Eat (and Drink) for Your Health
8:00 A.M.: Eat a healthy breakfast
Good health begins with high-quality fuel. David Katz, MD, director of the Prevention Research Center at the Yale School of Public Health, starts his day with whole-grain cereal, skim milk, and fruit, such as berries. Other healthy choices include a vegetable omelet with whole wheat toast, a low-fat bran muffin with peanut butter, or a yogurt smoothie made with fresh fruit. Because different whole grains contain different amounts of essential amino acids (the building blocks of protein), a mix of varieties -- wheat, oats, barley, amaranth, buckwheat, corn, millet -- will ensure a balance.
Starting the day off right underscores a key message: You are what you eat. "We're turning ourselves over every day," Katz explains. "Your skin is turning over every day. What are you making new skin cells out of? The food you eat. Your intestines and blood vessels, too, are turning over every day. What are you manufacturing those new cells out of? The food you eat."
8:30 A.M.: Take a fish oil capsule
The omega-3 fatty acids in fish, formally known as DHA and EPA, are powerful anti-inflammatories. They appear to help lower your risk of heart disease, stroke, arthritis, and possibly autoimmune conditions. Omega-3s may also improve brain function and prevent depression. Your best bet is to eat at least two fish dishes a week. But if that regimen doesn't appeal or you're concerned about mercury contamination, use fish oil supplements that contain an uncontaminated version of these active ingredients. Aim for 1 gram of fish oil a day.
10:00 A.M.: Make a cup of tea
Health-wise, tea has it all over coffee. Its flavonoids neutralize free radicals, the scavengers that damage our DNA over time and unravel our body's smooth operation. Studies suggest that the flavonoids in tea may help protect against heart disease and certain cancers and may boost the immune system. (By the way, we mean real tea here -- black, green, or oolong, though it can be decaf -- made from the tea bush, Camellia sinensis.)
