Fasting diet: Can it improve my heart health?

by Martha Grogan, M.D.

(Mayo Clinic staff) 

Is it true that occasionally following a fasting diet can reduce my risk of heart disease?

Maybe. Researchers aren't exactly sure why, but it seems that occasionally fasting — not having any food and drink for about 24 hours at a time — can potentially improve your heart health.

It's difficult to tell what effect fasting has on your heart health because many people who routinely fast often do so for religious reasons. These people generally tend to not smoke or drink alcohol, which also can reduce heart disease risk.

However, it still appears people who follow a fasting diet may have better heart health than people who don't. This may be because people who routinely fast show self-control over how many calories they eat and drink, and this behavior may translate into better eating choices when they aren't fasting.

The link between periodic fasting and better heart health may also be linked to the way your body metabolizes cholesterol and sugar. Regular fasting can decrease your low-density lipoprotein, or "bad," cholesterol. It's also thought that fasting may improve the way your body metabolizes sugar. This can reduce your risk of gaining weight and developing diabetes, which are both risk factors for heart disease.

If you're considering periodically fasting, you should talk to your doctor before doing so. He or she can tell you whether fasting is a good idea for you, and how often you should consider doing so. Keep in mind that regularly following a heart-healthy diet and exercising regularly also can improve your heart health.

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Gluten-free diet: What's allowed, what's not

By Mayo Clinic staff

Definition

A gluten-free diet is a diet that excludes the protein gluten. Gluten is found in grains such as wheat, barley, rye and triticale (a cross between wheat and rye).

A gluten-free diet is used to treat celiac disease. Gluten causes inflammation in the small intestines of people with celiac disease. Eating a gluten-free diet helps people with celiac disease control their signs and symptoms and prevent complications.

Initially, following a gluten-free diet may be frustrating. But with time, patience and creativity, you'll find there are many foods that you already eat that are gluten-free and you will find substitutes for gluten-containing foods that you can enjoy.

Purpose

The gluten-free diet is a treatment for celiac disease.

Diet details

Switching to a gluten-free diet is a big change and, like anything new, it takes some getting used to. You may initially feel deprived by the diet's restrictions. However, try to stay positive and focus on all the foods you can eat. You may also be pleasantly surprised to realize how many gluten-free products, such as bread and pasta, are now available. Many specialty grocery stores sell gluten-free foods. If you can't find them in your area, check with a celiac support group or go online.

If you're just starting with a gluten-free diet, it's a good idea to consult a dietitian who can answer your questions and offer advice about how to avoid gluten while still eating a healthy, balanced diet.

Allowed foods

Many healthy and delicious foods are naturally gluten-free:

• Beans, seeds, nuts in their natural, unprocessed form
• Fresh eggs
• Fresh meats, fish and poultry (not breaded, batter-coated or marinated)
• Fruits and vegetables

Most dairy products

It's important to make sure that they are not processed or mixed with gluten-containing grains, additives or preservatives. Many grains and starches can be part of a gluten-free diet:

• Amaranth
• Arrowroot
• Buckwheat
• Corn and cornmeal
• Flax
• Gluten-free flours (rice, soy, corn, potato, bean)
• Hominy (corn)
• Millet
• Quinoa
• Rice
• Sorghum
• Soy
• Tapioca
• Teff
• Always avoid

Avoid all food and drinks containing:

• Barley (malt, malt flavoring and malt vinegar are usually made from barley)
• Rye
• Triticale (a cross between wheat and rye)
• Wheat

Avoiding wheat can be challenging because wheat products go by numerous names. Consider the many types of wheat flour on supermarket shelves — bromated, enriched, phosphated, plain and self-rising. Here are other wheat products to avoid:

• Bulgur
• Durum flour
• Farina
• Graham flour
• Kamut
• Semolina
• Spelt
• Avoid unless labeled 'gluten-free'

In general, avoid the following foods unless they're labeled as gluten-free or made with corn, rice, soy or other gluten-free grain:

• Beer
• Breads
• Cakes and pies
• Candies
• Cereals
• Cookies and crackers
• Croutons
• French fries
• Gravies
• Imitation meat or seafood
• Matzo
• Pastas
• Processed luncheon meats
• Salad dressings
• Sauces, including soy sauce
• Seasoned rice mixes
• Seasoned snack foods, such as potato and tortilla chips
• Self-basting poultry
• Soups and soup bases
• Vegetables in sauce

Certain grains, such as oats, can be contaminated with wheat during growing and processing stages of production. For this reason, doctors and dietitians generally recommend avoiding oats unless they are specifically labeled gluten-free.

