Dr. Bowden, author of “The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth,” updates his list with some favorite foods that are easy to find but don’t always find their way into our shopping carts. Here’s his advice.

1. Beets: Think of beets as red spinach, Dr. Bowden said, because they are a rich source of folate as well as natural red pigments that may be cancer fighters.
   How to eat: Fresh, raw and grated to make a salad. Heating decreases the antioxidant power.
2. Cabbage: Loaded with nutrients like sulforaphane, a chemical said to boost cancer-fighting enzymes.
   How to eat: Asian-style slaw or as a crunchy topping on burgers and sandwiches.
3. Swiss chard: A leafy green vegetable packed with carotenoids that protect aging eyes.
   How to eat it: Chop and saute in olive oil.
4. Cinnamon: May help control blood sugar and cholesterol.
   How to eat it: Sprinkle on coffee or oatmeal.
5. Pomegranate juice: Appears to lower blood pressure and loaded with antioxidants.
   How to eat: Just drink it.
6. Dried plums: Okay, so they are really prunes, but packed with cancer-fighting antioxidants.
   How to eat: Wrapped in prosciutto and baked.
7. Pumpkin seeds: The most nutritious part of the pumpkin and packed with magnesium; high levels of the mineral are associated with lower risk for early death.
   How to eat: Roasted as a snack, or sprinkled on salad.
8. Sardines: Dr. Bowden calls them “health food in a can.’’ They are high in omega-3’s, contain virtually no mercury and are loaded with calcium. They also contain iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper and manganese as well as a full complement of B vitamins.
   How to eat: Choose sardines packed in olive or sardine oil. Eat plain, mixed with salad, on toast, or mashed with dijon mustard and onions as a spread.
9. Turmeric: The “superstar of spices,’’ it has anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties.
   How to eat: Mix with scrambled eggs or in any vegetable dish.
10. Frozen blueberries: Even though freezing can degrade some of the nutrients in fruits and vegetables, frozen blueberries are available year-round and don’t spoil; associated with better memory in animal studies.
    How to eat: Blended with yogurt or chocolate soy milk and sprinkled with crushed almonds.
11. Canned pumpkin: A low-calorie vegetable that is high in fiber and immune-stimulating vitamin A; fills you up on very few calories.
    How to eat: Mix with a little butter, cinnamon and nutmeg.

You can find more details and recipes on the Men’s Health Web site, which published the original version of the list last year.

Forty-Five Percent of U.S. Employees Have Gained Weight at Their Current Jobs, CareerBuilder.com Study Finds

Expert Offers Tips to Help Make Healthy Choices on the Job This Summer

CHICAGO, May 14, 2008 - Swimsuit season is right around the corner and for many people that means one thing: dieting. In an office setting, though, cutting back on calories and finding time to exercise can seem like an impassable hurdle, as a new CareerBuilder.com survey reports that 45 percent of workers have gained weight at their current jobs, similar to last year’s findings. The survey was conducted from February 11 through March 13, 2008 among 7,688 workers.

Twenty-six percent of employees report they have gained more than ten pounds and 12 percent say they gained more than 20 pounds while in their present positions. Comparing genders, women are more likely (50 percent) than men (42 percent) to say they have gained weight at their current jobs.

Comparing industries, 53 percent of financial services employees and 52 percent of government employees say they have gained weight in their current positions; the highest recorded weight gain among industries surveyed. Retail and leisure and hospitality had the lowest percentage of employees gain weight in their current roles, at 36 percent and 41 percent, respectively.

“Weight gain can be quite common in the workplace, especially when the winter months keep most of us cooped up all day and calorie-laden treats seem to wait around every corner,” said Rosemary Haefner, vice president of Human Resources for CareerBuilder.com. “As the weather warms up and people are more likely to get in a healthy mindset, it’s a great time of year to be more aware of your health, get active and be more cognizant of your food choices.”

Eating habits can often be a culprit in workplace weight gain. Nearly two-in-five (38 percent) percent of employees surveyed eat out for lunch twice or more per week, making it difficult to control portions and calorie intake. An additional 12 percent buy their lunch out of a vending machine at least once a week.

