By Steve Gelman for Live Right Live Well

Yes, yes, we know that you know that eating broccoli is good for you. But did you know that cooking it incorrectly can destroy the health benefits? Or that failing to spot just one word on the label of cooking oil can deprive you of vital nutrients? “You must always be aware of nutrient retention if you want to get the biggest health boost from food,” says Jennifer Crum, a dietitian with New York University Medical Center in New York City. “And the way you cook, buy and store food can make a big difference in how many nutrients it retains” To maximize the nutrients in the food your family eats, follow these 10 simple dos and don’ts from the experts:

Better Buying
DON’T buy “blended” cooking oil Blended oils are usually dominated by the cheapest and least-healthful oil listed on the label. Instead, look for single-source oils such as pure canola or pure olive.

DO buy fruit whole Nutrients in fruit can be diminished by exposure to air, so buy melons and other fruit whole, rather than cut in halves, quarters or cubes, says David DeVellis, M.D., a Groton, Mass., nutrition consultant and a medical editor at the University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter.

DO make sure fish is fresh Buy only those that the store keeps on ice and covers with ice. The fish should have bright, glossy skin; clear, bulging eyes; tight scales and firm flesh. The aroma should be clean and briny, with no whiff of iodine, ammonia or strong fishiness.

Smart Storing
DON’T cut fruit and vegetables before storing Once you slice and dice, fruit and vegetables begin to lose vitamin C, says Marisa Sherry, a dietitian with Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York City.

DO put soups and stews in the refrigerator overnight The next day the unhealthy fat will have congealed on top, and you can simply skim it away, leaving the healthy nutrients intact. You can do the same thing with stock and sauces, adds Crum.

Crafty Cooking
DO cook vegetables Cooking vegetables until they’re just tender releases nutrients so that they are absorbed more readily into the body than if the vegetables were eaten raw, says Crum.

DON’T boil away vitamins Boiling vegetables, especially in large amounts of water, drains away essential vitamins, says Sherry. Steaming or stir-frying retains the most nutrients. This is especially true of broccoli, but in general, the less water most vegetables are cooked in, the healthier they will be.

DON’T remove the skin from potatoes This is because most of the nutrients in potatoes are near the surface, says Crum. Instead, scrub potatoes to remove dirt, then bake, steam or heat them in a microwave to preserve vitamins.

DO cook carrots with a bit of olive oil A little monounsaturated fat can make it easier for your body to absorb the vital antioxidant beta-carotene, says Crum.

DO roast meat and poultry on a rack This allows fat to drip away for the best heart-healthy results, says the American Heart Association. In addition, use low-fat broth instead of pan drippings for basting.

Steve Gelman has covered health and fitness as an editor and writer for more than 30 years. His work has been published by the Reader’s Digest Association, Life, Esquire, Woman’s Day and other major outlets.

By Stacey Colino for Live Right Live Well

There’s something fishy going on. Omega-3 fatty acids, once found primarily in fatty fish, are being added to all sorts of foods, including fruit juices, soy milk, eggs, nutrition bars, cereal, yogurt — even infant formula. In fact, they’ve become the wonder nutrient du jour, largely because researchers are discovering more and more health benefits associated with them.

Health Benefits from Head to Toe

Long known for their heart-protective powers, omega-3 fatty acids lower blood pressure, reduce triglyceride levels, decrease the buildup of artery-clogging plaque and lower the risk of heart arrhythmia. In addition, researchers are now finding that omega-3s may be helpful in a wide range of conditions including acne, age-related cognitive decline, Alzheimer’s disease, asthma, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), bipolar disorder, depression, diabetes, macular degeneration (a leading cause of blindness), Parkinson’s disease and rheumatoid arthritis.

How to Get Your Omega-3s

There are a few different types of omega-3 fatty acids, but the real powerhouses are EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that most people eat fish, particularly fatty fish, at least twice per week. The best choices: fatty cold-water fish, such as salmon, tuna, herring, lake trout, sardines, mackerel and anchovies. The AHA also recommends that people who have heart disease consume about one gram of EPA and DHA per day, possibly in supplement form. Those who need to lower their triglycerides are advised to ingest two to four grams of EPA and DHA per day from capsules.

But some experts go beyond the AHA recommendation, believing that even more people should be taking these supplements. “Those who consume less than the equivalent of two to three fish meals per week and no other sources of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as omega-3 eggs, should consider supplements,” says J. Thomas Brenna, a professor of human nutrition at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. And if you’re worried about contaminants associated with fish, you’ll be happy to hear that omega-3 supplements have been found to be free of heavy metals that have been a concern with fish.

So eat more fish and
consider omega-3-fortified foods and supplements. Says Barry Swanson, a fellow
of the Institute of Food Technologists and professor of food science at
Washington State University in Pullman: It doesn’t matter how you get your
omega-3s — “as long as you get these nutrients in your body, it’s better than
not consuming them at all.”

Stacey Colino

Stacey Colino has written for The Washington Post Health section and many national magazines, including Newsweek, Real Simple, Woman’s Day, Self, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Parenting, Sports Illustrated and Ladies’ Home Journal.

Copyright © 2010 Studio One Networks. All rights reserved.

Jill Knapp’s life changed when she was diagnosed three years ago with Type II diabetes, also familiarly known as adult onset diabetes. She has not only lost over 100 pounds, she has gone on to become an advocate for the American Diabetes Association and is a passionate public speaker sharing her story with and inspiring others. On Friday we will talk to Jill, who blogs at Get Up & Get Moving all about how she was able to lose 100 pounds and control her diabetes without any artificial medical means. If you or someone you know struggles with weight and/or diabetes you will not want to miss our motivating show with Jill!

I’m starting a new Saturday Recipe Make-Over series. You can submit your favorite recipes (send to Bryan dot Fiona at gmail dot com) and I will make them over so that they are tasty yet healthy and lower in fat. If you have favorite made-over recipes that you would like to share please send them in and we will post them for all to see. Since I’m not a laboratory scientist I wont be providing caloric details but it is quite amazing how a recipe can change for the better with just a little tweeking here and there.