Newspaper Page Text
ThinkS^S
Fit Smart MucpMiiisf
How to choose
the right sports bra
More than 50% of women experience
breast pain while exercising. Insuffi
cient support is the likely cause. A re
cent study by researcher Joanna Scurr
at the University of Portsmouth in Eng
land found that many bras fail to offer
proper support because they do not
adapt to side-to-side movement
Scurr says inadequate research has
contributed to the problem: “It is only
recently that bra design has turned to
science.” Her study revealed that all
women are suscepti-^gte
Encapsulated
sports bras with
moided cups can
curb pain.
ble to breast pain during exercise, re
gardless of cup size.
To help prevent pain, make sure
you’re wearing the right type of bra.
“Our research has shown encapsula
tion sports bras to be more effective at
reducing breast motion,” Scurr says.
That type of bra, she explains, has
separate molded cups, in contrast to
a compression bra, which flattens the
breasts against the chest wall. Look
for encapsulated sports bras online or
at your local sporting goods store.
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USA WEEKEND • Dec 7-9,2007
To ask any USA WEEKEND columnist a question, visit usawaakand.com.
HELPFUL TIPS FOR YOUR EVERYP* v 1 ,rc .
Eat By JEAN CARPER
Alcohol’s unappreciated threats
v /V kCOHOL in mod
eration might be
■gwfep*'- good for your heart, but
\ in other ways it’s an un
appreciated threat.
Some notable hazards:
CANCER: Women who im
bibe more than three drinks
a day (wine, beer or liquor)
boost breast cancer risk 30%
compared with women having
less than one daily drink. One to
two drinks a day poses a 10% higher
risk. So finds a new analysis of 70,000
women. More than three drinks a day
ups the risk of colon and rectal cancer
26% compared with non-drinkers, says
i a new study of 500,000 people. Alco
hol also increases the risk of uterine,
mouth, throat and liver cancers.
Money Smart walecia konrad
Tips for buying long-term
care insurance
With assisted living averaging $32,294
per year and nursing homes $70,912,
long-term care insurance is one way to
prepare. Consider these tips from Mari
lee Driscoll, founder of the website and
e-newsletter Long-Term Care Planning
Month (ltcmonth.com).
■ Buy only what you can comfortably af
ford. This insurance is pricey the
average annual premium is $1,973
and prices can rise as you age. If you
buy a policy that you can easily afford
now, then you should be able to handle
GOUT: All alcohol can trigger
painful gout attacks, says new
research done by Boston Uni
versity. For example, having five
or six drinks in two days dou
bled attacks.
Sorry, even
red wine isn’t
always rosy
for health.
broken bones by 18%, says a
new Harvard study.
HEARTS: Alcohol may boost high
blood pressure and the risk of bleed
ing (hemorraghic) stroke even though
it lowers the risk of blood-clot stroke,
notes Arthur Klatsky, a cardiologist
with Kaiser Permanente Medical Care
Program in Oakland, Calif. One or two
a 10% or 20% jump in premiums later.
■ Consider a policy with no premiums, due
after you retire. You’ll pay more upfront,
but you won’t have to worry about a
monthly bill when income declines.
■ Trim benefits—carefully. If premiums
become unaffordable, you can cut back
on benefits to lower your monthly bill.
But never cut the amount of you) - daily
benefit (the current average is $143
daily). Instead, consider cutting the time
period over which benefits will be paid.
Rather than getting lifetime benefits,
for instance, consider coverage for five
years (only 12% of nursing home pa
tients stay longer than that).
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BONES: Two chinks
a day cut the hip frac
ture risk in older peo
ple by 22%, but higher
amounts raise the risk of
Order today, and soon you’ll be cooking those easy, nutritious
meals that made famous. USA WEEKEND has
selected the very best of Jean’s Eat Smart recipes, read by
millions each week in this magazine and now collected in a
book for the first time.
The incredibly low price buys you 99 of her delectable, easy-to-fix
recipes, from vitamin-rich appetizers to guilt-free desserts. It’s a
bargain that makes it a perfect holiday gift for your friends.
Go to usaweekend.com and order today.
/ sfsJ***
drinks a day can promote abnormal
atrial rhythms, even in younger peo
ple, says cardiologist Gregory Mar
cus of the University of California, San
Francisco. He advises atrial flutter pa
tients to avoid alcohol.
Contact Jean Carper at jeancarper.com.
Scientific sources are at usaiveekend.com.
Garden Smart FRAN SORIN
Must-have garden gear
Gardeners need a pantry, just like chefs
do. Set yours up in the kitchen or ga
rage. Here’s what I have in mine:
■ Organic fungicide
■ Spray fertilizer or
granular fertilizer
(fish oil or probiotic)
■ Hot pepper spray
(wards off squirrels,
rabbits and
other critters)
■ Garlic clips, Liquid
Fence, Garlic Barrier
or cut-up bars of
Irish Spring soap (to
repel deer) E 3
■ Twine
■ Pruners
■ Yellow sticky fly
paper (for pests)
■ Plastic spray bottle
■ Small bag of
crumbly potting mix
■ Terra cotta pots
(4- and 6-inch,
with saucers)
■ Neem or pyola oil
(for insects, mites)