Snacking can also be a slippery slope for those trying to cut back on calories, as two-thirds (66 percent) of employees surveyed snack at least once a day, while nearly 25 percent snack at least twice a day.

One of the ways employees can cut back on workplace weight gain is by heading to the gym during lunch hour, but according to the survey, only 9 percent of employees work up a sweat in the middle of the day.

More employees may be inclined to take advantage of gym facilities during lunch and outside of work, though, as 28 percent of companies now provide gym passes, workout facilities or wellness benefits.

Haefner recommends the following tips for fending off workplace weight gain:

• Start the day off right - Eating a high-protein and fiber-filled breakfast can provide the energy you need to get you to lunch and avoid the temptation of break room donuts, candy or other high-fat treats.
• Stay hydrated - Sometimes a snack craving can be mistaken for dehydration. Be sure to keep water or another healthy beverage at your desk throughout the day so that you can hydrate freely.
• Write it down - Keeping nutrition and food journal can help you track how your snacks and meals add up during the day, allowing you to notice when you overindulge.
• Mix up your routine - Every little bit of activity helps, so take the stairs to your floor, walk over to co-workers instead of calling or emailing them or try parking your car farther away from the office.
• Keep your cool - Stress can fuel poor eating habits, as you can tend to overeat or make inadequate food choices when you’re feeling overwhelmed. Try to manage stress with regular exercise and speak with a supervisor if you’re workload is drowning you.

Fat politican links:

• Column: This Fat Tuesday, remember those politicians who tipped the scales
• Duncan Losing Weight for Electoral Gain
  Mitt Romney Calls Al Gore Fat
• In which I defend Hillary Clinton’s hips
• Politicians Propose Restaurant Ban For Obese Citizens

Wondering if these politicians would adhere to such a restaurant ban:

Carbs are evil. Grapefruit burns fat. And water mixed with cayenne pepper and maple syrup can make you look like Beyonce.

Uh-huh. There’s all sorts of advice out there on how to lose weight. And a lot of it, even if it seems semi-plausible, is based on questionable science.

We asked some experts — registered dieticians — to debunk those weight-loss urban legends and share tips on how you actually can get closer to your ideal weight.

1. NEXT TIME YOU EAT OUT, TRY ORDERING THE DOGGIE BAG FIRST: Eating out is fine occasionally, but the usual portion sizes at restaurants are not. Try asking for a container at the beginning of the meal, not the end, Pappas says. That way, you’ll be less inclined to eat everything in front of you. Also think about splitting your meal with a friend, even if the restaurant charges you extra for it.
2. EXERCISING EARLIER IN THE DAY DOESN’T BURN MORE CALORIES: One of the most-persistent myths about weight loss is that it’s best to work out early in the morning. But the number of calories you burn depends on your metabolism, food intake and body composition — things that aren’t dependent on when you choose to exercise. Get your activity whenever it fits into your schedule, even if it’s just 10 minutes at a time. “Without exercise, you have to continually eat less if you want to continually lose weight,” says Celia Pappas, a dietician at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge.
3. EATING AFTER 7 P.M. WON’T MAKE YOU FAT: Yes, Oprah says she lost weight by staying away from her kitchen after dark. But it’s not because calories consumed after a certain hour stay with you longer. The real problem with most people is that, when they eat late at night, they’re usually skipping meals during the day, says Annie Neuendorf, a dietician at Northwestern Memorial’s Wellness Institute. That puts the body into deprivation mode, slowing your metabolism and making you more inclined to overeat later on. Better to eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper.
4. IT’S OK TO TREAT YOURSELF ONCE A WEEK: No matter how committed you are to losing weight or sticking to a healthy diet, you can’t be good all the time. Allowing yourself to have something decadent every now and then is not only OK, it’s encouraged. “It’s really helpful to people to have one day a week when they can kind of let go of whatever they’ve been doing,” says Mary Russell, director of nutritional services at University of Chicago Medical Center. But you have to know yourself, she says: “If you’re the kind of person that can eat 10,000 calories in one day, it’s not a good idea to do that.”
5. WHEN YOU DO SPLURGE, DON’T STARVE YOURSELF THE NEXT DAY: One mess-up isn’t going to make or break your health. “A lot of [people] go out to eat, and then skip breakfast, thinking they’re fixing things. That’s probably the worst thing you can do to your body,” Neuendorf says. Instead, get lots of activity on days when you know you’re going to be eating more than you normally would.
6. IF IT SOUNDS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, IT IS. Any diet plan that recommends cutting out an entire food group or loading up on a so-called superfood is suspect, Russell says. Eating what you like in moderation is the key to keeping the weight off. “People are always discovering things, but the basic principles have been in place for some time,” Russell says. “Try not to focus on the latest and greatest.”
7. LIQUIDS CAN SABOTAGE WEIGHT-LOSS EFFORTS: Fruit juice might seem a healthy choice, but eating the fruit would be better, since liquids leave you feeling less full than solid foods. Likewise, drinking pop on a regular basis can add unnecessary calories. Consider: A 12-ounce can of regular pop has 9 teaspoons of sugar and about 100 calories. “If you do that three times a day, that’s almost a pound a week of calories,” Pappas notes. Water and low-fat milk are smarter choices.

