I recommend that you continue to avoid refined and processed carbohydrate foods, especially products made from flour and those heavy on sugar. Instead, include in your diet some beans, sweet potatoes, winter squashes temperate fruits (especially berries, apples and pears), and some whole grains (such as wild rice, quinoa and barley). To learn which carbohydrates to avoid and which to include in your diet, familiarize yourself with the glycemic index, a guide to foods that cause increases in insulin production and conversion of calories to fat. You can consume up to 40 percent of your daily calories as carbohydrate if you stick to foods that rank low to moderate on the glycemic index.

You should also cut back on the amount of protein youve been eating, especially red meat. Instead, choose fish and soy protein. Up to 30 percent of your total calories can come from protein, while 30 percent should come from fat. Make sure that some of those fat calories are omega-3 fatty acids from salmon or sardines or walnuts and flax seeds. The rest should be mostly monounsaturated fat from olive oil, nuts, and avocadoes.

You can read more about this approach to eating in Eat, Drink and Be Healthy: The Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eating by Walter C. Willet, MD who believes that our national epidemic of obesity is driven by too many of the wrong kind of carbohydrates, the wrong kinds of fats, too many calories and not enough exercise.

In fact, Dr. Willett has constructed his own version of the food pyramid. At its base is daily exercise. If you hope to lose weight and keep it off, regular exercise is essential.

Dr. Andrew Weil

(May 10, 2003)

The new disease is SARS -- severe acute respiratory syndrome. Shopping in an Asian market on this side of the Pacific should not be cause for concern. There is no evidence that the virus that causes SARS could survive travel from Asia on imported products. It seems to be passed via sustained face to face contact, but because 107 cases occurred in a single apartment tower in Hong Kong, health authorities are investigating the possibility that it may also spread through air, water, sewage and contaminated objects. Most of the people infected elsewhere have been relatives of the patients or health care workers who treated them.

SARS began in China and most cases have occurred there and in Hong Kong. Although the number of cases changes daily, as I write this the World Health Organization count is 141 cases and no deaths in the United States and 90 cases (with nine deaths) in Canada. Investigating scientists suspect that SARS is a mutated strain of coronavirus, one of the bugs that cause the common cold.

Most cases begin with a fever higher than 100.4 F (38 C) often accompanied by chills, headache, body aches, fatigue and mild respiratory symptoms. In the early stages, patients may also have decreased white blood cell counts and diarrhea. After three to seven days, patients may develop a dry cough that increases in severity

Between 80 to 90 percent of all patients get better in five to six days. However, in 10 to 20 percent of cases respiratory symptoms worsen until lung congestion requires mechanical ventilation to supply adequate oxygen. The severity of SARS among patients is highly variable, ranging from mild symptoms to death. The death rate is 3 to 4 percent. We dont know yet how long a patient who has had SARS remains contagious.

The CDC recommends washing your hands frequently to guard against infection. This is always good advice, especially during cold and flu season. These infections spread when sick people touch their noses or mouths and then touch surfaces such as doorknobs, telephones or elevator buttons. If youre the next one to touch these objects, you can pick up the bug.

Health authorities are warning against non-essential travel to China and Hong Kong, but if you have no travel plans and have had no contact with anyone exposed to SARS, there is no reason to worry. For peace of mind, you might take an herbal immune-enhancer such as astraglaus, which is nontoxic and has a good track record in warding off viral respiratory infections.

Dr. Andrew Weil

I do recommend a dietary change to people with sinus problems. Try eliminating milk and milk products. Casein, the protein in cows milk can both irritate the immune system and increase mucus production. It is often associated with sinus conditions as well as with such problems as recurrent childhood ear infections, eczema, chronic bronchitis and asthma. It may take as long as to two months before you experience the full benefits of eliminating milk from your diet.

You also may be able to limit your chronic sinus infections by boosting your immune system. I recommend that you take a good high potency multivitamin, eat one to two cloves of raw garlic daily, take astragalus herb (two capsules twice a day), as well as an immune-enhancing mushroom formula, such as Host Defense by New Chapter.

You may also be able to relieve your symptoms by putting hot, wet towels over your upper face frequently. Work up to as much heat as you can stand every 15 minutes three or four times a day. This promotes drainage and increases blood flow to the sinus area. Drinking plenty of fluids will help moisten and thin the mucus in your sinuses; inhaling steam with a few drops of oil of eucalyptus or oil of oregano is also a good idea.

Nasal douching can help, too. Mix a solution of salt water (a quarter teaspoon of salt to a cup of warm water). You can pour some of the salt water into your cupped hand and inhale it into one nostril at a time while closing the other nostril with an index finger. Or you can get a neti pot, a ceramic container shaped like a miniature Aladdins lamp that allows you to pour water directly into the nose. Use enough solution to fill your nasal cavity and spill into your mouth. Spit it out and then gently blow your nose. At first, this process may seem uncomfortable and messy, but once you get the hang of it, youll like what it does for your nose and sinuses.

Finally, dont smoke, avoid smoky surroundings and if you live in a smoggy area, buy an air filter for your home.

Dr. Andrew Weil