8 Perfect Stay-Young Foods

By David Zinczenko, with Matt Goulding -

isn't just about weight loss—the nutrients you take in can have a serious effect on how you think, feel, and look! Our bodies and our feelings are nothing more than reflections of the various chemicals flowing through our system on a daily basis. Make sure those chemicals are the healthy kind you get from the right mix of fruits and vegetables, proteins and fats, and you’ll feel healthier, more energetic, and happier than you have in years.

In Eat This, Not That! 2010, we compiled a list of eight foods that can help keep you young. You’re only as young as you feel—so add these eight nutritious powerhouses to your daily diet, and start feeling (and acting and looking) years younger!

EGGS

Benefit: Weight loss

Substitute: Egg Beaters egg substitute

When it comes to breakfast, you can’t beat eggs. (That was too easy, wasn’t it?) Seriously, at a cost of only 72 calories, each large egg holds 6.3 grams of high-quality protein and a powerhouse load of vital nutrients. A study published in the International Journal of Obesity found that people who replace carbs with eggs for breakfast lose weight 65 percent quicker. Researchers in Michigan were able to determine that regular egg eaters enjoyed more vitamins and minerals in their diets than those who ate few or no eggs. By examining surveys from more than 25,000 people, the researchers found that egg eaters are about half as likely to be deficient in vitamin B12, 24 percent less likely to be deficient in vitamin A, and 36 percent less likely to be deficient in vitamin E. And here’s something more shocking: Those who ate at least four eggs a week had significantly lower cholesterol levels than those who ate fewer than one. Turns out, the dietary cholesterol in the yolk has little impact on your serum cholesterol.

Bonus tip: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Choose wisely—avoid the foods on our list of 20 Worst Breakfasts in America.

GREEN TEA

Benefit: Longer lifespan

Substitutes: Yerba mate, white tea, oolong tea, rooibos (red) tea

Literally hundreds of studies have been carried out documenting the health benefits of catechins, the group of antioxidants concentrated in the leaves of tea plants. Among the most startling studies was one published by the American Medical Association in 2006. The study followed more than 40,000 Japanese adults for a decade, and at the 7-year follow-up, those who had been drinking five or more cups of tea per day were 26 percent less likely to die of any cause compared with those who averaged less than a cup. Looking for more-immediate results? Another Japanese study broke participants into two groups, only one of which was put on a catechin-rich green-tea diet. At the end of 12 weeks, the green-tea group had achieved significantly smaller body weights and waistlines than those in the control group. Why? Because researchers believe that catechins are effective atboosting metabolism.

Bonus tip: The average American consumes 400 liquid calories a day. Minimize that impact—avoid the 20 Worst Drinks in America.

GARLIC

Benefit: Cardiovascular strengthening

Substitutes: Onions, chives, leeks

Allicin, an antibacterial and antifungal compound, is the steam engine pushing forward garlic’s myriad health benefits. The chemical is produced by the garlic plant as a defense against pests, but inside your body, it fights cancer, strengthens yourcardiovascular system, decreases fat storage, and fights acneinflammation. To activate the most allicin possible, you have to crush the garlic as finely as you can: Peel the cloves, and then use the side of a heavy chef's knife to crush the garlic before carefully mincing it. Be sure not to overcook it, as too much heat will render the compound completely useless (and your food totally bitter).

Bonus tip: Some foods keep you looking young. Others can quite literally cure what ails you. Check out these super 15 Foods That Cure.

GRAPEFRUIT

Benefit: Weight loss

Substitutes: Oranges, watermelon, tomatoes

Just call it the better-body fruit. In a study of 100 obese people at the Scripps Clinic in California, those who ate half a grapefruit with each meal lost an average of 3.6 pounds over the course of 12 weeks, and some lost as many as 10 pounds. The study’s control group, in contrast, lost a paltry 1/2 pound. But here’s something even better: Those who ate the grapefruit also exhibited a decrease in insulin levels, indicating that their bodies had improved their ability to metabolize sugar. If you can't stomach a grapefruit-a-day regime, try to find as many ways possible to sneak grapefruit into your diet. Even a moderate increase in grapefruit intake should yield results, not to mention earn you a massive dose of lycopene—the cancer-preventing antioxidant found most commonly in tomatoes.