You should also be alert for other products that you eat or that could come in contact with your mouth that may contain gluten. These include:

• Food additives, such as malt flavoring, modified food starch and others
• Medications and vitamins that use gluten as a binding agent
• Play dough
• Watch for cross-contamination

Cross-contamination occurs when gluten-free foods come into contact with foods that contain gluten. It can happen during the manufacturing process, for example, if the same equipment is used to make a variety of products. Some food labels include a "may contain" statement if this is the case. But be aware that this type of statement is voluntary. You still need to check the actual ingredient list. If you're not sure whether a food contains gluten, don't buy it or check with the manufacturer first to ask what it contains.

Cross-contamination can also occur at home if foods are prepared on common surfaces or with utensils that weren't thoroughly cleaned after being used to prepare gluten-containing foods. Using a common toaster for gluten-free bread and regular bread is a major source of contamination, for example. Consider what steps you need to take to prevent cross-contamination at home, school or work.

Gluten-free food from http://www.dietaryspecials.co.uk

Results

People with celiac disease who eat a gluten-free diet experience fewer symptoms and complications of the disease. People with celiac disease must eat a strictly gluten-free diet and must remain on the diet for the remainder of their lives.

In some severe cases, a gluten-free diet alone can't stop the symptoms and complications of celiac disease. In these cases, doctors might prescribe medications to suppress the immune system.

Risks

Not getting enough vitamins

People who follow a gluten-free diet may have low levels of certain vitamins and nutrients in their diets. Many grains are enriched with vitamins. Avoiding grains with a gluten-free diet may mean eating fewer of these enriched products. Ask your dietitian to review your diet to see that you're getting enough of these key nutrients:

• Iron
• Calcium
• Fiber
• Thiamin
• Riboflavin
• Niacin
• Folate

Not sticking to the gluten-free diet

If you accidentally eat a product that contains gluten, you may experience abdominal pain and diarrhea. Some people experience no signs or symptoms after eating gluten, but this doesn't mean it's not damaging their small intestines. Even trace amounts of gluten in your diet may be damaging, whether or not they cause signs or symptoms.

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Tips for Preventing Holiday Weight Gain

By Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.

Mayo Clinic staff

It's commonly thought that the typical holiday weight gain is around 5 pounds (2.3 kilograms). In reality, it's probably less. The catch, though, is that even a small holiday weight gain is seldom lost — adding to the cumulative weight gain that happens over time for most adults. In past blogs we've talked about being mindful about holiday eating. 

Continuing in that spirit, I offer a few additional tips to help you enjoy the season and avoid holiday weight gain:

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Dietary Fats: Know Which Types to Choose

When choosing fats, pick unsaturated fat over saturated or trans fat. Here's how to know the difference.

By Mayo Clinic staff

Most foods contain several different kinds of fat, and some are better for your health than others are. You don't need to completely eliminate all fat from your diet. In fact, some fats actually help promote good health. But it's wise to choose the healthier types of dietary fat, and then enjoy them — in moderation.

The facts about dietary fat

There are numerous types of fat. Your body makes its own fat from taking in excess calories. Some fats are found in foods from plants and animals and are known as dietary fat. Dietary fat is one of the three macronutrients, along with protein and carbohydrates, that provide energy for your body. Fat is essential to your health because it supports a number of your body's functions. Some vitamins, for instance, must have fat to dissolve and nourish your body.

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How Carbs Fit into a Healthy Diet

Carbohydrates aren't bad, but some may be healthier than others. See why carbs are important for your health and which ones to choose.

By Mayo Clinic staff

Carbohydrates often get a bad rap, especially when it comes to weight gain. But carbohydrates aren't all bad. Because of their numerous health benefits, carbohydrates have a rightful place in your diet. In fact, your body needs carbohydrates to function well. But some carbohydrates may be better for you than others. Understand more about carbohydrates and how to choose healthy carbohydrates.

Understanding carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are a type of macronutrient found in many foods and beverages. Most carbohydrates are naturally occurring in plant-based foods, such as grains. Food manufacturers also add carbohydrates to processed foods in the form of starch or added sugar. The most basic carbohydrate is a sugar molecule, which joins together one or two units of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Other carbohydrates contain three or more units of the carbon-hydrogen-oxygen trio.

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Caffeine: How much is Too Much?

