Stay in the light

If the shorter daylight hours of automn and winter send your mood into a tailspin, consider stepping into the light. Studies show that light therapy is an effective treatment for seasonal affective disorder, a depressive disorder that some people experience during the darker days of winter. In one study, just 30 minutes of bright light therapy per day for five consecutive days was enough to alleviate depression in half the participants.

Panning for vitamin C

Do you want to get as much vitamin C from your frozen veggies as possible? Use a stainless steel pan when you heat them. Cooking vegetables usually results in at least some destruction of vitamin C.

However, one study revealed that vegetables that were boiled in a stainless steel pan retained more of their vitamin C than vegetables that were boiled in a non-stick pan or a glass dish on the stove top.

Almonds a joy for the heart

Which snack is more likely to help lower your cholesterol: a handful of almonds or a whole-wheat muffin? Research points to the almonds. A recent study showed people who ate a handful of almonds (about 2 ounces) every day for a month experienced nearly a 10% reduction in their LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. People who ate a whole-wheat muffin every day experienced a reduction in the LDL (bad) cholesterol, but not to the same degree as with almonds.

Hidden fat

To fight hidden pockets of fat, be sure to get your heart rate up when you exercise. As people age, many tend to develop intra-abdominal fat, a dangerous kind of fat that slowly encases organs and is difficult to see externally. However, recent research shows that exercise that gets the heart rate up, such as brisk walking on most days of the week, can significantly reduce a person's intra-abdominal fat.

The perfect night's sleep

Making sure that you get the perfect amount of sleep may help keep you young. In a study of women, those who got too little or too much sleep where most likely to develop heart disease compared to those who got an appropriate amount of sleep. Aim for about 8 hours of sleep each night.

Cinnamon to the rescue

You can minimize the "bad bacteria" in your food by mixing in a little cinnamon. In laboratory tests, cinnamon proved to be a potent neutalizer of "bad bacteria", particularly of common food - borne bacteria such as E. coli. Sprinkle cinammon on your fruit salads, mix cinnamon into ground meat mixtures, or add cinnamon to your vegetable curries.

Squash the risk of stroke

Protect yourself from one of the leading causes of death and disability by adding potassium-rich squash to soups and side dishes. Potassium-rich foods may be an important part of stroke prevention, according to research. In one study, people with the lowest blood levels of potassium had the highest risk of stroke.

One cup of cubed acorn squash has almost 900 milligrams of potassium. Pureed squash makes a hearty addition to soups. Or, add cubed squash to stir-fry dishes.

By courtesy of Sheila Waters, Nutritional Consultant & Manager
Sangster's Health Centres
418-500 Country Hills Blvd NE, Calgary - Canada
Phone: (403)226-5910 Fax: (403)226-5912 www.sangsters.com

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