LifeScript Women's Lifestyle

10 Ways to Lower Your Cholesterol Naturally

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

By Carly Young, Special to Lifescript

What’s the nation’s No. 1 killer of women? Heart disease. It causes one death every 35 seconds. Janet Bond Brill, a registered dietitian and author of Cholesterol Down (Three Rivers Press), shares 10 tips to reduce the bad stuff. Plus, test your heart-health IQ with our quiz...

Cholesterol and Heart Disease
In the annual physical, your doctor checks your cholesterol levels. But what is it? And what do the numbers say about your health?

Cholesterol is a type of lipid or fat. In our bodies, it travels through our blood stream in particles called lipoproteins. Low-density lipoproteins (LDL) are bad because they can lead to a buildup of plaque in arteries.

A mass of plaque can narrow your arteries and restrict blood flow – much like trying to sip juice through a clogged straw. Eventually, the plaque ruptures and a blood clot forms, cutting off the flow of blood, oxygen and nutrients to the brain.

Hello, heart attack and stroke!

High-density lipoproteins (HDL), on the other hand, are good because they pick up the LDL clogging your arteries and take it to the liver, where it’s processed and eventually excreted.

A total blood cholesterol level of 200 and above is cause for concern, according to the American Heart Association.

Chow Down
“Lowering your cholesterol reduces your risk of contracting heart disease and dying from a heart attack,” Brill says.

What you eat can affect the amounts of HDL and LDL flowing through your bloodstream, and Brill has a cholesterol-lowering eating plan that’s tasty and effective.

“My diet is about what you can eat – not what you can’t,” she says.

Jorge's Best Tummy-Toning Workouts

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

By Jorge Cruise, Chief Diet and Fitness Expert

What’s the secret to looking younger, being healthier and having more energy? A flat stomach! It sounds crazy, but a small waist can improve your looks and cut your risk of diabetes. Find out how and learn 5 fun belly-blasting moves. Plus, test your diabetes IQ with our quiz…

Plain and simple, your belly fat is getting in the way of a fuller, healthier life.

Ab flab has been linked to depression in women. And it increases the risk of heart disease and diabetes.

True, excess weight any place in the body is bad for your health, so why concentrate on belly fat? It’s harmful because it tends to settle around vital organs (like the liver) and block the body’s ability to use insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar levels.

But there’s good news: A 2009 study by the University of Illinois showed that moderate exercise — about 30 to 45 minutes a day — improved insulin sensitivity, cut down on liver fat and reduced inflammation in the belly — even without changes in diet.

Exercise also reduces the size of abdominal fat cells just under the skin, another risk factor for diabetes.

So get moving today! It’ll improve your health, not to mention your love life.

The History of Belly Fat
Since prehistoric times, men and women have sized up potential mates based on their waist-to-hip ratio, says Dr. Mehmet Oz, co-author of You: On a Diet (Free Press) and You: Being Beautiful (Free Press).

A protruding abdomen on a woman signaled that she was pregnant (and off the market) or infertile because of a hormonal imbalance. Either way, belly fat was a sign that she wouldn’t be an ideal mate.

Top Bloggers Dish Up 7 New Pumpkin Treats

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

By Laurie Sanchez, Lifescript Staff Writer

Pumpkin isn’t just for pies. You’ll find it in everything from soy milk and shakes to waffles and cakes. To get some new updates on a fall favorite, Lifescript asked the best food bloggers on the Web to share their secret dishes. Read on for their fun, new recipes...

Why is pumpkin so fabulous? First, it’s versatile. You can use it as a side dish or dessert, even a decoration.

Second, it’s healthy. Pumpkin has a nutritious dose of potassium and the cancer-fighting antioxidant beta-carotene. It also provides vitamins C, K, E and plenty of minerals, including magnesium and iron, as well as fiber.

But we're tired of pie. So we asked six top food bloggers - including cookbook chefs and top food stylists - to share their surprising new pumpkin dishes. The recipes showcase gluten-free and sugar-free suggestions and even ways to bake the squash into a pudding or a healthy bread. Read on for their culinary creations.