Caffeine has its perks, but it can pose problems, too. Find out how much is too much and if you need to curb your consumption.

By Mayo Clinic staff

If you rely on caffeine to wake you up and keep you going, you aren't alone. Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system, alleviating fatigue, increasing wakefulness, and improving concentration and focus.

When to consider cutting back

For most healthy adults, moderate doses of caffeine — 200 to 300 milligrams (mg), or about two to four cups of brewed coffee a day — aren't harmful. But some circumstances may warrant limiting or even ending your caffeine routine. Read on to see if any of these apply to you.

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Quit-Smoking Products: Boost Your Chance of Quitting for Good

By Mayo Clinic staff

Quitting smoking is hard, but quit-smoking products can improve your odds of success. Know the options so you can choose the right quit-smoking product.

Want to quit smoking? Several quit-smoking products are available that can help you stop smoking for good. Using a quit-smoking product can greatly increase your chance of success. Only about 5 percent of people who try to quit tobacco succeed without a quit-smoking product. But more than 30 percent can succeed when using a quit-smoking product. You have the best chance at quitting smoking when you combine behavior therapy with use of one or more quit-smoking products.

Some quit-smoking products are known as nicotine replacement therapy because they contain small amounts of nicotine. Others are prescription medications without nicotine. Either type of quit-smoking product can help reduce nicotine cravings and withdrawal symptoms, making it more likely that you'll stop smoking for good.

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10 Ways to Resist Tobacco Cravings

By Mayo Clinic staff

Tobacco cravings can wear you down when you're trying to quit smoking or chewing tobacco. Delaying, avoiding triggers, yoga and nicotine replacement are among the ways to resist cravings.

For most tobacco users, tobacco cravings or urges to smoke can be powerful. But you're not at the mercy of these tobacco cravings. When an urge to use tobacco strikes, remember that although it may be intense, it will be short-lived, and it probably will pass within a few minutes whether or not you smoke a cigarette or take a dip of chewing tobacco. Each time you resist a tobacco craving, you're one step closer to stopping smoking or other tobacco use for good. But it can be difficult.

So here are 10 ways to help you resist the urge to smoke or use tobacco when a tobacco craving strikes, no matter where you are:

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Living Smoke-Free

By Mayo Clinic staff

Quit-Smoking Basics

Tobacco is a killer. Smokers and other tobacco users are more likely to develop disease and die earlier than are people who don't use tobacco. If you smoke, you may worry about what it's doing to your health. You probably worry too about how hard it might be to quit smoking. Nicotine is highly addictive, and to quit smoking — especially without help — can be difficult. In fact, most people don't succeed the first time they try to quit smoking. It may take more than one try, but you can stop smoking.

Take that first step: Decide to quit smoking. Set a stop date. And then take advantage of the multitude of resources available to help you successfully quit smoking.

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Yoga in Weight-Loss Plan

By Donald Hensrud, M.D.

Mayo Clinic preventive medicine specialist

There hasn't been a great deal of research on yoga for weight loss. In general, though, physical activity is better for preventing weight gain than it is for promoting weight loss, and it appears this also applies to yoga. Most types of yoga don't have the same level of calorie-burning power as does aerobic exercise. Consider that a 150-pound person will burn 240 calories in an hour of doing regular yoga, compared with 360 calories for an hour of aerobics.

But any activity is good activity. Yoga will get you moving, after all, and it can provide health benefits such as improved blood lipid levels and enhanced mood.

Regular physical activity should be part of any weight-loss or weight management plan. To lose weight, you want to reduce the calories you take in (eating) and increase calories out (physical activity). If you want to use yoga for weight loss, the smart play is to include it in an exercise plan that includes aerobic activities, such as biking, jogging or swimming, which burn more calories. 

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Pursuit of Happiness

Are you tired of waiting around for happiness to find you? Stop waiting and start getting happy with these tips. 

By Mayo Clinic staff 

Do you know how to be happy? Or are you waiting for happiness to find you? Despite what the fairy tales depict, happiness doesn't appear by magic. It's not even something that happens to you. It's something you can cultivate. So, what are you waiting for? Start discovering how to be happy. 

How to be happy: What science tells us

Only 10 percent or so of the variation in people's reports of happiness can be explained by differences in their circumstances. The bulk of what determines happiness is your personality and — more modifiable — your thoughts and behaviors. So, yes, you can learn how to be happy — or at least happier. 

