Go with the (whole) grain

Go with the grain – whole grain, that is. That’s a slogan everyone should live by, because whole grains are packed with health-protecting powers. You’ve heard us say (OK, preach) the grain gospel before. Now we’re gonna hand you seven ways to dish up all these whole grains so you can fight off heart disease, impotence, colon cancer, vascular dementia and diabetes.

In a little less than a cup, most grains are loaded with essential polyphenols, fiber, more than 10 percent of your daily requirement for protein, plus various B vitamins, manganese, phosphorus, magnesium and more. And did we mention that you’re in for a flavor fest too? Here are our how-to-get-grain-on-your-table tips.

1. Add quinoa to a salad, along with blueberries, walnuts and baby kale.

2. Cook up a homemade chicken soup with barley or brown rice.

3. What’s breakfast without a bowl of steel-cut oatmeal, almonds, raisins or cranberries and steamed low-fat almond milk?

4. Sorghum? Amaranth? Try them as popcorn. That’s right. Go to YouTube and check out some easy-to-follow instructions.

5. Buckwheat makes soba noodles – so tasty in a miso broth, veggie soup or al dente with a bit of wasabi, soy and ginger.

6. Whole-grain farro should be soaked overnight before cooking. Then use it to make risotto (Giada De Laurentiis has a great recipe), or it can be added to soups.

7. Millet: It’s not just for birdseed. Try cooking it for dinner, like rice or risotto, or serving for breakfast as a hot cereal.

Shaving hazards

Cameron Diaz caused a ruckus last spring when she wrote in “The Body Book” that women should avoid irreversible beauty trends like lasering off their pubic hair. But a new study in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology reveals that she was right.

Up to 87 percent of women admit to some trimming, and up to half of twenty-somethings occasionally have it all removed. But many are unaware of the health risks that come from waxing, shaving, lasering or electrolysis in the genital area. Side effects include skin abrasions, ingrown hairs, genital burns from waxing, severe skin irritation and pigmentation changes, vulvar and vaginal irritation and infection. Also, shaving removes the physical barrier that hair provides and may promote the transmission of sexually transmitted infections, according to another study.

So what’s the smart way to get bathing-suit or bedroom ready? Minimal hair removal is the best bet. If you shave, make sure to use a fresh razor blade; cream skin well before shaving; use a mild alcohol wipe to disinfect the skin afterward; put coconut oil or zinc oxide on any abrasions.

Considering a spa laser or electrolysis treatment? Don’t. You could get burned or have pigmentation changes. Gonna get zapped anyway? See a dermatologist who’s a trained, certified practitioner. Insist on waxing? Make sure fresh wax is always used, and don’t do it too often or for too many seasons; some docs report that it can trigger an eczema-like condition on labial skin.

The five-minute walking miracle

Cloudy mind? Damaged arteries? Spreading backside? A new study confirms that the remedy for these health woes is precisely what the fourth-century B.C. Greek philosopher Diogenes figured out: “Solvitur ambulando,” he said. It is solved by walking.

Up to 70 percent of North Americans spend six to eight hours a day sitting, and many spend much more. Here’s how it can add up: Four hours watching TV, two hours commuting, seven hours at the office. The toll is astounding – even if you’re relatively young: Researchers looked at guys 20-35 and found that prolonged sitting causes blood to pool in the legs and reduces blood vessels’ ability to expand by 50 percent. That contributes to heart disease, diabetes and cancer – and just feeling lousy.

But if you go ambulando for five minutes every hour, you’ll preserve blood vessel flexibility and dodge all kinds of health problems! So ...

▪ Download a free hourly reminder app like reMind or set your smartphone timer to go off every hour.

▪ When the alarm sounds, walk up and down the stairs in your office building or home. Or head for the parking lot or backyard, and do a fast once-around. Watching TV? March vigorously in place. You can always steal five minutes to save your health.

▪ Get a pedometer. You’ll be amazed at how many steps you get in by walking for five minutes during each of the hours you’re sitting.

Over time, increase your steps while staying with five-minute breaks.

Are teens driven to distraction?

Hey, Mom and Dad, the axiom “Do as I say, not as I do” turns out to be a pretty inadequate way to teach teen drivers how to be safe behind the wheel. A new study by a national insurance company and Students Against Destructive Decisions reveals that many of you tell your child not to drive and text or talk on the phone, but you do it (“What should I pick up for dinner?”), and you insist your teen answer the phone whenever you call – no exceptions. The result of these mixed messages? Your inexperienced teen driver ends up using his or her cellphone while negotiating through traffic.

A cellphone is involved in 21 percent of teen crashes (11 percent for adults) and distracted driving causes 11 percent of fatal teen accidents. Yet more than 85 percent of licensed high-school students admit to using a cellphone while driving. So before your bad example and phone-answering rules steer your kid into trouble, here are a few tips on how to improve driving safety:

▪ When your teen does talk to you, ask immediately if he or she is driving. Yes? Ask for a call back when the car is stationary. Then hang up.

▪ Make it a whole-family rule not to text or talk on the phone while driving, because on a cellphone actions speak louder than words.

▪ Devices and apps are available for you to see if your teen is following rules about phone use (and speeding). These may qualify you for a car-insurance discount.

This story was originally published October 13, 2014 at 9:57 PM with the headline "Go with the (whole) grain."