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Sunday, August 1, 2010
Medigap Plan Will Ensure Your Total Coverage Of Medicare 2010
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Substitute Yogurt in Your Recipes for Healthier Meals
Yogurt can improve baked goods' texture, not to mention make them lower in fat and calories.
By using yogurt instead of sour cream, cream cheese, whipped cream or mayonnaise, meals become not only lower in calories and fat, but also higher in calcium and protein. In baked goods, yogurt can improve texture and keep foods moist. When it's not heated, yogurt provides live active cultures, which can aid digestion and provide immune system support.
Greek yogurt -- a thick strained yogurt -- is especially versatile in cooking. It can be used in dips, spreads and low-fat desserts, or in any recipe that calls for cream, cream cheese, ricotta cheese, sour cream or other fats. You can even use Greek yogurt as an egg extender by replacing one egg with one-fourth cup yogurt.
For a decadent, reduced-fat dessert, try this recipe for Vanilla Cheesecake Made with Vanilla Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt:
Vanilla Cheesecake
Made with Vanilla Oikos
Organic Greek Yogurt
Makes 10 Servings
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups shortbread cookies, finely ground
1/2 stick unsalted butter melted
1 1/2 cups vanilla Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt
4 large eggs
2 8-ounce packages low-fat cream cheese
1 cup super-fine sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
Directions:
In a medium-sized bowl, mix cookie crumbs and butter. Press into a 9-inch spring form pan and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Add all ingredients for filling in bowl, and combine using food processor or hand mixer. Pour into cooled crust. Bake for 2 hours. Let cool overnight in refrigerator.
To find other recipes, or to use an online ingredient-substitution calculator that will compute how much yogurt to use in place of your original ingredients, visitwww.stonyfield.com/recipes/substitutioncalc.cfm.
Raising Awareness About Blood Disorders in Women
Women are at a higher risk for certain blood disorders, including anemia and blood clots.
"The hormones estrogen and progesterone can put women at greater risk for blood clots," says Dr. Nancy Berliner, president of the American Society of Hematology (ASH). "These hormones are used in birth control formulations and menopause therapies and are also at higher levels during pregnancy. Women are also at higher risk for anemia than men because of blood loss due to menstrual periods and pregnancy."
ASH therefore urges women to be aware of the following blood disorders, in particular:
- Anemia occurs when the body does not have enough red blood cells to transport oxygen to organs and tissue. Pregnant women are especially at risk as they need more red blood cells to support their own bodies and their babies. Red blood cell production requires iron, and pregnant women often don't have enough iron to be able to make the required increased numbers of red blood cells. Heavy menstruation can also result in iron-deficiency anemia. Symptoms of anemia include fatigue, dizziness and shortness of breath.
- Thrombophilia is a dangerous condition in which blood clots form in veins and arteries, blocking the flow of blood. This may cause swelling, pain or redness. Since pregnancy and hormonal medications increase the chance of clotting, women are especially at risk for the disorder.
- Von Willebrand disease is the most common bleeding disorder in women. It is an inherited condition in which blood cannot clot properly. Symptoms include bleeding gums, bruising easily or heavy and long menstrual periods (the most common symptom).
An awareness of the risk factors and symptoms of these disorders is critical, so treatment can be sought before any problems worsen. If you suspect that you have a blood condition, talk to your doctor immediately.
It is especially important for women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant to talk with their obstetricians about these conditions. "Two of the most common blood disorders during pregnancy are blood clots and anemia," said Berliner. "Both blood conditions are treatable, and there are easy ways to help prevent them."
For more information, visit www.bloodthevitalconnection.org.
Restaurant Chains Responding to Healthier Lifestyles
Restaurant chains are catering to public demand by creating delicious, healthy meals, like the roasted eggplant, spinach & flatbread pizza.
So, if the challenge is to marry great taste with healthier intake, and the nation's well-being hinges on the result, health mavens couldn't do much better than to look toward today's more innovative restaurant chains.
For example, recently chosen for the top spot on "Health" magazine's America's Healthiest Chain Restaurants list, UNO has found a way to offer a menu filled with healthy choices, and to have its customers embrace these choices enthusiastically.
"We start by rejecting the notion that healthy food must sacrifice taste," said Frank Guidara, CEO of UNO Chicago Grill. "That simply isn't true. Granted, to achieve both, you will require the highest level of culinary talent. But we have plenty of that at UNO, and that's why we knew we could create menu offerings that would be both healthy and delicious."
A chef of great talent knows that for every unhealthy item added to enhance taste, a healthy alternative can be found or concocted. At UNO, that means diners can enjoy a roasted eggplant, spinach & feta flatbread pizza on multigrain crust without guilt or worry, since it has only 280 calories and six grams of fiber per serving. Diners can choose the multigrain crust option for any flatbread pizza. Another great option for a delicious entree is the lemon basil salmon, which has just 240 calories per serving.
