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Q: Is goat meat a healthier
choice than other meats?
A: Goat meat, long popular in the Caribbean and parts
of Latin America and Asia, was named by Time magazine as one
of the Top 10 Food Trends of 2008. It is lean meat, with saturated
fat content comparable to that of skinless roast chicken. However,
its composition classifies it as a red meat, so count it along
with beef, pork and lamb as you eat no more than 18 ounces per
week as a total of all red meat. We don’t have good data
from population studies to check for a link between goat meat
consumption specifically and cancer risk. But the content of
a particular form of iron, called heme iron, is just as high
in goat meat as in beef. Research suggests that heme iron may
be part of the link between excess red meat and colon cancer
risk, since heme iron seems to damage colon tissue as well as
stimulate formation of compounds that can damage DNA and allow
cancer development to start. |
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Q: Can I keep my jarred
spices indefinitely?
A: Spices and dried herbs do not spoil, but eventually
they do lose some of their flavor. Generally you can count on
seeds and whole spices (such as cumin and dill seeds, whole cloves
and peppercorns) staying fresh for three or four years. Ground
spices (including cinnamon and ground pepper) stay flavorful
for one to three years. Hold on to dried green herbs (such as
basil and oregano) for six months to three years, watching for
fading color and flavor to guide you. These seasonings may look
attractive displayed over the stove, but to keep them this long,
store them in airtight containers away from the heat, moisture
and light that speed up their deterioration. Research is sparse
regarding how long herbs and spices continue as a source of health-protective
compounds, but it looks like these storage time limits are advisable
to keep their health benefits as well as their flavor.
Q: Are pedometers all
the same, or what should someone look for before making a purchase?
A: Pedometers are not all alike. Your question is
important, because walking and other forms of physical activity
are now considered vital to lower risk of heart disease, cancer,
diabetes and high blood pressure. And studies support the value
of pedometers (step counters) in helping people meet healthy
activity goals. You can find pedometers for less than five dollars
or as promotional giveaways. These can be fun to use as you make
goals and track progress, but most are not highly accurate and
may last only a month or two to get your walking habit started.
If you plan to use a pedometer for a longer time either daily
or periodically, plan to spend at least twenty dollars and you
can get better accuracy. However, studies show that even good
quality pedometers made with the standard mechanism tend to give
inaccurate results in people who have enough waistline fat that
a pedometer can’t hang straight from a waistband. Those
who tend to walk very slowly due to infirmities or balance problems
are also prone to inaccuracies. Both of these groups of people
can get accurate results by choosing a type of pedometer called
an accelerometer. Many of these devices can also separately track
how much of your movement falls in the especially healthful moderate
to vigorous category, but these also cost more than standard
pedometers. |
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