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BUENA VIDA

Salud

31 Healthy days
We might end the month snacking on Halloween candy, but we can still make October our healthiest month ever. From integrating healthy Latino foods into our diets to getting that checkup to being aware of our thoughts and feelings, the opportunities to live well abound.

BECAUSE IT’S GOOD FOR YOU
Foods traditionally used in Latin American cooking are as diverse and colorful as the countries where they hail from. Although we have a tendency to love carb-rich rice and tortillas made with lard, there are also some very healthy staples on our menus. Two in particular—avocados and black beans—are among the healthiest foods to eat. Avocados are not only chock full of mono and polyunsaturated fat (the good kind of fat), but also carotenoid lutein, which might help keep eyes healthy, and about 20 vitamins and minerals. Plus, they have beta-sitosterol, a plant sterol that helps maintain healthy cholesterol. Beans, meanwhile, are heart-healthy legumes, and black beans in particular are good for brain function. That’s thanks to anthocyanins, an antioxidant compound. Plus, black beans are chock full of dietary fiber and resistant starch, according to a University of Illinois study. Difficult to digest, resistant starch rests in the colon where bacteria attacks it and releases a fatty acid with cancer-preventative qualities.


TAKING MENTAL STOCK
More than 19 million Americans experience depression, a common medical illness. Like other Americans, Hispanics can also be disposed to it; in fact, they are disproportionately at a higher risk to develop depression. One in fi ve of Hispanics will suffer from major depression at some point in their lives. This month brings National Depression Screening Day. So take stock and be aware of symptoms, which according to the Mayo Clinic include loss of interest in activities, weight gain or loss, restlessness, diffi culty sleeping and/or feelings of sadness or hopelessness. To fi nd a screening in your area visit www.mentalhealthscreening.com or try a self screening online at http://depression-screening.org.


BE AWARE
If you haven’t been to the d o c t o r this year, put a visit on your schedule. October is national Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and it’s t h e perfect time to study up on this disease (that affects both sexes) and to understand your risk. This year 211,000 women will learn they have the disease, according to the National Cancer Institute. Sadly, the disease is the leading cause of death for women age 40 to 59. And recent finding suggest that the disease affects Hispanics differently: Among Hispanics, younger women with breast cancer are more than two times as likely to be in advanced stages when it is diagnosed, and are twice as likely to have larger tumors than non-Hispanics. Although it might be scary to some, it is important to get that checkup, especially if symptoms are present. If cancer is found, the earlier it’s caught the higher the chances for successful treatment and remission.