Sheryl Crow: Life After Breast Cancer, Motherhood, and All-Natural Anti-Aging

By Jancee DunnFrom Health magazine
Sheryl Crow is one of music’s biggest talents, but you’d never know it talking to her. The mom of 2-year-old Wyatt is more likely to chat about motherhood than about being a rock star (even President Obama has her music on his iPod). Despite her fame, she’s still the same down-to-earth girl from Missouri.
Not that Sheryl, 47, is afraid of the spotlight—she’s been an advocate for a ton of causes, including finding a cure for breast cancer, which she was involved with even before her own cancer diagnosis in 2006. (She’s now cancer-free.)

And while she’s always been a fitness fanatic and sensible eater, Sheryl’s now even more mindful of preserving her health. In 2007, she opted for a less stressful life and moved to a farm outside of Nashville, where she lives with Wyatt.
This month, Sheryl releases a deluxe two-disc edition of her debut album Tuesday Night Music Club, stuffed with goodies like a bonus DVD, rarities, and B-sides. At the end of a busy day, she took questions submitted by Health readers. (“Great question!” she kept exclaiming, so kudos to you!)
Q: I’m a breast cancer survivor, and I’m wondering, are you doing anything special with your diet to stay healthy and cancer-free? —Sherry Lebed Davis, Lynnwood, Wash.
Sheryl: When I first got diagnosed, I went to this great nutritionist who specializes in disease prevention and well-being, and I still incorporate her tips like eating omega-3s—I eat salmon or other fish at least three times a week.
I eat a lot of walnuts, almonds, colorful vegetables, and prunes, which get such a bad rap but are loaded with antioxidants. I also drink pomegranate juice and keep a vat of tomato soup around or some kind of tomato sauce, because it has lycopene. Also, spices like cinnamon, which I throw into my cereal.
And one big thing I learned was that so much of wellness depends on your body getting rid of waste. So I eat a lot of Fiber One, which has 14 grams of fiber per serving.

Great Grains

Grains are an important part of a healthy, low-fat diet. We show you how to select and prepare the most nutritious.— Cooking Light Best-Ever Test Kitchen Secrets, Oxmoor House



Barley:
This hardy grain is a good source of fiber and potassium and is used frequently in cereals, breads, and soups. Two varieties of barley. whole-grain (hulled) barley and pearl barley, are most often found at markets. Barley flour has a strong nutty flavor when toasted; try adding it to breads. Pearl barley is a great source of fiber; 1/2 cup provides more than 12 grams.

Bulgur :
This grain is familiar to many of us through the Middle Eastern dishes tabbouleh and kibbeh. Bulgur is wheat berries that have been steamed, dried, and then cracked. Because bulgur is essentially precooked, it's quick to prepare. It comes in three types of grinds–coarse, medium, and fine. Use fine and medium bulgurs for dishes like tabbouleh, and coarse bulgur in pilafs.

Flaxseed:
Its nutty flavor is temptation enough, but flaxseed is also a health powerhouse. Although it has the distinction of being one of the oldest cultivated grains on the planet, flaxseed is a relative stranger to the American kitchen. It shouldn't be, though. Not only does flaxseed's flavor transform cooking, but the tiny, reddish-brown seed is also a mini-bastion of nutrition and other healthy properties. Among its bragging rights: fiber, lignans, and omega-3 fats.

Calcium from Vegetables

• 4 ounces firm tofu with calcium sulfate: 775mg
• 4 ounces regular tofu with calcium sulfate: 397mg
• 1 1/4 cups cooked collard greens: 280mg
•1 3/4 cups cooked boy choy: 277mg
• 2 1/2 cups cooked mustard greens: 259mg
•2 3/4 cups cooked kale: 257mg
•4 cups cooked broccoli: 250mg
• 4 ounces extra firm tofu with nigari: 198mg

Calcium Confidential: Secret Sources

Here's how to get enough calcium if you don't do dairy.