Bonus tip: Eat well and you’ll feel younger and more vibrant. Add exercise to the mix and you’ll practically erase markers of age.

GREEK YOGURT

Benefit: Feeling fuller for longer

Substitutes: Kefir and yogurt with “live and active cultures” printed on the product label

If it’s dessert you want, go with regular yogurt; but if it’s protein, go Greek. What sets the two apart? Greek yogurt is separated from the watery whey that sits on top of regular yogurt, and the process removes excessive sugars, such as lactose, and increases the concentration of protein by as much as three times. That means it fills your belly more like a meal than a snack. Plus a single cup has about a quarter of your day’s calcium, and studies show that dieters on calcium-rich diets have an easier time losing body fat. In one study, participants on a high-calcium dairy diet lost 70 percent more body weight than those on a calorie-restricted diet alone. If only a similar claim could be made of everything you eat.

Bonus tip: Fruit-on-the-bottom yogurt is a classic example of a food that doesn’t deserve its healthy reputation—see what else makes our list of the 30 “Healthy” Foods that Aren’t.

AVOCADO

Benefit: Reduced risk of heart disease

Substitutes: Olive, canola, and peanut oils; peanut butter; tahini

Here’s what often gets lost in America’s fat phobia: Some fats are actually good for you. More than half the calories in each creamy green fruit comes from one of the world’s healthiest fats, a kind called monounsaturates. These fats differ from saturated fats in that they have one double-bonded carbon atom, but that small difference at the molecular level amounts to a dramatic improvement in your health. Numerous studies have shown that monounsaturated fats both improve you cholesterol profile and decrease the amount of triglycerides (more fats) floating around in your blood. This can lower your risk of stroke and heart disease. Worried about weight gain? Don’t be. There’s no causal link between monounsaturated fats and body fat.

BELL PEPPERS

Benefit: Improved immune function

Substitutes: Carrots, sweet potatoes, watermelon

All peppers are loaded with antioxidants, but none so much as the brightly colored reds, yellows, and oranges. These colors result from carotenoids concentrated in the flesh of the peppers, and it’s these same carotenoids that give tomatoes, carrots, and grapefruits their healthy hues. The range of benefits provided by these colorful pigments include improved immune function, better communication between cells, protection against sun damage, and a diminished risk of several types of cancer. And if you can take the heat, try cooking with chili peppers. The bell pepper cousins are still loaded with carotenoids and vitamin C, but have the added benefit of capsaicins, temperature-raising phytochemicals that have been shown to fight headache and arthritis pain as well as boost metabolism.

ALMONDS

Benefit: Improved memory

Substitutes: Walnuts, pecans, peanuts, sesame seeds, flaxseeds

An ounce of almonds—or about 23 nuts—a day provides nearly 9 grams of heart-healthy oleic acid; that’s more than the amounts found in peanuts, walnuts, or cashews. This monounsaturated fat is known to be responsible for a flurry of health benefits, the most recently discovered of which is improved memory. Rats in California were better able to navigate a maze the second time around if they’d been fed oleic acid, and there’s no reason to assume that the same treatment won’t help you navigate your day-to-day life. If nothing else, snacking on the brittle nuts will take your mind offyour hunger. Nearly a quarter of an almond’s calories come from belly-filling fiber and protein. That’s why, when researchers at Purdue fed study participants nuts or rice cakes, those who ate the nuts felt full for an hour and a half longer than the rice cake group did.

Bonus Tip: Before you go out to eat, grab a handful of almonds; it could help keep your hunger at bay.

H1N1 flu (swine flu): Can you catch it twice?

H1N1 flu (swine flu) can't reinfect you, but it's not the only flu in town.

From MayoClinic.com

No name / No state givenQ: My children are just getting over the swine flu (H1N1), and I may have picked it up. If I get sick, is there a chance the kids will catch swine flu a second time, from me?

