Importance of losing baby weight
It took Reese Witherspoon eight weeks; Uma Thurman did it in six weeks; and Heidi Klum hit the Victoria’s Secret runway only five weeks after delivering her fourth child. So, losing weight after a pregnancy isn’t so tough, right?
Well, maybe ... if you have several trainers, a personal chef and unlimited resources. For most of you, it may be a tad more challenging. And it’s reasonable to take up to a year.
It is important, however, to lose the weight within 12 months after delivery. If you don’t, you can develop what’s called a cardiometabolic profile (elevated blood pressure, insulin resistance, lower good HDL cholesterol and elevated triglycerides). That increases your risk for prediabetes, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer and memory problems.
The best way to avoid getting stuck with post-partum weight gain: Avoid putting on excess weight during your pregnancy. But no matter how much you gain, here’s a great meal plan to help you lose the weight and feel more energetic.
■ Start your day with a post-pregnancy smoothie containing fruit, grains and seeds; it delivers omega-3, calcium, magnesium, protein and fiber -- and tastes great.
■ Eat every four hours. Snack on apples, yogurt popsicles, whole-grain cereal, walnuts and almonds.
■ Reduce your dinner portions. Serve your meal on a salad, not a dinner, plate. And dish up 1/3 protein, 1/3 100 percent whole grain and 1/3 veggie/fruit.
For more helpful suggestions (and a great smoothie recipe) go to www.doctoroz.com and search for “lose the baby weight.”
Tales from the dark side of chocolate
“Tales From the Darkside: The Movie” (1990) featured the not-yet-so-famous Christian Slater, Steve Buscemi and Julianne Moore in a tale of a gutwrenching dinner menu guaranteed to upset even the strongest constitution. But there’s another Darkside that serves up a much tastier and healthier dish: 70 percent cacao dark chocolate.
We’ve said for quite a while that 70 percent cacao chocolate can provide you with a lot of disease-fighting nutrients, including the antioxidants catechin and epicatechin, and that one ounce a day can help prevent stroke, protect the brain and keep blood vessels flexible. Now we know why! It’s because your good gut bacteria, bifidobacterium and several strains of lactobacilli are crazy for chocolate, and when they feast on it they convert its polyphenols into smaller molecules that permeate your gut delivering all its heart-friendly, brain-loving, artery-helping goodness. They make dark chocolate’s benefits more available to your body.
So, if you want to gain all the health benefits of dark chocolate, here’s a sweet tip: Eat plenty of PREbiotics -the indigestible parts of food found in chicory, bananas, soybeans, 100 percent whole wheat, asparagus, leeks, onions and garlic that provide basic nutrition for healthy gut bacteria. Don’t forget naturally fermented foods like miso, sauerkraut or yogurt that contain the bacteria themselves. And add a PRObiotic supplement containing the bifidoand lactobacilli. Then you’re ready to do your duty and eat some extravagantly wonderful dark chocolate — all in the name of good health, of course.
Relief for eye allergies
When the highly allergic Snot Rod, a mischievous street racer in “Cars,” sneezes, he shoots nitro fire from his headers. If you’re susceptible to spring eye allergies, it’s your headlights that are giving you trouble. This year, with grass, tree and weed pollen at extra-high levels, chances are your eyes are already red, teary, swollen and itchy. What’s the solution?
Oral antihistamines usually are only mildly effective and can cause dry eyes, making things worse. Over-the-counter decongestant eyedrops can provide relief, but use them for more than two to three days and you’ll get a rebound effect and symptoms will worsen! The best bet is a prescription antihistamine eyedrop (usually used twice daily). The newest versions come with a mast-cell-stabilizing substance. Mast cells produce the histamines that make your eyes tear and itch. For extra relief between doses, rinse your eyes with saline that’s been chilled in the fridge. Also, wear sunglasses outdoors, and rinse your hair every night to get rid of accumulated pollen.