Heart Disease

My wife and I are trying to lose weight. We are concerned about the amount of fat in our diet. What is the recommended amount of fat that should be consumed in a day? We are eating different amounts and would appreciate any information that you can provide. We are in the mid to...

What are considered healthy fats and what are the health benefits? Healthy fats are unsaturated and come from vegetable sources (olive, peanut, Canola i.e. rapeseed, sunflower, safflower, soybean, corn), tree nuts, seeds, and avocados. Except for coconut oil, palm oil and macademia nuts are not as they are saturated fats. What that means is the...

In regards to adding strength training; I went from lots of aerobic exercises to a period of just lifting weights. I added about 20 pounds (155 pounds through high school and college) to about 175 pounds. Then for a period of about 3 years, I didn't do much, and my weight went to 195...

I am concerned about caffeine consumption during pregnancy . I would like to know how much caffeine is in chocolate products such as plain dark chocolate, chocolate ice cream and chocolate milk? Is there caffeine in other less obvious food items? Also, what is a safe amount of caffeine during pregnancy? Is there a...

I prefer tea to coffee, but I've heard that tea has as much caffeine as coffee. Is that true? I make about two cups of tea from one tea bag. I've been reading a lot about caffeine lately. The caffeine content of a tea bag brewed for five minutes is about 47 milligrams for...

I have a question regarding alcohol, calories and weight gain. How many calories does the average alcoholic beverage have? And, is it typical for drinkers (depending on amount) to gain or lose weight? Thanks so much. Alcohol has been found to stimulate the appetite and 1 drink before meals have been prescribed for adults with...

I'm in the process of applying for life insurance. I just received the blood test results back and there are 3 elevated items. I read your information on triglycerides which was very helpful. However, mine is at 545 mg/dl. You mentioned that 150 was at the high end of normal. My cholesterol is at...

Skim milk has more salt than whole or 2% milk. My doctor told me to follow a low salt diet. I like skim milk and need to lose some weight. Should I cut out milk completely? Skim milk contains 7 milligrams more sodium than whole or 2% milk which is not a significant difference. What...

It seems that when I drink coffee I get a headache. I could never understand this. I drink 2 cups per day (caffeinated) regular coffee. The headache starts hours after I drink the coffee or sometimes the next day. I would appreciate any input you would have concerning this problem. It certainly is a...

My husband is on a salt-free diet (1-gram sodium). He's easy to please at mealtime with meat and potatoes, but he does miss his desserts to finish off a meal. He is not overweight. Can you suggest some salt-free desserts? Any dessert that contains baking soda, baking powder, salt or buttermilk will be too high...