1. How can I eat to beat swine flu?
2. Help! I’ve turned into a raging chocoholic!
3. My friend swears that a pine nut-oil pill calms her urge to overeat. Sounds perfect for the holidays. Does it work?

How can I eat to beat swine flu?  I’m nervous about swine flu and feel especially vulnerable since a woman in her thirties (like me) has died from it. How can I use nutrition to reduce my risk of getting sick?

I recommend loading up on probiotics. These friendly gut flora help fight bacterial and viral infections,
plus calm inflammation that can make you susceptible to illness. I suggest taking a supplement like Dr. Ohhira’s Probiotics 12 Plus. For the first week, take five capsules in the morning (at least one hour before breakfast) and five in the evening (about two hours after dinner). Then to maintain healthy probiotic levels, take one capsule daily. Or enjoy at least two daily 6 oz. servings of cultured foods like yogurt, kefir and buttermilk. (Check labels to make sure the products have the “live and active cultures” seal.) Also, drink lots of water to stay hydrated since dry nasal, oral and gut mucous tissues get infected more easily. 

Help! I’ve turned into a raging chocoholic!   Since turning 40, I’ve become obsessed with chocolate. I get cravings that are so bad, I can’t concentrate n anything until I have some. How can I get this under control?

Chocolate cravings could be a sign of adrenal slowdown from perimenopausal hormonal shifts. Try drinking black licorice tea, which contains glycyrrhizin. This compound has adrenal-rejuvenating properties, as well as mild estrogen—and progesterone like effects to help restore optimal female-hormone activity. My favorite is Traditional Medicinals Organic Licorice Root Tea ($4 for 16 bags, at health food stores), which also satisfies my sweet tooth. Though package directions of whichever tea you choose may indicate otherwise, I recommend limiting yourself to two wellbrewed cups only every other day since licorice can cause a fatigue-inducing potassium imbalance. After six weeks of use, take a five-day break before repeating the regimen. One to three cycles helps most women. Caution: If you’re pregnant or have high blood pressure, do not consume licorice products. 

My friend swears that a pine nut-oil pill calms her urge to overeat. Sounds perfect for the holidays. Does it work?

Yes: Dutch researchers have discovered that the pinolenic acid in pine nuts elevates the secretion of two key appetite-suppressing and satiety inducing hormones—cholecystokinin and glucagon-like peptide—by 60 percent and 25 percent, respectively. This reduces food intake by 36 percent in the four hours after consumption. But you’d have to eat 12 tablespoons of pine nuts daily to obtain those benefits. Instead, follow your friend’s lead and take a daily supplement that provides 3,000 mg of pine nut-oil extract, such as Life Extension Natural Appetite Control ($21 for 90 softgels, a month’s supply, at iHerb.com). Taking one capsule 30 to 60 minutes before each of your three main meals will allow time for maximum hormone secretion to take place, so you will be able to eat less without struggle and keep holiday weight gain at bay.