Although you may have thought, as many people do, that happiness comes from being born rich or beautiful or living a stress-free life, the reality is that those things don't confer lasting happiness. Indeed, how to be happy can't be boiled down to one thing. Happiness is the sum of your life choices. People who are happy seem to intuitively know this, and their lives are built on the following pillars: 

• Devoting time to family and friends
• Appreciating what they have
• Maintaining an optimistic outlook
• Feeling a sense of purpose
• Living in the moment

How to be happy: Practice, practice, practice

The good news is that your choices, thoughts and actions can influence your level of happiness. It's not as easy as flipping a switch, but you can turn up your happiness level. Here's how to get started on the path to creating a happier you. 

Invest in relationships

Surround yourself with happy people. Being around people who are content buoys your own mood. And by being happy yourself, you give something back to those around you. 

Friends and family help you celebrate life's successes and support you in difficult times. Although it's easy to take friends and family for granted, these relationships need nurturing. Build up your emotional account with kind words and actions. Be careful and gracious with critique. Let people know that you appreciate what they do for you or even just that you're glad they're part of your life. 

Express gratitude

Gratitude is more than saying thank you. It's a sense of wonder, appreciation and, yes, thankfulness for life. It's easy to go through life without recognizing your good fortune. Often, it takes a serious illness or other tragic event to jolt people into appreciating the good things in their lives. Don't wait for something like that to happen to you. 

Make a commitment to practice gratitude. Each day identify at least one thing that enriches your life. When you find yourself thinking an ungrateful thought, try substituting a grateful one. For example, replace "my sister forgot my birthday" with "my sister has always been there for me in tough times." Let gratitude be the last thought before you go off to sleep. Let gratitude also be your first thought when you wake up in the morning. 

Cultivate optimism

Develop the habit of seeing the positive side of things. You needn't become a Pollyanna — after all, bad things do happen, and it would be silly to pretend otherwise. But you don't have to let the negatives color your whole outlook on life. Remember that what is right about you almost always trumps what is wrong about you. 

If you're not an optimistic person by nature, it may take time for you to change your pessimistic thinking. Start by recognizing negative thoughts as you have them. Then take a step back and ask yourself these key questions: 

• Is the situation really as bad as I think?
• Is there another way to look at the situation?
• What can I learn from this experience that I can use in the future?

Find your purpose

People who strive to meet a goal or fulfill a mission — whether it's growing a garden, caring for children or finding one's spirituality — are happier than those who don't have such aspirations. Having a goal provides a sense of purpose, bolsters self-esteem and brings people together. What your goal is doesn't matter as much as whether the process of working toward it is meaningful to you. Try to align your daily activities with the long-term meaning and purpose of your life. Research studies suggest that relationships provide the strongest meaning and purpose to your life. So cultivate meaningful relationships. 

Are you engaged in something you love? If not, ask yourself these questions to discover how you can find your purpose: 

• What excites and energizes me?
• What are my proudest achievements?
• How do I want others to remember me?

Live in the moment

Don't postpone joy waiting for a day when your life is less busy or less stressful. That day may never come. Instead, look for opportunities to savor the small pleasures of everyday life. Focus on the positives in the present moment. Don't spend your time rehashing the past or worrying about the future. Take time to stop and smell the flowers.

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6 Tips to Stay Alert in a Rush Day

Staying alert in a rush day is something not easy (instead of saying “hard”) but have to do in order to survive and get your works completely done. While many of us reach for caffeine and sugar to combat our midafternoon sluggishness, here are some better strategies from Linda Villarosa:

1. Get a good night's sleep. "In our fast-paced society, most of us don't get enough rest," says Smolensky. "The combination of the body clock's biological tendency and cheating on sleep causes an increased loss of alertness in the afternoon." Though making time in our activity-crammed lives is difficult, he strongly recommends getting eight hours as often as you can.
2. Eat small, nutritious meals that can help combat fatigue, especially in the late afternoon. "Over and over, when I ask people who are tired in the afternoon if they ate breakfast in the morning, nine out of ten say no," says Elizabeth Somer, a registered dietician and author of Food & Mood: The Complete Guide to Eating Well and Feeling Your Best (Owl Books). She advises against carbo-loading at lunch; instead, mix protein-rich foods with carbohydrates to maximize energy. "A small turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread, a cup of low-fat yogurt, and fruit is more energizing than a plate of spaghetti," Somer says.
3. Get off the sugar-caffeine roller coaster. These two energy aids will give you a temporary boost, generally followed by a crash. "We have to learn to value our steady-state energy and productivity above the impulse to drink coffee or eat a Snickers bar," says Oz Garcia, author of The Balance: Your Personal Prescription for Supermetabolism, Renewed Vitality, Maximum Health, Instant Rejuvenation (Regan Books). He suggests "carbohydrate-modified snacking" on such foods as rye crackers with cheese or on protein sources like a hard-boiled egg, an energy bar, or a can of tuna. 
4. Take a brisk walk outside after lunch. Exercise is energizing. And, Smolensky adds, "Exposure to natural light helps increase alertness." 
5. Synchronize your tasks with your energy levels. Save demanding projects and difficult discussions for the times when your energy is high—generally not in the afternoon. "If possible, try something stimulating and interesting but not ultrademanding in the afternoon," says Thomas Lauda, Ph.D., an L.A. management coach who is writing a book about achieving and maintaining peak levels of energy at work. 
6. Interact with people who boost your energy when your level starts to fall. "Schedule afternoon meetings with people who lift your spirits," says Lauda, "or call a true friend to talk for a few minutes." 

Source: 6 Easy Ways to Stay Alert During the Workday Without Sugar or Caffeine! in O, The Oprah Magazine, March 2001.

Linda Villarosa lives in New York City and writes about health and fitness as a contributor to The New York Times.

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Getting The Best Nutrition for Vegans

A vegetarian diet is a healthy choice if you pay attention to nutritional requirements and follow a balanced eating plan. The Mayo Clinic created a vegetarian food pyramid that recommends daily food intake of six servings of grains, five servings of nuts, beans, legumes and other protein foods, four servings of vegetables, two of fruit and two of unsaturated fats. Check this out!

Vegetarian diet: How to get the best nutrition

By Mayo Clinic Staff

You may follow a vegetarian diet for cultural, religious or ethical reasons. Or you may eat a vegetarian diet to stay healthy and prevent health problems, such as cardiovascular disease. Whatever your reasons for choosing a vegetarian diet, this guide will help you make smart choices to ensure that you meet your daily nutritional needs.

Indeed, a well-planned vegetarian diet can meet the needs of people of all ages, including children, teenagers, and pregnant or breast-feeding women. The key is to be aware of your nutritional needs so that you plan a diet that meets them. If you aren't sure how to create a vegetarian diet that's right for you, talk with your doctor and a registered dietitian.

Types of Vegetarian Diets

When people think about a vegetarian diet, they typically think about a diet that doesn't include meat, poultry or fish. But vegetarian diets can be further categorized into three types:

• Vegan diets exclude meat, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy products — and foods that contain these products.
• Lacto-vegetarian diets exclude meat, fish, poultry and eggs, as well as foods that contain them. Dairy products, such as milk, cheese, yogurt and butter, are allowed in a lacto-vegetarian diet.
• Lacto-ovo vegetarian diets exclude meat, fish and poultry, but allow eggs and dairy products.

Some people follow a semivegetarian diet — also called a flexitarian diet — which is primarily a plant-based diet but includes meat, dairy, eggs, poultry and fish on occasion or in small quantities.

Vegetarian Diet Pyramid

A healthy diet takes planning, and a food pyramid can be a helpful tool. The vegetarian pyramid outlines food groups and food choices that, if eaten in the right quantities, form the foundation of a healthy vegetarian diet.

Getting Adequate Nutrition

The key to a healthy vegetarian diet — like any diet — is to enjoy a variety of foods. No single food can provide all the nutrients your body needs. The more restrictive a diet is, the more challenging it is to get all the nutrients you need. A vegan diet, for example, eliminates food sources of vitamin B-12, as well as milk products, which are good sources of calcium. Therefore, you may need to make an extra effort to ensure that your vegetarian diet includes sufficient quantities of the following nutrients:

Calcium helps build and maintain strong teeth and bones. Milk and low-fat dairy foods are highest in calcium. Dark green vegetables, such as turnip and collard greens, kale and broccoli, are good plant sources when eaten in sufficient quantities. Calcium-enriched and fortified products, including juices, cereals, soy milk, soy yogurt and tofu, are other options.

Iodine is a component in thyroid hormones, which help regulate metabolism, growth and function of many key organs, such as the brain, heart, kidney and thyroid. Vegans may not consume enough iodine and be at risk of iodine deficiency and possibly goiter. In addition, foods such as soybeans, cruciferous vegetables and sweet potatoes may promote goiter. Because food manufacturers may not use iodized salt in processed foods, vegans may want to ensure that they use salt with iodine at the table or in cooking. Just 1/4 teaspoon provides a significant amount of iodine.

