The Hard Facts on Soft Water (ARA) - According to the U.S. Geological Survey, more than 85 percent of the United States geography has hard water. While many consumers use a water softener so they can enjoy the benefits of soft water, there is some confusion about whether softened water is safe to drink.

Some consumers are concerned that drinking softened water will increase the level of sodium in their diet. Despite the myth, softening your water will not result in salty-tasting water. Sodium bicarbonate, which is different from sodium chloride (table salt), is formed through the water softening process. The amount of sodium added to water from the water softening process depends on the hardness of the water supply. The recommended daily allowance for sodium consumption is 2,400 mg. Drinking two quarts of softened water would only add approximately 240 mg of sodium to your diet. Individuals concerned about sodium in their diet should consult their physician about effective means of reducing overall sodium consumption.

Hard water forms when naturally occurring minerals enter water sources. Over time these minerals are absorbed by groundwater. The two most common types of minerals found in hard water are calcium and magnesium compounds. These minerals’ presence can make cleaning more difficult and can reduce the lifespan of household appliances. During the water softening process, water softening salt charges thousands of tiny resin beads inside the water softener with sodium ions. As hard water moves over the resin beads, the calcium and magnesium minerals are attracted to the beads and replaced with sodium ions, creating soft water.

CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts (AP) -- The nation's top food and drug regulator says the country will soon have rules mandating better labeling of fatty foods.

American consumers, 60 percent of whom are overweight, currently have no easy way to know how much artery-clogging "trans fat" is in their food. "We do need to get this on the label as soon as possible," Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Mark McClellan said Tuesday at a conference co-sponsored by the Harvard School of Public Health.

McClellan said trans fat labeling will take effect "very soon," though he refused to elaborate on a timeline. Concerns about trans fatty acid, found in hydrogenated oils, grease, shortening, have increased as more studies show that they increase the risk of heart disease by lowering levels of good cholesterol, or HDL, while raising level of bad cholesterol, LDL.

The FDA, which proposed trans fat labeling in 1999, has been under pressure from the White House to impose new regulations. Thirteen percent of children ages 6 to 11 are obese, double the number 20 years ago, McClellan said. "Americans are growing up heavier than ever," he said. "People will change when they have accurate and compelling information about the consequences of their choices."

Stephanie Childs, spokeswoman for the Grocery Manufacturers of America, said the change will help consumers. "When you turn (a product) over to look at the nutrition table, you're going to see one new line -- trans fat -- directly under saturated fat. It's as simple as that," she said. The FDA also is considering putting a warning on foods that have trans fat -- a move that consumer groups support. But manufacturers argue that a warning would confuse consumers and cause them to eat more saturated fat, which also is unhealthy.

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WASHINGTON (AP) -- It's no surprise that constant stress can make people sick, and now a team of researchers has figured out how.

A study focused on 119 men and women who were taking care of spouses with dementia. The health of the caregivers was compared with that of 106 people of similar ages who were not living under the stress of constant care giving.

Blood tests showed that a chemical called Interleukin-6 sharply increased in the blood of the stressed caregivers compared with blood of the others in the test. Previous studies have associated IL-6 with several diseases, including heart disease, arthritis, osteoporosis, type-2 diabetes and certain cancers.

The study also found the increase in IL-6 can linger in caregivers for as long as three years after a caregiver had ceased that role because of the spouse's death. Of the test group, 78 spouses died during the survey. "This really makes a link to why chronic stress can actually kill people," said Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, professor of psychology and psychiatry at Ohio State University. "We haven't had a good mechanism before."

She explained that people under stress tend to respond by doing things that can increase their levels of IL-6. For example, they may smoke or overeat; smoking raises IL-6 levels, and the chemical is secreted by fat cells. Stressed people also may not get enough exercise or sleep, she added. Exercise reduces IL-6, she said, and normal sleep helps regulate levels of the chemical. It clearly points to the need to control stress better, she said. The findings by the research group, headed by Kiecolt-Glaser and her husband, Ronald Glaser, a professor of molecular virology, immunology and medical genetics at Ohio State, appear in this week's issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? …Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do…It's not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we're liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

- Nelson Mandela

Dear Flabby,
When my brother got back from serving in Iraq he had lost about 15 pounds. Any advice to help him gain back the weight without the fat?
- Bruce T. - Lancaster PA

Dear Bruce,

Ahh, the holy grail of dieting: the cherished weight gain. Don't worry too much at this point, just get your bro to eat as normal and, of course, stay active and get that heart rate up for 30 minutes a day at least. Not to say he should pull a Robert DeNiro and eat doughnuts and turkey three times a day (a la Raging Bull), but enjoy food, eat like a king, just not a big fat one.

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