Colour Your Diet

Eating a colourful diet with green, red, blue, white and yellow fruits and vegetables is healthy and can lower the risk of some cancers. But not all foods pack the same punch.


Yellow/Orange
Health benefits:
Protects immune system, vision and hearth health
old standby:Corn, rock melon, mangoes, oranges, grapefruit, carrots, sweet potatoes

Blue/Purple
Health benefits:
Maintains urinary tract health; promotes memory function
old standby:grapes, eggplant, plums, blueberries, blackberries


Red
Health benefits:
sustains memory function and urinary tract health
old standby;Apples, tomatoes,red peepers, strawberries

White
Health benefits:
Maintains heart health and good cholesterol levels
Old standby; Potatoes, onions, mushrooms, cauliflower

Green
Health benefits: Promotes vision, strong bones and teeth
Old standbys; iceberg lettuce, green beans, dark lettuces, spinach, broccoli

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HOW KILOJOULES AND FAT SNEAK UP

You ORDER..

your favourite meal at your local restaurant,
but do you really know what you're eating?
Diners dramatically underestimate kilojoules and fat in many popular dishes.

But when given the nutritional statistics of menu items, most make healthier choices. If nutritional info isn't available, ask your server for lighter choices.

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Shake Your Salt Habit

Even if you rarely season your food with it, you're probably still consuming too much salt, people at the Institute of Medicine (IOM), the group that recommends nutrient intake levels.

Thanks to processed foods, most of us eat double the upper limit of salt, raising the risk of hypertension, heart attack,stroke, kidney disease and - as a recent study suggests - stomach cancer.

The IOM has issued new guidelines. The per cent daily value of sodium on nutrition labels is based on an upper limit of 2400 mg a day.

The new recommended amount is 1500 mg for health nine- to 50-years old, and even less for others. But food labels may not reflect this change, so look for low-sodium eats, and cut back on foods like processed meat, dressing and canned soups.

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Beware the Online Quack

Beware;

Make intelligent Internet health decisions

Here are some of the warning signs to watch out for;

• Sweeping claims that most diseases are caused by diet or can be cured with vitamin and mineral supplements.
• Pseudo-medical jargon, such as offers to "detoxify" or balance" your body.
• Anyone claiming that doctors, drug companies or the government are trying to suppress their find.
• "Secret cures"-quacks only keep them secret to stop others proving they don't work.
• Products claiming to work against unrelated diseases.
• Encouragement to ignore established scientific thinking and " think for yourself."
• Testimonial or (often misquoted) scientific references.
• Approaches that seem to focus on people whose judgement may be clouded by desperation.

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Eat Away at PMT

No one really knows what causes premenstrual tension, but changes in lifestyle - more exercise, sleep and a healthy diet - have been known to ease the symptoms.
Here are some potential dietary saviours:

MINERALS about 90 per cent of women don't get enough magnesium, which may lead to water retention, anxiety, irritability, cravings and muscle cramps - common PMT symptoms. Whole grains, nuts seeds and beans are good sources. Calcium and zinc may also help.

EVENING PRIMROSE OIL a rich source of gamma-linolenic acid, this anti-inflammatory may help PMT symptoms. Ask your doctor.

AGNUS CASTUS also know as chasteberry, this herb is thought to affect female hormones.

CARBOHYDRATES some doctors believe frequent small meals (up to six a day) high in carbohydrates keep blood sugar up, which can also help to reduce PMT symptoms.

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