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Healthy Choices
How to Grill Fish and Seafood for the Best Barbecues
Your grill is meant for so much more than burgers and steaks. Learn the basics of how to cook fish on the grill so you can add fish fillets, lobster tails, scallops, and shrimp to your backyard barbecue menu.
By Andrea Beck (BH&G)
June 11, 2019
Grilled fish recipes, with their smoky flavor, are a delish addition to barbecues. Sometimes we need a break from brats, burgers, and steaks. When you know how to cook fish on the grill in a grill basket, directly on the grate, or in a foil pack, you can enjoy your favorite seafood all grilling season. We’ve also included handy grilling charts that tell you how long to grill fish so the cooking process is even easier. You don’t need a recipe—just follow our instructions with your favorite fillet.
Prep Your Fish for the Grill
Before you fire up the grill, make sure your fish are prepped. Thaw your seafood if it’s frozen; rinse fish only if it’s necessary to get rid of a few lingering scales. To get the best grill marks, pat your fish and seafood dry with a paper towel, then season as desired. If you’re cooking fish fillets, place them in a well-greased grill basket (Weber Deluxe Grilling Basket, $21.99, Amazon). To grill whole fish or fish steaks, grease your grill rack and grill directly on the grates. For small seafood pieces like shrimp and scallops, the best way to grill is on skewers. Thread scallops or shrimp onto skewers, leaving a ¼-inch space between each piece.
(Courtesy of BH&G)
Here's How Much You Should Actually Tip for Food Services
How much do you tip the coffee barista? What about at a takeout spot? We asked the experts to dish on best practices for tipping in every food-related situation, and here's what they had to say.
By Dan Nosowitz (BH&G)
Despite some recent signs that tipping in America may not be the norm forever, it remains the standard for dining and salon services. We all pretty much know how to tip in a normal, sit-down restaurant: 20 percent is typical, a little more for exceptional service or if you’re feeling generous. But we all eat, most of us multiple times a day, and not all of those meals are at home. Are we supposed to tip at takeout spots, fast-casual locations, coffee shops, and all the other ways we get our meals?
We asked a variety of food service professionals to weigh in on the question. Here’s what they said.
How Much to Tip at a Sit-Down Restaurant
Those in the food service industry know how low the pay is for servers, and how much they depend on tips. Most agreed that the standard is 20 percent, with higher or lower tips based on service. But there are some important things to know. “I am not in favor of undertipping or not tipping at all even if the experience misses the mark. You have to keep in mind that servers don’t have control over kitchen issues or food taste,” says Andrew Freeman, of hospitality consultancy AF&Co.
Those kitchen issues can include how fast your food comes out, how it tastes, if it’s cold, if an order is screwed up—all kinds of things. Your server may be doing a great job, but problems in the kitchen could affect your meal. If the server is really going out on a limb for you, don't punish them for things they can’t control.
For larger parties, sometimes restaurants will have an automatic gratuity to make things easier. But are you expected to tip on top of that, or is the automatic gratuity enough? “There is not an expectation that guests will tip additional on top of that, but if you receive outstanding service and felt the team went above and beyond the gesture of an additional tip, whether 5 percent or an extra $50, is greatly appreciated and goes a long way,” says Tara Gallina, general manager and co-founder of Vicia in St. Louis.
How Much to Tip at Coffee Shops
Many of us don’t think to tip at a coffee shop, or maybe we’ll just toss our change coins into a tip jar after ordering a favorite seasonal iced drink. That might not be enough. “For coffee shops, I always tip a dollar per drink, no matter the percentage,” says Holly Fox, COO of Last Word Hospitality.
Freeman says if there’s a tip jar, he’ll usually do 10 percent or a few dollars. “Keep in mind—these places are places where you may become a regular, so tipping and getting to know the staff is great for future visits.”
How Much to Tip for Takeout
Takeout might seem like a tip-free situation. After all, you’re the one delivering the food to yourself. But this is still food service, and you should still tip. “For to-go orders, I usually tip $2-$5 depending on the size of the order because the staff had to make it ready for me,” Fox says.
“For a to-go or pickup order, 10 percent plus tip,” says Cameron Mealey, events and catering manager at Bayside Restaurant in Newport Beach.
How Much to Tip for Delivery
“With Uber Eats, GrubHub, etc., they have the option for the tip added in on the app, but I always give them cash when they deliver my food, similar to if I picked it up myself,” Mealey says. Tipping in cash is a surefire way to make sure that the person who brought you your food gets your gratuity.
But what about delivery fees? Those probably go to the delivery person, right? “I think it’s important to know that delivery fees are collected by the restaurant to help cover the cost of the to-go packaging and similar administrative costs, not always passed on to the staff as a tip,” Gallina says. The delivery fee isn’t the same as a tip, so you’ll want to be sure to add a tip on top.
You should also take distance, weather, and time of day into consideration. A delivery at 2 p.m., on a sunny September day from a restaurant two blocks away? That’s a totally different situation from someone who’s bringing you a sandwich from three neighborhoods over at 2 a.m. during a blizzard. The experts we talked to said to never tip below $2 for delivery, no matter what.
How Much to Tip for Fast-Casual Food
Fast-casual restaurants are one step up from fast food. The quality is usually better and the average meal price is likely somewhere between $8 and $15, but you’re still probably looking at counter service. Some notable fast-casual restaurants include Chipotle, Shake Shack, and Panera.
“Some places now include suggested percentages on the checks. I typically go for 15 percent, if so,” Freeman says. On the other hand, Shake Shack is within the Danny Meyer restaurant empire, and Meyer eliminated tipping at his restaurants. The suggested percentages might seem aggressive, but they might also just be letting you know: this is a place where servers depend on your tips.
Tipping is a strange and specific thing; in much of the world, it simply isn’t done. But in the United States, our food service employees are paid with the expectation that much of their salary will come from tips, whether that’s a besuited waiter in a Michelin-starred restaurant or the delivery guy for your local Chinese place. So be sure to tip!
(“How Much” courtesy BH&G)
The Ultimate Guide to Saving Money
AARP's 10th annual list of great deals starts with all-time favorites
by Tracey E. Hopkins, Claire R. McIntosh and David Schiff, AARP, July 1, 2019
Best of the Best!
1. Smile Savings
Get dental work for a fraction of the cost from dentist-supervised students. Go to ada.org and click on Dental Schools. The federal government also offers help. Go to nidcr.nih.gov, then search “finding dental care."
2. Hear Better for Less
Hearing aids can sell at a retail markup of up to 117 percent. But those prices can be flexible. In one survey, about half of the 14 percent of people who haggled got a better deal. Or buy online: It can save you over $1,000 per pair.
3. Save Big on Health Care
Enroll in a flexible spending account at work and pay up to $2,700 of health or dependent care bills with pretax dollars.
4. Apply for Free Meds
Go to the Partnership for Prescription Assistance at pparx.org. Patients who qualify can save hundreds of dollars.
5. Elders' Eye Care
If you're 65-plus, you may qualify to have a volunteer ophthalmologist perform a comprehensive medical eye exam and provide a year of care with no out-of-pocket cost. Visit EyecareAmerica.org.
6. Help for Vet Caretakers
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs offers a temporary break for caregivers by paying all or some of the cost of an in-home health aide or for the veteran to attend an adult day center. Find details at caregiver.va.gov, or call 855-260-3274 toll-free.
7. Use Online Fitness Classes
Stream classes such as the Daily Burn, Crunchlive and YogaToday for about $20 a month for unlimited access. That's the cost of one in-person class. You can save a couple hundred dollars a year — and you decide when class starts.
