Guide to Wellness

KEEPING YOUR BODY strong and well is more important than ever. And yet it can be difficult to find health guidance you can trust, especially as our understanding of the COVID-19 pandemic evolves. But you can count on CR to share reliable, easy-to-follow advice based on the latest medical knowledge from the most respected experts. You can access our ongoing updates at our Guide to the Coronavirus, at CR.org/covid19. And we’ve devoted this special issue to important stay-well strategies, from making the best nutrition moves to safer supplement shopping to new pain relief options, the best home fitness equipment—and more. You can trust our insight because we’re nonprofit and independent: We buy all the products we test, and we don’t accept any ads. We’re always on your side, protecting your…

Healthier Frying An air fryer can deliver all the crispy goodness of your favorite fried foods—with less fat and fewer calories because it cooks with little or no oil. These countertop helpers are easy to use once you've gotten the hang of the process. CR staffers put air fryers to work in their home kitchens; read on for five of their best tips, plus two top models. Five Tips for Better Air-Frying 1. Pat foods dry. Before frying, dry anything unbreaded that you want crispy or browned. 2. Don't overfill the basket. An air fryer relies on a fan to circulate hot air to cook food quickly. Crowding the basket prevents the hot air from reaching all the food, which could give you uneven and soggy results. 3. Check food…

While the various types of salt—for example, table, kosher, and sea salt—may impart different flavors in food, they’re very similar from a health point of view, says Amy Keating, R.D., a CR nutritionist. Sea salt comes from evaporated ocean water and retains some trace minerals, such as magnesium, but not in high enough amounts to have nutritional benefits. Table salt often has iodine added—a mineral that's important for preventing thyroid problems—but iodine is also found naturally in dairy products, eggs, seafood, and grains. As for the sodium levels, “most types of salt—technically sodium chloride—are roughly 40 percent sodium by weight,” Keating says. (Chlorine mostly makes up the rest.) The main reason nutrition labels on salt packages show varying amounts of sodium is because the serving size for salt is listed…

YEARS OF RESEARCH have demonstrated that a healthy diet can help cut the risks of illnesses, from diabetes to heart disease to some cancers. Now, more and more studies suggest that food choices may also affect emotions—even for the 8 percent of American adults who report struggling with depression, according to data from a recent National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. “Research shows that what you eat does impact your mood,” says Umadevi Naidoo, M. B. Ch. B., director of Nutritional and Lifestyle Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. A study published in April 2019 in the European Journal of Nutrition found that people with depression who scored high on the Alternate Healthy Eating Index (consuming a diet rich in produce, whole grains, nuts, and omega-3 fatty acids) were…

WHEN YOU HEAR the word “snack,” chances are you think about chips and cookies, and therefore believe snacking is something to be avoided. But eating between meals can be good for you—if you make healthful choices. And as you get older, you may actually need to snack to compensate for eating less at meals. “Medication, depression, changes in taste and smell, and a drop in activity level can all cause a decline in appetite,” says Lauri Wright, Ph.D., chair of the department of nutrition and dietetics at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville. When you eat less at one sitting, it can be difficult to get the energy, vitamins, and minerals needed from three meals alone. “Snacking—or eating six mini meals a day instead of only three—can fill in…

INSTEAD OF Potato chips TRY Air-popped popcorn and a handful of nuts WHY You still get a satisfying crunch and a little salt. And corn, a whole grain, provides fiber. Plus, the nuts contain protein and healthy fat. INSTEAD OF A doughnut TRY A slice of whole-wheat toast with 1 tablespoon of nut butter and sliced strawberries WHY Whole grains provide fiber, almond butter has protein and healthy fat, and berries add sweetness with fewer sugars than jam. INSTEAD OF A candy bar TRY Walnuts and 70 percent cacao dark chocolate WHY Dark chocolate is lower in sugars than the milk variety. Pairing it with walnuts (which contain healthy omega-3 fats) makes this snack nutritionist-approved. INSTEAD OF Cookies and milk TRY Whole-grain cereal and milk WHY Many cereals are fortified…