Rachel Quinlivan, R.D.
Photographs of well-known celebs and athletes with milk mustaches are one way the milk industry encourages calcium-deficient Americans to beef up their intake by drinking three glasses of milk per day. Why? Calcium is the mineral most critical to achieving and maintaining strong, healthy bones and minimizing bone loss later in life, and milk and other dairy products are often promoted as the preferred source. It makes sense. Nutrient-dense dairy products contain high concentrations of calcium: one 8-ounce glass of milk provides 256 milligrams of calcium, which is about one-fourth of the recommended daily intake. (Click here for more nutrient benefits of calcium.)
Calcium OptionsBut if you're lactose-intolerant, a vegan and don't eat dairy products, or simply want calcium options from sources other than dairy, there are other ways to get this important mineral. Studies show that you can maintain bone health with a diet in which calcium is obtained from non-dairy sources.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the calcium absorption from most foods, including dairy products and grains, is about the same. However, calcium may be more poorly absorbed from foods high in oxalic acid (spinach, sweet potatoes, and beans) or phytic acid (unleavened bread, raw beans, seeds, and nuts). These acids bind with calcium and prevent its absorption, but they don't prevent the absorption of calcium from other foods eaten at the same time. There are many plant-based sources that are well absorbed, such as soybeans , soynuts, bok choy, broccoli, collards, Chinese cabbage, kale, mustard greens, and okra. (Click here for more food sources of calcium.)
Getting EnoughBut vegetables alone may not be enough because the amount required to reach the adequate daily intake of 1,000 milligrams per day for adults (1,200mg for those 51 and older) set by the Institute of Medicine is not always practical for most Americans. The key is to combine vegetable sources with other non-dairy calcium-rich foods such as tofu made with calcium sulfate and calcium-fortified soymilk and juices. Be sure to look carefully at the nutrition label to verify that the tofu you are buying is made with calcium sulfate. Nigari (magnesium chloride) is another common coagulating agent used to make tofu but its calcium content is lower. (Click here for tofu recipes.)
You can also take calcium supplements to ensure that you're getting the recommended daily amount, but don't exceed 2,500 milligrams per day from both food and supplements. Excess intake can increase risk for some health problems like kidney stones.

The Perks: Health Benefits of Coffee

Get the latest information about the ways that drinking coffee can improve your health.

By: Laurie Herr
When it comes to life's necessities, many of us would say a good cup of coffee ranks pretty darned high – right up there with shelter, friends, and comfortable shoes. But there's more to love about your morning java than its alluring aroma or friendly kick. Once maligned (too much caffeine! the devil's brew!), coffee is now being praised as a kind of health food, thanks to its high level of disease-fighting antioxidants and other nutrients. In fact, the coffee bean's roasting process actually intensifies some of these compounds, making them more powerful. The bottom line? As long as you don't overdo it – stick to no more than two or three cups a day, and watch the calories in those fancy lattes – there's no reason not to indulge. Here are some of the ways coffee can make you feel better and even live longer – plus tasty ways to enjoy your joe. What Coffee Can Do For You1. Fight cancer. Recent studies suggest regular coffee drinking can reduce the risk of breast, liver, and colon cancer. In some cases, you don't even have to drink coffee to gain the benefits: Lotions containing caffeine from coffee and green tea have been found to prevent skin cancer. 2. Prevent diabetes. An 11-year study of 28,000 women in Iowa found that regular coffee drinkers had less risk of developing type 2 diabetes than non-drinkers. Heavy coffee drinkers (6 or more cups a day) are about half as likely to have diabetes as light coffee drinkers or those who don't drink coffee at all. 3. Help your heart. In a huge study that followed nearly 42,000 postmenopausal women for 15 years, researchers found that regular coffee consumption reduced the risk of heart disease. In another study that tracked 129,000 men and women for 20 years, those who drank several cups of coffee a day were 34 percent less likely to die from heart disease than non-coffee drinkers. Experts say coffee's antioxidants helps fight inflammation, a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. 4. Protect against Parkinson's. Several studies show regular coffee drinkers are up to 80 percent less likely to develop the disease, compared to those who abstain. The more you drink, the lower your risk, some of those studies say. 5. Boost your mood. Feeling a little blue? A steaming cuppa joe could make you smile. Caffeine stimulates the production of dopamine, a brain chemical related to pleasure and motivation. Just take care not to overdo it – too much caffeine can cause anxiety and sleeplessness. 6. Zap a headache. While it's true coffee can trigger headaches in some people, it can also be a short-term cure for others. Researchers at the Diamond Headache Clinic in Chicago found that 200 milligrams of caffeine – about the amount in a cup of coffee – provided as much pain relief as 400 milligrams of ibuprofen and worked faster than the medication. 7. Fight cavities. Your morning mocha just may improve your smile. Scientists say coffee made from roasted coffee beans contains antibacterial properties, plus molecules that keep cavity-causing microorganisms from sticking to tooth enamel. 8. Keep you sharp. Caffeine revs up your metabolism, helping you stay focused and alert. Studies have also shown the stimulant improves short-term memory and may help protect against Alzheimer's disease. Of course, there are people who have health conditions that may be aggravated by caffeine or other substances in coffee. Coffee can increase heart rate and blood pressure, and, although the advice to avoid coffee during pregnancy is being debated, most health care professionals are still recommending that pregnant women avoid or limit coffee consumption. Consult a physician or a dietitian if you have questions about coffee intake and your health.