Travel
8. Be a House Sitter
The site TrustedHouseSitters.com matches travelers with people who need their pets and homes watched. Save on a hotel room and make a furry friend.
9. Take a Daycation
"Intraday stays” allow the use of a room and amenities — pool, restaurant, spa, sports center — for eight hours or so. Discounts can be 75 percent less than an overnight stay. See HotelsByDay.com and Between9and5.com.
10. Discount Train Tickets
Amtrak cuts 10 percent off most fares for riders age 62-plus. Via Rail Canada offers 10 percent off adult fares for travelers over 60.
11. Free Walking Tours
Visit GlobalGreeterNetwork.info to find out about taking tours with local guides. There's also NewEuropeTours.eu, which offers no-cost city walking tours with locals in Europe and Israel. In the U.S., call the chamber of commerce in your destination.
12. See Parks Free
The National Park Service has free admission dates each year. Check nps.gov and search “free entrance days.” At age 62, an America the Beautiful senior pass for $80 will get you and a carload of guests into any national park for the rest of your life.
13. Tour at a Discount
First-class train tickets in Europe cost up to twice as much as those in second class, with a minimal difference in comfort.
14. "Restaurant Week Eats"
These are held during a city's slack season for tourism. You'll eat at top restaurants for a fraction of the regular cost. Be sure to reserve early.
15. Use an ATM Overseas
Currency exchange booths in foreign countries tend to charge much higher fees than you'd pay if you just used an ATM. Also, stick to the local currency. Your purchase will cost about 20 percent more if you use dollars.
Auto
16. Shop Late in the Month
There's a scramble to meet quotas then, and salespeople seeking bonuses may share the wealth with you. Also, AARP's Auto Buying Program can save you big bucks. Check autos.aarp.org.
17. Cost Estimator
RepairPal.com gives free quotes for car repairs and recommends competent repair shops.
18. Buy Gas on Mondays
It's the cheapest gas day in 29 states, according to GasBuddy. Save up to $30 a year.
19. Older-Driver Discounts
Take a safety course and you may save about $100 a year on car insurance. AARP offers a Smart Driver course.
20. Rent Remote
Choose a location near — not at — the airport for a lower rental rate. Go to AutoSlash.com to track your reservation and apply deals and coupons.
Shopping
21. Max Out Couponing
Use more than one grocery store savings app. Combine Ibotta, Checkout 51 and Shopmium, and save hundreds of dollars a year.
22. Regifting Rewards
Buy gift cards for up to 35 percent off their face value at CardCash.com and CardPool.com, where the cards are sold by gift-getters who don't want them.
23. Swap Clothes Online
RehashClothes.com has more than 10,000 items of clothing and accessories that its members can swap for just the cost of postage. See something you like? Offer a piece of clothing in exchange. You might save $100 on a nice dress or jacket.
Home
24. Get It Fixed for Free
At Repair Café events nationwide, volunteers will help fix a variety of household items. Find one at RepairCafe.org/en. You could save $100 by fixing that old lamp.
25. Clean Up on Wash Day
The top Energy Star-certified washers can save you as much as $185 a year if your machine is more than 10 years old.
26. Expensive Pets?
Go to HumaneSociety.org for a list of programs offering assistance with pet expenses. Search “affording your pet” on the site.
Borrowing, Saving, Investing
27. Retroactive Refunds
Stores will often refund the difference if an item drops in price soon after you buy it. Get the Earny app or Paribus app to find and claim refunds.
28. Free Credit Reports
Visit AnnualCreditReport.com once a year to request your score from each of the three credit-reporting companies: Equifax, TransUnion and Experian.
29. Reimbursed ATM Fees
Most online banks and some traditional banks will reimburse you for fees incurred when you use another bank's ATM. That can save you an average of $4.68 per transaction.
30. Hire a Haggler
Not a negotiator? Companies like Billfixers and Billshark will haggle with your cable TV company or other service providers in exchange for a cut of your first year or two of savings. Billfixers says it saves clients $300 a year.
31. Property Tax Breaks
Many states offer property tax breaks for homeowners over 65, including rebates, caps on assessed value, and tax-rate or assessment freezes. New York, for example, will lower your property tax by 50 percent if you make $29,000 or less annually. That break could easily save you $7,000 a year.
32. Go All In on 401(k)s
One-quarter of the workers employed at companies offering 401(k) plans don't take advantage of the full company match of the first few percent invested in the plans. That means they are missing out on an average of $1,336 in free money annually.
33. Mortgage Magic
A 30-year $300,000 mortgage at 4 percent costs $1,432 a month. But if you pay $716 every two weeks, you can cut interest payments by $34,000 over the life of the loan.
Unclaimed Property
Check states where you lived. They might be holding money from a savings account that you forgot, or an uncashed refund check. Go to unclaimed.org, find your state and enter your name.
Insurance
35. Stop Smoking
Nonsmokers, exercisers and people who maintain a healthy weight can get as much as a 50 percent savings on life insurance.
36. Combine and Save
Companies charge up to 20 percent less if you get home and auto insurance policies from them.
37. Raise Your Deductible
An increase from $500 to $1,000 can save you up to 25 percent on a homeowner's premium.
38. Buy More to Spend Less on Life Insurance
Life insurers have price breaks at certain amounts, called price bands. When you move up a band, the cost per thousand dollars of coverage goes down. If you're looking at a $450,000 policy, get a price quote for $500,000 — it might be cheaper for more coverage.
Entertainment
39. Get Free E-Books
You can download nearly 60,000 public domain e-books, including many classics and favorites, at gutenberg.org. Save $3 to $10 per e-book.
40. Cut Cable Costs
Call your internet provider or TV service to see what it will do to keep you loyal.
Stream Free Movies
Go to kanopy.com. If you belong to one of the 4,000 participating public libraries and campus facilities, you can stream about 30,000 movies for free. You could save about $156 a year over renting movies online.
Technology
42. Prepaid Smartphones
A prepaid plan lets you pay upfront. If you don't regularly browse the web on your smartphone, prepaid plans can save you money. A non-prepaid plan can cost $55 per month. Prepaid plans can go for $35.
43. Bulb Bonanza
LED bulbs have fallen in price in recent years. Replace 40 incandescent bulbs with LEDs and you could save about $1,500 over their 10-year life span.
44. Check Card Policies
Major credit card networks — American Express, MasterCard and Visa — often provide extended-warranty coverage for many products at no extra charge. Be sure to check before buying an extended warranty.
Find Free WI-FI
Download Wi-Fi Finder, an app that locates free Wi-Fi nearby. But be safe: Don't do financial transactions.
46. Cut Microsoft Office
Download LibreOffice or Apache OpenOffice. Their free programs are usually able to open Excel, Microsoft Word and PowerPoint files. Save up to $150.
Dining
47. Free Birthday Goodies
The website Thrillist has a list of 83 major food and restaurant chains that offer free items to help you celebrate your special day. At Benihana restaurants, for example, you can receive up to $30 off your bill during your birthday month.
48. Coupons for Meals
Check at restaurant.com. A coupon that costs $10 could be worth $25 off your bill. Savings: $15.
49. Have a Happy Meal
Many bars and eateries offer discounts on appetizers during happy hour. For example, at a Del Frisco's Grille restaurant in California during happy hour on a weekday, cheesesteak egg rolls are $7 (normally $15). Share three such plates with a friend and save $24.
