Ask the Experts, January 2012

Wellness Letter

Ask the Experts
January 2012

Q: Is the Portfolio Diet worth trying for high cholesterol?
A: We think so—along with exercise and losing excess weight. Developed by researchers at the University of Toronto, the Portfolio Eating Plan focuses on several cholesterol-lowering foods and food components: plant sterols, soluble fibers, soy protein and nuts.
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Q: I'm very thin (and healthy) but have trouble gaining weight. Any suggestions?
A: Putting on pounds can be just as challenging as taking them off for some people. Just as some are prone to be plump, others are slated to be skinny—and there may be limits to how much they can gain.
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Q: Is squatting a better way to go to the bathroom? Can it reduce constipation?
A: There hasn’t been enough research to know for sure. Squatting was the normal way to defecate until the invention of the flush toilet in the mid-19th century—and is still the most common position used around the world. A few small studies suggest that squatting may have some benefits.
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UC Berkeley Wellness Letter, January 2012