Sensitive Living

Here are some plant food alternatives to animal protein. You can use them to devise a diet that will help you lose weight without compromising bone health.

Almonds. A cup of dry, roasted, unsalted almonds contains about 30 grams of protein and very low amounts of cholesterol and sodium.
Tofu. Tofu is rich in both protein and calcium. From three ounces of tofu, you get about 20 grams of protein and about 170 milligrams of calcium.

Oatmeal. A cup of oatmeal yields around six grams of protein. Oatmeal is also low in saturated fat and very low in cholesterol and sodium. It is good source of dietary fiber, phosphorus, and selenium, and a very good source of manganese.

Spinach. There may be more to Popeye and spinach than a cartoonist’s tale. A cup of boiled and drained spinach has about five grams of protein. It is low in saturated fat and cholesterol, and a good source dietary and other important minerals and vitamins.

Green peas. A cup of boiled green peas contains about nine grams of protein. Green peas provide a number of essential vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber, and a very low saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium.

Your face may be baby-soft and creaseless, but your hands will always give your age away. The passing years show on an aging woman’s hands, however well-preserved the rest of her body may be. The wrinkles, enlarged veins, and prominent tendons on her hands tell the story of her years.

To prevent your hands from drying and wrinkling, it is necessary to improve blood circulation and hydrate them. Skin experts advise the following:

• Wash without soap. Regular use of soap and hand cleansers dries skin easily. Hand sanitizers and alcohol are better alternatives.

• Moisturize. Apply a moisturizing cream after washing. If your facial moisturizer contains retinoid and alpha hydroxyl acids, it will work as well for your hands. These ingredients will help build collagen and plump up skin for younger-looking hands. Other moisturizing ingredients are shea butter, olive oil, glycerin, and vitamin E. A product with sun protection factor of at least SPF 30 is also recommended.

• Massage. Aside from stimulating blood circulation, massage speeds up absorption of moisturizers and creams. Massage palms and the back of your hands using upward and downward strokes.

Varicose veins are often inherited. If your mother has them, there’s a good chance you will, too. Here are some tips you can do to keep them in check:

• Avoid standing still for long periods. If you have no choice, keep your calf muscles, rising up and down on your toes, and squeezing your feet together in your shoes.

• Avoid wearing knee-high nylons or socks daily. They can block the movement of blood up the leg.

• Wear support hose. These stockings apply a gentle, graduated pressure to the leg from the foot upward, which help decrease expansion of the vein wall.

• Avoid wearing high-heeled shoes every day.

• Exercise with care. A well-toned leg muscle will pump out more blood than a weak muscle as you walk or move. When you lift heavy weights, however, make sure you blow out. Increased abdominal pressure can block the flow of the heart, forcing your veins to expand to get around the block.

While some women develop a glow about them when they are pregnant, others are less fortunate. Hormonal changes may make a pregnant woman’s skin drier. Dry skin tends to itch and, in pregnancy, could turn into eczema due to changes in the way the immune system works. To relieve itchy skin during pregnancy:

• Take a shower instead of a bath and reduce the number of times you bathe.

• Keep cool as much as possible, as overheating can aggravate the itching.

• Substitute your soap or shower gel with a soap free cleanser.

• Wear soft, smooth clothes and avoid woolly fabrics, which can irritate skin.

• Use a moisturizing lotion, cream, or ointment to protect your skin.

• Consult your dermatologist if you have a skin problem like eczema to determine which product is safe for expectant moms.

Add flossing to your daily routine to remove deposits of food that form harmful plaque in the spaces between your teeth. Dentists say flossing after every meal helps reduce tooth decay and prevent gum disease. Here’s how to floss:

Use a length of about 45 centimeters of floss. Wind one end around a finger on your left hand. Wind the other end around a finger on your right hand.

Keep the floss taut between the two fingers and gently guide between the first pair of teeth. Be careful not to cut down into the gum.

Slide the floss up and down one tooth and then up and down the side of the other tooth to dislodge all bits and pieces of food wedged between them.

Repeat this for every tooth, including the back surface of your last molar.

As you move from one tooth to the next, wind the used floss onto one finger and release clean floss from the other finger.