To your good health...

Did you see Parade's Healthystyle in today's N&O? Here are a couple of tidbits from that insert:

On reusing a water bottle: Some bottles may release chemicals into the water if left in sunlight or used repeatedly. A study from the University of Calgary found higher levels of bacteria in bottles that were refilled.

On drinking milk beyond the expiration date: Risk is low but increases with each passing day. The expert advised not using more than 3 days beyond expiration. If milk has been left out of the fridge to the point of feeling warm, discard.

On taking vitamins: A healthy, balanced diet is best overall, but adults with a poorly balanced diet would benefit from taking a multi-vitamin. The same may be true for those cutting calories to ensure meeting nutritional needs. Both men and women 50 or older need 1200 mg of calcium a day and extra vitamin D. Pregnant women should take a vitamin with sufficient folic acid to help prevent birth defects.

Olive oil or butter? A tablespoon of olive oil has approximately 120 calories while butter has 100, but go for the heart healthy olive oil over the artery clogging butter.

And high-fructose corn syrup has been getting a lot of bad press in the last several years, but apparently it's no worse for you than regular sugar.

Good news...eating at night isn't more "fattening" than eating any other time of day! Calories are calories no matter when you eat them.

And from the National Center for Education Statistics, research shows that 4-year-olds who took part in just three simple routines had a 40% lower prevalence of obesity, regardless of other risk factors. Those habits are eating dinner as a family five times a week, getting enough sleep and limiting television time. Some benefit is obtained from any one of these practices, but strongest results were seen when families followed all three routines.