8 Foods That Fight Fat

Want to lose weight as you chow down? Your wish is granted! (I promise, this is no fairy tale.) Your supermarket is filled with foods that studies show have lipid-melting powers to help melt fat and keep you slim. Stock up on these fat-fighting super bites, and you'll be trimmer even as you indulge. Read on to discover the eight foods that deserve a permanent spot in your fridge—and in your diet!
Almonds These yummy nuts are high in alpha-linolenic acid, which can accelerate your metabolism of fats. In fact, dieters who ate 3 ounces of almonds daily slashed their weight and body-mass index by 18 percent, while those who skipped the nuts reduced both numbers less— just 11 percent—a study in the International Journal of Obesity revealed. Chomp almonds à la carte (limit yourself to 12 per serving to keep calories in check). I get a pack at Starbucks and nibble throughout my day. Or sprinkle them into a recipe such as Black Bean–Almond Pesto Chicken. Go nuts!
Berries I tell my daughter, "These are nature's candy!" Turns out they're also your body's best friends. Strawberries, raspberries and other vitamin C–spiked fruit can supercharge your workout, helping you burn up to 30 percent more fat, research from Arizona State University at Mesa has found. If they're not in season, buy the little gems frozen in a bulk-sized bag so you'll always have them on hand to whip up a Berry Bliss Smoothie or Strawberry-Sunflower Pops, regardless of whether berries are in season.
Cinnamon Adding 1/4 teaspoon to your plate may prevent an insulin spike—an uptick that tells your body to store fat. Sprinkle it on your morning cereal or coffee or on your yogurt in the A.M., or savor it in Apple-Cinnamon-Raisin Oatmeal.
Mustard It's heaven on a soft pretzel, but mustard may also be a weight loss wonder. Turmeric, the spice that gives mustard its color, may slow the growth of fat tissues, a study in the journal Endocrinology finds. Use it on sandwiches instead of mayo, or sprinkle turmeric on cauliflower pre-roasting to give it a kick. Try it on tuna salad—I promise it adds zest.
Oranges This citrus fruit, which contains fat-blasting compounds known as flavones, deserves to be your main squeeze. Women who ate the most flavones had a much lower increase in body fat over a 14-year period, a study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition notes. Eat oranges sliced or swig fresh OJ (including pulp!) to get the best benefit from the fruit.
Soybeans Reason to toss a half cup on your salad? Soybeans are rich in choline, a compound that blocks the absorption of fat and breaks down fatty deposits. Oh, and they're addictively delish! But if breast cancer runs in your family, experts suggest you should talk to your doc before adding soy to your diet.
Sweet potatoes The colorful spuds' high-fiber content means they keep your insulin steadier than their white sisters, which means less fat packed on your hips, research finds. Top a small baked tater with lowfat cottage cheese for a tempting side dish, or whip up Miso Soup With Sweet Potato Dumplings.
Swiss cheese Calcium-rich foods reduce fat-producing enzymes and increase fat breakdown, and Swiss has more calcium than many of its cheesy peers. Choose the reduced-fat variety, such as Sargento. Slip it into your sandwich, put it on top of high-fiber crackers or use it for a healthier grilled cheese. Yum!
For other tricks to eating your way to your healthy, happy weight, load up on these 20 slimming superfoods at Self.com.

