Staying Healthy Archive

These heavily marketed liquid meals and nutrition shakes aren't always the best option for your health. Here's what you need to look for.

Supplemental nutrition shakes and drinks can be helpful for people who struggle with a loss of appetite, have difficulty chewing, have trouble preparing balanced meals, or are recovering from surgery or an illness. But these nutrition shakes aren't magic bullets for nutrition. "The danger is that people see a lot of minerals and vitamins and think more is better," says geriatrician Dr. Suzanne Salamon, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. "If you use the drinks as meal substitutes that might be okay. It's not okay to eat a full meal and then drink a supplement, unless the goal is to gain weight or stop weight loss. It's too many calories."

The nutrition drinks

Supplemental nutrition drinks provide a healthy balance of protein, carbohydrate, and fat. There are hundreds of varieties that fall into two general categories.

Easy ways to begin eating for optimal heart and brain health.

As reported in the May Health Letter, we now have the strongest research to date backing up the Mediterranean diet as a way to prevent vascular disease. The diet includes generous quantities of olive oil, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and fish; limited portions of red meats or processed meats; and moderate amounts of cheese and wine. So how can you make the switch? "It's often not realistic to make the changes overnight, but you can start with small steps," says Stacey Nelson, a dietitian from Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital. She suggests jump-starting your effort with these top five tips:

Q. Instead of tanning outside in the sun, I've been using a sunless tanner. Are sunless tanners safe?

A. Using a sunless tanner is much safer than tanning by exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light—either outdoors or from tanning booths—which can increase skin cancer risk. Nevertheless, some scientists have voiced concern that the compound dihydroxyacetone (DHA)—an agent in sunless tanners that darkens skin by reacting with proteins on the skin's surface—may itself damage skin and make it more vulnerable to sun-induced damage. Despite these concerns, the FDA has approved sunless tanners for external use, but you need to avoid your eyes, nose, and mouth when using these products. This is more of a challenge if you go to a spray self-tanning booth or use a spray preparation yourself than if you use a topical cream or gel.

Adding just a couple of extra servings of fiber to your diet each day might help lower your risk of a stroke, according to an analysis published online March 28 in the journal Stroke.

After looking at eight different studies from around the world, researchers found that people who increased total dietary fiber by 7 grams a day—which you can get by eating a bowl of whole-grain pasta, an apple, and a serving of tomatoes—had a 7% lower stroke risk. The authors say fiber may help ward off strokes via its ability to control weight and lower elevated cholesterol levels. Women, on average, eat only 13 grams of fiber each day. To ensure you're getting enough fiber in your diet (25 grams daily for women), try to incorporate plenty of whole grains (brown rice, whole-wheat bread, quinoa), fruits, and vegetables into your diet.

Staying active resets your body's biochemical balance.
Key point: Go easy, but go consistently.

Q. I always worry about cancer risks when I have -x-rays or airport screenings. Am I overreacting?

A. We use a lot of x-rays in medicine and in other places (like airports). Too much radiation exposure over time definitely can have adverse effects on health. So you're right to be careful, and to ask if you really need a test that involves radiation when your doctor orders one. How can you assess how much radiation you're getting, and how much is too much?

This naturally occurring sugar may not be as harmful as you've been hearing. Here's when you should avoid it.

Fructose is a common sugar found in fruits, vegetables, and honey. It's also a major ingredient in high-fructose corn syrup and table sugar. Recent studies have cast fructose as a bad guy, linking it to obesity, diabetes, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and inflammation, and leading to anti-fructose sentiment in the general media. But don't reject a food just because it contains fructose, says Dr. Bruce Bistrian, a professor at Harvard Medical School. "Fructose is naturally found in fruits. Fruits are not harmful and are even beneficial in almost any amount," he explains. Fruits contain lots of fiber. The fructose is bound to the fiber, which slows its absorption. Even more important, says Dr. Bistrian, "fruits and vegetables contain many other essential nutrients, such as flavonoids."

Strengthen muscles to fight back.

Here's another reason to fight the battle of the bulge: fat that lies deep in the abdomen is linked not only to heart disease and diabetes, but also to bone health. "Men with increased deep belly fat, the visceral fat that surrounds our organs, have decreased bone strength," says Dr. Miriam Bredella, an associate professor at Harvard Medical School.

Breaking down the bulge

Subcutaneous fat, just beneath your skin, is the kind you can grab to "pinch an inch." While too much isn't good for you, subcutaneous fat does have some molecules that actually benefit health, such as adiponectin, which may have an anti-inflammatory effect on blood vessel linings and decrease the risk of insulin resistance.

Vertigo is common in older adults, and it can lead to balance problems and falls, which can result in fractures, immobility, and death. The most common form of vertigo is benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV).

Inside the ear are three tiny canals that help us recognize the position of our body in space, which help us maintain balance. BPPV happens when tiny crystals in the inner ear become dislodged and bang around inside the canals. Simply looking up or rolling over in bed can dislodge crystals and cause brief bouts of extreme dizziness, including a sensation of spinning. A physical therapist can guide you through a number of exercises to reposition the loose crystals and reduce the symptoms of vertigo.

Eliminating the sources of these skin conditions is a good first step.

Corns and calluses, those unsightly, uncomfortable hardened patches of skin on the hands and feet, are the body's response to protect against repeated pressure or friction. Causes include poorly fitting shoes and pressure on the skin from an underlying problem such as a bunion or malformed bone.