Health And Medical Tips

Even if you avoid the brightly colored boxes of sugarcoated kids' cereals, you may not be picking the healthiest breakfast options. Sugars, calories and fats can be hidden in many cereals - including those that are marketed as "healthy." Consider the following when choosing cereals:

Sugars: Choose varieties with eight grams of sugar or less per serving. Be aware that cereals with dried fruits provide additional sugar that can quickly add up. Instead of dried fruit, add fresh, whole fruit to your cereal.

Fiber: Aim for at least three grams of fiber per serving. The words whole grain and whole wheat are not always good indicators that fiber content will be substantial, especially if they appear as flour on the ingredient panel. Some healthful choices are steel-cut oats, bran and wheat germ cereals, and whole grain cereals with actual bits of grain and no added sugars.

One of the dark, leafy greens that nutritionists frequently recommend, Swiss chard is similar to spinach, kale and collard greens. Tall and leafy with a crunchy stalk, chard is slightly salty and a tad bitter, and works well with fish and vegetable dishes. But what makes chard so compelling is its nutritional profile:

It is an excellent source of vitamins A, K, C, E, magnesium, manganese, potassium, and iron.

Its combination of nutrients, phytonutrients and fiber help to prevent digestive-tract cancers, including colon cancer

It is a good source of osteocalin, necessary for bone health

Developing healthier eating habits, losing weight if necessary, and avoiding foods that increase symptoms of GERD may make heartburn less likely to occur. Take your spouse or partner along with you when you go to discuss diet habits with your doctor. It will be easier to make changes in your diet if your family understands what you need to do and why.

Changes you should make include avoiding alcohol and coffee and eating smaller, more frequent meals. If you are overweight, lose weight. Being overweight puts additional pressure on your stomach and increases the likelihood of heartburn occurring. Even losing a few pounds can help.

In order to live actively and vitally, you must be able to efficiently squat or bend to pick up objects, as well as push, press and pull things in the world around you. Resistance training is a great way to keep your physical independence, promote healthy bone mass, and tone up muscles. One technique I recommend is Pilates. It emphasizes correct posture and makes use of stretching as well as working muscles against resistance. You can opt for classes, or work your muscles at home with resistance bands - a low-cost way to achieve similar results.

If getting enough deep, restful sleep has become more of a dream than reality, consider Valerian (Valeriana officinalis). This herb is a safe and effective sleep aid which can help relieve insomnia. It is available in tincture, extract, or capsule form - use one teaspoon of the tincture in a quarter cup of water, or take one or two capsules at bedtime. Look for valerian products standardized to 1 percent valerenic acid. When used appropriately, valerian has no known side effects, but it is best used only on an occasional basis to maintain its efficacy.

You can help preserve mental function and protect against dementia and Alzheimer's disease with simple lifestyle and dietary changes, including getting regular exercise and eating an anti-inflammatory diet. In addition, consider these supplements:

Daily multivitamin. A good multivitamin can provide optimal levels of folic acid and other B vitamins, compounds which help lower blood levels of homocysteine, a toxic amino acid linked to increased risks of Alzheimer's disease.

Ginkgo. Extracts of ginkgo tree leaves increase blood flow to the brain and have been shown to slow the progression of dementia in early onset Alzheimer's disease.

As men and women age, they can experience a loss of bone mass as well as normal wear and tear on the joints. Small preventive measures can help to protect joints and keep bones strong - consider the following supplements:

Calcium. People who don't get enough calcium may lose bone mass faster and fracture bones more easily. Taking half as much magnesium with supplemental calcium will help offset any constipating effects. I recommend women supplement with 500 to 700 mg of calcium citrate in two divided doses taken with meals for a total of 1,000-1,200 mg from all sources (including diet); most men do not need calcium supplements, but should instead get 500-600 mg per day through diet.

Whether your goal is to lower your sodium intake for the health of your heart, or to avoid fluid retention, simple steps can help you bypass sodium overload without missing too much flavor. The U.S. Dietary Guidelines for daily sodium intake are 2,300 mg for adults under 50; 1,500 mg for adults between 50 and 70; and 1,200 for those over the age of 70. Americans typically consume from three to five times these amounts daily.

Shun the table salt (which has 2,300 mg of sodium in one teaspoon) and try the following steps to help keep your levels within range:

Use sea salt or kosher salt for cooking. Sea salt has more minerals and adheres better to food than table salt (its robust flavor means you can use less) and kosher salt has 25 percent less sodium than table salt.