Be safe when using OTC drugs

There are hundreds of drugs sold over the counter today which required a physician’s prescription less than 20 years ago. They help us take charge of our health, but we need to be cautious about what we’re taking. That’s when you need to rely on your pharmacist for more information.
Continue reading →

1. Add more plant foods – fresh fruit, vegetables and whole grains – to boost your protection against disease. (Read “Strive for 5″ at right).
2. Choose dark green salad leaves – the darker, the more nutritious.
3. Add beans – high in fiber and protein – to soups, salads, etc.
4. If you add mayonnaise, salad dressings, sour cream and other high-fat condiments, use very small amounts; or choose reduced-fat options.
5. In place of butter or margarine in cooking, use olive or canola oils – these contain more monounsaturated fats than saturated.
6. Eat fewer processed, packaged foods such as crackers and cookies, which contain “hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated” oils (or trans fatty acids).
7. Cook at home more – it’s the best way to control nutrition.
8. Keep healthy snacks on hand: flavored rice cakes, low-fat yogurt, whole-grain cereal, veggie sticks with salsa, and fresh fruit.
9. Avoid charring grilled foods. Remove visible fat before cooking to minimize flare-ups and the formation of potential carcinogens (cancer-causing substances).
10. When food shopping use the food labels to make smart choices. Check the serving size first to learn the calorie and nutrient amounts.
11. Eat three square a day: Never skip your breakfast boost. Eat a protein-rich lunch to keep you going. At night, eat light.
12. Order restaurant food prepared the way you want it. For example, broiled fish instead of fried, and pizza with half the cheese. Most eateries will accommodate you.
13. If you’re trying to control your weight, don’t deprive yourself. You can still eat your high-calorie favorites – just eat them less often and in smaller portions.
14. Above all, enjoy food for its wonderful variety of flavors, textures, colors and nutritional qualities.
15. Make a free phone call to the American Dietetic Association’s Consumer Nutrition Hotline – 800-366-1655 – to talk to a dietitian, or access nutrition information.
Source: American Institute for Cancer Research

Fruits & Vegetables
STRIVE for FIVE!
(a day, that is)

You want nutritional magic? Feast on fruits and vegetables every day. Many studies show the more plant foods people eat, the more protected they are from cancer and heart disease. Get serious about five a day…

BREAKFAST
Add sliced bananas or berries to your cereal.
Have a wedge of melon.
Include fruit in your pancake batter.
Blend fruit, yogurt and juice into a creamy shake.
Have a glass of 100% fruit juice.

LUNCH
Pack your sandwiches with tomato, cucumber,
mushrooms, peppers, spinach, sprouts, etc.
Have a salad or vegetable soup.
Add sliced veggies or fresh fruit to every lunch.

SNACK
Have a glass of vegetable juice.
Dip sliced veggies in salsa.
Spread apple or banana slices with a thin layer of peanut butter.
Add sliced fruit or berries to yogurt.
Keep fresh cut veggies in water in the refrigerator.

DINNER
Stir-fry vegetables for a fast, nutritious topping for rice or pasta.
Add pineapple, mango or pear to stir-fried
dishes for a delicious change of pace.
Add sliced fruit as a garnish for main dishes.
Add sliced veggies to the toppings on your pizza.
Order extra vegetables when dining out.