Health Tips 8

Undo Belly Bulge with Vitamin C

Haven't seen your waistline in a few years? Eat more oranges.

Here's why. Apple-shaped people (who carry extra pounds around their middles) are at higher risk of obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. All of these drain the body's stores of vitamin C. Why? This antioxidant helps fight the cellular damage that comes with these problems. So help your body help you by packing in more oranges, papayas, bell peppers, and other C-rich fruits and veggies. It's the new way to eat skinny.

Ever see a rusty pipe? That same process -- called oxidation -- goes on in your insides, but in this case, it damages cells, not metal. Conditions like obesity, heart disease, and diabetes accelerate the process, "rusting" cells throughout your body, including those lining your blood vessels. And the thicker you are around the middle, the more "rusty" you're likely to be.

The best solution for reducing this damage is to lose weight -- especially around your middle. But losing belly bulge is easier said than done.

Now researchers have discovered that hourglass-shaped people have higher blood levels of vitamin C than apple-shaped people. They aren't sure why, but they're investigating some likely theories. One is that men and women who have a low waist-to-hip ratio may eat lots of vitamin C-rich fruits and veggies and take vitamins. A second possibility is that those shaped like an hourglass are healthier and not as likely as their apple-shaped peers to be obese or have ailments like heart disease and diabetes that "rust" tissues and gobble up vitamin C.

Megadosing on vitamin C won't make you slim, but eating a low-fat, high fiber diet that includes lots of C-rich produce may not only help protect your body from excessive cell damage, but also give you a good shot at getting -- and keeping -- a svelte figure.

Need More Ties That Bind?

Can you name three close friends that you see regularly? If you can't, you're not alone.

Twenty years ago, each American had about three close confidants; today, we average about two. That doesn't bode well for long-term health and well-being. Is your world getting smaller? Give -- and get -- the gift of friendship this year. Grab a plate of goodies, head next door, and say, "Hi."

Cell phones, e-mail, and text messaging let you reach out to anyone, anywhere, anytime. But despite being better connected, Americans have fewer confidants to turn to when they need help, advice, or just a willing ear and an open mind. So nurture the friendships you have, and work toward building new relationships. You'll be doing a good thing for yourself -- and your new friends. A supportive social circle can make you years younger by acting as a shield against the aging effects of stress.

Triple Play

Bone loss, back pain, high cholesterol . . . very different problems. But there's a single solution.

It's cross-training. Research shows that increasing the variety of exercises you do increases the range of benefits you get. The triple reward for consistently mixing it up: stronger bones, a limber back, and a healthier cholesterol profile.

When women who went through menopause early combined a number of different physical activities -- from strength training to jumping rope -- the results were clear: broadening their fitness menu expanded their physical benefits. After 2 years of doing cross-training workouts at varying speeds and intensities, the women had increased their bone mass, boosted their muscle strength, reduced their back pain, and improved their cholesterol profiles.

The lesson for everyone: The more you mix up your workouts, the more rewards you're likely to reap. And adding variety helps keep your interest up, too. Doing yoga or Pilates, jogging, hiking, lifting weights, biking, playing racquetball or golf, jumping rope, dancing, walking, swimming . . . it's hard to get bored when you have so many get-moving options.

Mix Up Your Fiber Fix

Man shall not live by whole-wheat bread alone.

To get the full range of heart benefits from fiber, think outside the bread box once in a while. Whole grains are great, but dip into fiber-rich fruits and veggies, as well as nuts and seeds. Fiber from different sources protects your heart in different ways.

How does your heart love fiber? Let us count the ways.

It guards against obesity, calms blood pressure, helps keep cholesterol levels normal, and lowers the concentration of homocysteine, all of which can impact cardiovascular disease. And a recent study shows that where you get your fiber affects what it does for you. Here are four key sources:

1.	High-fiber cereal is linked with a lower body mass index (BMI) and healthier blood pressure and homocysteine levels.
2.	Fruit eaters enjoy a lower waist-to-hip ratio and lower blood pressure, too.
3.	People who get their fiber mostly from vegetables reap blood pressure and homocysteine benefits.
4.	Nuts, seeds, and dried fruits go hand in hand with a lower BMI, lower waist-to-hip ratio, better glucose concentrations, and lower levels of apolipoprotein (apo) B, a cholesterol marker.

The heart-protective benefits kick in at 25 grams of total fiber a day. Just make sure those grams don't all come from one place. In addition to fruits, veggies, nuts, and seeds, legumes also are a great source.