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WH - A Guide to Women's Health

WH - A Guide to Women's Health

Nibble It or Nix It?

"When in doubt, toss it" is a good rule of thumb for safely storing food in your fridge or freezer. For a quick guide to the recommended shelf life of some everyday edibles, check the chart below. To view an extended list or to get more food-safety tips, visit www.foodsafety.gov or www.fightbac.org.

Item

Shelf Life*

Freezer Shelf Life**
Eggs, fresh in shell Up to 5 weeks Don't freeze
Hard cheese Opened, 3 to 4 weeks;unopened, up to 6 months 6 months
Leftovers 3 to 4 days; with gravy, 1 to 2 days Cooked meat, 3 to 4 months; cooked vegetables and fruits, 2 to 3 months
Raw poultry 1 to 2 days Up to 12 months
Raw beef 3 to 5 days Ground, 3 to 4 months; steaks and roasts, up to 12 months
Fish Raw, 1 to 2 days; cooked, 3 to 4 days Raw (fatty), 2 to 3 months; raw (lean), 6 months; cooked, 4 to 6 months

*Storage at 40ºF or below **Storage at 0ºF or below


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Online Health Tools

At your fingertips: Check the following Web sites for an engaging sample of health tools on the Web. (Remember: These sites are intended for informational purposes only and aren't meant to substitute for a professional medical assessment.)

www.mypyramidtracker.gov

U.S. Department of Agriculture's online dietary and physical activity assessment tool

www.hhs.gov/familyhistory/download.html

My Family Health Portrait (Web-based or downloadable versions)

www.womenshealth.gov/tools

The National Women's Health Information Center offers many online tools, including:

www.mayoclinic.com

(click "Health Tools")

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Dairy Products As Diet Food

If you've seen any of the National Dairy Council's ads touting the consumption of "three-a-day" servings of dairy products to lose weight— part of a multimillion-dollar campaign—you may have wondered, does it work?

Ask Michael Zemel, M.D., director of the University of Tennessee's Nutrition Institute, whose studies are the main basis for the ad blitz, and he'll tell you his research is often misunderstood. He insists the three-a-day approach works best for those who eat a low-calorie diet and who aren't already consuming the recommended three daily servings of dairy products.

On the other side of the table, many medical experts have called Zemel's data inconclusive or misleading. Other researchers have even found a link between consumption of dairy products—specifically milk— and weight gain in children.

Given the claims and counterclaims, only more evidence will win the day. Don't let that stop you from drinking milk or eating dairy products in the meantime. Just be sure to make them part of a calorie-conscious diet.

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How to Hit the Sack

Bedtime isn't an equal opportunity experience. Studies show that insomnia affects women more than men because female cycles—menstruation, motherhood, menopause—can disrupt rest. To get a good night's sleep:

  • Cut down on caffeine, or nix it altogether. Avoid alcohol.
  • Drink less fluids before going to sleep (minimizes trips to the bathroom).
  • Avoid heavy meals close to bedtime. A full stomach can make it hard to get to sleep.
  • Avoid nicotine. Like caffeine, it's a stimulant.
  • Exercise regularly in the daytime. Strenuous exercise has an alerting effect but, hours later, can promote deeper sleep.
  • Try a relaxing routine—warm bath, reading, meditation—before bedtime.
  • Establish a regular sleep schedule. Stick to it even on weekends and days off work.
  • In your bedroom, minimize light, noise and extremes in temperature.

Sources: National Sleep Foundation; American Academy of Sleep Medicine


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