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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. Get 0 C) Eat Smart K -J Precipes for only ri-> n n n 'ijrJ.Z ju r-* —y —1 plus shipping J and handling 6 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). MKfttiOW W andifekdoM ” r> i WlaaatMW 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)