Health Tips for September 7

Happy Labor Day!

Health Tips: Eat Young and Slim with This Summer Salad

Uniting the antiaging powers of ferulic acid and the appetite-controlling abilities of protein and fiber, could there be a better choice this weekend than a delicious corn and bean salad?

Yep, those sweet little corn kernels have an impressive phytochemical that’s credited with thwarting a host of diseases, and it may even be an age fighter. And because beans are so full of protein and fiber, people who regularly eat them tend to weigh less on average.

Veggie Goodness
So skip both the potato and the macaroni salads this weekend. Let corn and beans be your foundation for a delicious dish that helps maintain your summer bod and also helps make you younger. Not sure how to throw them together? Try this recipe: Roasted Corn, Black Bean and Mango Salad.

Roasted Corn, Black Bean and Mango Salad This simple, fresh-tasting salad adds delicious variety to grilled foods, such as salmon, halibut, chicken or pork. Browning the corn in a skillet gives it a nutty, caramelized flavor that contrasts with the sweetness of the mango.

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons canola oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups corn kernels, (from 3 ears)
• 1 large ripe mango, (about 1 pound), peeled and diced
• 1 15-ounce or 19-ounce can black beans, rinsed
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 small canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, drained and chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in corn and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 8 minutes. Transfer the corn mixture to a large bowl. Stir in mango, beans, onion, bell pepper, lime juice, chipotle, cilantro, cumin and salt.

Bean Me Up
Another benefit of beans -- besides filling you up without fattening you up -- is their high antioxidant capacity. Especially dark beans. People who eat beans typically weigh as much as 6.6 pounds less than those who avoid them.

Here are a few more pointers for throwing a perfectly healthy end-of-summer party:

• Every good party starts with a great dip. Try this great guilt-free recipe for dip.

5-Layer Mexican Dip
4 servings, about 3/4 cup each

This famous party dip can be a calorie and fat fiesta, but not with this recipe. It cuts both in half without sacrificing the goodie factor. Serve with baked corn tortillas and crunchy raw veggies (sliced jicama "chips" are particularly good).

2/3 cup salsa
1/3 cup diced tomatoes
4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 8-ounce can fat-free refried beans
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
1/2 cup grated reduced-fat cheddar cheese
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions (use green tops only)
Spread refried beans in a 9-inch pie pan. Layer sour cream on top of the beans. In a small bowl, combine salsa, tomatoes, and cilantro. Spoon mixture over sour cream. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and garnish with sliced green onion.

• Warm the coals. Remember to follow these healthy grilling philosophies.

Make Meat Healthier with This Cooking Trick

Firing up the grill this weekend? Keep your choice meats on the healthy side with this cooking philosophy: low and slow.

Cooking meat at a lower temperature is better for your health. It may take a little longer, but the reward is fewer body-aging by-products.

Douse the Flames
When cooked at high heat, meat proteins can form cell-damaging, inflammation-promoting oxidants. And getting too much of these oxidants, called advanced glycation end products (AGEs), may actually shorten lifespan, according to early-stage animal studies. Researchers think certain aging genes may be turned off or on in the absence or presence of these AGEs.

• Don’t forget the sweets. Pair these two foods for a delicious dessert that’s a healthy indulgence.

A Picnic Pairing That Helps Your Heart

The ultimate food for a summer fling: Strawberries dipped in chocolate.

But should this kind of indulgence be encouraged? Absolutely. Because this seemingly decadent dessert will help keep your heart thumping, even if date night falls flat. Here's how.

Familiar Fruit Talk

Yes, we've heard how good fruit is for our health. (Tell us something we don't know.) But can we dip fruit in chocolate without feeling guilty? Seems so. When researchers recently estimated the flavonoid intake of postmenopausal women, 16 years of data revealed that the women who ate the highest amount of flavonoid-rich strawberries, apples, pears, grapefruit, and chocolate (or drank a healthful dose of red wine) were least likely to die from cardiovascular disease. Makes sense; flavonoids are known to thwart bad cholesterol and quell inflammatory processes that might lead to heart disease.

What about beverages? These two drinks can help keep your arteries healthy.

Two More Drinks for Artery Health

Red wine isn’t the only beverage that helps keep your arteries clear. Here are two other mighty fine choices: cranberry juice and tea.

Both are bursting with heart-protective flavonoids. To get the recommended daily dose, you can drink several cups of tea (any kind will do) or two and a half small glasses of cranberry juice a day. Yup, it’s that easy.