Kids Eat Cheap
Dozens of chain restaurants have deals for children under a certain age, or when you order from special menus at specified times. Whether you're on the road or at home, you can find spots and coupons at MyKidsEatFree.com and CouponDivas.com.
Roasted Cauliflower with Spiced Tomato
Gobi Manchurian is a popular Indian dish that calls for deep-frying heavily-spiced cauliflower. This healthy makeover keeps the spice and flavorful sauce, but bakes the veggies instead of deep frying to keep calories lower. Cauliflower is a mild cruciferous vegetable; diets containing non-starchy veggies are linked to lower risk for certain cancers.
Ingredients:
Directions
Per Serving: 92 calories, 5 g total fat (0 g saturated fat), 11 g carbohydrate, 4 g dietary fiber, 3 g protein, 275 mg sodium.
(Courtesy of AICR)
Cancer Survivors: A Growing Population with Evolving Needs
By Author Karen Collins
Posted on June 18, 2019
The number of cancer survivors continues to grow, and is expected to exceed 22.1 million in the United States by 2030, according to a newly published report. As that group expands and includes more people living longer after cancer, we need to expand our way of thinking about survivors’ needs.
Changing Survivorship Concerns
Of today’s cancer survivors, 68% have passed the often-cited mark of five-year survival after diagnosis. In fact, nearly half are more than 10 years out from diagnosis. Cancer survivors can face a variety of additional health issues that vary with the type of cancer and its treatment, age, and health problems that existed or were emerging before cancer diagnosis. The good news is that these challenges are becoming more widely recognized, with whole new branches of oncology care aimed at addressing them.
As a registered dietitian nutritionist, I know we can help survivors address these issues through the medical care that’s so vital, as well as by identifying and supporting eating and other lifestyle choices that can make a difference for short-term and long-term survivorship.
Heart Health in Cancer Survivors
People are often surprised to hear that cancer survivors are at increased risk of having or dying from cardiovascular disease. Risk factors for heart disease such as high blood pressure, diabetes, abnormal blood lipids, smoking and obesity are reportedly more common among cancer survivors. Certain cancer treatments can increase risk of heart disease, and people who had cardiovascular risk factors before their cancer diagnosis are especially at risk of these side effects. Additional heart-related risk can result from declines in fitness. We’ve talked here before about growing evidence on the role that regular physical activity can play during and after cancer treatment.
Especially for survivors of early-stage cancer, reducing heart-related risk is worth including as part of an overall wellness journey. In April 2019, the American Heart Association issued a Scientific Statement emphasizing the need to address cardiovascular disease risk among cancer survivors. The report proposes a model called CORE — cardio-oncology rehabilitation — to identify cancer survivors at high risk of heart disease and use the approach long-used in traditional cardiac rehab to address their needs with exercise training, nutritional counseling, psychosocial care, and attention to cardiovascular risk factors. As in other forms of cardiac rehab, individualization in assessing risk and developing a plan addressing these factors is vital as a starting point.
Heart-Protective Eating for Cancer Survivors
The good news is that the AICR recommendations provide more than a blueprint for lifestyle choices that reduce cancer risk. They were specifically designed to fit with recommendations for better overall health.
In fact, research now shows that cancer and heart disease share several common risk factors. Key factors behind both diseases include chronic, low-grade inflammation and oxidative stress.
So what kind of eating habits can promote health on both heart and cancer fronts?
● Plant-focused eating provides a variety of nutrients and natural plant compounds that can function as antioxidants themselves or support the body’s own antioxidant defenses. Some seem to help shift cell signaling pathways away from inflammation. The potassium and polyphenol compounds in these foods can also help promote healthy blood vessels and manage blood pressure. A better blood pressure, in turn, means less oxidative stress and lower levels of hormones and growth factors that can promote cancer development. As you eat more minimally processed plant foods, you’ll be getting more dietary fiber, another win-win. Dietary fiber reduces the risk of colorectal cancer, and some forms of fiber may support gut bacteria that reduce chronic inflammation. Moreover, some forms of fiber provide added heart health support by lowering LDL cholesterol and reducing the rise in blood sugar after meals.
Whole grains, vegetables, fruits and pulses (like dried beans and lentils) all contribute, and they differ in the nutrients and phyto-compounds they provide. So give these foods a major portion of the real estate on your plate, and aim for a wide variety over the course of each week.
● Limiting red meat and minimizing processed meat is a core strategy for reducing risk of colorectal cancer, and can help protect heart health. Choosing lean options is heart-healthy, but it’s the starting point, not the whole strategy. Even lean red meats in excess amounts pose cancer risk. And growing evidence suggests that too much could also change gut bacteria in ways that promote inflammation. So keep red meat – that’s beef, lamb and pork – to no more than 12 to 18 ounces a week. Processed meats (like bacon, sausage and hot dogs) pose even greater risk of colorectal cancer, and they’re strongly linked with heart disease. So the recommendation is to make them an occasional choice, not an everyday choice.
There are lots of different swaps you can use to reduce red and processed meats, and all can both reduce cancer risk and promote heart health. Check the ideas I shared here, and consider which you might like to try.
● Avoid sugar-sweetened drinks and limit highly-processed foods. AICR recommendations include these action points not because of a direct effect on cancer risk, but because they often lead to excess calorie consumption and weight gain. These same recommendations are also made for heart health because of effects on blood pressure, blood triglycerides, and markers of inflammation. In addition, highly-processed foods are the main source of sodium in the U.S. diet, so cutting back is the most effective step for reducing excess sodium that can drive up blood pressure.
● Seek progress, not perfection. You might think that when trying to protect heart health and reduce cancer-related risks, vitamin or antioxidant-focused supplements would be the answer. But research is clear that while supplements might be helpful on an individual basis to fill a particular nutrient gap, they are not effective in reducing risk of cancer or heart disease.
Perfect habits are not the goal. Aim to move forward step-by-step in creating lifestyle habits that support long-term good health.
Books for all ages
(The Washington Post Book World Staff)
Age 1 “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” by Eric Carle
Welcome to the world! It’s a good time to start learning numbers, days of the week and the helpful fact that too much food will give you a tummy ache.
Age 2 “Llama Llama Red Pajama” by Anna Dewdney
Your parents might not come the moment you call them, but they will come. And now is as good a time as any to start learning patience.
Age 3 “Where the Wild Things Are” by Maurice Sendak
You will act like a monster sometimes, but you can always go home again.
Age 4 “Charlie Parker Played Be Bop”by Chris Raschka
It’s never too early to start appreciating a good improv riff.
Age 5 “The Giving Tree” by Shel Silverstein
Books can make you cry; trees deserve to be loved; and selfish little boys, if enabled, will grow into selfish old men.
Age 6 “Ramona the Pest” by Beverly Cleary, illustrated by Jacqueline Rogers
It’s not your fault. Older siblings are the worst.
Age 7 “The Complete Calvin and Hobbes” by Bill Watterson
Friendship can be so magically transformative that it might turn a stuffed tiger into a partner in crime.
Age 8 “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”by J.K. Rowling
Enjoy your first brush with binge reading on an adventure you’ll never forget.
Age 9 “Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing” by Judy Blume
Hang in there. Younger siblings are the worst.
Age 10 “Smile”by Raina Telgemeier
Underneath whatever embarrassing, ostentatious orthodontia you’re forced to trot out, you’re still you.
Age 11 “Ghost”by Jason Reynolds
Not all childhoods are idyllic and not all parents are good, but if you look, you’ll find people to help you reach your potential.
