Well

               Eating strategy: Making a simple adjustment to your eating strategy can result in major health gains. The January issue of Shape magazine suggests:

        • Drinking more water. Not only will you feel full, being well-hydrated can reduce the risk for disease.

        • Eating more often and adding a little protein to meals. Five or six small meals, compared to three large ones, will keep the hunger at bay. Because protein takes longer to digest, you'll stay satisfied longer.

        • Switch to whole-grain products. High-fiber foods provide a sense of fullness and protect against heart disease

        • Use low-fat dairy products to cut saturated fat.

        • Add a fruit and vegetable to each meal. The vitamin benefits are tremendous. — GANNETT NEWS SERVICE

Exercise
               Personal trainer: Men who trained with a health/fitness instructor showed a 30 percent to 45 percent greater improvement in strength and reached that peak 30 percent faster than men who were not supervised in a 12-week study published in the American College of Sports Medicine's journal, Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. — THE SEATTLE TIMES

Research

               Hangover effects: Think twice before tying one on. The effects are worse than the morning-after throbbing head, queasiness, fatigue and dry mouth.

        Alcohol hangovers have cardiac, neurological and psychiatric consequences, according to a review of 33 years of medical studies of alcohol intoxication published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.

        Hangover increases blood pressure and heart rate, and in one study it was associated with cardiac death.

        Visual and spatial skills and dexterity are impaired, even after alcohol can no longer be detected in the blood, putting imbibers at risk for injury and death.

        Although larger doses of alcohol lead to the more severe symptoms, other factors also contribute to the malaise. Congeners (substances found in brandy, whisky and other dark liquors) increase the frequency and severity of hangover. - CHICAO TRIBUNE

Trivia
               Wood you believe: You think you know all about Tiger Woods' accomplishments? Bet you didn't know these. According to Golf Magazine, Mr. Woods is the only man to win golf's four major championships without getting married. He's the first golfer to win multiple majors after having Lasik eye surgery. And he's the first to win multiple majors after having bungee-jumped. — PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER

Shelf Help
               Get your winks: Get physical and mental exercises to promote sleep and approaches to sleep problems in Learn to Sleep Well by Christopher Idzikowski ($14.95, Chronicle Books). The author also provides an overview of sleep, patterns and creating a sleep-friendly environment. The author is director of the Sleep Assessment and Advisory Service in Lisburn, Northern Ireland. — SEATTLE TIMES

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