better
HEALTH
Q: Our
15
-year-old daughter wants to join
Facebook, but I think it invites trouble. Is it safe?
A:
Yes, if you put good safeguards in place.
Set limits on the use of screen time (say, 1 -2
hours per day) and confine com puter use to
com m on areas. Encourage children to think
critically about what they see and read on
Facebook or MySpace, as opposed to being passive consum ers. Some
parents gain insights into how teens use media by having them help set up
their own pages. And treat news stories about bullying and inappropriate
contact and content as teachable moments about potential networking
dangers.
Cm ch.tv,
run by “mediatrician” Dr. Michael Rich, and
IKeepSafe.org
are great family resources for safety.
HAVE A Q U ESTIO N A B O U T HOW TO IM PRO VE YO U R H EA LTH ?
A concern
about your child's health, perhaps? E-mail us at
B H G fea tu res@ m ered ith .co m .
We'll
select one question every issue and ask our health advisory panel to answer it. (Sorry,
the doctors can't respond to all your questions personally.)
A nationally recognized expert on healthy
housing and teen health, Dr. Sandel has
been a practicing pediatrician at Boston
Medical Center and Children’s Medical
Center, Boston, for more than 10 years.
PUT DOWN THAT REMOTE
Each daily hour spent watching TV poses an 18 percent greater risk of dying from
cardiovascular disease, according to a new study published in
Circulation,
a journal of
the American Heart Association. Unlike other studies, this one examined TV’s impact
on people of healthy weight and no history of heart disease. Couch potatoes who
spent more than four hours a day watching TV had a staggering 80 percent greater
risk of death from cardiovascular disease.
Chat your way
to happiness
People w h o spend a
lot o f their day talking
to friends and loved
ones are m uch happier
than silent types, says
a n ew study in the “
journal
Psychological
Science.
T h e happiest
people engage in
both idle chitchat
and several deep
conversations p er day;
SPUD SALAD:
DIET DUD TO STUD
With spicy tweaks and healthier
substitutions,
says dietitian Jae Berman,
you can serve a
potato salad that’s tasty and
good for you.
Use plain fat-free yogurt instead of
mayo or sour cream.
Make a vinaigrette, with a drizzle of olive
oil and equal parts red-wine vinegar,
balsamic vinegar, and lemon juice.
Swap out salt for tangy spices like curry ^
powder, parsley, chives, thyme, rosemary, or
chile peppers to add low-sodium flavor
without calories.
Instead of white potatoes, try sweet
potatoes, which are rich in fiber and the
powerful antioxidant beta-carotene. 1®
2 3 2
JUNE 2010
BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS
PH O T O S: (PO TA TO ES) JO SO N /R iSER, GETTY IMAGES; (TEEN O N L A PTO P) VEER
