Where the Action Is . . Be a Sinai Guild Volunteer • For fifty years, members of The Sinai Guild have given generously of their time and energy to those in need. Since the close of Sinai Hospital, Guild members have expanded their vision to include special projects and health care issues across Metro Detroit, providing the hands-on "Guild Touch" for a number of medical facilities: Volunteer Locations Maisel Women's Health Center 6014 W. Maple Road West Bloomfield Berry Surgical Center 28500 Orchard Lake Road Farmington Hills .‘• Surgical and Endoscopy, Lahser Campus 27207 Lahser Road Southfield Wesiberg Cancer Treatment Center 31995 Northwestern Highway Farmington Hills Dorothy & Peter Brown Adult Day Care Program 6720 West Maple Road West Bloomfield Special Project Karmanos Cancer Institute has turned to The Sinai Guild for volunteers. KCI has asked members of The Sinai Guild to aid in recruiting women(18+ years) to participate in a research study designed to detect breast cancer with a simple blood test. Active Living Healthy Eating Better nutrition can make your longer life a healthy one. RUTHAN BRODSKY Special to the Jewish News y ou are what you eat." It may be easier to under- stand the impact of a pill that cures an illness, but what we eat affects our health, how well our body fights off illness and whether we have the energy to live the kind of life we want. Whatever a woman's age — 50, 60, 70 or 80 — a proper diet helps prevent heart disease, reduces stress and depres- sion, and keeps her more mentally alert. Medical advancements have helped prolong life expectancy. Middle-aged women are focusing to make these added years as healthy, active and fulfill- ing as possible. Proper nutrition is cen- tral to this effort. However, there has been little research on the unique nutritional needs of women (except for differences during pregnancy and lactation). The relation- ship of fat in the diet and cholesterol intake to heart disease has not been studied specifically in women, yet scien- tists know there are major gender differ- ences. Moreover, there is no clear under- standing whether hormonal status at dif- ferent stages in a woman's life, including the changes brought on by taking oral contraceptives and then hormone replacement therapy after menopause, might affect dietary requirements. And we can't count on the govern- ment's national dietary standards, the recommended daily allowances (RDA) listed on nutritional labels. These requirements were based on studies of young, healthy, male, World War II sol- diers. Although the RDAs are periodically revised, they were not intended to be interpreted as ideal amounts of each nutrient. Instead they list what is safe and adequate to meet the needs of most healthy people. One of every two American women is overweight according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Among women in their 20s, one-third is over- weight. The proportion jumps to over one-half of women in their 40s and to nearly two-thirds of women in their 60s and 70s. Many women believe that gaining weight is an inevitable part of menopause. The American lifestyle encourages eating more and moving less. But metabolism plays a crucial role. The fact is a woman's basal metabolic For additional information, or to become a Sinai Guild Volunteer, call 248-538-6501. The Sinai Guild Julie Feldman checks out the produce section at Whole Foods Market in West Bloomfield 6/21 2002 92