Age 12 “Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry”by Mildred D. Taylor
The terrible legacy of racism touches everyone and benefits no one.
Age 13 “I Am Malala” by Malala Yousafzai
There’s power in peaceful protest. Danger, too.
Age 14 “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky
Everyone feels like an outcast sometimes. You just need to find your island of misfit toys to call home.
Age 15 “The Hate U Give”by Angie Thomas
Being true to yourself may cost you friends. It’s worth it.
Age 16 “Jane Eyre”by Charlotte Brontë
Nobody understands you and your terribly unfair life. Reader, you are not alone.
Age 17 “Once Upon a River” by Bonnie Jo Campbell
Feeling lost? Time spent in nature may guide you back to yourself.
age 18 “A Gate at the Stairs”by Lorrie Moore
There are many important lessons to learn in college, not all of them from books.
Age 19 “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood
Behold the scary possibilities of our dystopian future, inspired by our dystopian present.
Age 20 “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao” by Junot Díaz
Hilariously tortured, exuberant nerds are great company.
Age 21 “The Sun Also Rises” by Ernest Hemingway
You’re old enough to drink and carouse with your friends. Isn’t it pretty to think so?
Age 22 “Democracy in America”by Alexis de Tocqueville
To truly understand the country we live in, sometimes you have to see it through the eyes of a 19th-century Frenchman.
Age 23 “The Autobiography of Malcolm X” by Malcolm X and Alex Haley
There’s power in confrontational protest. Danger, too.
Age 24 “Atlas Shrugged” by Ayn Rand
Marvel at the profundity of its objectivist themes — then, in a few years, marvel at your naivete.
Age 25 “I Capture the Castle” by Dodie Smith
Keep a journal and don’t forget the most personal details. It’ll make for an entertaining, maybe even enlightening, read one day.
Age 26 “Americanah”by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Our grandest ambitions may spur us toward far-flung places — and heartbreaking disasters — but ultimately there’s no place like home.
Age 27 “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen R. Covey
It’s time to decide whether you’re a self-help book person. Because a better you is just a page-turn away.
Age 28 “Sister Outsider”by Audre Lorde
To truly understand oppression — including a host of destructive -isms — try walking in the shoes of this pioneer of intersectionality
Age 29 “In Defense of Food” by Michael Pollan
So much of what you need to know about consumption can be summed up in Pollan’s simple directive: “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.”
Age 30 “The Joy of Sex” by Alex Comfort
Live a little.
Age 31 “Mastering the Art of French Cooking”by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck
Now that you’re proficient in spaghetti with meat sauce, it’s time to up your game. Beef bourguignon, anyone?
Age 32 “The Grapes of Wrath”by John Steinbeck
This high school English-class staple is even more devastating when read from the perspective of a parent — or anyone old enough to be one.
Age 33 “Becoming a Man: Half a Life Story” by Paul Monette
Society may try to force you into a mold. You don’t have to comply.
Age 34 “Beloved”by Toni Morrison
The legacy of slavery still haunts this nation.
Age 35 “How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk” by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish
Tips for communicating with children also come in handy when dealing with adults who act like them.
Age 36 “Life Among the Savages”by Shirley Jackson
For parents, best-laid plans are an exercise in futility.
Age 37 “The Joy Luck Club” by Amy Tan
Your mother has stories to tell and insights to share, though you might not be ready to hear them until you’re grown up.
Age 38 “The Sportswriter” Richard Ford
There is a lost and sad, yet somehow hopeful, dude lurking inside every man.
Age 39 “What Alice Forgot” by Liane Moriarty
Is this where you really want to be in life? Because it’s not too late to do things differently.
Age 40 “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”by Jean-Dominique Bauby
Life is fleeting and unpredictable. Accomplish your goals while you still can, obstacles be damned.
Age 41 “Rabbit, Run”by John Updike
You may feel like fleeing sometimes, but remember: Selfishness is not a victimless crime.
Age 42 “The Woman Upstairs”by Claire Messud
When everyone expects you to act like a cheerful and invisible old maid, get angry.
Age 43 “Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora Neale Hurston
You have your finger on the trigger of your own destiny.
Age 44 “The Goldfinch” by Donna Tartt
The images of love we start with never leave us.
Age 45 “Where’d You Go, Bernadette” by Maria Semple
When it comes to midlife crises, go big or go home.
Age 46 “Salvage the Bones” by Jesmyn Ward
Sometimes the only thing you can do is cling to those you love and wait out the storm.
Age 47 “Stretching” by Bob Anderson
As if you need a reminder, you’re not 25 anymore. Treat your body accordingly.
Age 48 “Bossypants” by Tina Fey
You’re juggling a lot. You’ve earned a good laugh from a celebrity who doesn’t pretend to be picture-perfect.
Age 49 “Walden” by Henry David Thoreau
Living a life of quiet desperation, you’re ready to hear Thoreau’s inspiring advice.
Age 50 “Fifty Shades of Grey” by EL James
Spice things up — or at least enjoy a good laugh.
Age 51 “Who Do You Think You Are?”by Alice Munro
It’s the small moments that define us.
Age 52 “Men Without Women” by Haruki Murakami
Life is a riddle with no right answer; attempting to figure out the solution is its own reward.
Age 53 “A Man Called Ove”by Fredrik Backman
It gets harder to make new friends as you age, but do it anyway. They might save your life.
Age 54 “The Denial of Death”by Ernest Becker
What would you do — and who would you be — if you weren’t afraid of dying
?
Age 55 “Olive Kitteridge”by Elizabeth Strout
A person can be cruel and difficult but also loving and worthy of compassion.
Age 56 “When Things Fall Apart” by Pema Chödrön
Every challenge is an opportunity for transformative wisdom.
Age 57 “Remains of the Day” by Kazuo Ishiguro
If you’ve been living according to someone else’s rules, you can stop now.
Age 58 “The Plague of Doves” by Louise Erdrich
Think about what’s come before you because “history works itself out in the living.”
Age 59 “Dynamic Aging”by Katy Bowman
Don’t blame your age if you’re feeling creaky. It could just be the way you’re using (or not using) your body.
Age 60 “The Five Years Before You Retire”by Emily Guy Birken
Not to stress you out, but time is ticking. Do you have a good plan?
Age 61 “Fear of Dying” by Erica Jong
There are many ways to age. Gracefully doesn’t have to be one of them.
Age 62 “Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand”by Helen Simonson
Love knows no bounds, especially when books bring people together.
Age 63 “Our Souls at Night” by Kent Haruf
Curing loneliness can be as simple as asking for company.
Age 64 “Old in Art School”by Nell Painter
It’s not too late to try a new career, but brace yourself for the ageist naysayers.
Age 65 “65 Things to Do When You Retire”edited by Mark Evan Chimsky
If you need ideas, Jimmy Carter, Jane Fonda and Gloria Steinem have suggestions.
How to Grill Fish and Seafood for the Best Barbecues
Your grill is meant for so much more than burgers and steaks. Learn the basics of how to cook fish on the grill so you can add fish fillets, lobster tails, scallops, and shrimp to your backyard barbecue menu.
By Andrea Beck (BH&G)
June 11, 2019
Grilled fish recipes, with their smoky flavor, are a delish addition to barbecues. Sometimes we need a break from brats, burgers, and steaks. When you know how to cook fish on the grill in a grill basket, directly on the grate, or in a foil pack, you can enjoy your favorite seafood all grilling season. We’ve also included handy grilling charts that tell you how long to grill fish so the cooking process is even easier. You don’t need a recipe—just follow our instructions with your favorite fillet.
