1. Do Kosher Foods Cause Weight Gain?
2. Will Eating Fruit Fade My Spider Veins?
3. Help! I’ve Hit A Weight-Loss Plateau!

Do Kosher Foods Cause Weight Gain?  Since kosher foods are supposed to be purer than nonkosher ones, I always assumed they’re good for you and chose them when I could.  But a friend told me these foods contain ingredients I’m trying to avoid, like trans-fats.  No wonder I can’t lose weight!  What’s the deal? 

It’s a common misconception that all kosher foods are healthy and slimming.  Kosher simply means that food is made in accordance with specific religious rules, so it doesn’t include pork or combine meat and dairy.  As a result, certain fats can’t be used.  The problem: To maintain taste, manufacturers often replace non-kosher fats with trans fats or partially hydrogenated oil.  And these unhealthy fats have been linked to metabolism slowdowns and the redistribution of fat to the belly from other body parts.  To avoid this, simply read kosher food labels as you would other labels, limiting intake of items that list partially hydrogenated oil in the top three ingredients. 

Will Eating Fruit Fade My Spider Veins?  Ugly spider veins on my legs have made shorts weather stressful for me.  I read online that eating fruit reduces the veins’ appearance.  Is this true? 

Eating certain fruit, particularly citrus, can fade spider veins.  Lemons, oranges and grapefruits contain bioflavonoids, antioxidants that strengthen the vein valves that direct blood flow.  This prevents the backup of blood that enlarges veins, so they fade or disappear.  Fresh fruit (not pasteurized juice) is the best bioflavonoid source, so try eating or drinking the juice of four fresh oranges or grapefruits daily to get the minimum proven dose of 200 mg.  For optimal results, consume some of the pith (the white stringy tissue under the skin) since this is packed with bioflavonoids.  “Tea” made from citrus peels steeped in hot water and fresh-squeezed lemonade also provide the benefit.  Another option: Take a supplement like Natrol Ester-C 500 mg with 200 mg of bioflavonoids ($20 for 225 tablets, at drugstores).  Then get ready to bare visibly improved legs in as little as two weeks! 

Help!  I’ve Hit A Weight-Loss Plateau!  After a winter of counting calories, I dropped 23 pounds.  Now I’m just 10 pounds shy of my goal.  But in the past month I haven’t lost a single pound.  I’ve heard that people have a set weight and that, once it’s reached, it’s impossible to lose any more.  Am I destined to be little chubby? 

While it’s true that progress stalls when your body reaches its genetically programmed “set weight,” it is possible to shed a few more pounds.  I recommend trying a three-day “S diet”: Eat one salad, sandwich or bowl of cereal (preferably whole-grain) per day.  These healthy carbohydrates up production of leptin, a hormone that converts fat-storing cells into fat-burning ones.  Plus, many salad veggies are rich in magnesium, which improves cells’ ability to utilize leptin.  After the three days, resume your previous eating habits and expect to see a drop in weight within a day or two.