Hello campbellsworld visitors.

Normally you’d see this article, packed with some great health tips featured in The Writer’s Grapevine.

But, since we didn’t have an April issue, and because Leonore’s May health article is included in the upcoming Writer’s Grapevine Mayday Magnificence Edition and because I simply had no room for two, I decided to share here.

I hope you enjoy it and if you do, please do let us know.

Thanks, and now…

HEALTH MATTERS

Healthy Eating Tips from Around the World, Protein Drinks, and More

by Leonore H. Dvorkin

http://www.leonoredvorkin.com/

Hello, everyone. With all the disruption, nervousness, and just plain strangeness out there right now due to the Covid-19 pandemic and all the stay-at-home orders, thanks for being here to read this article. Never fear; I’m not going to write about the virus, how people are reacting to it, how to help keep yourself from getting it, or my own political opinions. For good, sound advice, please consult the CDC website. A link to the site is at the end of this article. You will not find anything clearer or better than what is there.

What I will do today is summarize some of the excellent advice in the April 2020 Consumer Reports On Health newsletter. I have added a few personal comments. A link to the newsletter is at the end of the article.

a. Healthy Eating Tips from Around the World

– From Okinawa: Go for 80% full. Pay attention to how much you’re eating, eat fairly slowly, and recognize your fullness cues. Stop eating when you feel satisfied, not stuffed.

– From India: Add plant proteins. Lentils, chickpeas (garbanzo beans), dried peas, and beans are high in protein, fiber, potassium, and folate. They are low in calories and have almost no fat. Diets rich in lentils and other legumes are linked to lower rates of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Just one-half cup a day can impart significant health benefits and aid weight loss.

– From Italy: Slow your pace. Relax and enjoy your time at the table with friends and family (that is, if you have anyone to eat with now). If you eat fast, you override your natural fullness triggers and overeat. Those who eat meals more slowly tend to feel full longer and not snack as much later.

– From Greece: Eat healthy fats. Those are in olive oil, avocados, fatty fish, and nuts. (A personal note: In a large glass bottle, David and I keep a mixture of equal parts of extra virgin olive oil, light olive oil, and avocado oil. It’s tasty and works well for cooking.) The Mediterranean diet has been shown over and over to be one of the most healthful ways of eating.

– From Mexico: Have a bigger lunch. That is, if one of your meals during the day is larger than the others, have that be lunch, and make your dinner more of an evening snack. Eating a big meal late in the day leads to higher cholesterol, higher triglycerides, and weight gain. A large meal at night can also trigger heartburn and interfere with sleep.

A personal note: Every day, my husband and I have a kind of brunch as our main meal. It includes lots of fresh fruits and raw vegetables, as well as assorted nuts, some cheese, small amounts of chicken or maybe sardines, and small servings of bread with nut butter and jam. Sometimes we skip the bread. My own light dinner is usually a bowl of soup, while David prefers a large bowl of more fresh fruits and raw vegetables.

– From Vietnam: Start with soup. Pho is a mixture of broth, rice noodles, vegetables, and sometimes meat or seafood. It’s a breakfast staple in Vietnam. Most soups are low in sugars and saturated fats. A bowl of soup tends to provide a high volume of food but be low in calories. The mixture of liquids and solids in some soups make them filling and hunger-suppressing.

– From Brazil: Stick to whole foods. Rather than aiming to eat specific amounts of nutrients, aim to eat fewer processed foods and more whole foods. That is, eat more the way people did before fast-food restaurants and pre-packaged meals came to dominate our diets. If you eat mainly whole foods, you will automatically reduce calories, as processed foods tend to pack a lot of calories into a small amount of food. Eat more whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.

– From France: Treat yourself. That is, do not deprive yourself entirely of sweets. Just eat them in small portions. For example, enjoy a small amount of fine dark chocolate rather than mindlessly munching on half a box of cookies or devouring a pint of ice cream. The bottom line: If you are really craving something, have a small amount of it. Depriving yourself of it may make you eat a lot of something even less desirable.

A personal note: I am diabetic, so I do need to avoid sweets. But I have trained myself to be satisfied with one or two very small, 20-calorie cookies at a time. Yes, it can be done!

b. Be Safe on Your Smartphone

Using your smartphone while walking may pose risks for seniors. Between 1998 and 2017, some 13% of cell phone-related injuries were to seniors. The injuries included cuts, bruises, sprains, broken bones, and concussions, sustained when the seniors were walking while using a smartphone.

A personal note: I’ve seen many younger people be guilty of dangerous inattention while walking and using their phones. On more than one occasion, the person nearly collided with me. They could surely take a terrific fall if they were to encounter an obstacle on the sidewalk or walking path or an unevenness in the pavement. Please, folks, pay attention to more than just your phone! Stop and move off to the side of the walkway if you need to pay close attention or text.

c. Protein Drinks

An illustrated list of five popular protein drinks, made from yogurt, kefir, almond milk, or soy milk, gave surprisingly high calorie counts and total sugars. Only the Silk Organic Unsweet Vanilla Soymilk was low in calories (80 calories per 8 ounces) and sugars (1 gram total), while providing 7 grams of protein.

A personal note: I myself never buy ready-made protein drinks. Instead, I mix one scoop of stevia-sweetened whey protein powder, vanilla or chocolate, with 8 ounces of lowfat milk. That saves me calories and money and does not leave a plastic bottle to be discarded.

About the Author

Leonore Dvorkin and her husband, the author David Dvorkin, live in Denver, Colorado. David is the author of 29 published books, and Leonore is the author of four published books. Both David and Leonore write fiction and nonfiction, and both have numerous articles to their credit. Leonore also teaches exercise classes and tutors German and Spanish.

Since 2009, the Dvorkins have been editing books of many types for other authors and assisting them with getting the books self-published in e-book and print formats (paperback or hardcover or both). The large majority of their 80-plus clients are blind or visually impaired. Their comprehensive services include editing, formatting, cover design, and more. Their most basic aim is to provide high-quality service at very reasonable prices.

The name of their business is DLD Books Editing and Self-Publishing Services.

Leonore welcomes comments on her articles or questions about any of her services.

Email: leonore@leonoredvorkin.com

Note: The original version of this article was published in the April 2020 edition of Bob Branco’s online newsletter, The Consumer Vision.  Leonore writes a health article every month for the newsletter, and she and her husband edit the newsletter. Website: https://www.consumervisionmagazine.com/

Consumer Reports On Health magazine:  www.CR.org/cronhealth/

Go here for information from the CDC on how to keep from getting ill with Covid-19:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/index.html