Prep Your Fish for the Grill
Before you fire up the grill, make sure your fish are prepped. Thaw your seafood if it’s frozen; rinse fish only if it’s necessary to get rid of a few lingering scales. To get the best grill marks, pat your fish and seafood dry with a paper towel, then season as desired. If you’re cooking fish fillets, place them in a well-greased grill basket (Weber Deluxe Grilling Basket, $21.99, Amazon). To grill whole fish or fish steaks, grease your grill rack and grill directly on the grates. For small seafood pieces like shrimp and scallops, the best way to grill is on skewers. Thread scallops or shrimp onto skewers, leaving a ¼-inch space between each piece.
(Courtesy of BH&G)
Here's How Much You Should Actually Tip for Food Services
How much do you tip the coffee barista? What about at a takeout spot? We asked the experts to dish on best practices for tipping in every food-related situation, and here's what they had to say.
By Dan Nosowitz (BH&G)
Despite some recent signs that tipping in America may not be the norm forever, it remains the standard for dining and salon services. We all pretty much know how to tip in a normal, sit-down restaurant: 20 percent is typical, a little more for exceptional service or if you’re feeling generous. But we all eat, most of us multiple times a day, and not all of those meals are at home. Are we supposed to tip at takeout spots, fast-casual locations, coffee shops, and all the other ways we get our meals?
We asked a variety of food service professionals to weigh in on the question. Here’s what they said.
How Much to Tip at a Sit-Down Restaurant
Those in the food service industry know how low the pay is for servers, and how much they depend on tips. Most agreed that the standard is 20 percent, with higher or lower tips based on service. But there are some important things to know. “I am not in favor of undertipping or not tipping at all even if the experience misses the mark. You have to keep in mind that servers don’t have control over kitchen issues or food taste,” says Andrew Freeman, of hospitality consultancy AF&Co.
Those kitchen issues can include how fast your food comes out, how it tastes, if it’s cold, if an order is screwed up—all kinds of things. Your server may be doing a great job, but problems in the kitchen could affect your meal. If the server is really going out on a limb for you, don't punish them for things they can’t control.
For larger parties, sometimes restaurants will have an automatic gratuity to make things easier. But are you expected to tip on top of that, or is the automatic gratuity enough? “There is not an expectation that guests will tip additional on top of that, but if you receive outstanding service and felt the team went above and beyond the gesture of an additional tip, whether 5 percent or an extra $50, is greatly appreciated and goes a long way,” says Tara Gallina, general manager and co-founder of Vicia in St. Louis.
How Much to Tip at Coffee Shops
Many of us don’t think to tip at a coffee shop, or maybe we’ll just toss our change coins into a tip jar after ordering a favorite seasonal iced drink. That might not be enough. “For coffee shops, I always tip a dollar per drink, no matter the percentage,” says Holly Fox, COO of Last Word Hospitality.
Freeman says if there’s a tip jar, he’ll usually do 10 percent or a few dollars. “Keep in mind—these places are places where you may become a regular, so tipping and getting to know the staff is great for future visits.”
How Much to Tip for Takeout
Takeout might seem like a tip-free situation. After all, you’re the one delivering the food to yourself. But this is still food service, and you should still tip. “For to-go orders, I usually tip $2-$5 depending on the size of the order because the staff had to make it ready for me,” Fox says.
“For a to-go or pickup order, 10 percent plus tip,” says Cameron Mealey, events and catering manager at Bayside Restaurant in Newport Beach.
How Much to Tip for Delivery
“With Uber Eats, GrubHub, etc., they have the option for the tip added in on the app, but I always give them cash when they deliver my food, similar to if I picked it up myself,” Mealey says. Tipping in cash is a surefire way to make sure that the person who brought you your food gets your gratuity.
But what about delivery fees? Those probably go to the delivery person, right? “I think it’s important to know that delivery fees are collected by the restaurant to help cover the cost of the to-go packaging and similar administrative costs, not always passed on to the staff as a tip,” Gallina says. The delivery fee isn’t the same as a tip, so you’ll want to be sure to add a tip on top.
You should also take distance, weather, and time of day into consideration. A delivery at 2 p.m., on a sunny September day from a restaurant two blocks away? That’s a totally different situation from someone who’s bringing you a sandwich from three neighborhoods over at 2 a.m. during a blizzard. The experts we talked to said to never tip below $2 for delivery, no matter what.
How Much to Tip for Fast-Casual Food
Fast-casual restaurants are one step up from fast food. The quality is usually better and the average meal price is likely somewhere between $8 and $15, but you’re still probably looking at counter service. Some notable fast-casual restaurants include Chipotle, Shake Shack, and Panera.
“Some places now include suggested percentages on the checks. I typically go for 15 percent, if so,” Freeman says. On the other hand, Shake Shack is within the Danny Meyer restaurant empire, and Meyer eliminated tipping at his restaurants. The suggested percentages might seem aggressive, but they might also just be letting you know: this is a place where servers depend on your tips.
Tipping is a strange and specific thing; in much of the world, it simply isn’t done. But in the United States, our food service employees are paid with the expectation that much of their salary will come from tips, whether that’s a besuited waiter in a Michelin-starred restaurant or the delivery guy for your local Chinese place. So be sure to tip!
(“How Much” courtesy BH&G)
The Ultimate Guide to Saving Money
AARP's 10th annual list of great deals starts with all-time favorites
by Tracey E. Hopkins, Claire R. McIntosh and David Schiff, AARP, July 1, 2019
Best of the Best!
1. Smile Savings
Get dental work for a fraction of the cost from dentist-supervised students. Go to ada.org and click on Dental Schools. The federal government also offers help. Go to nidcr.nih.gov, then search “finding dental care."
2. Hear Better for Less
Hearing aids can sell at a retail markup of up to 117 percent. But those prices can be flexible. In one survey, about half of the 14 percent of people who haggled got a better deal. Or buy online: It can save you over $1,000 per pair.
3. Save Big on Health Care
Enroll in a flexible spending account at work and pay up to $2,700 of health or dependent care bills with pretax dollars.
4. Apply for Free Meds
Go to the Partnership for Prescription Assistance at pparx.org. Patients who qualify can save hundreds of dollars.
5. Elders' Eye Care
If you're 65-plus, you may qualify to have a volunteer ophthalmologist perform a comprehensive medical eye exam and provide a year of care with no out-of-pocket cost. Visit EyecareAmerica.org.
6. Help for Vet Caretakers
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs offers a temporary break for caregivers by paying all or some of the cost of an in-home health aide or for the veteran to attend an adult day center. Find details at caregiver.va.gov, or call 855-260-3274 toll-free.
7. Use Online Fitness Classes
Stream classes such as the Daily Burn, Crunchlive and YogaToday for about $20 a month for unlimited access. That's the cost of one in-person class. You can save a couple hundred dollars a year — and you decide when class starts.
Travel
8. Be a House Sitter
The site TrustedHouseSitters.com matches travelers with people who need their pets and homes watched. Save on a hotel room and make a furry friend.
9. Take a Daycation
"Intraday stays” allow the use of a room and amenities — pool, restaurant, spa, sports center — for eight hours or so. Discounts can be 75 percent less than an overnight stay. See HotelsByDay.com and Between9and5.com.
10. Discount Train Tickets
Amtrak cuts 10 percent off most fares for riders age 62-plus. Via Rail Canada offers 10 percent off adult fares for travelers over 60.
