2 Health Tips For 10/5/07

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Heart Burners We've all experienced it that burning sensation behind the breastbone that sometimes extends as high as the back of the throat: heartburn. The burning sensation associated with heartburn is caused by small amounts of stomach contents and acids working their way back up into your esophagus. Usually the muscle that connects the esophagus to the stomach, called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), keeps stomach contents where they belong. But when too much pressure is put on the muscle or some other factor causes the muscle to relax, heartburn is the result. It's not only a large meal that triggers heartburn. Dietary fat, caffeine, alcohol, and acid-containing beverages, such as coffee and black tea, can also be problematic. Even decaffeinated coffee contains enough acid to cause heartburn. Other less common triggers include citrus and pineapple juices, vinegary foods, tomato products, and chocolate 2. The New Shape of the Food Pyramid The folks at the Mayo Clinic have come up with a simple nutrition plan that riffs off the outdated Food Guide Pyramid. The six-point plan is versatile enough for any activity level. Every day, simply eat the following: 1. Unlimited amounts of fruits 2. Unlimited amounts of vegetables 3. Three to five servings of olive oil, nuts, canola oil or avocados 4. Three to seven servings of beans, fish, lean meat or low-fat dairy 5. Four to eight servings of whole grains or bread Up to 75 calories of sweets.