Diet drinks don’t cause diabetes directly. But, in an ironic twist, these beverages sometimes trigger greater-than-normal cravings for real sugar. Studies show that people who choose diet soda tend to dish up extra helpings of sugary foods to compensate. Doing so overtaxes the body’s ability to maintain a healthy weight and manage blood sugar, and it could lead to an increased risk of diabetes, says Mary Beth Robinson, a dietitian with the Texas A&M Health Science Center.

The healthiest drink? Good old water. If you must indulge your sweet tooth, Dr. Felicia Stone, host of the TLC show Honey, We’re Killing the Kids, says, “I’d rather see someone consume one daily soft drink (sweetened with sugar, high fructose corn syrup, or agave) than any drink with a non-nutritive sweetener. But there is no substitute for what we know works best: Eat less, drink more water, and increase daily physical activity.”

Diet Drink Debate The Saturday Evening Post

Friction. Clap your hands, stomp your feet, or give them a mini-massage. But you already know that one, so consider…

Yoga. Lie on your back with legs against wall, perpendicular to the floor for as long as comfortable. When leg muscles relax, blood vessels open up and circulation improves.

Aerobic exercise. Take a walk, ride a bike, or do jumping jacks—anything that makes you work up a sweat.

Still feeling frosty? Consider thermal bio-feedback, a natural therapy that trains patients to warm their hands and feet in about 20 sessions. For a referral, talk to your care provider or go to bcia.org.

How to Shake Off a Chill The Saturday Evening Post

Up/Down Planks

1. Get on floor in push-up position, supporting body with hands beneath shoulders and feet flexed so base of toes touch floor.
2. Hold body in straight line from top of head to heels.
3. Drop to right elbow.
4. Drop to left elbow.
5. Return to push-up position described in step 1.

Repetitions: Start with 5 reps. Work up to 20 repetitions as you gain muscle control. If too difficult, start on elbows and feet. Then, hold for as long as comfortable.

Find more workout tips from Warner here.

5-Minute Fitness: Planks for Core Strength The Saturday Evening Post

So, you popped your cholesterol meds then tucked into a juicy steak. The pill can handle a little cholesterol surge, right? “At times, patients don’t think they need to follow a healthy diet since their medications have already lowered their blood pressure and cholesterol—and that is wrong,” says Mahshid Dehghan, Ph.D., study author and nutritionist at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. Eating well offers benefits beyond standard drug therapy.

In fact, researchers found patients taking drugs to prevent recurrent heart attacks and strokes who also ate a heart-healthy diet reduced their risk of cardiovascular death (by 35 percent), congestive heart failure (28 percent), stroke (19 percent), and new heart attacks (14 percent) compared to those with less healthy eating habits.

No License to Binge The Saturday Evening Post

MAD CAT UPPER BACK STRETCH
How:

• Begin on hands and knees with hands directly under shoulders and shoulder-width apart, and knees directly under hips and hip-width apart.
• Simultaneously drop chin to your chest, pull stomach towards spine, and arch back up like a mad cat.
• Hold 10-30 seconds.

Why: The Mad Cat stretch strengthens abdominal, shoulder, and back muscles, and helps loosen a tight lower back to ease nagging discomfort.

STANDING CHEST STRETCH
How:

• Hold arms about 6 inches from your sides with palms up.
• Squeeze shoulder blades together while pulling arms behind body, as though holding a ball in place with shoulder blades.
• Hold 10 to 30 seconds.

Why: The Standing Chest Stretch “frees up” the upper body by allowing neck and shoulder muscles to relax. It works wonders for anyone who spends hours crouched over a computer, counter, or conveyer belt.

SEATED INNER THIGH STRETCH
How:

• Sit on the floor.
• Bend knees and bring soles of feet together till they touch each other. (Don’t cross your legs!)
• Grasp ankles and, as able, lower knees toward floor. (Don’t use elbows to put pressure on your knees.)
• Hold 10-30 seconds.

Why: The Seated Inner Thigh Stretch helps the lower body move more freely through a greater range of motion. And it helps those who have trouble getting up off the floor or rising from chairs.

5-Minute Fitness: Stretch Away Pain The Saturday Evening Post

Competitive cyclist Heidi Dohse is proof that heart patients can do amazing things.

“I was lucky that a routine test revealed my dangerously fast heartbeat before it was too late,” says avid cyclist and pacemaker patient Heidi Dohse, who is back on course and teaming up with the Heart Rhythm Society to raise awareness of the problem. “Knowing more about common arrhythmias could save your life!”

Arrhythmias, also called heart rhythm disorders, occur when the electrical system, or “wiring,” of the heart muscle goes awry. Millions of people experience arrhythmias at some point in their lives. (The heart doesn’t beat with the accuracy of a Swiss watch.) However, some abnormal heart rhythms can be serious or even deadly. When drugs don’t work, doctors implant a cardiac pacemaker to steady irregular pulses.