11. Free Walking Tours
Visit GlobalGreeterNetwork.info to find out about taking tours with local guides. There's also NewEuropeTours.eu, which offers no-cost city walking tours with locals in Europe and Israel. In the U.S., call the chamber of commerce in your destination.
12. See Parks Free
The National Park Service has free admission dates each year. Check nps.gov and search “free entrance days.” At age 62, an America the Beautiful senior pass for $80 will get you and a carload of guests into any national park for the rest of your life.
13. Tour at a Discount
First-class train tickets in Europe cost up to twice as much as those in second class, with a minimal difference in comfort.
14. "Restaurant Week Eats"
These are held during a city's slack season for tourism. You'll eat at top restaurants for a fraction of the regular cost. Be sure to reserve early.
15. Use an ATM Overseas
Currency exchange booths in foreign countries tend to charge much higher fees than you'd pay if you just used an ATM. Also, stick to the local currency. Your purchase will cost about 20 percent more if you use dollars.
Auto
16. Shop Late in the Month
There's a scramble to meet quotas then, and salespeople seeking bonuses may share the wealth with you. Also, AARP's Auto Buying Program can save you big bucks. Check autos.aarp.org.
17. Cost Estimator
RepairPal.com gives free quotes for car repairs and recommends competent repair shops.
18. Buy Gas on Mondays
It's the cheapest gas day in 29 states, according to GasBuddy. Save up to $30 a year.
19. Older-Driver Discounts
Take a safety course and you may save about $100 a year on car insurance. AARP offers a Smart Driver course.
20. Rent Remote
Choose a location near — not at — the airport for a lower rental rate. Go to AutoSlash.com to track your reservation and apply deals and coupons.
Shopping
21. Max Out Couponing
Use more than one grocery store savings app. Combine Ibotta, Checkout 51 and Shopmium, and save hundreds of dollars a year.
22. Regifting Rewards
Buy gift cards for up to 35 percent off their face value at CardCash.com and CardPool.com, where the cards are sold by gift-getters who don't want them.
23. Swap Clothes Online
RehashClothes.com has more than 10,000 items of clothing and accessories that its members can swap for just the cost of postage. See something you like? Offer a piece of clothing in exchange. You might save $100 on a nice dress or jacket.
Home
24. Get It Fixed for Free
At Repair Café events nationwide, volunteers will help fix a variety of household items. Find one at RepairCafe.org/en. You could save $100 by fixing that old lamp.
25. Clean Up on Wash Day
The top Energy Star-certified washers can save you as much as $185 a year if your machine is more than 10 years old.
26. Expensive Pets?
Go to HumaneSociety.org for a list of programs offering assistance with pet expenses. Search “affording your pet” on the site.
Borrowing, Saving, Investing
27. Retroactive Refunds
Stores will often refund the difference if an item drops in price soon after you buy it. Get the Earny app or Paribus app to find and claim refunds.
28. Free Credit Reports
Visit AnnualCreditReport.com once a year to request your score from each of the three credit-reporting companies: Equifax, TransUnion and Experian.
29. Reimbursed ATM Fees
Most online banks and some traditional banks will reimburse you for fees incurred when you use another bank's ATM. That can save you an average of $4.68 per transaction.
30. Hire a Haggler
Not a negotiator? Companies like Billfixers and Billshark will haggle with your cable TV company or other service providers in exchange for a cut of your first year or two of savings. Billfixers says it saves clients $300 a year.
31. Property Tax Breaks
Many states offer property tax breaks for homeowners over 65, including rebates, caps on assessed value, and tax-rate or assessment freezes. New York, for example, will lower your property tax by 50 percent if you make $29,000 or less annually. That break could easily save you $7,000 a year.
32. Go All In on 401(k)s
One-quarter of the workers employed at companies offering 401(k) plans don't take advantage of the full company match of the first few percent invested in the plans. That means they are missing out on an average of $1,336 in free money annually.
33. Mortgage Magic
A 30-year $300,000 mortgage at 4 percent costs $1,432 a month. But if you pay $716 every two weeks, you can cut interest payments by $34,000 over the life of the loan.
Unclaimed Property
Check states where you lived. They might be holding money from a savings account that you forgot, or an uncashed refund check. Go to unclaimed.org, find your state and enter your name.
Insurance
35. Stop Smoking
Nonsmokers, exercisers and people who maintain a healthy weight can get as much as a 50 percent savings on life insurance.
36. Combine and Save
Companies charge up to 20 percent less if you get home and auto insurance policies from them.
37. Raise Your Deductible
An increase from $500 to $1,000 can save you up to 25 percent on a homeowner's premium.
38. Buy More to Spend Less on Life Insurance
Life insurers have price breaks at certain amounts, called price bands. When you move up a band, the cost per thousand dollars of coverage goes down. If you're looking at a $450,000 policy, get a price quote for $500,000 — it might be cheaper for more coverage.
Entertainment
39. Get Free E-Books
You can download nearly 60,000 public domain e-books, including many classics and favorites, at gutenberg.org. Save $3 to $10 per e-book.
40. Cut Cable Costs
Call your internet provider or TV service to see what it will do to keep you loyal.
Stream Free Movies
Go to kanopy.com. If you belong to one of the 4,000 participating public libraries and campus facilities, you can stream about 30,000 movies for free. You could save about $156 a year over renting movies online.
Technology
42. Prepaid Smartphones
A prepaid plan lets you pay upfront. If you don't regularly browse the web on your smartphone, prepaid plans can save you money. A non-prepaid plan can cost $55 per month. Prepaid plans can go for $35.
43. Bulb Bonanza
LED bulbs have fallen in price in recent years. Replace 40 incandescent bulbs with LEDs and you could save about $1,500 over their 10-year life span.
44. Check Card Policies
Major credit card networks — American Express, MasterCard and Visa — often provide extended-warranty coverage for many products at no extra charge. Be sure to check before buying an extended warranty.
Find Free WI-FI
Download Wi-Fi Finder, an app that locates free Wi-Fi nearby. But be safe: Don't do financial transactions.
46. Cut Microsoft Office
Download LibreOffice or Apache OpenOffice. Their free programs are usually able to open Excel, Microsoft Word and PowerPoint files. Save up to $150.
Dining
47. Free Birthday Goodies
The website Thrillist has a list of 83 major food and restaurant chains that offer free items to help you celebrate your special day. At Benihana restaurants, for example, you can receive up to $30 off your bill during your birthday month.
48. Coupons for Meals
Check at restaurant.com. A coupon that costs $10 could be worth $25 off your bill. Savings: $15.
49. Have a Happy Meal
Many bars and eateries offer discounts on appetizers during happy hour. For example, at a Del Frisco's Grille restaurant in California during happy hour on a weekday, cheesesteak egg rolls are $7 (normally $15). Share three such plates with a friend and save $24.
Kids Eat Cheap
Dozens of chain restaurants have deals for children under a certain age, or when you order from special menus at specified times. Whether you're on the road or at home, you can find spots and coupons at MyKidsEatFree.com and CouponDivas.com.
Roasted Cauliflower with Spiced Tomato
Gobi Manchurian is a popular Indian dish that calls for deep-frying heavily-spiced cauliflower. This healthy makeover keeps the spice and flavorful sauce, but bakes the veggies instead of deep frying to keep calories lower. Cauliflower is a mild cruciferous vegetable; diets containing non-starchy veggies are linked to lower risk for certain cancers.
