such as canola, sunflower or olive oil. Use soft margarine as a substitute for butter. Look for “0g trans fat” on the nutrition facts label. Doughnuts, cookies, crackers, muffins, pies and cakes are examples of foods high in trans fat. Limit these in your diet. Limit commercially fried foods and baked goods made with shortening or partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
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Kid-Friendly Food Swaps Everyone Will Love
Is the dinner table a battleground at your house? Getting your kids to eat better doesn’t have to cause a fight if you follow these fast and easy strategies to enhance dishes that they already know and love. In some households, veggies and kids just don’t mix. But carrot fries have serious visual appeal plus nutrients, like high levels of vitamin A. They’re a much better choice than fast food fries. Carrot Fries 1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into sticks 2 tablespoons olive oil 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. Toss the carrot sticks in the oil. Transfer to the baking sheet. Sprinkle with the grated Parmesan and bake for about 20 minutes until fork tender. Yield: 4 servings It’s hard to find a kid who doesn’t love chicken nuggets, but getting a picky eater to enjoy fish prepared the same way can be a big stretch. The answer is these crisp and tender white fish nuggets. Fish Nuggets 1 pound tilapia filets, cut into 1-inch chunks 1 cup breadcrumbs 1 tablespoon flax seeds, ground 1 egg Cooking spray Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix breadcrumbs and flax seeds in a pie plate. Whisk the egg in a bowl. Dip each fish chunk into the egg, then… read on >
Will Sugar Substitutes Help You Lose Weight?
The term “sugar substitutes” is a catch-all that covers a wide range of alternatives, starting with those little pink, blue and yellow packets. But their value as a health or diet aid is still uncertain. A research review in the BMJ found that there’s limited evidence to say how much using them helps with weight loss, and that the real answer is to cut back on sugar in general by drinking water and choosing low- and no-sugar foods. Still, sugar substitutes can free up calories you can spend on healthier foods. Here’s what you need to know: Spoonful for spoonful, artificial sweeteners can be 100 times sweeter than sugar, with few or no calories. As food additives, they’re regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and must get approval before they can be marketed. Approved Artificial Sweeteners Saccharin Aspartame Sucralose Neotame Acesulfame potassium Advantame Sugar alcohols are a type of sweetener commonly used in packaged foods. They’re carbohydrates, but the body doesn’t completely absorb them, so they don’t raise blood sugar as much as natural sugars. They’re also lower in calories, but they can have an unwanted laxative-type effect. Common Sugar Alcohols In Packaged Foods Isomalt Maltitol Mannitol Sorbitol Xylitol “Novel” sweeteners are a different kind of product. The most common one is stevia, which is made from a plant. Considered a dietary supplement… read on >
Keep Your Kids Safe From Burns
An average of two children die from burns and more than 300 are treated for such injuries in U.S. emergency departments every day, a burn expert says. Burns are one of the leading causes of death and injury in the United States, and children are particularly vulnerable. Young children are at increased risk for accidental burns because their mental and physical abilities are not fully developed. Also, they have thinner skin layers than adults, which means they suffer deeper burns at lower temperatures and more quickly, the experts explained. “Thirty percent of our burn patients are children,” said Dr. Anthony Baldea. He is medical director at Loyola Burn Center at Loyola University Health System in Illinois. “Most of these burns could have been prevented. While advances in treatments have led to better outcomes, the best strategy is to take simple precautions to prevent burns from occurring in the first place,” Baldea said in a Loyola news release. Loyola’s Burn Center and the American Burn Association offer tips on preventing burns in children. Make sure coffee cups and tea mugs have lids, and never carry hot liquids while holding a child. Never place hot liquids on low coffee tables or end tables that can be reached by young children, and don’t use table cloths or place mats that a child can pull down. Keep clothes irons,… read on >
How to Keep Food Poisoning at Bay
Following the recipe for food safety is a must anytime you’re in the kitchen, and it starts with clean hands, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says. “Always wash your hands with soapy water for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food,” spokeswoman Isabel Maples advised in an academy news release. “Don’t forget to wash your hands after handling raw meat and poultry to avoid spreading germs through the juices.” Wash fruits and vegetables, but don’t wash meat and poultry before cooking. Doing so could spread harmful bacteria to your sink and surrounding kitchen areas, she explained. “Clean your countertops with hot, soapy water. Use paper towels or disinfectant wipes, instead of washcloths or sponges, which can harbor bacteria,” Maples said. Take apart small appliances — such as can openers and blenders — to clean them, then air dry completely before storing, she recommended. “Clean your refrigerator every few weeks to rid it of potentially dangerous residue from raw foods. Rid your refrigerator of leftovers after four days. When in doubt, throw it out,” Maples said. Use a food thermometer when cooking meat — it’s the only real way to know if it’s done, she suggested. “Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the meat, without it touching the bones or the bottom of the pan, to avoid getting a false reading.… read on >
How to Choose the Right Cooking Oils