Sexual Addiction

The term “sexual addiction” is used to describe the behavior of a person who has an unusually intense sex drive or an obsession with sex. Sex and the thought of sex tend to dominate the sex addict's thinking, making it difficult to work or engage in healthy personal relationships.
Sex addicts engage in distorted thinking, often rationalizing and justifying their behavior and blaming others for problems. They generally deny they have a problem and make excuses for their actions.
Sexual addiction also is associated with risk-taking. A person with a sex addiction engages in various forms of sexual activity, despite the potential for negative and/or dangerous consequences. In addition to damaging the addict's relationships and interfering with his or her work and social life, a sexual addiction also puts the person at risk for emotional and physical injury.
For some people, the sex addiction progresses to involve illegal activities, such as exhibitionism (exposing oneself in public), making obscene phone calls, or molestation. However, it should be noted that sex addicts do not necessarily become sex offenders.
Behaviors associated with sexual addiction include:
Compulsive masturbation (self-stimulation)
Multiple affairs (extra-marital affairs)
Multiple or anonymous sexual partners and/or one-night stands
Consistent use of pornography
Unsafe sex
Phone or computer sex (cybersex)
Prostitution or use of prostitutes
Exhibitionism
Obsessive dating through personal ads
Voyeurism (watching others) and/or stalking
Sexual harassment
Molestation/rape
Generally, a person with a sex addiction gains little satisfaction from the sexual activity and forms no emotional bond with his or her sex partners. In addition, the problem of sex addiction often leads to feelings of guilt and shame. A sex addict also feels a lack of control over the behavior, despite negative consequences (financial, health, social, and emotional).
How Is Sexual Addiction Treated?
Most sex addicts live in denial of their addiction, and treating an addiction is dependent on the person accepting and admitting that he or she has a problem. In many cases, it takes a significant event -- such as the loss of a job, the break-up of a marriage, an arrest, or health crisis -- to force the addict to admit to his or her problem.
Treatment of sexual addiction focuses on controlling the addictive behavior and helping the person develop a healthy sexuality. Treatment includes education about healthy sexuality, individual counseling, and marital and/or family therapy. Support groups and 12 step recovery programs for people with sexual addictions (like Sex Addicts Anonymous) also are available. In some cases, medications used to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder may be used to curb the compulsive nature of the sex addiction. These medications include Prozac and Anafranil.

Reviewed by the doctors at The Cleveland Clinic Department of Psychiatry and Psychology.