Ingredients:
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
- 1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
- 1/8 tsp. ground pepper, preferably white
- 2 Tbsp. canola oil, divided
- 7-8 cups medium cauliflower florets (from a 2¼ – 2½ lb. cauliflower head)
- Cooking spray
- 1 Tbsp. finely chopped garlic
- 1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce, no salt added
- 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
- 2 tsp. raw sugar
- 2 tsp. white distilled vinegar
- 1/8 tsp. ground cloves
- 1/8-1/4 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp. salt
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine cumin, coriander, cardamom, ground pepper and 1 tablespoon oil. Add cauliflower and with your hands, toss and rub to coat florets, 1 minute.
- Line 11-inch x 15-inch jelly roll pan with foil. Coat foil with cooking spray. Arrange seasoned cauliflower in one layer on pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Stir, then bake 10 minutes longer.
- Meanwhile, in small saucepan, heat remaining oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, sugar, vinegar, cloves, cayenne and salt and mix to combine. Cook until sauce bubbles vigorously around edges of pot.
- Spoon tomato sauce over cauliflower on pan and mix with spatula until florets are well coated, 1 minute. Roast cauliflower 10 minutes. Stir, and bake until florets are tender, about 5 minutes. Serve hot or warm.
Per Serving: 92 calories, 5 g total fat (0 g saturated fat), 11 g carbohydrate, 4 g dietary fiber, 3 g protein, 275 mg sodium.
(Courtesy of AICR)
Cancer Survivors: A Growing Population with Evolving Needs
By Author Karen Collins
Posted on June 18, 2019
The number of cancer survivors continues to grow, and is expected to exceed 22.1 million in the United States by 2030, according to a newly published report. As that group expands and includes more people living longer after cancer, we need to expand our way of thinking about survivors’ needs.
Changing Survivorship Concerns
Of today’s cancer survivors, 68% have passed the often-cited mark of five-year survival after diagnosis. In fact, nearly half are more than 10 years out from diagnosis. Cancer survivors can face a variety of additional health issues that vary with the type of cancer and its treatment, age, and health problems that existed or were emerging before cancer diagnosis. The good news is that these challenges are becoming more widely recognized, with whole new branches of oncology care aimed at addressing them.
As a registered dietitian nutritionist, I know we can help survivors address these issues through the medical care that’s so vital, as well as by identifying and supporting eating and other lifestyle choices that can make a difference for short-term and long-term survivorship.
Heart Health in Cancer Survivors
People are often surprised to hear that cancer survivors are at increased risk of having or dying from cardiovascular disease. Risk factors for heart disease such as high blood pressure, diabetes, abnormal blood lipids, smoking and obesity are reportedly more common among cancer survivors. Certain cancer treatments can increase risk of heart disease, and people who had cardiovascular risk factors before their cancer diagnosis are especially at risk of these side effects. Additional heart-related risk can result from declines in fitness. We’ve talked here before about growing evidence on the role that regular physical activity can play during and after cancer treatment.
Especially for survivors of early-stage cancer, reducing heart-related risk is worth including as part of an overall wellness journey. In April 2019, the American Heart Association issued a Scientific Statement emphasizing the need to address cardiovascular disease risk among cancer survivors. The report proposes a model called CORE — cardio-oncology rehabilitation — to identify cancer survivors at high risk of heart disease and use the approach long-used in traditional cardiac rehab to address their needs with exercise training, nutritional counseling, psychosocial care, and attention to cardiovascular risk factors. As in other forms of cardiac rehab, individualization in assessing risk and developing a plan addressing these factors is vital as a starting point.
Heart-Protective Eating for Cancer Survivors
The good news is that the AICR recommendations provide more than a blueprint for lifestyle choices that reduce cancer risk. They were specifically designed to fit with recommendations for better overall health.
In fact, research now shows that cancer and heart disease share several common risk factors. Key factors behind both diseases include chronic, low-grade inflammation and oxidative stress.
So what kind of eating habits can promote health on both heart and cancer fronts?
● Plant-focused eating provides a variety of nutrients and natural plant compounds that can function as antioxidants themselves or support the body’s own antioxidant defenses. Some seem to help shift cell signaling pathways away from inflammation. The potassium and polyphenol compounds in these foods can also help promote healthy blood vessels and manage blood pressure. A better blood pressure, in turn, means less oxidative stress and lower levels of hormones and growth factors that can promote cancer development. As you eat more minimally processed plant foods, you’ll be getting more dietary fiber, another win-win. Dietary fiber reduces the risk of colorectal cancer, and some forms of fiber may support gut bacteria that reduce chronic inflammation. Moreover, some forms of fiber provide added heart health support by lowering LDL cholesterol and reducing the rise in blood sugar after meals.
Whole grains, vegetables, fruits and pulses (like dried beans and lentils) all contribute, and they differ in the nutrients and phyto-compounds they provide. So give these foods a major portion of the real estate on your plate, and aim for a wide variety over the course of each week.
● Limiting red meat and minimizing processed meat is a core strategy for reducing risk of colorectal cancer, and can help protect heart health. Choosing lean options is heart-healthy, but it’s the starting point, not the whole strategy. Even lean red meats in excess amounts pose cancer risk. And growing evidence suggests that too much could also change gut bacteria in ways that promote inflammation. So keep red meat – that’s beef, lamb and pork – to no more than 12 to 18 ounces a week. Processed meats (like bacon, sausage and hot dogs) pose even greater risk of colorectal cancer, and they’re strongly linked with heart disease. So the recommendation is to make them an occasional choice, not an everyday choice.
There are lots of different swaps you can use to reduce red and processed meats, and all can both reduce cancer risk and promote heart health. Check the ideas I shared here, and consider which you might like to try.
● Avoid sugar-sweetened drinks and limit highly-processed foods. AICR recommendations include these action points not because of a direct effect on cancer risk, but because they often lead to excess calorie consumption and weight gain. These same recommendations are also made for heart health because of effects on blood pressure, blood triglycerides, and markers of inflammation. In addition, highly-processed foods are the main source of sodium in the U.S. diet, so cutting back is the most effective step for reducing excess sodium that can drive up blood pressure.
● Seek progress, not perfection. You might think that when trying to protect heart health and reduce cancer-related risks, vitamin or antioxidant-focused supplements would be the answer. But research is clear that while supplements might be helpful on an individual basis to fill a particular nutrient gap, they are not effective in reducing risk of cancer or heart disease.
Perfect habits are not the goal. Aim to move forward step-by-step in creating lifestyle habits that support long-term good health.
Books for all ages
(The Washington Post Book World Staff)
Age 1 “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” by Eric Carle
Welcome to the world! It’s a good time to start learning numbers, days of the week and the helpful fact that too much food will give you a tummy ache.
Age 2 “Llama Llama Red Pajama” by Anna Dewdney
Your parents might not come the moment you call them, but they will come. And now is as good a time as any to start learning patience.
Age 3 “Where the Wild Things Are” by Maurice Sendak
You will act like a monster sometimes, but you can always go home again.
Age 4 “Charlie Parker Played Be Bop”by Chris Raschka
It’s never too early to start appreciating a good improv riff.
Age 5 “The Giving Tree” by Shel Silverstein
Books can make you cry; trees deserve to be loved; and selfish little boys, if enabled, will grow into selfish old men.
Age 6 “Ramona the Pest” by Beverly Cleary, illustrated by Jacqueline Rogers
It’s not your fault. Older siblings are the worst.
