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Strawberry Blueberry Yogurt Parfait

Nutrition

8 Servings

Ingredients:

4 cups fat-free (no sugar added) vanilla yogurt

2 cups fresh (or thawed frozen) strawberries, sliced

2 cups fresh (or thawed frozen) blueberries

2 cups graham crackers, crumbled

1/2 cup fat-free whipped cream (optional)

Directions:

1. Spoon 1 tablespoon of yogurt into the bottom of 8 different parfait or wine glasses that each hold 8-ounces. Add 1 tablespoon strawberries, 1 tablespoon blueberries and 1/4 cup graham crackers.

2. Repeat yogurt, strawberry, blueberry and graham cracker layers.

3. Top with a tablespoon of fat-free whipped topping, if desired.

4. Serve right away. Or cover each glass with plastic wrap and chill for up to 2 hours before serving.

Per Serving:

Calories – 179

Total fat – 2 grams

Saturated fat – 1 gram

Sodium – 34 mg

Carbonhydrate – 34 grams

Fiber – 2 grams

Protein – 6 grams

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Strategies For Reducing Fats And Cholesterol

Nutrition

Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of premature death among Americans. And it’s largely self-inflicted. When vital arteries leading to the heart become clogged by fatty deposits of cholesterol, the blockage can lead to a heart attack. Luckily, a few simple changes in eating habits can reduce your risk of heart disease.

* Substitute skim or 1/2% milk for 2% or whole milk.

* Eat less meat and fewer eggs. A good rule of thumb is no more than 3 to 5 ounces of meat per serving and no more than five to seven servings a week, and no more than three egg yolks per week (unless your physician advises otherwise).

* Use one egg yolk and two whites for every two eggs required in a recipe.

* Trim all visible fat from meat before cooking. Remove skin from poultry.

* Bake, roast, or broil meat, poultry, or fish. Don’t fry.

* Chill soup made from meat or poultry, then skim off the fat before reheating and serving.

* Poach foods like fish or eggs instead of sautéing them in butter.

* To cut down on the need for oil in cooking, use a vegetable cooking spray and/or pans with a nonstick surface.

* Substitute liquid vegetable oil for solid shortening and replace butter with oil, soft margarine, and spreads made with plant sterols and stanols, such as the brands Benecol and Take Control. Use less total fat.

* Limit how much oil-based or creamy salad dressing you use. Substitute oil-free salad dressing, lemon juice, or flavored vinegar.

* When you use small amount of fats, use olive oil or canola oil. Some research shows they may protect against heart disease.

* Bake, steam, or stir-fry vegetables. Don’t deep-fry vegetables or sauté them in lots of butter.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Stop Making Excuses

Fitness

Take control of your health.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that more than 50 percent of adults in the U.S. don’t exercise enough. Of those, 25 percent are not active at all. Combined, they probably have a million and one excuses – 99.9 percent of which are probably not valid.

Excuse No. 1 – I don’t have time to exercise.

Excuse zappers:

* Write down what you do in a day. How much time do you spend in front of the TV? Exercise while you watch TV.

* Get up half an hour earlier to work out.

* Split up your workouts. Do two 30-minute sessions or three 10-minute sessions.

Excuse No. 2 – I’m too tired to exercise.

Excuse zappers:

* Exercise can relieve sluggish feelings and a general lack of energy.

* Something as easy as a brisk walk may do the trick.

* Do yoga or tai chi to feel physically and mentally refreshed.

Excuse No. 3 – I’m too heavy to exercise.

Excuse zappers:

* Ask your doctor for the top five reasons you need to lose some weight.

* Start slowly, even if it means walking in 10-minute spurts.

* Work out at home with dumbbells and a stability ball. Go online for information on how to use them.

Excuse No. 4 – Exercise is boring.

Excuse zappers:

* Choose activities you enjoy and look forward to.

* Set up a walking program with a friend or coworker you like to be with.

* Enjoy a sunny day and fresh air with outdoor activities.

Action Step

Make a list of all the reasons you aren’t working out. Then come up with solutions that fit your schedule, your lifestyle, and your interests.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Stop Feeding Your Feelings

Stress Management

Don’t let emotional eating weigh you down.

If you run to the fridge to soothe pangs that have nothing to do with hunger, you could be an emotional eater. Studies show that both negative and positive emotions can trigger eating and overeating. Allowing your feelings to prompt you to overeat on a regular basis can be dangerous to your health, especially if you are overweight or have diabetes or another chronic disease.