Dohse recalls feeling lightheaded as a young teen and having trouble finding her pulse during high school PE class—telltale symptoms that were overlooked until routine pre-op testing at age 18 confirmed her arrhythmia. Now 48, and on her seventh pacemaker, the athlete’s competitive drive is as strong as ever.

“I am training to ride almost 800 miles in eight days for the Amgen Tour of California (May 12-19) as a way of promoting a heart healthy lifestyle and inspiring heart patients and their families. Living with a heart condition has helped me understand that I am accountable for my own health. If you are having symptoms or can’t find your pulse, don’t be in denial or feel foolish. Take charge of your health, listen to your body, and talk to your doctor about what is best for you and your life. Heart patients can accomplish amazing things!” she says.

Know your risk and protect your heart with these tips from the Heart Rhythm Society:

1. Small choices, big heart benefits: Exercise regularly, eat healthy foods, maintain a healthy weight, and avoid smoking.
2. Know your rhythm: Pay attention to abnormal heart rhythms—palpitations, fast or slow heart rates, or a fluttering in your chest. Shortness of breath can also signal arrhythmias.
3. By The Numbers: Treat and monitor health conditions that can contribute to heart problems, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes.
4. Family First: Know your family medical history and understand the associated risk for other cardiovascular related conditions, like heart failure.
5. Don’t Skip A Beat: Document your symptoms and discuss them with a clinician or electrophysiologist to determine the best treatment options for you.

Cyclist Says: ‘Listen To Your Heart’ The Saturday Evening Post

Plants for Pets The Saturday Evening Post

Be an urban farmer and grow red, white, and blue organic potatoes to serve up at an all-American reunion, picnic, or other gathering. (And do we love potatoes: A typical American eats 127 pounds of them each year or about one spud per day.) All you need is a black plastic trash bag, potting soil, seed potatoes from a local or online gardening store, water, straw, and a sunny spot outdoors. Then, follow these easy instructions from Garden Girl TV producer and HGTV host Patti Moreno’s new book Gardening by Cuisine (Sterling Publishing).

How to Grow Red, White, and Blue Potatoes

1. Place bag in sunny spot outdoors and fill with 4 inches of soil.

2. Evenly space 2 white, 1 red, and 1 blue seed potato in soil and cover with 4 more inches of soil.

3. Water soil thoroughly and top with straw.

4. Continue to water regularly.

5. Once plants are 8 inches tall, add 4 more inches of soil, water thoroughly, and top with straw.

6. As plants grow, continue adding soil and straw until bag is filled to within 2 inches of top.

7. After four months, you should have full-size potatoes to eat.

Growing Patriotic Potatoes The Saturday Evening Post

Bust old workout routines and get more burn for your buck with five tips from fitness expert and author Jackie Warner:

1. Circuit Train. Completing a group of 6-10 exercises in a near-continuous series is the best and fastest way to expend calories and tone muscles. Basic weight lifting burns 200-250 calories per hour; circuit training with weights and body resistance, 350-550 per hour.
2. Go Big. Build a routine that works multiple joints and incorporates big muscles in the arms and legs that burn more calories than smaller ones. Good choices are presses, rows, and squats.
3. ONLY Do Intensity Cardio. Unless you have a heart condition, cardio workouts should be intense enough to feel your muscles burn. Here’s one program that’s fun too! Raise treadmill ramp to maximum uphill and slow walk (almost a lunge) for 2 minutes. Then lower the ramp and run for 2 minutes. Take 1 minute to bring your heart rate down and repeat four more times for a 20-minute session.
4. Try Plyo Magic. Add plyometrics (also known as jump training) at the end of each set in your workout. For example, follow 15 leg presses with 10 squat jumps, or do clapping push-ups (with hands leaving the ground) after a chest press.
5. Lift Weights. Losing weight is all about resistance training to add muscle and speed metabolism. Concentrate on the big muscle groups: chest, back, glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps and keep moving! Work the upper body, then jump up and work the lower body without rest. Add more weight when you are able to do more than 20 reps in a set.

Don’t Miss: More from Warner about building core strength as featured in The Saturday Evening Post.

Photo courtesy Jackie Warner.

Workout Tips from Jackie Warner The Saturday Evening Post

Experts agree that a daily 1,500 mg dose of glucosamine sulfate is generally safe and well tolerated—the main exception being for pregnant and nursing mothers. Some studies show benefits in reducing joint pain and improving function, while others have failed to show any value. Stick with national brands when selecting a product, and make sure you’re buying glucosamine sulfate, rather than glucosamine hydrochloride. (The latter formula needs more clinical testing.)

As always, ask your doctor or pharmacist about potential interactions with prescription medicines before starting any new supplement.