Types of Mental Illness

There are many different conditions that are recognized as mental illnesses. The more common types include:
Anxiety disorders: People with anxiety disorders respond to certain objects or situations with fear and dread, as well as with physical signs of anxiety or nervousness, such as a rapid heartbeat and sweating. An anxiety disorder is diagnosed if the person's response is not appropriate for the situation, if the person cannot control the response or if the anxiety interferes with normal functioning. Anxiety disorders include generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder ( PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder, social anxiety disorder and specific phobias.
Mood disorders: These disorders, also called affective disorders, involve persistent feelings of sadness or periods of feeling overly happy, or fluctuations from extreme happiness to extreme sadness. The most common mood disorders are depression, mania and bipolar disorder.
Psychotic disorders: Psychotic disorders involve distorted awareness and thinking. Two of the most common symptoms of psychotic disorders are hallucinations -- the experience of images or sounds that are not real, such as hearing voices -- and delusions -- false beliefs that the ill person accepts as true, despite evidence to the contrary. Schizophrenia is an example of a psychotic disorder.
Eating disorders: Eating disorders involve extreme emotions, attitudes and behaviors involving weight and food. Anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder are the most common eating disorders.
Impulse control and addiction disorders: People with impulse control disorders are unable to resist urges, or impulses, to perform acts that could be harmful to themselves or others. Pyromania (starting fires), kleptomania (stealing) and compulsive gambling are examples of impulse control disorders. Alcohol and drugs are common objects of addictions. Often, people with these disorders become so involved with the objects of their addiction that they begin to ignore responsibilities and relationships.
Personality disorders: People with personality disorders have extreme and inflexible personality traits that are distressing to the person and/or cause problems in work, school or social relationships. In addition, the person's patterns of thinking and behavior significantly differ from the expectations of society and are so rigid that they interfere with the person's normal functioning. Examples include antisocial personality disorder, obsessive-compulsive personality disorder and paranoid personality disorder.
Other, less common types of mental illnesses include:
Adjustment disorder: Adjustment disorder occurs when a person develops emotional or behavioral symptoms in response to a stressful event or situation. The stressors may include natural disasters, such as an earthquake or tornado; events or crises, such as a car accident or the diagnosis of a major illness; or interpersonal problems, such as a divorce, death of a loved one, loss of a job or a problem with substance abuse. Adjustment disorder usually begins within three months of the event or situation and ends within six months after the stressor stops or is eliminated.
Dissociative disorders: People with these disorders suffer severe disturbances or changes in memory, consciousness, identity, and general awareness of themselves and their surroundings. These disorders usually are associated with overwhelming stress, which may be the result of traumatic events, accidents or disasters that may be experienced or witnessed by the individual. Dissociative identity disorder, formerly called multiple personality disorder, or "split personality", and depersonalization disorder are examples of dissociative disorders.
Factitious disorders: Factitious disorders are conditions in which physical and/or emotional symptoms are experienced in order to place the individual in the role of a patient or a person in need of help.
Sexual and gender disorders: These include disorders that affect sexual desire, performance and behavior. Sexual dysfunction, gender identity disorder and the paraphilias are examples of sexual and gender disorders.
Somatoform disorders: A person with a somatoform disorder, formerly known as psychosomatic disorder, experiences physical symptoms of an illness even though a doctor can find no medical cause for the symptoms.
Tic disorders: People with tic disorders make sounds or display body movements that are repeated, quick, sudden and/or uncontrollable. (Sounds that are made involuntarily are called vocal tics.) Tourette syndrome is an example of a tic disorder. Other diseases or conditions, including various sleep-related problems and many forms of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, are sometimes classified as mental illnesses because they involve the brain.

Reviewed by the doctors at The Cleveland Clinic Department of Psychiatry and Psychology.

Internet Addiction: Is Your Teen at Risk?

Certain Psychiatric Conditions Make Teens More Prone to Internet Addiction, Study Shows

By Caroline WilbertWebMD Health News
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Kids with ADHD, hostility, social phobia, or depression may be more likely to become addicted to the Internet, according to a new study.
Researchers in Taiwan examined the relationship between psychiatric symptoms and Internet addiction in 2,162 junior high students over a period of two years. About 11% of study participants were classified as having an Internet addiction in the initial assessment.
Chih-Hung Ko, MD and colleagues from Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan found that being male, playing online games, and using the Internet daily for more than 20 hours a week were risk factors for addiction.
Over the two-year follow-up, ADHD was the most significant predictor, followed by hostility. For boys, hostility was the greatest predictor, and for girls ADHD was the greatest predictor. Social phobia and depression were predictors only in girls.
Online addiction can be destructive and should be taken seriously, researchers say in their report. The addiction can hurt school performance, family relationships, and adolescents' emotional state, according to background information in the study.
"Identification of the risk factors for Internet addiction is therefore of clinical significance for the prevention of, and early intervention into, Internet addiction in adolescents," the researchers write. The study is published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. The researchers also noted that gender differences should be taken into account during future research about Internet addiction prevention.