After being infected with the 2009 swine flu virus, your children can't catch the same virus again — not from you, not from anyone else. All flu viruses are that way. Once you're exposed to a flu virus, your immune system develops antibodies and memory cells unique to that virus. Your body can then defend itself if you're exposed to the virus again. This system of defense is known as acquired immunity. You also acquire immunity to flu viruses when you get a flu shot or take the nasal flu vaccine.

If having the flu or getting vaccinated gives you immunity, why is the 2009 swine flu (H1N1) virus such a problem? And why get a seasonal flu shot every year?

The short answer: Flu viruses rearrange their DNA all the time; it's how they survive. So, while your children are now immune to influenza caused by the 2009 swine flu virus, other flu viruses can still make them sick, as can many noninfluenza viruses, including those that cause colds and pneumonia.

What you're coming down with is most likely an infection with the same virus your kids had, and most flu-like illness these days is caused by the H1N1 virus. But on the off chance that you have a viral infection your children aren't immune to, it's still wise for everyone in your home to wash their hands often and cover their coughs and sneezes. You don't have to isolate yourself from the rest of the family, but give them some distance until you're well again.

Flu Shots While Pregnant?

Protecting yourself and your fetus from viruses.

By Howard LeWine, M.D., Harvard Health Publications

Pregnant women and those who expect to become pregnant are being urged to get flu shots, especially the vaccine for H1N1 (swine) flu. But that’s not always a simple decision for a woman once she knows she is pregnant. For most, protecting the health of the fetus is their No. 1 concern. This means many of them won't take a medicine or have a medical procedure unless they know that it is absolutely safe for the baby.

A vaccine against the novel H1N1 flu virus is being shipped and has arrived in many states. Its rapid development and production is a terrific achievement. The vaccine will help to protect against the virus commonly called swine flu.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that pregnant women should get the vaccine. In fact, they are on the priority list to get the vaccine first.

Pregnancy puts women at increased risk of getting serious health problems if they get seasonal flu. We don't completely understand why this happens. The risk is even higher if they get infected with the H1N1 flu virus. It can even be life-threatening.

This risk probably is higher than usual because most pregnant women have not been exposed to flu strains similar to the new H1N1 virus. So they don't have any natural immunity. Older people, especially those over age 60, do seem to have some natural immunity. This is one of the reasons younger people have a higher priority to get the vaccine.

It is understandable that pregnant women are anxious about choosing to get the swine flu vaccine. The vaccine is too new to give pregnant women assurance that it is 100 percent safe. But the safety of the H1N1 flu shot should be equal to the well established safety of previous flu shots. The swine flu shot, similar to the seasonal flu shot, is made from purified killed virus. There is no chance that you or your baby can get an infection from the vaccine.

Pregnant women should get the H1N1 flu shot and the seasonal flu shot for several reasons:

• They can protect infants who cannot receive vaccination. The mother can pass protective antibodies to her fetus. They may help protect the baby after it's born.
• If you do get the flu, you have a higher than average risk of getting pneumonia. Pneumonia lowers your blood oxygen level. This means your fetus may not receive the oxygen needed for normal development.
• Having the flu in pregnancy increases your risk of a miscarriage or giving birth too early.
• Women who have a fever during early pregnancy are more likely to deliver a baby with a neural tube defect, such as spina bifida.
  

Some people are concerned about thimerosal, a preservative used in many vaccines. The safety of thimerosal has been extensively studied. There is no scientific evidence of any bad effects on babies when mothers get shots containing this preservative.

Pregnant women have an understandable reluctance to getting a shot that has not had thorough testing. Certainly more testing would make all of us feel more secure about its safety. But in balance, I believe the risks of not having the shot are greater than the unlikely, but remotely possible, side effects that have not been seen so far.

From: MSN Health

Your Swine Flu To-Do (and Don’t Do) List

by Theresa Tamkins

Health.com

Swine flu vaccines are rolling out this month—finally. Health-care workers in Indiana and Tennessee were the first to get the nose-spray version, while New Yorkers clamoring for the H1N1 vaccine finally had their chance too.

However, the onslaught of information about H1N1—be it playground rumors, employer signs telling you to cover your cough, memos from your kids’ school, or scary-sounding news reports—is making it pretty hard to figure out what you should be doing right now.