Glucosamine Guide The Saturday Evening Post

Garden Tiles

Photo by Dwight Lamb/SEPS

Materials

• Stepping stone concrete (sold 
at craft stores)

Tools

• Cooking oil spray
• Rectangular plastic tub
• Leaves
• Pebbles

Directions

1. Spray tub and underside of leaves with cooking oil.
2. Mix concrete, according to package instructions, and pour 2-inch layer into tub.
3. Gently shake tub to release air bubbles and ensure level surface.
4. Place leaf (sprayed-side down) firmly into concrete. Cover with pebbles to make clear impression. Wait 48 hours.
5. Remove stones, leaf, and tile from tub. Smooth sharp edges with stone or file.

Craft Magic: Garden Tiles The Saturday Evening Post

Studies show that starving oneself causes changes in the brain that can lead to the inability to see oneself objectively. It’s “distorted body image,” according to Cleveland Clinic eating disorders specialist Ellen Rome, M.D., M.P.H.

Women suffering from anorexia, for example, tend to draw their silhouettes or estimate their hip width disproportionately larger than they actually are. This is not a coy way of denying their condition; when confronted with the truth, they will firmly deny their true size. Altered perceptions of body image are predictable and painful—but they are often reversible, says Rome.

For help, turn first to a medical doctor who is well-versed in eating disorders. Contact the National Eating Disorders Association (nationaleatingdisorders.org, 800-931-2237) for local specialists.

Distorted Body Image: Objects in Mirror May Appear Larger Than Actual Size The Saturday Evening Post

Your number one health concern with rehabbing an old house is protecting kids from lead exposure—and the go-to source for specific information and local referrals is the Environmental Protection Agency (epa.gov). You have a lot of work ahead of you, but before the dust starts to fly …

1. Hire a certified lead inspector. It’s best to go with a professional when checking for lead paint: Home lead tests aren’t always reliable.
2. Test the water. Water can pick up lead from home plumbing. State testing programs vary, so call your water company for details.
3. Shut off the heating and cooling system if possible, or tape plastic over the ductwork while you’re working. Lead dust and other nasty particles from remodeling can get into ductwork and linger for years.
4. Have ducts professionally cleaned when renovation is complete.
5. Keep your house healthy once you move in by encouraging family and friends to take off their shoes when they enter. The soles of shoes can track lead, pesticides, and plenty of other grimy stuff into the house. Tip: Encourage the practice by placing a storage bench near your home’s primary entrance.

Rehabbing an Old House: A Safety Checklist The Saturday Evening Post

For those with asthma and/or allergy symptoms, gardening can become more pain than pleasure. But have no fear! Minimizing pesky allergens growing in your own backyard is easy with these tips from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America and other experts:

• Pick the right plants. Asthma-friendly choices include St. Augustine grass; azalea, boxwood, and hibiscus shrubs; apple, dogwood, and red maple trees; and begonia, impatiens, snapdragon, and hosta flowering plants.
• Get good ground cover. Opt for gravel, oyster shell, or vinca plants. Conversely, popular covers like wood chips and mulch can retain moisture and encourage mold growth.
• Keep hedges under control. Prune annually 
to limit height and thin out the oldest wood. Hedge branches trap dust, mold, and pollen.
• Cover up. Wear a hat, glasses, gloves, long-sleeve shirt, and a National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health-approved face mask (available at most garden stores) to keep allergens away from skin and nose.
• Work late. Care for your plants in late afternoon or early evening when pollen counts tend to drop.
• Know the score. Download free mobile apps to get 24/7 pollen counts in your hometown at pollen.com and zyrtec.com. If you have asthma, you can also download an asthma symptom tracker app at asthmamd.org and myasthma.com.

Fear of Flowers The Saturday Evening Post

Studies show that chicken soup actually does relieve congestion and other cold symptoms.

There’s a lot of folk wisdom floating around out there. Let’s separate fact from fiction.

False: Feed a cold and starve a fever. Not true, says Post dietitian Elise Lindstrom, R.D. Instead, the best remedy for both is plenty of nutrient-rich foods, water, de-caffeinated tea, and juices. Lindstrom’s menu of healing foods also includes oatmeal and whole wheat pasta for energy; yogurt to support the immune system; and apples, cranberries, and tomato sauce to fight inflammation.

True: Sip a delicious bowl of steaming chicken soup. In studies, chicken soup actually did relieve congestion and other cold symptoms.

False: Avoid dairy products. Counter to popular wisdom, dairy products don’t worsen runny noses after all, according to a review of studies.

False: Toss back a shot of whiskey. Turns out Grandpa’s favorite antidote didn’t hold up to clinical tests: alcohol only worsens a cold’s dehydrating effects.

What to Eat When You Have a Cold The Saturday Evening Post