Age 7 “The Complete Calvin and Hobbes” by Bill Watterson
Friendship can be so magically transformative that it might turn a stuffed tiger into a partner in crime.
Age 8 “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”by J.K. Rowling
Enjoy your first brush with binge reading on an adventure you’ll never forget.
Age 9 “Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing” by Judy Blume
Hang in there. Younger siblings are the worst.
Age 10 “Smile”by Raina Telgemeier
Underneath whatever embarrassing, ostentatious orthodontia you’re forced to trot out, you’re still you.
Age 11 “Ghost”by Jason Reynolds
Not all childhoods are idyllic and not all parents are good, but if you look, you’ll find people to help you reach your potential.
Age 12 “Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry”by Mildred D. Taylor
The terrible legacy of racism touches everyone and benefits no one.
Age 13 “I Am Malala” by Malala Yousafzai
There’s power in peaceful protest. Danger, too.
Age 14 “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky
Everyone feels like an outcast sometimes. You just need to find your island of misfit toys to call home.
Age 15 “The Hate U Give”by Angie Thomas
Being true to yourself may cost you friends. It’s worth it.
Age 16 “Jane Eyre”by Charlotte Brontë
Nobody understands you and your terribly unfair life. Reader, you are not alone.
Age 17 “Once Upon a River” by Bonnie Jo Campbell
Feeling lost? Time spent in nature may guide you back to yourself.
age 18 “A Gate at the Stairs”by Lorrie Moore
There are many important lessons to learn in college, not all of them from books.
Age 19 “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood
Behold the scary possibilities of our dystopian future, inspired by our dystopian present.
Age 20 “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao” by Junot Díaz
Hilariously tortured, exuberant nerds are great company.
Age 21 “The Sun Also Rises” by Ernest Hemingway
You’re old enough to drink and carouse with your friends. Isn’t it pretty to think so?
Age 22 “Democracy in America”by Alexis de Tocqueville
To truly understand the country we live in, sometimes you have to see it through the eyes of a 19th-century Frenchman.
Age 23 “The Autobiography of Malcolm X” by Malcolm X and Alex Haley
There’s power in confrontational protest. Danger, too.
Age 24 “Atlas Shrugged” by Ayn Rand
Marvel at the profundity of its objectivist themes — then, in a few years, marvel at your naivete.
Age 25 “I Capture the Castle” by Dodie Smith
Keep a journal and don’t forget the most personal details. It’ll make for an entertaining, maybe even enlightening, read one day.
Age 26 “Americanah”by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Our grandest ambitions may spur us toward far-flung places — and heartbreaking disasters — but ultimately there’s no place like home.
Age 27 “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen R. Covey
It’s time to decide whether you’re a self-help book person. Because a better you is just a page-turn away.
Age 28 “Sister Outsider”by Audre Lorde
To truly understand oppression — including a host of destructive -isms — try walking in the shoes of this pioneer of intersectionality
Age 29 “In Defense of Food” by Michael Pollan
So much of what you need to know about consumption can be summed up in Pollan’s simple directive: “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.”
Age 30 “The Joy of Sex” by Alex Comfort
Live a little.
Age 31 “Mastering the Art of French Cooking”by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck
Now that you’re proficient in spaghetti with meat sauce, it’s time to up your game. Beef bourguignon, anyone?
Age 32 “The Grapes of Wrath”by John Steinbeck
This high school English-class staple is even more devastating when read from the perspective of a parent — or anyone old enough to be one.
Age 33 “Becoming a Man: Half a Life Story” by Paul Monette
Society may try to force you into a mold. You don’t have to comply.
Age 34 “Beloved”by Toni Morrison
The legacy of slavery still haunts this nation.
Age 35 “How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk” by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish
Tips for communicating with children also come in handy when dealing with adults who act like them.
Age 36 “Life Among the Savages”by Shirley Jackson
For parents, best-laid plans are an exercise in futility.
Age 37 “The Joy Luck Club” by Amy Tan
Your mother has stories to tell and insights to share, though you might not be ready to hear them until you’re grown up.
Age 38 “The Sportswriter” Richard Ford
There is a lost and sad, yet somehow hopeful, dude lurking inside every man.
Age 39 “What Alice Forgot” by Liane Moriarty
Is this where you really want to be in life? Because it’s not too late to do things differently.
Age 40 “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”by Jean-Dominique Bauby
Life is fleeting and unpredictable. Accomplish your goals while you still can, obstacles be damned.
Age 41 “Rabbit, Run”by John Updike
You may feel like fleeing sometimes, but remember: Selfishness is not a victimless crime.
Age 42 “The Woman Upstairs”by Claire Messud
When everyone expects you to act like a cheerful and invisible old maid, get angry.
Age 43 “Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora Neale Hurston
You have your finger on the trigger of your own destiny.
Age 44 “The Goldfinch” by Donna Tartt
The images of love we start with never leave us.
Age 45 “Where’d You Go, Bernadette” by Maria Semple
When it comes to midlife crises, go big or go home.
Age 46 “Salvage the Bones” by Jesmyn Ward
Sometimes the only thing you can do is cling to those you love and wait out the storm.
Age 47 “Stretching” by Bob Anderson
As if you need a reminder, you’re not 25 anymore. Treat your body accordingly.
Age 48 “Bossypants” by Tina Fey
You’re juggling a lot. You’ve earned a good laugh from a celebrity who doesn’t pretend to be picture-perfect.
Age 49 “Walden” by Henry David Thoreau
Living a life of quiet desperation, you’re ready to hear Thoreau’s inspiring advice.
Age 50 “Fifty Shades of Grey” by EL James
Spice things up — or at least enjoy a good laugh.
Age 51 “Who Do You Think You Are?”by Alice Munro
It’s the small moments that define us.
Age 52 “Men Without Women” by Haruki Murakami
Life is a riddle with no right answer; attempting to figure out the solution is its own reward.
Age 53 “A Man Called Ove”by Fredrik Backman
It gets harder to make new friends as you age, but do it anyway. They might save your life.
Age 54 “The Denial of Death”by Ernest Becker
What would you do — and who would you be — if you weren’t afraid of dying
?
Age 55 “Olive Kitteridge”by Elizabeth Strout
A person can be cruel and difficult but also loving and worthy of compassion.
Age 56 “When Things Fall Apart” by Pema Chödrön
Every challenge is an opportunity for transformative wisdom.
Age 57 “Remains of the Day” by Kazuo Ishiguro
If you’ve been living according to someone else’s rules, you can stop now.
Age 58 “The Plague of Doves” by Louise Erdrich
Think about what’s come before you because “history works itself out in the living.”
Age 59 “Dynamic Aging”by Katy Bowman
Don’t blame your age if you’re feeling creaky. It could just be the way you’re using (or not using) your body.
Age 60 “The Five Years Before You Retire”by Emily Guy Birken
Not to stress you out, but time is ticking. Do you have a good plan?
Age 61 “Fear of Dying” by Erica Jong
There are many ways to age. Gracefully doesn’t have to be one of them.
Age 62 “Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand”by Helen Simonson
Love knows no bounds, especially when books bring people together.
Age 63 “Our Souls at Night” by Kent Haruf
Curing loneliness can be as simple as asking for company.
Age 64 “Old in Art School”by Nell Painter
It’s not too late to try a new career, but brace yourself for the ageist naysayers.
Age 65 “65 Things to Do When You Retire”edited by Mark Evan Chimsky
If you need ideas, Jimmy Carter, Jane Fonda and Gloria Steinem have suggestions.
