How couples can eat wisely together

How couples can eat wisely togetherWomen are more likely to gain weight after marriage, according to a recent study from Ohio State University. One solution: Understand your nutritional needs.

"Don't think you and your significant other can eat the same amount of food," says Jessica Levinson, a registered dietitian in New York City.

Don't match him bite for bite. Men often are taller and more muscular than women and can eat more without gaining weight. While women generally need 1,600 to 2,200 calories a day -- the higher number is for younger, more active women -- the range for men is 2,200 to 2,800.

Or sip for sip. Women have lower amounts of an enzyme that breaks down alcohol and less body water to dilute it. Stick to one drink a day.

Don't gobble food. Men tend to eat faster than women. Put down utensils between bites, chew food thoroughly and use smaller forks and spoons.

Know your needs. Talk to a registered dietitian or find an online calculator for calorie recommendations based on gender, age, size and exercise habits. Consider a multi-vitamin that offers gender-specific formulas.

Eat well when you're alone. Fill up on fruits, vegetables, lean protein and whole grains.

Be a creative cook. Tweak favorite "manly" foods: Bake chicken with bread crumbs rather than frying it, for example.

DAILY PRESS (NEWPORT NEWS, VA.)

Watch physician flubsDoctors make mistakes, too. In fact, they make them all the time. In "Top Screwups Doctors Make and How to Avoid Them," husband-and-wife health columnists Joe and Teresa Graedon reveal just how flub-prone physicians can be.

"The death toll from health-care screwups adds up to at least 500,000 Americans annually," the Graedons assert. The pages are thick with freaky anecdotes: One patient suffers permanent brain damage after an anesthesiologist causes him to nearly suffocate.

According to the Graedons, the best solution is to look out for yourself: Be vigilant, expect that mistakes will happen and ask questions.