Laura San Giacomo - The Christ Hospital

what’smaking newsin women’shealthhealthheadNuts: The secret toa healthy heart?There’s been buzz for years now aroundthe heart-healthy Mediterranean diet.Olive oil is usually thought to be the secretingredient that makes the diet so healthy,but it turns out that nuts may be the key.Researchers in Spain studied more than1,200 people ages 55 to 80 at high risk forcardiovascular disease. About two-thirds ofthe participants also met criteria for metabolicsyndrome: They had abdominal obesity,high cholesterol, high blood pressure andhigh glucose levels. The researchers dividedthe participants into three groups. They gavethe control group advice on a low-fat diet andthe other two groups received informationabout the Mediterranean diet, which includesplenty of cereal, vegetables, fruits and oliveoil; a modest intake of fish and alcohol; andIt’s tough, but youcan quit smokingKicking the smoking habit can be especially toughfor women. Dealing with the intense withdrawalsymptoms such as depression, irritability, anxiety,lack of energy, concentration problems and weightchanges can be challenging. But you can quit—evenif it takes several attempts. Try these four tips to helpyou succeed:• Set a quit date or vow to quit within a certain timeframe, like 30 days.• Use quit-smoking aids such as nicotine patchesand gum, inhalers, nasal sprays or medication todouble your chances of success.• Seek help from an expert, such as a tobaccotreatment specialist. He or she can create a treatmentplan, which mayinclude counseling orother aids, tailored toyour needs.• Build a network.Friends, family, coworkersand online supportgroups can be anenormous help duringthis difficult time.a small amount of dairy, meats and sweets. One of the Mediterranean diet groupswas also given one liter a week of virgin olive oil; the other got 30 grams a day ofwalnuts, hazelnuts and almonds. After a year, the prevalence of metabolic syndromedropped by 14 percent in the mixed-nut group, 7 percent in the olive oil group and2 percent in the control group. No one lost weight, but the number of people in theMediterranean-diet groups who had a large waist circumference, high triglycerides (atype of blood fat) and high blood pressure dropped compared to the control group.© 2009 JupiterimagesWomen’s Health Today