Q: It's good to see trans fat listed on food labels now, but what is the recommended limit?
A: Most foods now list trans fat content on the Nutrition Facts panel on a separate line under saturated fat content. The National Academy of Sciences recommends that we keep trans fat as low as possible while consuming a nutritionally adequate diet. No specific limits have been set. It's impossible to completely avoid all trans fat without severely limiting the foods you eat because small amounts are found in liquid vegetable oils, meat and dairy products. You should just aim for a very low intake. Another strategy that some experts recommend is to add the amounts of saturated fat and trans fat together on food labels, and choose the foods with the lowest combined value. This strategy makes sense because Americans consume four to five times as much saturated fat as trans fat. A high consumption of saturated fat has been linked to high cholesterol and a possible increase in cancer risk. You may not have to worry about trans fat at all, however, if partially hydrogenated oils which are the source of most trans fat appear far down on the list of ingredients of any food. It's possible that any amount of trans fat is too small to be nutritionally significant. In this case, there might be zero amount of trans fat listed in a serving on the Nutrition Facts panel.

Q: My doctor told me that I should lose weight to bring my blood pressure down. How much do I have to reduce my weight by to lower my blood pressure?
A: Most studies show that even if you are quite a bit overweight, a loss of about 10 to 20 pounds is often enough to bring blood pressure down. Remember, though, that you need to lose weight and keep it off, or your blood pressure will go up again. Consequently, you should look for modest changes in your activity levels and eating habits that you can continue permanently. The DASH diet developed by the National Institutes of Health (http://www.nih.gov/) has been shown to help control blood pressure. But to lose weight, it's not just what you eat, how much you eat also matters. Controlling portions is essential. The New American Plate from the American Institute for Cancer Research (www.aicr.org) outlines a style of eating similar to DASH that can help you both lower your risk of cancer and reach and maintain a healthy weight. The key concepts to the New American Plate are: a plant-based diet (at least two-thirds of your diet from vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans) and portion control.

Q: Is exercising with weights safe and appropriate for senior citizens?
A: Absolutely as long as it?s done safely, of course. Strength training, also called resistance training, can be done with free weights (like dumbbells), resistance bands (like big rubber bands), large machines, or simple calisthenics. This type of exercise focuses on building and maintaining muscle strength, which is vital to help seniors maintain an independent life. Simple acts like getting out of a chair alone, climbing stairs and carrying groceries all require strength. The ability to do these things can drop significantly if muscle is lost. Fortunately, studies show that proper exercise can rebuild lost muscle strength, regardless of a person?s age. Experts recommend strength training for all major muscle groups at least twice a week. Before you start, be sure to get instruction on whatever type of strength training you will use, so you don?t injure yourself with improper technique or an excessive amount of weight.