natural-product line: Aveda

Sure, drugstore shelves are now filled with green products. But before it was cool to be paraben-, petrochemical-, and sulfate-free, this 31-year-old company was giving us plant-based hair-, body-, and skin-care options. Today, Aveda’s still the gold standard: More than 90% of the essential oils and herbs in their offerings are certified organic, and their bottles and jars contain postconsumer recycled content.
Aveda’s latest innovations: the Enbrightenment skin-care range, which uses a botanical complex to target dark spots, and the Sun Care collection, which prevents and repairs hair damage caused by warm-weather environmental culprits (e.g., the sun, chlorine, saltwater). But Aveda doesn’t just stop there. From programs that support farming collectives in developing nations to factories that run 100% on wind power (a first for a cosmetic company), Aveda is as authentic as it gets.

Face sunscreen

Chanel UV Essential Care SPF 30+ ($48) “This sunscreen is so hydrating that it could double as your day cream,” says Dr. Pak, who was impressed that Chanel was able to combine usually unstable, broad-spectrum sun protection (19 percent zinc oxide, the highest Dr. Pak has seen) with an incredibly moisturizing silicone base. She also raved about its texture: very lightweight and sheer, with no chalky residue.
Facial cleanser: RoC Multi-Correxion Exfoliating Cleanser ($10) Removing the top layer of dead skin cells from your face is essential to helping your products penetrate and perform their best. This wash sloughs them off but is gentle enough to use daily. “It also contains vitamins C and E, which have been shown to work together to boost the skin’s own antioxidant capabilities,” Dr. Donofrio says. “Plus, glycerin helps skin stay hydrated after washing.”

Healthiest Beauty

Now more than ever, beauty products are touting real health benefits—including treating under-eye inflammation and fighting wrinkles with natural ingredients. But which are really the healthiest?
In our 11th annual beauty awards, we partnered with top dermatologists to uncover the new products that deliver on their claims. From a toner that prevents breakouts to a sunscreen that’s rich enough to sub as your face cream, here are the standouts that earned our America’s Healthiest seal. Toner: Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control Triple-Action Toner In the war against acne, every step in your skin-care regimen counts, which is why judge Lisa M. Donofrio, MD, was thrilled with this toner. “We’re all prone to acne and this 2% salicylic acid formulation is the right dosage for the treatment and prevention of normal breakouts,” she says. An added bonus: The solution is nonirritating, tEye product: Olay Professional Pro-X Eye Restoration Complex . Who needs sleep when you have an eye cream this good? “Niacinamide, a form of vitamin B, suppresses pigmentation, so dark circles and blotchiness are reduced,” says judge Grace H. Pak, MD. “Plus it has caffeine to decrease puffiness.”
Antiaging facial moisturizer: Skinceuticals A.G.E. Interrupter .The fountain of youth might not be available in a jar (yet), but this superhydrating moisturizer comes pretty darn close. True, it’s not cheap, but it actually prevents collagen and elastin breakdown (the two big skin agers) deep in the skin with blueberry extract, while stimulating the production of new collagen, says judge Rosemarie Ingleton, MD. Translation: fewer wrinkles and less sagging.
Blemish treatment: DERMAdoctor Ain’t Misbehavin’ Intensive Skin-Correcting Sulfur Acne Mask .“Sulfur is one of the most effective ingredients in treating breakouts,” Dr. Ingleton says. “This contains 10% sulfur, which is the highest I’ve seen without a prescription.”
Lip treatment: Clarins HydraQuench Moisture Replenishing Lip Balm.msost lip treatments stop working as soon as they’re rubbed off, which means you constantly have to reapply. But Dr. Donofrio was impressed by this balm’s ability to boost lips’ own healing capabilities. “The hydrating ceramides in the formula help repair the skin’s barrier, so lips retain moisture better,” she explains. hanks to green tea and cucumber extracts.