Although some people have already been vaccinated, it could be weeks—depending on your age and risk factors—before you even get a chance at the shot (or spray). So now what?

Sometimes it feels like you have two choices:

Wring your hands endlessly about something over which you have no control.

Tune out the static and pretend this is all just a horrible dream. (Call it the ignore-the-whole-sorry-mess-until-my-neighbor-is-sick approach.)

Well, guess what? There are a few things you should—and should not—be doing at the moment. Here’s your guide.

Look up local flu outbreaks

If you’re getting most of your news from the Internet—and about 40% of people say they do—you may not be up on H1N1 activity in your community. Take the time to check local flu activity on the online version of your local newspaper (remember those?) or health department. Try FluTrends, which is produced by Rhiza Labs, and includes past cases and current activity, or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) weekly flu update.

If your city or state is a bit of a hot spot, you may need to focus on some of these to-do points sooner than others. The good news is that some of the hardest hit areas in spring—like New York—don’t seem to have that many H1N1 cases at the moment. (Experts estimate that up to 1 million New Yorkers may have had H1N1 in the spring, which would protect against subsequent infections.)

Don’t panic

For most people, an H1N1 infection is generally mild and can be cured with time, bed rest, and fluids. The virus is serious, though—particularly for those in high-risk groups. So far this year, 28 pregnant women have died of H1N1, as have 76 children. “At least two-thirds of [the children] had underlying conditions, which we recognize as putting them at increased risk for complications,” says Nathan Litman, MD, the chief of pediatric infectious diseases at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, in New York City. High-risk people, whether adults or children, tend to have chronic heart or lung conditions (including asthma), weakened immune systems due to disease or chemotherapy treatment, or diabetes.

That said, H1N1 will feel like seasonal flu for most people. “I’d say at the present time the swine flu looks no more serious than the routine seasonal influenza,” says Dr. Litman.

Stay home

Are you sick right now? Say, with flu-like symptoms such as fever, aches, stuffy nose, and chills? Sorry, but it’s quite possible you already have swine flu. Experts say that flu activity is higher-than-normal for this time of year and almost all of it is due to H1N1. If you (or your child) are not in a high-risk group, it’s best to stay put.

If a child is 2 or older "and has no risk factors for complications and has fever, runny nose, or cough, the best thing to do is to stay home,” says Dr. Litman. “Plenty of fluids, Tylenol, Motrin, or Advil for fever, and it should run its course on its own.”

If a child has difficulty breathing, is unable to take fluids, or starts to be less responsive, or after appearing to recover from the influenza develops a fever and starts coughing again, then see a doctor.

If you are pregnant and have flu symptoms, it might be best to call your doctor before going in to see him or her, says Dr. Litman.

“They may want to set up a separate location to be seen or separate times to see sick patients,” he says. “You don’t want the pregnant woman with influenza who is coughing and sneezing to go into the room with pregnant women who are well and just there to get routine prenatal care.”

Understand the risks

While the symptoms of H1N1 may be no different from seasonal flu, there are some key differences. H1NI may be easier to catch than regular flu, and younger people may be more likely to come down with it than older people. “From what I’ve seen, I actually believe it to be more contagious,” says Dr. Litman. Often with the seasonal flu that’s circulating, a percentage of the population has some immunity to it. With H1N1, it looks like most people—other than the elderly—have no immunity to it, and that may be why it appears more contagious, he says.

People who are older than 60 may have been exposed to a swine-flu-like virus in the distant past, which is giving them an edge with this pandemic. That’s not to say they can’t get sick, but “many of them appear to have immunity from a prior infection with a similar virus or cross reactions with a similar virus that help protect them against the swine flu,” says Dr. Litman.

Get a seasonal flu shot

The regular seasonal flu shots are available now, and it makes sense to “get the jab” (as the Brits say). While most flu cases happening right now are caused by H1N1, “in two months or three months it may be the regular seasonal flu and we should be prepared for that,” says Dr. Litman. “Since that vaccine is currently available, I recommend that everyone considered a risk group receive the seasonal flu vaccine.” Seasonal flu can be just as dangerous as H1N1; about 36,000 people die, including about 80 children, of seasonal flu every year.