Iron is a crucial component of red blood cells. Dried beans and peas, lentils, enriched cereals, whole-grain products, dark leafy green vegetables and dried fruit are good sources of iron. Because iron isn't as easily absorbed from plant sources, the recommended intake of iron for vegetarians is almost double that recommended for nonvegetarians. To help your body absorb iron, eat foods rich in vitamin C, such as strawberries, citrus fruits, tomatoes, cabbage and broccoli, at the same time as you're eating iron-containing foods.

Omega-3 fatty acids are important for cardiovascular health as well as eye and brain development. Vegetarian diets that do not include fish and eggs are generally low in active forms of omega-3 fats. Because conversion of the plant-based omega-3 to the types used by humans is inefficient, you may want to consider fortified products or supplements or both.

Protein helps maintain healthy skin, bones, muscles and organs. Eggs and dairy products are good sources, and you don't need to eat large amounts to meet your protein needs. You can also get sufficient protein from plant-based foods if you eat a variety of them throughout the day. Plant sources include soy products and meat substitutes, legumes, lentils, nuts, seeds and whole grains.

Vitamin B-12 is necessary to produce red blood cells and prevent anemia. This vitamin is found almost exclusively in animal products, so it can be difficult to get enough B-12 on a vegan diet. Vitamin B-12 deficiency may go undetected in people who eat a vegan diet. This is because the vegan diet is rich in a vitamin called folate, which may mask deficiency in vitamin B-12 until severe problems occur. For this reason, it's important for vegans to consider vitamin supplements, vitamin-enriched cereals and fortified soy products.

Vitamin D plays an important role in bone health. Vitamin D is added to cow's milk, some brands of soy and rice milk (be sure to check the label), and some cereals and margarines. However, if you don't eat enough fortified foods and have limited sun exposure, you may need supplementation with vitamin D-2 (derived from plants).

Zinc is an essential component of many enzymes and plays a role in cell division and in formation of proteins. Like iron, zinc is not as easily absorbed from plant sources as it is from animal products. Cheese is a good option if you eat dairy products. Plant sources of zinc include whole grains, soy products, legumes, nuts and wheat germ.

Getting Started

If you're not following a vegetarian diet but you're thinking of trying it, here are some ideas to help you get started:

• Ramp up. Each week increase the number of meatless meals you already enjoy, such as spaghetti with tomato sauce or vegetable stir-fry.
• Learn to substitute. Take favorite recipes and try them without meat. For example, make vegetarian chili by leaving out the ground beef and adding an extra can of black beans. Or make fajitas using extra-firm tofu rather than chicken. You may be surprised to find that many dishes require only simple substitutions.
• Branch out. Scan the Internet for vegetarian menus. Buy or borrow vegetarian cookbooks. Check out ethnic restaurants to sample new vegetarian cuisines. The more variety you bring to your vegetarian diet, the more likely you'll be to meet all your nutritional needs.

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5 Tips for Dining Out (DASH Diet)

Excess fat and salt and oversized portions when dining out can sabotage your DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet. Here are five tips from appetizers to desserts to get around those obstacles.

By Mayo Clinic staff

The DASH diet is a lifelong approach to healthy eating that's designed to help treat or prevent high blood pressure (hypertension). The DASH diet encourages you to reduce the sodium in your diet and eat a variety of foods rich in nutrients that help lower blood pressure and offer numerous other health benefits. DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension.

But what happens when you'd like a night off from kitchen duty? Keeping some simple tips in mind, you can dine out and still follow the DASH diet.

Cut back on salt

A key feature of the DASH diet is cutting back on salt. Because salt often enhances flavor, it sometimes gets heavy use in restaurant meals. So when dining out:

• Ask that your food be prepared without added salt, MSG or salt-containing ingredients.
• Be alert for ingredients, cooking styles and labels that indicate a dish may be high in salt, soy sauce and broth, and pickled, cured, smoked.
• Don't use the saltshaker.
• Limit condiments that are high in salt, such as mustard, ketchup, pickles and sauces.
• Opt for fruits and vegetables instead of salty appetizers.

