Ask Joe Weider

Tip of the Week: Eat a salad a day for longevity.

I don't have any clinical science to back up this claim, but I believe my daily salad has helped me close in on my 89th year on this planet in pretty good health. Nearly every day for lunch I will have a nice salad with a salmon filet. Certainly fresh salmon, high in essential fatty acids and protein, is a boon to your health in itself. Add to that a salad of dark leafy greens, tomatoes, radishes and avocados, and you have a meal that's chock full of vitamins and minerals while being low in carbs. It's the perfect meal for anyone who's looking to lose a few pounds while maintaining vital health. If you want to up the calorie-carb content a bit, simply add a multigrain roll to the mix.

By the way, a guy who considers me to be a kid — Jack LaLanne — enjoys partaking in a daily salad consisting of raw vegetables and hard-boiled eggs. Considering that he's going to be 95 this September, I'd say his is an example worth following!

Q: How much fiber should I get per day, Joe? I've read 25 grams is the minimum, but this seems like a lot. Other than by taking a fiber supplement, it seems like it would be difficult to get this much. What do you think?

Joe: I think you would be wise to stick with the 25 grams as a bare minimum, and if you know where to find fiber you, too, will agree that it's not an impossible task to get that much.

There are two categories of fiber — soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber dissolves in liquid and can help lower blood cholesterol and glucose levels. Insoluble fiber helps move digested and undigested food through your digestive system and increases stool bulk, so it can be of benefit to those who struggle with constipation or irregular stools.

Soluble fiber can be found in beans, apples, oats, citrus fruits, carrots, peas, barley and psyllium. Insoluble fiber is in whole-wheat flour, wheat bran, nuts and fibrous vegetables.

Some of the healthier cereals on the market today have as much as a dozen grams of fiber in a single serving, which is about the amount that the typical American gets in an entire day!

I personally recommend 40 grams of fiber per day, which isn't hard to get if you keep your diet rich in whole foods. Be sure to drink enough water throughout the day, as soluble fiber will absorb liquid from your digestive tract and can dehydrate you.

Q: My daughter is 14 years old, and while she's never been slight, she seems to be adding weight quickly in recent months. I try to limit her eating when she's home, but I can't control how she eats when she's out of the house. How would you suggest I help keep her from becoming obese?

Joe: This sounds like a tricky situation. While you certainly don't want to badger your daughter and risk alienating her, you also can't ignore what could become a problem for her down the road.

Your daughter is at an age in which she's undergoing a lot of hormonal changes. In short, she's becoming a woman, and as such her metabolism could be slowing from its rapid pace of childhood. Beyond that though, her diet could also be changing as she spends more time away from your watchful eye — be it at friends' homes or the movies. This world in which we now live virtually acts as a junk-food enabler. Sometimes it's not an easy place for a young person to navigate and stay healthy.

If you are truly concerned that your daughter's weight may be a problem, I would suggest scheduling her for a checkup with your physician. If there is a problem, he could be the one to address it first. Coming from him, any advice carries extra weight. Once he's laid the groundwork, you can then follow up with her on healthy strategies for managing her weight. Good luck to you both.

Joe Weider is acclaimed as "the father of modern bodybuilding" and the founder of the world's leading fitness magazines, including Shape, Muscle and Fitness, Men's Fitness, Fit Pregnancy, Hers, Golf for Seniors and others published worldwide in over 20 languages.To find out more about Joe Weider, write to him and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.

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