Get a pneumonia vaccine

What, another shot? For the vaccine wary, this might just feel like one too many pinpricks. However, the pneumonia vaccine, a shot that can help prevent any illness caused by certain types of pneumococcus bacteria, including meningitis and ear infections, may be a good idea too.

The CDC has analyzed H1N1-related deaths and found many people who died had dual infections, including some with pneumococcus. The good news is that if you’re up-to-date on your child’s vaccines, they probably already have it. Approved in 2001 and called Prevnar, it’s routinely given to children.

Another vaccine, Pneumovax, is available for adults, and is recommended for the elderly and those at high risk of infections.

Wash your hands

Just about every expert is chanting a “wash your hands” mantra. And, in fact, washing your hands with soap and water or using an alcohol rub can help. However, when it comes to flu, just keep in mind that hand-washing may fall into the “can’t hurt and may help” category.

Because flu virus can hitch a ride on airborne water droplets, you can inhale the virus and get sick even if you wear gloves 24-7 or scrub-in like a brain surgeon. But again, flu viruses can live on surfaces for up to 48 hours. So, yes, wash up. Plus, good hygiene can protect you from other germs, like pneumococcus, which could make a simple case of flu much worse when added into the mix.

Don’t stock up on face masks or Tamiflu. If you’re the type of person who hoarded cans of soup and bottled water in 1999 just in case the world ended in 2000, it can be tempting to grab a box of surgical masks “just in case.” The CDC and most experts say that’s not a recommended—or a proven way—to prevent infection, although some studies suggest that they can be helpful in homes with a flu-infected family member or when used by hospital workers in place of a N95 respirator.

And while it may seem perfectly harmless to stockpile antiviral drugs, it isn’t. If Tamiflu is gathering dust in your medicine cabinet, then people who truly need it may find the pharmacies are fresh out. And the surest route to a drug-resistant flu virus is having people taking it “just in case” or for symptoms that would go away on their own.

Get a swine flu vaccine—really

Or at least seriously consider it. Lots of people are not crazy about vaccines in general, and fully one-third of parents say they’re going to skip them for their child, according to an AP poll. Understandable. Taking something that could cause side effects, when you feel (or your child feels) perfectly healthy is tough. But keep in mind that if you’re thinking about waiting until swine flu is in full force in your community, it may be too late. It can take several weeks after vaccination before your immune system ramps up to full-protection mode.

If you or your child is perfectly healthy, you can get the nose-spray version, which contains a weakened, but not killed, virus. Unfortunately, if you’re in a high-risk group, you may have to wait a bit for the version with killed virus, which is given in shot form. Those should be available in mid- to late-October.

While mulling over your options, try not to think of large federal agencies as faceless giants trying to impose vaccines on you. In fact, such agencies are staffed by scientists and doctors who are trying to protect the public.

“Each year approximately 30% to 40% of children between 5 and 19 years of age get influenza, that not only keeps them out of school for a few days, but they are also the epicenter of the epidemic—they spread it to household contacts, other school contacts, and high-risk people in the community, like the elderly—their grandparents,” says Dr. Litman. “For their benefit and for the benefit of others, it’s wise to get both the seasonal flu vaccine and swine flu vaccine.”

Don’t let the past haunt you

Although the 2009 virus has been tagged with the unfortunate moniker swine flu (just like the 1976 version), there is a world of difference between the two. For one, they are different viruses. And if you were alive in 1976, you were probably digging the bicentennial, groovy pants, and platform shoes, but your chances of getting swine flu were pretty much nil. (There were roughly 200 cases in Fort Dix, N.J., and the virus never spread.)

Fast forward to 2009, which is truly a pandemic—there have been more than 340,000 confirmed cases worldwide and nearly 44,000 confirmed and probable cases in the U.S. alone. (The CDC estimates that more than 1 million people have contracted swine flu, but that their cases weren’t recorded because they didn’t seek treatment.) And the ’76 version did have a problem with side effects, including Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), a rare condition in which the immune system attacks nerves, resulting in weakness and even paralysis (although most people eventually recover).