Reduce unhealthy fats

The DASH diet promotes foods that are low in saturated fat and cholesterol. To reduce unhealthy fats when dining out:

• Ask that your food be prepared with olive oil, rather than butter or other less healthy fats.
• Request oil and vinegar rather than salad dressing, or request salad dressing on the side.
• Trim visible fat off meat and poultry. Eat only a portion that's about the size of a deck of cards, since even very lean meat and poultry still contain fat.
• Select foods prepared with healthier cooking techniques, such as steaming, grilling, broiling, baking, roasting, poaching or stir-frying.
• Order fruit and steamed vegetables.
• Choose steamed or broiled fish and ask for lemon and fresh herbs for seasonings.

Take care with all courses

It's not just the entree that can sabotage your efforts to stick to the DASH diet. Beware of drinks, appetizers and even soups and salads — some may be unhealthier than you think:

• Choose water, club soda, diet soda, fruit juice, tea and coffee. If you want an alcoholic beverage, stick to moderation.
• Choose appetizers that feature healthy vegetables, fruits or fish.
• If you want a salad, order fruit salad, tossed greens or spinach salad, without added cheese, eggs or meats, and with dressing on the side.
• If you don't want to skip the bread course, ask for whole-grain bread, rolls or breadsticks. Then stick to one piece, preferably unbuttered.
• If you want a dessert, choose fresh fruit, sorbet, sherbet, fruit ice, meringues or plain cake with fruit puree.

Avoid oversized portions

The DASH diet recommends specific serving sizes. But if you've eaten in restaurants in recent years, you know that portions are often heaping. To avoid overeating:

• Ask for the lunch portion, even if you're eating dinner.
• Substitute an appetizer for an entree.
• Split a meal with a companion.
• Put half the meal in a takeout container before you start eating.

Keep fast food healthy

Fast-food restaurants can be dietary danger zones. But with these tips, you can occasionally enjoy a fast-food meal while sticking to the DASH diet:

• Ask for no added salt.
• Get familiar with the restaurant's nutrition information, either on-site or online.
• Opt for healthier fare, such as a plain, single hamburger (lower in sodium than a chicken or fish sandwich), whole-wheat bread, low-fat milk and yogurt.
• Stick to regular size or even children's meals.
• Be cautious about fast-food salads, which often have unhealthy extras, such as cheese and dressing.
• Choose items that are grilled, broiled or steamed. Avoid those that are fried or battered.

Dine and DASH

It's getting easier to make healthy choices when dining out. Most restaurants recognize that many people are trying to follow healthier diets such as the DASH diet. Many now use icons on menus to identify low-fat items, or they list healthier fare in a special section. Many also accept special requests to prepare a dish with less fat and salt.

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10 Keys to Job Satisfaction

Do you get a pleasant satisfied feeling after a hard day at work?

If some job satisfaction surveys are to be believed then as many as a third of us are considering a change of job. Clearly many are finding it hard to get that feeling of satisfaction from work.

Job satisfaction is important not just because it boosts work performance but also because it increases our quality of life. Many people spend so much time at work that when it becomes dissatisfying, the rest of their life soon follows.

Everyone's job is different but here are 10 factors that psychologists regularly find are important in how satisfied people are with their jobs.

1. Little hassles

If you ask doctors what is the worst part of their jobs, what do you think they say? Carrying out difficult, painful procedures? Telling people they've only got months to live? No, it's something that might seem much less stressful: administration.

We tend to downplay day-to-day irritations, thinking we've got bigger fish to fry. But actually people's job satisfaction is surprisingly sensitive to daily hassles. It might not seem like much but when it happens almost every day and it's beyond our control, it hits job satisfaction hard.

This category is one of the easiest wins for boosting employee satisfaction. Managers should find out about those little daily hassles and address them—your employees will love you for it.

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5 Tips for Shopping and Cooking (DASH Diet)

The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet doesn't have to be boring or difficult. Follow these top five tips for shopping, stocking your kitchen and cooking to make the DASH diet more enjoyable.

By Mayo Clinic staff

The DASH diet is a lifelong approach to healthy eating that's designed to help treat or prevent high blood pressure (hypertension). The DASH diet encourages you to reduce the sodium in your diet and to eat a variety of foods rich in nutrients that help lower blood pressure and offer numerous other health benefits. DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension.

Whether you're already faithful to the DASH diet or want to give it a try for the first time, you can easily make it work for you in your own home. Here's how to get started with the DASH diet.

Prepare for your trips to the grocery store

Sticking to the DASH diet starts with the food you buy. Before you go grocery shopping:

Make a list. Decide which meals you're going to make during the coming week, and include the ingredients for them on your shopping list. Don't forget to plan for breakfast and snacks, too. With a list in hand, you're less likely to stray from the DASH diet to the tempting but unhealthy foods. As a bonus, you may save time and money on grocery shopping by using a list.

