Add colour to your life

IMPROVE YOUR HEART HEALTH ODDS BY EATING IN LIVING COLOUR

n Living Color” was the Keenan Ivory and Damon Wayans comedy romp featuring Jim Carrey and Jamie Foxx, plus many other yet-tobe-famous comedy writers, actors and dancers (Jennifer Lopez, Rosie Perez). It had off-the-charts Nielsen ratings, won an Emmy and made Fox TV so nervous (with Homey D. Clown and Fire Marshall Jim) that it lasted only four seasons, from 1990 to 1994.

Since laughter releases feel-good brain chemicals and is good for your heart, do we suggest that you bingewatch reruns of the show? Well, you could, but we have another idea: To protect your heart and happiness, go for Living Colour in the vegetables you eat.

According to a study in Atherosclerosis, lutein — one of the carotenoid pigments that gives many plants their sassy colour (think deep greens in kale, broccoli, turnip greens and spinach, and rich yellows and oranges in pumpkin, summer squash and corn) — also reduces chronic inflammation in folks with coronary artery disease.

For the more than 28 million Americans currently diagnosed with heart disease, and the millions more who are at high risk, that’s great news. You can avoid becoming one of the 600,000 people a year who die from heart attacks.

Plain and simple, aim for two to three cups of colourful fresh veggies (raw or cooked) daily. That adds up to a salad with mixed dark greens at lunch, a cup of butternut squash soup and a cup of steamed spinach at dinner. You’ll live better and longer by eating in living colour.

DON’T MIX UP YOUR MEDS

In Mel Brooks’ “Young Frankenstein,” when Igor (Marty Feldman) steals a brain for Dr. Frankenstein (Gene Wilder), there’s a mix-up and the doc gets a brain from someone named Abby. Abby Normal. When Dr. Frankenstein realizes that he’s placed an abnormal brain into his seven-foot-tall creation, the mixup sets up one of the funniest films of all time.

Mixing up brains may make for hilarious comedy, but when it comes to your meds, don’t make mistakes that can mix up your brain or worse.

A recent study found that people are making more mistakes with their meds than they used to, and they’re paying a price. Cases of reported medication errors more than doubled from 3,065 in 2000 to 6,855 in 2012. Over 400 people died from those mistakes. The most common medicinal mixups that caused serious health problems were with cardiovascular drugs and painkillers such as aspirin and acetaminophen. Most common mistakes: taking the wrong dose, the wrong drug or a double dose.

So get your meds in order: Eighty-seven per cent of Americans 65 or older take an average of four different meds daily! To make sure YOU get your dosing right:

1. Read dosage instructions on prescription bottles carefully.

2. Make sure each medication is labelled if you move your meds from a prescription bottle to a pillbox.

3. If you need help organizing your medications, ask your doc, a neighbour or a family member for help. You also might be able to contact a visiting nurse service to arrange for a weekly appointment to assist you.

IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO CHANGE YOUR FUTURE NOW

When Nicolas Cage played Cris Johnson in the 2007 movie “Next,” he saved the world with his ability to see into the future — two minutes ahead, to be precise. And while that makes for suspense as doom approaches, it’s not half as powerful or far-reaching a way to change the future as what’s recently been uncovered by researchers at Harvard’s School of Public Health.

The investigators looked at health info on more than 47,000 women and 25,000 men. They were amazed to find that when middle-age and older folks reported that during the previous decade or more, they had started substituting one daily serving of legumes or nuts for one daily serving of red meat, they slashed their risk of death by eight to 17 per cent during the 12 years the study covered. The researchers also discovered, in sharp contrast, that folks whose dietary choices became less healthy (more processed foods, sat fats, added sugars) as they got older increased their risk of dying during the same period of time by six to 12 per cent.

Just think what giving up red and processed meat altogether could do for your health and longevity! Imagine the energy you’d regain if, especially at age 65, you started having seven to nine servings of fresh fruit and veggies a day, eating only 100 per cent whole grains, and saying “no” to any added sugars or syrups, egg yolks or cheese.

It’s never too late to get smart, eat smart and live better.

ART THERAPY

In one memorable episode of “Mr. Bean,” Bean (Rowan Atkinson) attends an adult education day at a local school. When it’s time for art class, he sits down and begins drawing fruit, only to look up and realize that a nude model has appeared. Uncomfortable, he goes over to the clay station, where he creates two clay pots to put over her breasts. The art teacher is not pleased, but Bean finishes his painting and leaves the class proudly.

You may prefer a stiller life, like Mr. Bean, but whatever kind of art class suits you, a new study shows that if you are dealing with depression or other emotional issues, picking up a paintbrush can give your mental health a significant boost. The research, published in the International Journal of Health Promotion, tracked people’s mental health after taking a 12-week art class. Immediately after taking the class, a questionnaire showed that 80 per cent of people felt more positive and reported improved relationships with others. Three months later, people still reported higher levels of positive mental health and social engagement. After six months, levels dipped slightly, but still were higher than before taking the class.

So don’t miss out! Tap into your creative side — everybody has one. If you feel reluctant to give it a try, it might be easier if you enlist an art buddy — just like a workout buddy. Whether it’s sculpting, painting or drawing, doing a visual art could make you feel more confident and increase your engagement with others.