However, the vaccine production used in the 1970s now looks as outdated as your striped bell-bottoms and rockin’ sideburns.

“Over the years there have been several improvements in vaccine manufacturing,” says Claudia Vellozzi, MD, the assistant director of the CDC’s Immunization Safety Office. “That certainly plays a role in improved vaccine safety now, compared to 1976.”

Of the 30 to 40 million people vaccinated for swine flu in 1976, about 1 in 100,000 did develop GBS. However, current research suggests there is little to no GBS risk associated with seasonal flu vaccine.

"There have been one or two studies that showed that if there is a risk, it’s very small, or about one in 1,000,000 additional cases of GBS would be attributable to the flu vaccine—but most studies have not supported any association,” she says. (There are 2,000 to 3,000 GBS cases in the U.S. every year, unrelated to vaccines, says Dr. Vellozzi. The cause is unknown, but it can be triggered by infections.)

“In terms of our current vaccine, we expect to have a similar safety profile as our seasonal flu vaccine, which has a good track record,” she says.

Be prepared

If you do want to get an H1N1 flu shot, it’s best to be patient. It may take weeks before everyone who wants one can get it. In the meantime, think about what you will do if you or a family member does get sick.

“Get immunized, wash your hands, cover your mouth and nose if you’re sneezing or coughing, stay home if you’re sick, and if any warning signs come up—difficulty breathing, not responsive as usual, unable to take fluids, or after a day or two of the fever coming down and having more fever and cough again—see the doctor,” says Dr. Litman.

Mushrooms and Green Tea May Lower Breast-Cancer Risk

By Margaret Furtado

A recent study reported in the International Journal of Cancer suggests that women who eat large amounts of mushrooms and drink a lot of green tea may be at lower risk for developing breast cancer.

The research trial included more than 2,000 Chinese women, with 1,009 breast-cancer patients (aged 20-87) and an equal number of healthy women matched for age. Each woman completed a detailed dietary questionnaire citing specific foods consumed.

Do mushrooms and green tea affect breast-cancer rates?

The researchers found that the greater the mushroom consumption (both fresh and dried), the lower the breast-cancer risk. Those who ate the greatest amounts of fresh mushrooms (10 grams or more per day) were about 2/3 less likely than those who ate none at all to develop breast cancer. Subjects who ate 4 grams per day saw their breast-cancer risk fall by half.

Interestingly, the women decreased their risk even more if they also drank green tea daily. The breast-cancer risk of women who consumed both mushrooms and green tea was 11 percent, compared to 18 percent for women who didn't consume either food. The study used green tea, which is a "younger" tea but which still has caffeine.

No proof yet

While the researchers eliminated possible confounding factors, this study does not prove that mushrooms and green tea actually reduce a woman's chances of getting breast cancer.

Epidemiological studies, however, do show that in places where the Chinese people are still eating the traditional diet, breast-cancer rates are 4-to-5 times lower than those of most developed countries. (All bets are off if a Chinese woman has switched to eating a westernized diet.)

While this study has not nailed down a cause-and-effect relationship, it is the first to link high dietary consumption of mushrooms and green tea to reduced breast-cancer risk. In addition, those participants who ate at least 10 grams of mushrooms per day saw the greatest reductions in their risk.

So eat some!

Half a cup of raw mushrooms weighs roughly 35 grams, so a little more than 1/8 cup of raw mushrooms a day (about 8 or 9 grams' worth) might just help reduce your breast-cancer risk. Even an 8-ounce cup of raw mushrooms would add up to only 10 calories; therefore, a big helping of these tasty fungi might also help you feel fuller and lose weight. Adding green tea may be a good idea, too.

If you're a mushroom-lover or willing to try them, here are some tips:

• Look for mushrooms that are firm, unblemished, and free of mold or surface moisture (but not dry).
• Store pre-packed containers of mushrooms in airtight plastic bags in the fridge, so they'll hold on to their moisture and won't spoil so rapidly.
• Place loose mushrooms in a paper bag and then in your fridge.
• Squeeze some lemon or lime juice onto raw mushrooms to help them retain their color.
  
  
  from: Yahoo Health