Let's Do It Healthy

April 4, 2005

Slow down your eating. Have you ever eaten one of your favorite foods without really tasting it? Many of us lead busy lives, juggling work and family. We function on autopilot and wind up overeating. Pay attention to your body's signals of hunger and fullness. Eat slowly. Put your fork down between bites. Turn off the TV and ignore the phone. Savoring a healthy meal is truly caring for yourself.

Instead of chewing the fat with co-workers over lunch, discuss office issues while you walk. Next time you find yourself in a meeting, suggest to your boss that you take it outside during a stroll around the block or through the office halls. Just 20 minutes a day of brisk walking will lower your risk of serious diseases -- that's just four five-minute walks a day! A half-hour a day is even healthier. Walk 45 minutes a day, and watch your waistline shrink.

High-fat foods can have a place in low-fat cooking -- if you know how to pick your spots. For a true cheese flavor in gratins and pasta dishes, use small amounts of aged cheese, such as extra-sharp cheddar or Reggiano Parmesan. A tablespoon of grated Parmesan cheese has only 22 calories and 1.5 grams of fat. The result is far more satisfying than using a larger amount of a bland, low-fat cheese.

Research suggests that lycopene, a substance found in tomatoes, may play a role in lowering men's odds of developing prostate cancer. Cooked tomato products, such as tomato sauce, are particularly healthful. Cooking breaks down tomato cell walls and releases the lycopene, making it easier for the body to absorb. A 2001 study by the National Foundation for Cancer Research found men with prostate cancer who ate one entree with tomato sauce per day for three weeks before surgery had a significant decrease in prostate tissue damage after their operations.