National
Blood Donor
Month

MORE THAN 38,000 units of blood are required every day for use in hospitals and emergency treatment facilities nationwide. But each winter brings a seasonal shortage of blood due to the holidays, travel schedules, inclement weather and illness. That’s why January has been designated as National Blood Donor Month—to encourage donors to give or pledge to give blood.

MANAGING YOUR HEALTH
What’s on your plate?

tions have you eyeing your own dinner plate, take it one step at a time. Start with concrete goals, like incorporating more vegetables into your meals or taking a 30-minute walk a few times a week. Small changes over time result in large health benefits. C

PLATE GRAPHIC: U.S. DEPAR TMEN T OF AGRICULTURE, CEN TER FOR NU TRI TION POLIC Y AND PROMOTION

By Adrienne Youdim, M.D.

EARLY THIS
year, the Food
and Drug
Administration
(FDA) scrapped
its inscrutable
food pyramid
in favor of a much simpler
visual aid: a plate.

The FDA’s new tool resembles the plates successful dieters, nutrition experts and other health-conscious consumers already put together at almost every meal: Vegetables and fruit are heaped on half, while the rest is divided between grains and protein with a serving of low-fat dairy on the side.

Simple enough for adults and children alike to understand, it also emphasizes some great healthy-eating basics:

■ Portion sizes matter. Be aware of serving sizes, and know what single portions look like. A serving of meat, for example, would be 3 ounces: about the size of a deck of cards. Keep in mind that foods like bagels may provide multiple servings in one item. A 5-ounce bagel can take up an entire day’s worth of grains.

■ Choose fruits and vegetables in abundance. Choose fresh produce that’s in season: It’s easier to find, more flavorful and usually less expensive. Frozen vegetables are also a good choice—they can be bought in bulk and pack the same nutritional punch. Avoid those that are packed in butter or heavy sauces. For canned items, stick to fruit packed in 100 percent juice and vegetables labeled as low in sodium.

■ Pack protein into every meal. Lean cuts of meat are good choices, and salmon is a good source of omega- 3 fatty acids, a heart healthy nutrient. Remember, protein doesn’t have to come from meat and fish

alone. Whole grains, beans and tofu are also protein rich.

■ Calcium counts. In the plate model, low-fat dairy foods such as skim milk and yogurt are emphasized. Butter and cream cheese, which are made from milk but contain little to no calcium, are excluded from the group. Spinach, kale, collard greens and turnip greens also provide a powerful dose of calcium.

■ Exercise is essential. As little as 30 minutes a day most days of the week can be sufficient to reduce the risk of diabetes and other obesity-related illnesses.

If these new recommenda-

Adrienne Youdim, M.D., is the medical director of the Cedars-Sinai Weight Loss Center in Los Angeles.

Facts about blood

(American Red Cross)

■ Every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood.

■ The most requested blood type is Type O.

■ A single car-accident victim can require as many as 100 pints of blood.

■ The components of one pint of donated blood can help the lives of three people.

■ Donating blood is a safe process. A sterile needle is used only once for each donor and then discarded.

■ Typically blood donation takes less than 10 to 12 minutes. The entire process, from the time you arrive to the time you leave, takes about an hour and 15 minutes.

Buyer’s pıck

Teresa Thompson Pharmacy Buyer

Where to give blood?

The American Association of Blood Banks can help you find a donation site near you. Go to www. aabb.org and enter your zip code.

For information on the donation process, including who can donate, visit www.redcrossblood.org.

—David Wight

WHAT IF YOU could trick
your brain into thinking your
stomach is full and your
appetite is satiated, simply
by sprinkling some granules
on your meal? The Sensa
Weight Loss System® is
devoted to doing just that,
leading you to consume less
food at each meal and grad-
ually lose weight over time.
Sensa is based on the
scientific principle that the
rate at which an individual
achieves satiety—feels
full—while eating can be
influenced by smell and
taste. As you eat, smell and
taste receptors signal your
brain to release hormones
that tell your body it’s time
to stop eating.
Developed over
25 years by Alan
Hirsch, M.D., Sensa
granules are
designed to speed
up that process. You
sprinkle the gran- 25 years by Alan up that process. You sprinkle the gran-

ules on food as you eat, and the release of appetite-sup-pressing hormones is accelerated by the subtle changes Sensa makes in the flavor and scent of the food.

I was so impressed by the science and the positive trials that I decided to try it. Sensa does indeed lessen my appetite and leaves me feeling full without eating as much.

Sensa is available in six different blends, because the body needs a change to avoid becoming resistant to the trick. You complete a full month with one blend before moving on to the next blend. At the end of six months, if you want to keep losing weight, you can start over with the first blend.

The Sensa Month 1 kit is available in the warehouses and contains two 0.7-ounce shakers, a usage guide, a how-to DVD, a neoprene carrying case and 30 packets of Sensa Quench Orange Crush powdered drink mix. Months 2 through 6 are available on Costco.com.