DR. WALLACE: Most of my friends have gone on a big healthy food kick this summer. It seems all they want to talk about is what food is healthy, what food is natural and what we all should and should not be eating.

Most of us are 17, and a few in our group are 18 years old. Lately, the big topic has been healthy sources of protein. I have an aunt who is a vegetarian and she is always telling me never to eat any meat of any kind.

I'm all for healthy eating, doing regular exercise and taking good care of my body, but I find all of this food talk at times quite confusing. What type of proteins do you recommend as we all head back to school this fall? — Learning to Eat Well, via email

LEARNING TO EAT WELL: First of all, I'd say that your entire group of friends is off to a good start already. Simply having the awareness to pay attention to what we eat and to make proactive choices is an excellent habit to establish, particularly early in life.

As far as proteins go, legumes are fantastic! This group includes peas, lentils, beans and even garbanzo beans. Peanuts even fit into this category because they have multiple seeds.

And of course, many nuts provide an excellent source of plant-based protein. Some of the best are almonds, pistachios, walnuts, hazelnuts, cashews and even pine nuts.

Lean meats such as fish or chicken provide an excellent source of protein as well. When it comes to meats, most nutritionists recommend avoiding processed meats and also limiting the intake of red meats.

Seeds are good here as well! Sunflower seed and pumpkin seeds both provide healthy sources of protein. Flaxseeds and chia seeds are also wonderfully healthy in this regard as well.

Whole grains such as oats, brown rice and quinoa are all excellent sources of whole grain protein. An often forgotten or overlooked one in this category is grits.

Eggs and soy products also fit into the category of foods that provide excellent sources of protein.

As you can see, there are many excellent ways to consume healthy proteins, so study this list and select your favorites and try a few new ones. You never know what new food will hit your taste buds in just the right spot.

MY FRIENDS ARE REGRESSING

DR. WALLACE: I'm in my early 20s and will readily admit to having "pandemic fatigue." By this, I mean my friends and I are mentally exhausted with the whole trauma, drama and life disruption that the pandemic has brought all of us over the past two years.

Now that things have seemed to calm down at least a bit, I've noticed that a lot of my friends have let their personal hygiene standards regress quite a bit. I, however, still apply the rigorous daily hygiene habits I learned at the beginning of the pandemic. I'm writing to you so that if you print my letter, I can show my friends that it still makes good sense to watch our personal hygiene carefully, even though we are all young and currently pretty healthy. Do you agree? — Wish to Stay Healthy, via email

WISH TO STAY HEALTHY: The timing of your letter is good, since the typical flu season is usually the strongest between December and February each year, so we are heading soon into the time of year when personal hygiene matters the most.

I commend you for sticking with the new hygiene habits you developed a few years ago and recommend that you and your friends continue applying basic hygiene habits both now and throughout your lives, no matter what other pandemics do or do not ever arrive in your lifetimes.

It makes sense to avoid people who appear to be sick, and to stay home if you're feeling under the weather yourself. Always wash your hands thoroughly, often and especially before eating or touching your face. Use hand sanitizers on occasion but not to the point that they create dermatological problems.

Also, keep high traffic surfaces in your home, room, kitchen and living areas clean and sanitize them regularly. Think also about applying this logic to your cellphone, and the doorknobs and door handles (even car doors) that you touch regularly. Establishing and maintaining good daily hygiene habits will benefit your overall health at any time, not just during or immediately after a pandemic.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at [email protected]. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

Photo credit: JanNijman at Pixabay