And when it comes to carbohydrates, UNO teamed with Barilla to offer whole grain penne as an option to any pasta -- helping to add more fiber and whole grains to your diet without sacrificing taste.
Just as important as healthy choices is good, easy-to-access information. That's why UNO offers nutrition information through its Web site and on display in restaurant lobby kiosks, with categories that show diners which items are under 500 calories, which are vegetarian and which are created to serve those with food allergies. What's more, UNO's site offers tips for eating healthy in restaurants, including ways to lessen fat content and caloric intake without sacrificing flavor.
Healthy eating will become mainstream when everyone figures out how to combine good health with great taste, and in that pursuit, UNO is leading the way.
U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish Cooks up Healthy Weeknights
For a quick weeknight meal that is nutritious, try Catfish Almondine.
(NewsUSA) - Chances are, you've heard words and phrases like "omega-3s," "lean protein" and "heart health" associated with fish. And yet, when you come home from work, cooking fish just sounds like too much effort. But U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish can change that thought.
Catfish is actually one of the quickest meals you can prepare. The following recipe, for example, only involves nine minutes of active cooking time. For the same amount of time it takes to mix up a box of mac 'n'cheese, you can eat a nutritious dinner that looks and tastes like it took great skill to prepare.
U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish, which are sustainably raised, are low in saturated fat, high in protein and a moderate source of omega-3 fatty acids. Combining the fish with almonds makes for an especially beneficial meal, as almonds contain healthy fats, antioxidants, and vitamins and minerals, including vitamin E, magnesium and potassium. And the almonds in Catfish Almondine offer loads of additional protein.
Catfish Almondine
Serves 2
Ingredients:
2 U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish Fillets
2 tablespoons butter, divided
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1 lemon, zested and juiced
Directions:
1) Melt one tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, place the catfish fillets serving side down, and cook them for four minutes, or until they appear nicely browned.
2) Flip the fillets. Cook them for an additional four minutes or until they're browned and flaky. Remove the fillets from the skillet and set them aside.
3) Add the remaining butter to the skillet. Add the almonds, zest and lemon juice. Cook the almonds for one minute or until they begin to brown.
4) Place the catfish on a plate and serve them with the almondine sauce.
For more recipes, visit www.UScatfish.com.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Stay in Step with your Diabetes
* Check your feet every day
* Clean your feet daily
* Keep skin healthy
* Always wear shoes and socks
Soft, lightly padded socks will help you avoid blisters and sores. Socks with no seams are best. Also, examine the insides of your shoes to be sure there is nothing harmful that will injure your feet.
* Choose shoes that fit well and protect your feet
One of the best ways to avoid injuries to your feet is to wear sturdy and supportive shoes at all times.
For more information on diabetes and
your feet or to find an APMA podiatrist in your area, visit www.apma.org.
Survey Shows Unique Needs of HIV-Positive Women Often Not Addressed
(NewsUSA) - There are now an estimated 300,000 women in the United States living with HIV/AIDS. New findings from the "Women Living Positive" survey show that a communication gap exists between women living with HIV and their health care providers when it comes to having important discussions about HIV and its treatment that meet their individual needs.
More than half of women surveyed (55 percent) say they have never discussed with their health care provider how HIV medications might affect women differently than men.
"With the rise of HIV infections in women, it is important that women living with HIV and their health care providers maintain open lines of communication and discuss important topics including their emotional well-being, family planning considerations and care that best meets their health and lifestyle," said Kathleen Squires, M.D., director of Infectious Diseases and Environmental Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and professor of medicine at Jefferson Medical College.
In addition, each year more than 6,000 HIV-positive women in the United States give birth. The survey shows that many HIV-positive women and their health care providers aren't discussing how HIV treatment options might affect a pregnancy until after they conceive.
More than half of respondents (52 percent) identify themselves as caregivers. Forty-three percent of women feel that living with HIV has made taking care of their families "much more," or "somewhat more," difficult.
"We hope the "Women Living Positive" survey findings will encourage more discussion between women and their health care providers about HIV medications that best meet their individual needs," said Dawn Averitt Bridge, founder and chair of the Board of The Well Project, a non-profit organization for women affected by HIV, and an HIV-positive mother.
The survey was supported by Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in collaboration with The Well Project.
GfK Roper Public Affairs conducted the survey with 700 U.S. women, aged 21 and over, diagnosed with HIV/AIDS and on HIV treatment for three or more years. The women interviewed were part of three different ethnic or racial groups -; African-American, Caucasian and Hispanic.
For more information about the "Women Living Positive" survey, visit www.thewellproject.org