Health Tips 3

Lobster, T-Bones, and Your Knees

Love Friday night surf and turf at your local pub? Got a bum knee or foot that often flares up on weekends? There may be a link.

Eating foods that are high in a protein called purine -- such as a seafood and steak dinner washed down with a cold beer -- can bring on gout, a particularly painful type of arthritis that primarily attacks leg and foot joints. If family history makes arthritis a potential hazard, turns out you can slash your risk of gout by eating more low-fat dairy foods (string cheese, yogurt, milk) and less surf and turf.

An overload of foods high in purine is a requirement for gout. Your body converts purine into uric acid, a waste product that's normally eliminated through your kidneys. But when there's too much uric acid in your system, it forms tiny, sharp crystals that take up residence in the lower leg and foot joints (the big toe is a favorite site), causing intense pain, redness, and swelling. People with certain inherited characteristics linked to rheumatoid arthritis are prone to uric acid buildup and gout.

Although gout is on the rise, in one study, men who ate the highest amounts of low-fat dairy had a 44 percent lower risk of the condition compared to men who consumed the least. What else can you do? Watch your weight -- extra pounds stress joints -- and avoid high-purine foods, including steak, lobster, and liquor.

The 30-Minute Rule

Are you busy sitting all day?

Some days there's no way around it. Stuff you need to do -- drive, work, plan a get-together, deal with e-mail, pay bills -- is stuff you do sitting down. But yet another study has shown that getting as little as 30 minutes of activity a day is all it takes to reduce mortality risk by 14 percent. So sweep the patio, have a pillow fight with the kids, walk while you talk on the phone. It all adds up.

You don't have to train for a triathlon to reduce your risk of life-shortening diseases. You just need to increase your daily moving time -- that is, activities that get your heart going -- to at least 30 minutes. Know what else can help you live longer? You guessed it: eating more fruits and veggies. Just one extra serving each day -- an apple or pear or a cup of leafy greens -- cuts your risk of dying from anything by 20 percent. Huge benefits for modest efforts.

All About YOU: Brrr . . . Cold Weather Causes Colds, Right?

Myth or fact? You can catch a cold by running around without a hat in frigid temps.

Myth. It's not cold weather that makes you sick. It's close quarters and less air circulation. Chilly weather drives people indoors, and rubbing elbows with friends and neighbors allows viruses to spread easily. Research shows that getting cold or wet or not wearing a hat has no effect on whether you wind up sniffling and sneezing. What does? Washing your hands; any germs you pick up go down the drain.

Keeping up with your friends and family helps protect you against stress -- a big contributing factor in diminished immune system function. So don't shun social events just because you're worried about bacteria or viruses. Instead, wash your hands before preparing food and eating, after coughing or sneezing, after shaking hands or being in public places, and after using the bathroom (yes, even at home).

When you do sneeze or cough, cover your mouth with the crook of your arm, not your hands, to avoid spreading germs to others. These small steps will go a long way toward keeping you, your friends, and your family free of colds and flu.