FOUR SIMPLE RULES ADD 14 YEARS TO LIFE
Want to live longer? A new study shows just how powerful four simple healthy habits can be in warding off the "Grim Reaper." People adhering to all four had only about one-quarter the risk of dying of those who didn't adopt any of the healthy lifestyle practices, adding the equivalent of 14 years to their lives. None of the four keys to living longer should be any surprise. The researchers, led by Kay-Tee Khaw, MD, of the University of Cambridge Institute of Public Health, studied 20,244 men and women, ages 45 to 79 at enrollment, in the EPIC-Norfolk Prospective Population Study. The investigators awarded one point for each of these healthy habits, for a total score of zero to four:
- Not smoking
- Drinking moderately (one to 14 drinks per week, defined as a glass of wine, a half pint of beer or one shot of liquor)
- Keeping physically active, either on the job or in leisure time
- Eating five servings of fruits and vegetables daily, measured by blood levels of vitamin C.
Over the average 1-year follow-up period, 1,987 participants died. After adjusting for other risk factors including age and body mass index, subjects scoring zero had a 404% greater risk of all-cause mortality than those with all four healthy habits. Even those with two healthy habits were twice as likely to have died, according to the study. "We're not talking about extremes of behavior," said Dr. Khaw, "but easy behaviors that most people can achieve."
Source: Tufts Health&Nutrition Letter, April 2008.
TABLE SALT VERSUS SEA SALT
It beats me why a lot of people are willing to pay considerably more for sea salt than regular table salt when both are sodium chloride (NaCl) and have the same nutritional value. There is a difference is their taste and texture but not chemical composition. Sea salt is not better for you than table salt and anyone on a restricted sodium diet needs to know this. Whether you use sea salt or table salt, there's a limit to how much all of us should consume daily. That said, McCormick has a good looking sea salt grinder at Chief and Rays for $5.95. Although I have one of the new gravity pepper mills I see no need for a salt grinder when I use kosher salt for cooking and that's already coarse ground.
FAST FOOD OR FAT FOOD?
In one Cornell University study, fast food patrons found that their ability to estimate the calorie content of their meals declined as the size of their meals ballooned. Ultimately, that leads to extra weight. A 15-year study published in the British journal The Lancet found that people who ate fast food more than twice a week gained an average of about 10 pounds more than those who ate it less than once a week.
Those extra pounds, combined with the suspect nutritional profile of fast food, multiply your risk of type 2 diabetes, heart attack, stroke and premature death. One fast-food meal can |
easily provide more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium, the recommended total daily maximum for healthy adults, and well above the 1,500 mg recommended for people who already have high blood pressure or are at risk of it.
Source: Consumer Reports on Health, April 2008.
TIMELY RECIPES
Frosty Strawberry Dessert is not in my cookbook because it's a Better Homes and Gardens recipe from years ago. I made it many times for family and company meals. Spoon into a 9x13-inch glass dish or divide between two round foil pans and freeze.
FROSTY STRAWBERRY DESSERT
- 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsifted, all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup chopped nuts
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 2 egg whites
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 cup whipping cream, whipped
Stir together flour, brown sugar, nuts and butter; spread evenly in a shallow baking dish. Bake in a 350F oven for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle 2/3rds of the crumbs in a 9x13-inch baking dish. Combine egg whites, sugar, berries and lemon juice in a large mixer bowl; beat at high speed to stiff peaks, about 10 minutes. Fold in whipped cream. Spoon over crumbs; top with reserved topping. Freeze overnight. To serve, cut into 12 squares. If made in foil pans, cut each pan into 6 wedges.
Source: A Better Homes & Gardens recipe.
Another dessert I made when there were six of us around the dinner table was Bread Pudding. The recipe was featured in my first plaid Better Homes & Gardens cookbook. We liked it because it was more custard than bread.
BREAD PUDDING
- 2 cups dry bread cubes
- 4 cups milk (whatever kind you buy), scalded
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 4 slightly beaten large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Soak bread cubes in milk 5 minutes. Add butter, salt and sugar. Pour slowly over eggs; add vanilla and mix well. Spoon mixture into round 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Set in a pan of hot water and bake in a preheated 350F oven until firm, about 50 minutes. Note: A variation would be to add 1/2 cup raisins before baking, stirring half way through so raisins do not settle to the bottom of the dish. Recipe makes 6 to 8 servings.
Source: A Better Homes & Gardens recipe. |