When you can't wait for pumpkin pie
This year’s hit chick flick, “Julie & Julia,” may have put food blogging in the spotlight, but Susan Russo has been blogging on the subject since 2007 at Food Blogga, and is, in fact, one of the “Featured Blogs” on the “Julie & Julia” Web site.

She was named one of the "Best of the Food Blogs" by MSN's Delish.com and is a regular contributor to NPR’s Kitchen Window. She also has two cookbooks to be released next year.

Russo loves pumpkin pie, but can’t wait all year for Thanksgiving and her mom’s delicious recipe. So she came up with Pumpkin Pie Pudding with Candied Pecans and Freshly Whipped Cream to tide her over.

It’s “ideal for those who don’t have the time or the desire to make pumpkin pie,” she says.

Pumpkin Pie Pudding with Candied Pecans and Freshly Whipped Cream

Serves: 4 (small servings) or 2 (large servings)

Ingredients
For the pudding:
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 cups whole or 2% low-fat milk
Pinch of salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup canned unsweetened pumpkin
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

For the candied pecans:
2 tablespoons unsalted pecan halves
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Pinch of salt

For the whipped cream:
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Preparation
To prepare the pudding:
1. Combine 6 tablespoons granulated sugar and cornstarch in a medium pot over medium heat. Add 1 cup milk, whisking until sugar and cornstarch dissolve. Add remaining cup of milk and salt and bring to a simmer, stirring frequently. Lower heat, cooking milk mixture for 10 minutes, stirring frequently until thickened.

2. Remove from heat for 2-3 minutes. (Removing it from the heat will prevent the egg from cooking.) Lightly whisk egg with vanilla extract; slowly add to the milk mixture, whisking constantly. Stir in pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, or until thick, stirring several times. Remove from heat and spoon into serving dishes.

To make the candied pecans:
1. Lay a piece of foil coated with cooking spray on the counter. Also coat your utensil with cooking spray, so the sugar won't stick.

2. Place pecans in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle evenly with 1 tablespoon granulated sugar and salt. As the sugar begins to melt and coat the pecans, quickly stir them until evenly coated and lightly toasted, about 1-2 minutes. (Avoid browning the nuts because the sugar will taste burnt.)

3. Remove from heat and slide nuts onto foil, including any sugar drippings. Let cool and harden, then chop into small pieces.

To make the whipped cream:
Tips: Start with a deep stainless steel bowl that has been chilled in the freezer about 15-20 minutes. Chill the beaters of the electric mixer as well. It helps to create more volume in the cream.

1. Beat cream on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Sprinkle granulated sugar evenly over the whipped cream and beat until stiff peak stage. Whipped cream can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for 1-2 hours.

For more of Susan Russo’s recipes and stories, visit Food Blogga.

Genetic Testing: Does It Help or Hurt?

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

By Diane Wedner, Special to Lifescript

Worried about what’s lurking in the family tree? Breast or ovarian cancer? Huntington’s disease? Genetic testing may offer knowledge but not always comfort. So when is it helpful and who should steer clear? Read on for the answers...

Seven years ago, when she considered marriage and children, Anna Gorman decided to be tested for the BRCA1 and 2 gene mutations because ovarian cancer killed her grandmother and aunt.

She tested positive for BRCA1, which raises the risk of breast cancer up to 85% by age 70 and ovarian cancer by 55%.

“I wasn’t surprised, but I was upset and overwhelmed,” says Gorman, now a 35-year-old Los Angeles journalist.

So she then married her longtime boyfriend, gave birth to two daughters and had her ovaries removed by age 32. Three years later, she had a double mastectomy.

The surgeries were hard. Still, she was relieved when it was over.

“It’s a dramatic step to take, but … lots of people get cancer and die,” she says. “I could do something about it.”

Like Gorman, many women worry about diseases that lurk in their family trees. In fact, they lead the pack when seeking genetic information.