Causes for your cravings:

* Chronic stress – This releases cortisol, a hormone that triggers cravings for salty and sweet foods.

* To suppress or soothe emotions – People often reach for food to deal with anger, anxiety, depression, fear, or resentment.

* Social eating – Food tempts you: cake to celebrate another staff birthday; chips and dip within your reach at a party; or a ten-foot long dessert table at a wedding. Not to mention beer, wine, and other alcoholic drinks to celebrate with.

* Nervous energy – People who feel uncomfortable in social situations may eat to avoid talking with others.

* Boredom – Nothing better to do? Might as well down an entire bag of cookies.

* Learned habits – If your parents rewarded you with sweets or stopped your tears with ice cream, you may be rewarding yourself with comfort food when you want to feel better.

Break the cycle.

1. Eat as a response to hunger, not appetite. Hunger is the physical need to eat. Appetite is a psychological desire to eat. Delay 10 minutes before you eat as a response to appetite. The emotional need to eat may pass.

2. Every time you eat, write down the emotions you are feeling and whether you have physical signs of hunger. Learning your emotional eating triggers is the first step to making healthy changes.

3. Surround yourself with friends and family who support your efforts to change your eating habits.

4. Join a support group to meet other people who have similar problems.

5. Consult your doctor or health care provider if you need help controlling emotional eating.

Action Step

The next time you mindlessly reach for sweets or treats, ask yourself why. If your answer has nothing to do with physical hunger, put the food down and take a walk instead.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Stop Family Friction Before It Starts

Stress Management

Stress resistance begins at home. What better way to help your family withstand the rapid change, constant disruptions, and various surprises life dishes out than to establish a stable “base of operations” at home. Psychologists and other mental health professionals have found that families who work and play together as a cohesive unit can survive a crisis like unemployment or illness better than those with poor coping skills.

Here are some guidelines for insulating your family against stress.

* Take time to talk things over and be good companions to one another.

* Hold regular family conferences or meetings. Use this time to set mutual goals, present grievances, or discuss future plans. Take turns heading these meetings. Plan an agenda so everyone gets an opportunity to speak and so that important issues aren’t overlooked.

* Teach the value of being a good listener. Pay attention to what others say. Learn to “hear between the lines.” And ask questions if you don’t understand what your spouse or children are trying to tell you.

* Establish family traditions tied to significant occasions, like birthdays or holidays, that can be celebrated together.

* Learn the value of compromise.

* Be flexible, and shift gears if the situation calls for it. Flexibility is especially important if one parent goes back to work after managing the household full time, or if one wage earner loses his or her job or gets sick.

* Allow for individual strengths and interests. Don’t compare brothers and sisters to one another, and allow family members to have “their own space.”

* Discourage competition between family members.

* Don’t overemphasize academic and financial status.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Step-By-Step

Weight Control

Walk off extra weight and improve health problems.

Walking is a gentle, low-impact exercise that can ease you into a higher level of fitness and health. Walking also has many health benefits. It can help lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of or manage type 2 diabetes, control weight, improve mood, and increase fitness.

Take ten steps in the right direction:

1. Talk with your doctor about a routine that is safe for your level of fitness.

2. Have the right gear. Wear comfortable shoes and clothing. Choose shoes with proper arch support, a firm heel, and thick flexible soles to cushion your feet and absorb shock. Wear reflective gear when it’s dark so motorists can see you.

3. Maintain good form. Maintain good posture to help you avoid backaches, muscle pain, and injuries.

4. Pull in your stomach muscles to set your pelvis in neutral, a position you will appreciate during longer walks.

5. Keep your chin parallel to the ground and your eyes focused 12 to 20 feet ahead to reduce strain on your neck and shoulders.

6. The impact of your first step should be from heel to toe, in a gently rolling motion. Push off with the back leg, toes leading the way to the ground slightly in front of your torso.

7. Use your arms. With each forward step, swing the opposite arm behind you. Point the arm toward the ground.

8. Start slow to build stamina. When you feel confident, add 5 minutes, then another 5, and so on.

9. Set walking goals, such as weight loss, reduced stress, or better overall health.

10. Reap the rewards. You will feel better and look better.

Tips

* Warm Up: Spend about five minutes walking slowly to warm up your muscles.

