Plain yogurt brings powerful health benefits to your table, but the taste can leave something to be desired. Dessert style yogurts aren’t the answer because they reduce nutrients and add calories.
You can get the benefits of true yogurt and much more by creating your own mix with fruit and sweetener.
These are some of the great health benefits of natural yogurt:
Studies published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition show that the potential health attributes of yogurt go far beyond boosting intake of protein and calcium. They include the ability to make the immune system more resilient.
The live and active cultures found in yogurt help to protect the intestinal tract. They have great potential as anti-infection agents. And they may help to increase resistance to immune-related diseases such as cancer and infection.
The recommended daily intake of protein varies for different groups of people. In general, the United States Department of Agriculture recommends that most people get two to three servings of high-protein food such as yogurt each day.
Calcium in yogurt does more than keep bones strong. Studies show a link between calcium and normal blood pressure, to name just one of calcium’s other functions.
Consider these suggestions for mixing your own concoction with yogurt:
* By adding fruit such as oranges, peaches, or pears to yogurt, you get the added nutrients in those foods, including vitamin C.
* Mix with dessert-style yogurt. Go half-and-half to lighten the calorie load Even if you add a little sweetener, you still get the benefits of plain yogurt.
* Sweeten smartly. When you add fruit, you can sweeten with sugar-free sweeteners, honey, or applesauce.
* Use yogurt, or sweetened yogurt as a dip for vegetables or as a salad dressing.
For healthful good taste, mix up a better bowl of yogurt
Try simple changes to fight heartburn
People who take acid-supressing medications, especially at high doses and on a long-term basis, could be putting their bones at risk
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine studied medical records of 145,000 people in England. The hip-fracture rate among patients taking proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) to treat gastroesophagel reflux disease (GERD) was 44 percent higher than for those not taking the drugs. About 79 percent of the patients studied were women.
PPIs include Nexium, Prevacid and Prilosec. Nexium is the third-largest selling drug in the world.
Many studies suggest that PPIs interfere with calcium absorption. Getting enough calcium is especially important for people 50 years of age and older who take PPIs. Both diet and calcium supplements are recommended.
To fight GERD without drugs, doctors say:
* Eat smaller meals and eat more often. Skip coffee, citrus juices, carbonated beverages, and alcohol.
* Lose weight. Obesity has been linked to heartburn.
* Don’t smoke.
* Avoid tight-fitting waistbands and clothes that squeeze your middle.
* Elevate the head of your bed by six to eight inches.
* Avoid lying down or bending over immediately after meals.
Dip into hummus for a hearty, healthful treat
If you keep hearing about hummus but are too busy to find out what it is and why it’s good, we have answers for you.
Its main ingredient is garbanzo beans, also known as chickpeas. Doesn’t sound too appetizing? Just try hummus as a pita chip dip or spread it on crackers and celery sticks, and you could change your mind.
Historians at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem think the humble chickpea’s nutritional benefits are one of the reasons civilization developed in the fertile crescent of Mesopotamia. Chickpeas include tryptophan, which improves performance when under stress, and may have improved brain function those 11,000 years ago.
We’re not claiming that hummus has done any of that, but chickpeas are a source of good carbohydrates, vitamins, and zinc and have a low fat content. Most dieters will find that hummus is a perfect snack and a good addition to a low-calorie eating plan.
And it’s good for children. Spread on celery or crackers, it’s better for kids than store-bought spreads and dips.         Sometimes spelled hummis instead of hummus, the Thai version, called bi tahini, includes sesame seed paste and coriander. Some recipes call for many ingredients.
For a tasty addition to a vegetable tray that includes cut-up broccoli and cauliflower, there’s no need to assemble exotic components. Just try this easy recipe. You can alter it to your personal taste by increasing or decreasing the olive oil and the jalapenos. Add more of the reserved liquid for a smoother dip.
Easy hummus
Drain a 15-ounce can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas). Save the liquid.
Add 2 ounces of fresh sliced jalapeno peppers, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 3 cloves of minced garlic, and a teaspoon of olive oil (can be left out of the recipe).
In a blender or food processor, combine all ingredients with 1 tablespoon of the reserved bean liquid and blend until smooth.
This recipe makes 2 cups.
Here’s how to preserve your keepsakes
Attention all keepsake hoarders
Here’s how to preserve your stuff
Nearly everyone has boxes of stuff they save. Inside them are old letters, newspaper clippings, vinyl records, photographs, maybe an old wedding dress, and old kindergarten drawings.
Now, authors Louisa Jaggar and Don Williams tell what to save and how to do it in their book Saving Stuff: How to Care for and Preserve Your Collectibles, Heirlooms, and Prized Possessions.
First, they provide a worksheet to prioritize keepsakes and determine what to keep and what to toss.
One of the keys to saving stuff is knowing what can damage it.
Light will fade everything from photos to textiles and paintings. Both sunlight and fluorescent light can be harmful. To protect valuable wall hangings, switch to lower-wattage lights.
Temperature extremes, too hot or too cold, make many items brittle. Museums keep their thermostats at 70 degrees.
Moisture will dissolve, stain, or mold your treasures. Keep them in a plastic tub with a tight seal. Never wrap anything in plastic cling wrap.
Air pollution, tobacco smoke, and oily polishes are bad for antique furniture. Use furniture wax to protect it.
Bugs and critters are notoriously dangerous to keepsakes. Maintain your home so mice can’t get in and be sure your windows are screened.
Handling with bare hands can damage delicate papers, fabrics, metals, and ceramics. Wear cotton gloves when handling antique books and papers.
Guard against flooding. If you must store important keepsakes in a basement, be sure they are stored in a tightly closed plastic container.
Keep your body in mind when minding the soil
Some surveys find that gardening is now the country’s number one outdoor leisure activity. That’s good because it provides the moderate physical activity that brings excellent health benefits.
Gardening can be therapy for worried minds. Being outdoors doing a variety of garden activities gives a psychological boost and makes people feel good.
But all that digging and weeding can be hard on knees, hands, wrists, and shoulders. Digging with a garden trowel can cause ulnar deviation that leads to muscle strain and nerve pain in the wrist. Even tools that are called ergonomic don’t help much, according to the Department of Occupational Therapy at the Medical University of Ohio. Through their studies, they have come up with this advice.
* Buy tools with thick handles. Single-handle tools like trowels should have handles that are 1 1/4 to 2 inches in diameter.
* Long handles are better. You can get a firmer grip on the tool if there is plenty of room for all your fingers.
* Look for sturdy but lightweight tools. A flimsy tool makes for more work. Whatever the tool, the less it weighs, the easier it is on your body.
* Avoid transferring the stress. Trowels that have a frame around the hand keep the wrist straight. But keeping the wrist straight can cause awkward motions for the elbow and shoulder.
Joyce Thomas, chair of the Medical University, says gardeners should also avoid getting into the “zone,” where they lose track of time. Quoted in the Harvard Health Letter, she says repetitive motions and staying in one position can cause muscle problems and aggravate arthritis. So stop, stretch, sit in a lawn chair, and have a drink of water.