If you're over 40 and exercising to improve your health, do you need extra nutrition? Depends on the frequency, intensity and duration of the exercise, according to the latest issue of the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. An article in the July/August edition, found that in general, nutrient needs do not change much for older individuals who exercise regularly, yet moderately, for the purposes of chronic-disease risk reduction. Author Kathleen Melanson recommends a heart-healthy diet focusing on unrefined plant products, low-fat sources of protein, low-saturated and trans fat, cholesterol and sodium and high fiber, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. Older exercisers also need to make sure they stay hydrated, get adequate protein and consume enough antioxidants, said Melanson, who is with the Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences at the University of Rhode Island.

Melanson said that sports drinks are generally unnecessary for events lasting less than 60 minutes and could provide unwanted calories, sugars and sodium for older exercisers. Instead, choose naturally occurring sources of electrolytes. — American Journal for Lifestyle Medicine. (http://ajlm.sagepub.com).

WINNING QUESTION

Q: Are Italian ice desserts low-calorie choices?

A: Italian ice has become increasingly common in restaurants and at larger grocery stores. While its light, refreshing flavor is due in part to a lower sugar content than many popular frozen desserts, that doesn't mean it is low-sugar. Each 4-ounce serving, which can have as much as 4 to 6 teaspoons of added sugar, provides roughly 50 to 100 calories. Admittedly, that's still a lower calorie choice than a similar serving of ice cream, which provides from 140 to 270 calories, or even sorbet, which can contain up to 9 teaspoons of sugar and 125 calories per serving. Also note that restaurant portions and the pre-packaged sizes sold at grocery stores are most often 6 ounces, which raises the calorie content slightly. — American Institute for Cancer Research.

WINNING WEB

Here's another reason to exercise daily: Patients in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease who performed better on a treadmill test had less atrophy in the areas of the brain that control memory, according to a recent study. Magnetic resonance imaging showed less shrinkage in the hippocampus region of patients' brains in the Alzheimer's patients with higher fitness scores. In Alzheimer's the hippocampus is one of the first parts of the brain to suffer damage. Exercise and physical fitness have been shown to slow age-related brain-cell death in healthy, older adults.

- www.Intellihealth.com.

WINNING RECIPE

Love those local, summer peaches? Eating Well magazine, in its July/August 2008 issue, offers a healthier version of a traditional cobbler, with canola oil in place of some of the butter and whole-wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour.

PEACH BLUEBERRY COBBLER

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons canola oil

1 cup whole-wheat flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup reduced-fat milk

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 ripe but firm peaches (about 1 pound), pitted and sliced into eighths, or 3 1/2 cups frozen

2 cups (1 pint) fresh or frozen blueberries

Yields 10 servings.

Preheat oven to 350?F. Place butter and oil in 12-inch cast-iron skillet or a 9x13-inch baking pan. Heat in oven until melted and fragrant, 5 to 7 minutes.

In large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add milk, sugar and vanilla; stir to combine. Add melted butter mixture to batter and stir to combine. Pour batter into hot pan. Spoon peaches and blueberries evenly over batter. Return pan to oven and bake until top of cobbler is browned and batter around fruit is completely set, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Remove to wire rack to cool for at least 15 minutes. Serve warm.

Nutritional analysis per serving: 182 calories, 3 g protein, 26 g carbohydrate, 8 g fat, 11 mg cholesterol;, 3 g fiber; 212 mg sodium.

Charlyn Fargo is a registered dietitian in Springfield, Ill. For comments or questions, contact her at charfarg@aol.com. To find out more about Charlyn Fargo and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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