A happy new you

So, how did you welcome 2003? Did you ring out the old and ring in the new? For a happy new you – healthwise, that is – in 2003, you can take some valuable (read: life-saving) tips from this weighty book we got as a Christmas gift titled Active Wellness Feel Good For Life by Gayle Reichler, a top-notch nutritionist in the US. For starters, let’s dig into Gayle Reichler’s basic nutrition/wellness guidelines, which you may have heard of but have not really sunk your teeth into, like:

• Reduce or remove caffeine as well as decaffeinated beverages (yes, you read that right) from your diet. This caffeine list includes coffee, black tea, colas, cocoa and chocolate. Health experts can think of a hundred and one reasons why you ought to include avoiding caffeine as one of your New Year’s (health) resolutions, like: It increases blood pressure and heart rate; constricts blood vessels; disrupts sleep patterns; inhibits the body’s absorption of iron, zinc, calcium, potassium, magnesium and sodium. It has also been linked to fibrous breast tissue, cancer and cardiovascular disease.

• Eat your vegetables! Remember your mom nagging you about eating those strange-looking greens on your plate when you were a kid? Well, Moms certainly know best. Vegetables are low in fat and high in fiber – they make you feel fuller longer and keep you from overeating! So try to eat a minimum of five different dark green, orange, red and yellow vegetables and fruits.

• If you’re not taking more than five servings of fruits and veggies, supplement your diet with the following vitamins and minerals:

1) Vitamin C, 500 mg per day. Take in two 250 mg doses with breakfast and dinner. The reason is that the body cannot absorb the full 500 mg dose at one time.

2) Vitamin E, 100 IU per day. But if you have high blood pressure, consult your doctor before taking a vitamin E supplement.

3) Selenium, 50 mcg per day.

4) Folate, 200 mcg per day.

5) Multivitamin, one per day. Take one that contains 100 percent of the Daily Value for most vitamins and minerals.

Note: Make sure your supplement contains 300 mg of calcium. For optimal absorption, take an added calcium supplement that contains vitamin D.

Warning: If you are a male, has heart disease or are at risk for one, make sure your multivitamin does not contain iron. Studies show that iron, an oxidizing agent, may increase a male’s risk for heart disease.

• Eat low-fat and fat-free sweets sparingly, and remove high-fat desserts from your diet. A bitter note: Sweets have no nutritional value; they’re nothing but empty calories. Just a spoonful of sugar makes your energy go down.

• Avoid saturated fats and hydrogenated fats. Take only polyunsaturated fats (like corn oil) and monounsaturated fats (like olive oil or peanut oil).

• Eat at least two to three servings per week of fish or anything high in omega-3 essential fatty acids (like, yes, tofu, soybeans, strawberries, spinach).

• Drink six to eight eight-ounce glasses of water (or water equivalents) every day.

• Eat basically whole-grain products. Limit intake of foods made with refined and processed carbohydrates (like those made with white flour, most pastas, white rice, sugars and syrups).

• Avoid or limit alcohol. Like sugar, alcohol has empty calories.

• Set aside time to exercise. Fit exercise into your daily routine (like walking first thing in the morning).

By following these guidelines, you have nothing to lose but those unwanted pounds you’ve been wanting to shed off. But you don’t have to be so hard on yourself, so Gayle Reichler points out. To arrive at your long-term wellness goal, start with short-term goals like: I will eat two fruits a day instead of dessert; I will eat fish instead of meat at least two nights a week; I will walk half a mile every morning or evening.

The most delicious thing about this wellness diet is that you can have your (cheese)cake and eat it, too. Here, try this recipe:

‘I Can’t Believe It’s Fat-Free’ Cheesecake

Crust

1-1/2 cups (6 oz/180 g) graham cracker crumbs

Cooking oil spray

Cheesecake

2 8-ounce (250 g) packages fat-free cream cheese

1 cup (6-1/2 oz/200 g) sugar

1 8-ounce (240 ml) container egg substitute or 8 egg whites

2 tbsps. fresh lemon juice

2 tsps. grated lemon zest

1-1/2 tsps. pure vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. salt

1 pound (450 g) fat-free or low-fat sour cream

Topping

12 ounces (375 g) dried apricots

1-1/4 cups (10 fl oz/300 ml) water

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsps. Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur

1 tsp. fresh orange juice

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Spray an 8-inch (20-cm) pan with cooking oil spray. Coat the bottom of the pan with the graham cracker crumbs. In a food processor or with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar until very smooth, about 3 minutes. Blend in the egg substitute or egg whites. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla, and salt. Blend until well mixed. Beat in the sour cream, just until blended.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Wrap the bottom of the pan with foil to prevent seepage. Set the pan in a larger pan and surround it with 1 inch of very hot water. Bake for 45 minutes. Turn off the oven without opening the door and let the cake cool for 1 hour.

Place the apricots and water in a saucepan, cover tightly, and simmer for 20 minutes over medium heat until the apricots are soft. Add the sugar and Grand Marnier and simmer for 5 more minutes. Puree the mixture in a food processor or blender. Press through a fine strainer. Stir in the orange juice. Spread the topping over the cheesecake and refrigerate.

When ready to serve, run a thin metal spatula around the sides of the cake and release the sides of the pan.

Nutrition facts: Calories per slice – 237; fat – 0 gram; saturated fat – 0 gram; cholesterol – 0 mg; protein – 8 grams; carbohydrate – 92 grams; sodium – 304 mg.