LIVE LONGER AND STRONGER GOOD-FOR-YOU

Good-for-you grains

Eat up! They’re the key to a healthier heart and a slimmer body. Upping your intake of fiber- You’ll flatten your tummy rich whole grains is a smart The soluble fiber in whole move for your ticker: The grains and other foods can help you ongoing Nurses’ Health Study found that women who shed the kind of fat that accumulates around the belly and may contribute to heart disease. One study found that routinely ate whole grains every increase of 10 g in soluble fiber such as whole-wheat bread per day decreased belly fat by a rate of and brown rice had a 30% almost 4% over five years. lower risk of heart disease You’ll lower your blood after 10 years than those who pressure opted for refined grains such Researchers at Tulane University as white bread. But that’s not the only benefit—there are found that people with high blood pressure were able to bring it down considerably by adding an extra 7 g more reasons to chow down. of fiber or more to their daily diets.

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That’s the equivalent of about ½ cup whole-wheat spaghetti and ½ cup bran flakes.

You’ll keep off weight

Whole grains rank low on the glycemic index, a system that rates the effects of different carbohydrates on blood sugar levels. In contrast, refined grains rise to the top of the index. In one study, researchers followed 548 people for eight weeks after they had lost an average of 24 pounds and found that those who ate more whole grains didn’t gain back any weight. However, those who ate high on the index—white bread and other refined carbohydrates— regained almost 4 pounds. Another study found that people who ate about three servings of whole grains a day had lower body mass indexes than those who ate less.

Bonus benefit PREVENT CANCER Research shows that a diet rich in whole grains helped protect women against breast cancer.

Adapted from the new book 7 Years A Younger: The Anti-Aging Breakthrough Y Diet. Go to 7yearsyounger.com/wdy.D com to order. c

WIN IT! 50 readers will win 5 boxes of KIND Healthy Grains bars (value $20). Snap on the tag to enter.

For rules, see page 24.

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GOODNESS

Kids and moms love V8 V-Fusion® 100% juice for totally different reasons. Kids because the fruit makes it taste great. Moms because it has 1 full serving of fruits and 1 full serving of vegetables* with no sugar added. A family favorite for a reason. (Or two.)