| Eat, Drink and Be Healthy DC Yoga Week starts this Sunday, and famed yogini Shiva Rea will be on the Mall to help kick things off. What does Rea recommend eating before joining the communal yoga practice that day? Check out Jennifer LaRue Huget's Q&A with her for the answer to that question and more.
 The Checkup: Shiva Rea, one of the most famous yoga practitioners in America, says she doesn't consider herself a vegetarian. Is that okay, or do you think yogis should shun all animal-based foods?
The MisFits Watching wee ones at a yoga class stand on one leg and twist their arms to maneuver into eagle, Vicky Hallett realized the most remarkable thing about that scene was that it wasn't that remarkable. These children are part of the yoga generation, a cohort of kids who beg for downward-facing dogs.
In The News A controversial study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association concluded that, at least among the 4,000 subjects it followed, moderate salt intake posed no added risk of death from cardiovascular disease. In fact, it found that people with the least sodium in their urine were most likely to die from that cause. But critics say the results are misleading, given the small study size, the relative youth of the participants and the overall low number of cardiovascular disease-related deaths represented among them.
People who habitually go to bed very late and wake up late in the morning are more likely than early-to-bed types to consume extra calories after 8 p.m., eat more junk food and less fruit and vegetables and have high BMIs, new research finds.
YOU ASKED... |  | | Q: | | Am I the only one who does not connect with a calorie count? I check out the protein and the fat and the additives, but calories? - Elizabeth | | | A: | | Lots of research is focused right now on figuring out whether people will pay attention to calorie listings if they're posted on menus, as new federal law will require many restaurants to do. Findings thus far are mixed, but it's clear that many people will order whatever they want, no matter how many calories it costs them. Even among people watching their weight and the quality of their diets, though, you have plenty of company. Many popular weight-loss programs such as Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig deliberately steer people away from the tedious chore of counting calories. Plus, many experts believe that not all calories are created equal; perhaps our body manages calories from, say, lean proteins, healthful fats, fruits and vegetables better than those from cookies, cakes, candy and soda. Having said all that, though, many people find keeping track of their daily calorie intake to be a reliable way to monitor their diet. | | | DID YOU KNOW? Among the small minority of people who have brain aneurysms (weak spots in blood vessels in the brain), certain everyday activities may sharply increase the risk of their rupturing and causing hemorrhagic stroke, according to new research published in the journal Stroke. Those activities include — are you sure you want to read this? — drinking coffee or soda, exercising, getting angry or being startled, having sex, straining on the toilet and blowing your nose. The common factor is that all those activities abruptly spike your blood pressure. Most are hard to abstain from, and the benefits of some — such as exercise — outweigh the modest risk, experts say. | | | Have other questions? | | | | |  | | Whole Foods Market Salmon offers good-for-you fat and lean protein; spinach is a good source of vitamins A and K. And the salsa's packed with vitamins and minerals; the kiwifruit alone delivers a huge dose of Vitamin C. Cooking Light Kung pao chicken used to be my favorite Chinese take-out food, but I stopped eating it when I learned how heavy it is in calories, fat and sodium. This recipe cuts the cooking oil way back and relies on reduced-sodium soy sauce and unsalted peanuts — and incorporates red bell peppers and snow peas to add nutrients, fiber and bulk without extra calories or fat. SparkPeople Shiva Rea recommends packing a nutritious lunch to power you through Yoga on the Mall this Sunday. She says Californians like herself "worship" avocados and recommends using them to add healthful fat and flavor to a veggie-packed wrap. Stephanie Witt Sedgwick I love summer salads that don't involve mayonnaise; this low-calorie, flavor-packed side dish, dressed with lemon juice and olive oil, features asparagus, a terrific source of vitamins C and K and of folate. Gwyneth Paltrow Shiva Rea says she allows her 12-year-old son to enjoy fun foods such as french fries once in a while. At home, she says, she bakes his fries. Here's a recipe from health-conscious actor/singer Gwyneth Paltrow. Coating the cut potatoes with olive oil and baking them makes for a far less fattening fry. Selma Brown Morrow and Reena Singh Seems everybody but my kids loves kale these days. My family can be coaxed toward kale if the recipe includes a bit of bacon, as this one does. The bacon adds a bit of fat and sodium, but considering all the vitamins, minerals and fiber kale offers, it seems like a fair tradeoff. | |  | |