* Stretch: Gently stretch your muscles, including calves, quadriceps, and hamstrings.

* Cool Down: To reduce stress on your heart and muscles, end each walk slowly.

Action Step

On busy days when you can’t find time to walk 30 minutes all at once, take three 10-minute walks when you can fit them in.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Spirituality Can Help You Cope

Stress Management

Connect with your spiritual self.

In general, spirituality is a path to finding purpose, meaning, inner peace, and hope in life. It involves your personal values and how you relate to others. For some people, spirituality includes an organized religion with its set of beliefs, symbols, and rituals. For others it is being connected to nature or believing in a power greater than oneself. Spirituality can give deeper meaning to life and help you focus on what really matters.

Ways people find strength in spirituality during times of stress or a crisis:

* Prayer

* Meditating

* Expressing their thoughts and feelings in a journal

* Counting their blessings

* Forgiving and healing

* Reaching out to help others

* Practicing and receiving unconditional love

* Attending a place of worship. This can provide a sense of community and shared purpose, as well as support and understanding.

* Connecting to a higher power

Spirituality can help you lead a healthier life.

Several studies have shown that people with strong religious and spiritual beliefs:

* Have a stronger immune system

* Have lower blood pressure

* Have less anxiety and depression

* Are better able to deal with arthritis, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic illnesses

* Heal faster from surgery

* Recover from drug addiction faster and are better able to abstain from substance abuse. Self-help programs, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) use spiritual messages in their 12-step recovery process.

Action Step

Pastoral counselors can help with mental health and spiritual concerns. Find a pastored counselor in your area fromwww.aapc.org.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Spicy Baked Fish

Nutrition

4 Servings, about 1 piece (3 oz.) each

Ingredients:

1 pound cod (or other fish) fillet

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. spicy seasoning, salt-free

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spray a casserole dish with cooking oil spray.

2. Wash and dry fish. Place in dish. Mix oil and seasoning. Drizzle over fish.

3. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes or until fish flakes with fork. Cut into 4 pieces. Serve with rice. If you do, count 1/3 cup rice as 1 grains & starches.

Per Serving:

Calories – 133

Total fat – 1 gram

Saturated fat – 0 gram

Sodium – 119 mg

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Smart Tips For Business Drinking

Substance Use & Abuse

Sloshing down three martinis at a business lunch went out with wide ties and bell-bottom pants. As one investment banker quipped, “No one’s going to trust you to handle their money, services, or products if you get smashed over lunch.”

Keep in mind that business is business. Others’ impressions of you can make or break a deal-or a career. Alcohol is served at many business functions, yet more and more people are choosing not to drink.

If you choose to drink, here’s what you can do to manage your alcohol intake and its effects.

* Don’t feel you have to “keep up” with associates who drink.

* Drinking isn’t the main purpose of the get-together. Keep your underlying mission in mind and stay clear headed.

* If you’re nervous about the meeting, it might be better to avoid alcohol altogether, since you may drink too fast or too much and end up fuzzier than usual because of your anxiety.

If you attend a business dinner:

* Have only one pre-dinner drink, if any.

* If champagne is served, sip it very slowly.

* Drink water with the meal.

* Avoid finishing each drink.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Slow Down!

Stress Management

Most people expect too much of themselves. Attempts to accomplish too much in a short period of time causes lots of unnecessary stress. The result is something doctors call hurry sickness, a constant state of rushing around trying to meet an endless line-up of self-imposed deadlines. Stress is the inevitable by-product of this frenetic level of activity.

Here’s how to turn your activity meter to “slow” instead of “go.”

* Leave your wristwatch at home on days you don’t absolutely have to be somewhere on time.

* Practice doing one thing at a time instead of two or three things at once (like talking on the phone and reading your mail).

* Make a deliberate effort to speak more slowly. Don’t cut other people off in midsentence.

* Walk at a slow, steady pace, not a racewalker’s clip.

* Smile and greet people instead of occupying your thoughts with where you’re headed or what you’re going to do next.

* Drive no faster than the posted speed limit.

* Get used to waiting in line without getting agitated.

* Allow a buffer zone of 15 minutes between appointments, to give your brain and body some stress-free “breathing space.”

* Schedule some free time into every day. It’s not a waste of time to rest and do nothing.

* Take time to “smell the roses”-that is, to notice beauty and appreciate the little things in life.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026