“Women are drivers of the acquisition of medical care, period,” says Ora Gordon, M.D., M.S., director of the GenRISK Adult Genetics program at Los Angeles’ Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

In fact, women make up 80% of her practice, she says.

Genetic testing is common for pregnant women and those considering pregnancy, but others anxious about hereditary illnesses — sickle-cell disease (a disorder that affects red blood cells), heart disease and diabetes — are also seeking genetic information in far greater numbers.

Screening for cystic fibrosis numbered in the thousands a decade ago; today millions undergo the testing, says Steve Keiles, M.S., president of the National Society of Genetic Counselors and director of Genetic Counseling at Ambry Genetics in Aliso Viejo, Calif.

Anguish of Alzheimer’s: How a Hollywood Couple Copes

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

By Linda Childers, Special to Lifescript

Best known for the 1980s TV drama “L.A. Law,” Jill Eikenberry and Michael Tucker are also one of Hollywood’s most enduring couples. But they were thrown a curveball when Jill’s mother developed Alzheimer’s – and they became her caregivers. In honor of Alzheimer's Awareness Month, find out how the stars handled the challenges and get their advice for others coping with dementia in this Lifescript exclusive...

Veterans of film, TV and theater, Jill Eikenberry and Michael Tucker have weathered much in their 36-year marriage: blended families, Eikenberry’s breast cancer, cross-country careers.

After years in the fast lane, they were looking forward to a slower pace. They bought and restored a 350-year-old farmhouse in Umbria, Italy – an experience Tucker wrote about in his first book, Living in a Foreign Language (Grove Press).

Then Eikenberry’s 90-year-mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease – and their plans changed. In this exclusive Lifescript interview, the couple talk about how they coped with Lora’s growing dementia, which Tucker captures in his new book: Family Meals: Coming Together to Care for An Aging Parent (Atlantic Monthly Press, 2009):

At the beginning of your journey, how did you handle Lora’s anger at what was happening to her?
Mike: When she got angry – which was often – I ran and hid in the other room.

Jill: I wanted to do the same, but instead I held her hand and talked to her for hours to convince her we had her best interests at heart.

My mother has been somewhat paranoid for years because of hearing loss in her mid-30s and the dementia made it worse.

When did you first notice that your mother was having cognitive problems?
Jill: When Mom's second husband died several years ago, we decided to move her from California to New York − to a retirement community near us.

Eat to Lose: 10 No-Fail Ways to Shed Pounds

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

By Dorothy Foltz-Gray, Special to Lifescript

If we were wired differently, sliding past the corner bakery would be a cake walk. Drinking milk without Oreos? A slam-dunk. But according to diet experts, it’s hard to lose weight because our bodies are designed to binge. How can you fight this instinct? Read on for 10 surprising diet tips. Plus, are you ready to shed those pounds? Take our quiz…

Losing weight is frustrating. You’re hungry all the time. You even dream about food. Until that chocolate cake is yours, you simply can’t rest. Then once you’ve eaten it, you feel doomed. Will you always be tormented and overweight?

Not necessarily. Researchers are learning that eating too much has little to do with lack of willpower. We’re wired to eat as much as we can when food is available and to under eat when it’s not.

Trouble is, we’re not living in caves anymore, but our body’s conditioning hasn’t caught up to the fact that food is now available 24/7.

In fact, the mere sight and smell of our favorite foods set off brain signals that make passing them up unbearable.

Saliva increases, our stomach muscles relax and the pancreas secretes insulin, causing our blood sugar levels to drop, says Susan Roberts, Ph.D., director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Energy Metabolism Laboratory at Tufts University and co-author of The Instinct Diet: Use Your Five Food Instincts to Lose Weight and Keep it Off (Workman Publishing, 2008).

Brain scans of overeaters also show “that their brains are excessively activated by fat, sugar and salt,” says David Kessler, M.D., a former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration and author of the new book, The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite (Rodale, 2009).