Answers on your plate

- Consider the source, of protein, that is. Not only does excess meat in your diet drive up your cholesterol level, but the digestive process necessary to break down meat causes your body to use additional calcium. If you regularly consume meat in servings larger than a deck of cards or the palm of your hand, give some serious thought to switching to other protein sources like soy, beans, and some low-fat dairy products. Soy in particular has been shown to help lower cholesterol.

- Don’t go cold turkey (no pun intended). I’m an advocate of gradual changes. If you’re accustomed to eating meat daily or several times a week, choose a different protein source one meal at a time, once a week, until you’ve discovered several alternative dishes you enjoy.

- Omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in mackerel, herring, tuna, sardines, salmon, and shellfish, may play a role in preventing heart disease. Like meat, fish is animal protein, less preferable than plant-based sources of protein, but on the occasions when you do enjoy fish, choose one that provides these essential fatty acids.

- Low-fat or fat-free doesn’t always mean “healthy.” It amuses me to see bags of jelly beans and other candy labeled “fat free!” in the grocery. Monitoring how much fat is in your food is a good idea, but don’t go overboard with counting fat grams either. A low-fat diet can help to keep cholesterol at a healthy level, and there is some suggestion, although the research is not conclusive, that reducing dietary fat may also lower breast cancer risk.

- Eat two to three calcium-rich foods at every meal. Calcium is essential to keep bones strong. Among your high-calcium choices are many foods that are heart-enhancing as well as bone-strengthening, low-fat, high-fiber beans, collard greens, and spinach, for example.

- Moderate your caffeine intake. Taking more than 400 mg of caffeine a day (two large mugs of drip coffee would put you at the limit) will cause your body to excrete calcium in your urine.

- Take 1500 mg of calcium (preferably calcium citrate) each day to keep your bones strong.

- A word of caution about calcium: more isn’t better. More than 3000 to 4000 mg calcium per day is difficult for your body to absorb and can cause kidney stones.

- Vitamin D (400 to 800 I.U. per day) helps the body to use calcium properly. Sunshine is the best source of vitamin D, but as we get older our bodies are less able to absorb it.

- Take 100 to 400 I.U. of vitamin E daily. The Harvard Nurses’ Health Study showed this may reduce heart attack risk by at least 40 percent.

- Stress reduction is an important part of keeping your heart healthy. Certain herbs such as kava, valerian, and ginseng have a calming effect.

- Celebrate wisely. Like caffeine, excess alcohol (more than two drinks daily) can rid your body of the calcium you need. Drinking a moderate amount of alcohol may have some protective effects against heart disease, osteoporosis, and possibly breast cancer. However, there’s no standard definition of “moderate” drinking, so I’d recommend that you think of alcohol as something to enjoy sparingly on special occasions.

- Check your medicine cabinet. Some medications hasten bone loss, including drugs commonly used to treat arthritis, asthma, lupus, thyroid problems, and epilepsy, as well as certain antacids that contain aluminum. Ask your health care provider if any medication prescribed to you puts you more at risk for bone loss. And read over-the-counter medication labels carefully, some are high in caffeine.

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