Oils are one of the most widely used ingredients in cooking and are healthy alternatives to butter and margarine. All cooking oils, including olive, canola and peanut oil, contain 14 grams of total fat per tablespoon, and roughly 120 calories. So measure amounts carefully because even though some fat is essential for good health and these are excellent choices, they’re still high in calories. For high-temperature cooking like stir-fries or when searing meat, use high smoke-point oils like canola, grapeseed and safflower oils. For sauteeing vegetables at medium heat, use extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil, which has gotten popular in recent years. Since baking uses gentle heat, you can go with any oil you like. For cake and brownie recipes, try replacing butter with light olive oil, which has much less saturated fat but is still light in flavor. Though all oils are great for salad dressings, try aromatic nut oils, like walnut oil or hazelnut oil, and seed oils, such as pumpkin seed oil and flaxseed oil, for a flavor twist. Keep them refrigerated to prevent them from going rancid — they’re very delicate. Let them come to room temperature if they thicken in the fridge. Here’s an easy dressing recipe that you can use on any side salad or over cold, chopped vegetables. It works especially well on peppery-flavored watercress. Watercress… read on >
Boosting Your Diet for Exercise
A typical workout doesn’t give you license to eat whatever you want. Even a full hour of vigorous skiing burns just 600 calories — less than the amount in a super-sized fast food sandwich. That’s why it’s important to think of exercise as just one part of a shape-up plan. Exercise works the cardiovascular system and builds muscle, but it takes calorie restriction to also lose weight. Small diet tweaks that you can make when you’re building a healthier body through exercise will maximize your efforts. Here’s what you need to know about nutrition when you work out regularly. You don’t need to fuel up like a marathon runner, but give your body some nourishment about two hours before every workout to make exercise more effective. Have a small meal with healthy carbs and protein, and some fat. If eating two hours in advance doesn’t work with your schedule, aim for a small snack about an hour before your workout. It’s also important to eat a small meal with carbs and protein within two hours after your workout to give your body the nutrients it needs. Keep in mind that “calories in and calories out” is a balancing act that varies from person to person. So whether you’re trying to lose weight or maintain, keep a journal that records the amount of calories you get… read on >
Insurers Making It Harder to Treat Opioid Addiction: Study
Insurance rules that limit access to the addiction treatment medication buprenorphine may be worsening the U.S. opioid epidemic, a new study suggests. “Buprenorphine is a safe and effective treatment that decreases deaths due to opioids and stops heroin and other opioid use. People on buprenorphine are able to get their lives back together,” said study co-author Dr. Todd Korthuis. He’s chief of the addiction medicine section at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) in Portland. “Medicare insurance companies are making it increasingly difficult to prescribe buprenorphine, while making it easy to prescribe opioid pain medications that contributed to the opioid epidemic,” he said in an OHSU news release. For the study, the researchers analyzed Medicare Part D prescription drug plan data and found that the growing use of pre-authorization requirements increasingly limited use of buprenorphine among Medicare beneficiaries between 2007 and 2018. Insurers commonly use pre-authorization requirements to manage or limit access to certain drugs to control costs. In 2007, nearly 90 percent of insurance plans offered buprenophine without restriction, but that number had shrunk to 35 percent by 2018. Over that same period, the proportion of plans that covered prescription opioids (such as OxyContin) with no restrictions ranged from 93 percent to 100 percent. “The reasons for restrictions on buprenorphine might reflect inaccurate perceptions of drug risk, societal norms related to the stigma of… read on >
Health Tip: Treating Dry Eye
(HealthDay News) — Dry eye syndrome occurs when your eyes do not make enough tears. As adults get older, they are more likely to have medical conditions that trigger dry eye, such as autoimmune diseases, diabetes, stroke and thyroid problems, the AARP says. Certain medications also may affect tear glands’ ability to function properly. AARP suggests how to manage your dry eyes. Increase the moisture in your home by using a humidifier. Use sunglasses outside to protect your eyes from the sun and weather. Consider wearing glasses instead of contact lenses. Use over-the-counter eyedrops to increase moisture in your eyes. Keep your eyelids clean.
Romance: Deal Makers & Breakers
A global study about what men and women want in a mate seems to confirm — to a point — long-established stereotypes. Men still go for looks — in general they said their preference is for a partner who is younger and physically attractive. Women said they’d prefer an older partner who’s ambitious and has good financial prospects. The researchers, from the University of Texas at Austin, explained that these responses, which came from 10,000 participants in 33 countries, can probably be traced back to the respective mating challenges men and women faced throughout the course of human evolution. On a more positive note, both sexes do gravitate toward some of the same less superficial traits — a pleasant disposition, good social skills, and similar politics and religious beliefs. Another study with an international team of researchers found that men and women approach relationships in another similar way: They’re both influenced by deal breakers, or perceived negative traits, and deal makers, the traits that they find most appealing. Both sexes process these pros and cons simultaneously when they meet someone new and apply higher standards when considering someone for a long-term relationship. Also, deal breakers have a greater influence on choices than deal makers — it’s easier to be turned off by the negatives than to be turned on by the positives. Deal breakers range… read on >