Mixed drinks like daiquiris can pack in more than 400 calories in an 8 ounce glass.

Dieticians say most people gain extra weight because they don’t account for the calories in the drinks they consume.

If you’re going to drink, what’s a safe level to enjoy when you fancy a night out?

Well, your personal dietician may well encourage you to drink as little as possible, since alcoholic drinks are usually full of calories, once you have one you tend to drink another and you can very quickly pile on the pounds!

However the official guidelnes are:

• Men are advised to drink no more than 3 to 4 units a day.
• Women are advised to drink no more than 2 to 3 units a day.

So whats a unit?

1 unit is equal to.

• 1/2 pint beer
• 1 glass wine
• 1 measure of spirits

The government recommended safe limits are:

• Men 21 units/week
• Women 14 units/week

The list below shows the number of units of alcohol in common drinks:

• A pint of ordinary strength lager (Carling Black Label, Fosters) - 2 units
• A pint of strong lager (Stella Artois, Kronenbourg 1664) - 3 units
• A pint of ordinary bitter (John Smith’s, Boddingtons) - 2 units
• A pint of best bitter (Fuller’s ESB, Young’s Special) - 3 units
• A pint of ordinary strength cider (Woodpecker) - 2 units
• A pint of strong cider (Dry Blackthorn, Strongbow) - 3 units
• A 175ml glass of red or white wine - around 2 units
• A pub measure of spirits - 1 unit
• An alcopop (eg Smirnoff Ice, Bacardi Breezer, WKD, Reef) - around 1.5 units

How do you change your drinking habits?

• Try to eat before you drink, so you won’t miss out on essential nutrients.
• Try low alcohol or non-alcoholic drinks instead of alcohol sometimes.
• Dilute alcoholic drinks with low calorie mixers or water.
• Try drinking more slowly – take smaller sips and pace your drinking.
• Refrain from drinking for 48hours after a heavy drinking occasion.
• Don’t snack while drinking alcohol, remember that eating chips and nuts will add to the calories and fat you consume. Salty foods make you thirstier.

Good sources to ask for referrals are:

• Family members
• Friends
• Co-workers
• Church or congregation members
• Your physician
• Your pharmacist
• Neighbors

Some important factors to consider when looking for a new dietician might be:

• The location of the office
• Availability of appointment times and office hours
• After hours emergency care
• Is the dietician a member of a state or national dental society like the American Dietetic Association?

Take your time and write down what is important to you. You also might have to visit several dieticians before you find one that you are comfortable with, but there is nothing wrong with that.

Finding a good dietician that you like is important.

It is OK to change dieticians if you are not happy with your current one.