May 18, 2003|By Gailor Large | Gailor Large,Special to the Sun
I take lunch to work every day. I usually pack a deli-style sandwich, chips, a piece of fruit and something sweet. I feel as though I get a good mix of food groups, but I'm worried that I get too much salt and fat with the lunch meat, chips and cookies. Am I?
While you've struck a good nutritional balance overall, cutting back on the salt and fat isn't a bad idea. With a few minor changes you can turn your "almost there" fare into a lunch that tastes good and keeps you energized through dinnertime.
If you're eating packaged lunch meat like bologna, substitute fresh turkey or roast beef from the deli counter. Replace your regular potato chips with unsalted pretzels or baked chips.
Another good way to cut back on salt and fat is to stock up on fruits and veggies, which will help fill you up. Stack tomato slices on your sandwich and swap dried apricots or cranberries for your cookies a few days a week.
Is the stretch where you bend one leg under you and lean back to stretch your quad really that bad for you?
"Absolutely," says Dr. Steven Stark, author of The Stark Reality of Stretching. This seated stretch can do serious damage to the knee. According to Stark, you are putting a tremendous amount of pressure on both your patellar tendon and the patella (kneecap) itself. Cartilage damage and degenerative arthritis are two things you can look forward to if you keep stretching your quad this way.
Instead, do the stretch standing, lying on your side, or lying face down. These are all safe alternatives. You should grasp your leg with the arm on the same side, and hold the stretch for at least one minute.