Eat. Don't grocery shop when hungry. This is a cardinal rule of grocery shopping, whether you follow the DASH diet or not. If you shop on an empty stomach, everything will look appealing, especially those high-fat, high-sodium items.

Remember the DASH diet guidelines while you shop

Large displays and bargain prices may catch your eye while you're in the grocery store. To focus on foods that support the DASH diet guidelines:

Buy fresh. Fresh foods often are healthier choices than are processed foods because they often contain less sodium, fat and added sugar. And with fresh foods, you — not the manufacturer — control the ingredients that go into your meals. Fresh foods also often have more flavor and health-promoting vitamins, minerals and fiber than their packaged counterparts do. If you do buy convenience foods, such as frozen pizzas, luncheon meats or soups, choose those with reduced sodium and fat.

Shop the perimeter. While there are many DASH diet-friendly items in the center aisles, focus on spending most of your shopping time in the areas of the grocery store where there's fresh produce, low-fat dairy products and lean meats.

Read nutrition labels. Most foods in the United States have a Nutrition Facts label that can help you figure out how they fit into your DASH diet. Compare like items and choose the one with less sodium and fat and fewer calories.

Keep your kitchen stocked with DASH diet staples

You're more likely to prepare healthy dishes if you have healthy foods on hand. Try to keep these staples in your home:

Fruits. Choose a variety of fresh fruits, such as apples, oranges and bananas. Add variety by looking beyond the ordinary to apricots, dates and berries. Select fruit canned in its own juice or water, not heavy syrup, and frozen fruit without added sugar.

Vegetables. Buy fresh vegetables, such as tomatoes, carrots, broccoli and spinach. Choose frozen vegetables without added salt, butter or sauces, and opt for canned vegetables low in sodium.

Low-fat dairy products. Look for low-fat, fat-free or reduced-fat milk, buttermilk, cheeses, yogurt and sour cream.

Grains. Aim for whole-grain and low-fat varieties of bread, bagels, pitas, cereal, rice, pasta, crackers and tortillas.

Nuts, seeds and legumes. Almonds, walnuts, kidney beans, lentils, chickpeas (garbanzos) and sunflower seeds are among the healthy options. But get the unsalted or low-salt varieties.

Lean meats, poultry and fish. Opt for lean selections, such as fish, skinless chicken and turkey, pork tenderloin, extra-lean ground beef, and round or sirloin beef cuts.

Condiments, seasonings and spreads. Herbs, spices, flavored vinegars, salsas and olive oil can add zest to your meals without the salt overload.

Choose healthy cookware

Your cookware and kitchen gadgets can make it easier to follow the DASH diet. Helpful items include:

Nonstick cookware. Nonstick cookware can reduce the need to use oil or butter when sauteing meat or vegetables.

Vegetable steamer insert. A vegetable steamer insert that can fit into the bottom of just about any saucepan can help you prepare steamed vegetables without any butter or oil.

Spice mill or garlic press. These items may make it easier to add flavor to your food without reaching for the shaker of salt.

Practice healthy cooking techniques

Unhealthy cooking habits can sabotage your other efforts to stick to the DASH diet. Use these tips to help reduce sodium and fat:

Spice it up. To enhance flavor without adding salt or fat, use onions, herbs, spices, flavored vinegars, fresh peppers, garlic or garlic powder, ginger, lemons, limes, sodium-free bouillon, or even small amounts of reduced-sodium soy sauce.

Rinse it off. Rinse canned foods, such as tuna, beans and vegetables, before using to wash away some excess salt.

Beware of broth. Saute onions, mushrooms or other vegetables in water or a little low-sodium broth. But because even low-sodium broth can add lots of unnecessary sodium, in some cases a healthy oil may be the best option.

Make substitutions. Use lower fat dairy products, such as reduced-fat cream cheese and fat-free sour cream, instead of their higher fat counterparts.

Reduce meat. Prepare stews and casseroles with only two-thirds of the meat the recipe calls for, adding extra vegetables, brown rice, tofu, bulgur or whole-wheat pasta instead.

If you tend to cook or bake in ways that call for lots of fat and sodium, don't be afraid to modify your recipes. Experiment with spices, substitutions or recipes you wouldn't normally try. You may be pleasantly surprised by what you create — and it could be the start of new family traditions.

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