Editor’s note: Eating your Cheerios? According to our friends at email tip provider Vital Juice Daily, oats, and other foods, are good for helping to reduce cholesterol.

I’ve heard through ads that Cheerios helps reduce cholesterol. Are there any other foods that may help reduce cholesterol counts?

- Cindy

Dear Cindy,

There are foods that can help reduce your cholesterol counts! Here’s a roadmap on how to work these smart foods into your diet:

Start your day with oatmeal. The soluble fiber in oatmeal reduces your LDL (aka “bad” cholesterol) because it inhibits the absorption of cholesterol in your stomach. Five to 10 grams of soluble fiber a day can decrease your LDL cholesterol by 5%. So check the label on your oatmeal and make sure its high in soluble fiber. Cold cereals made with oat bran can also help reduce your cholesterol, but make sure they have 5g or more of soluble fiber per serving. While Cheerios are made with whole grain oats you need at least 2 cups daily to meet your requirements. There are other cold cereals out there higher in soluble fiber.

Read more at Vital Juice Daily

Editor’s note: Worried about mercury in the fish you’re eating? This week, email tips provider Vital Juice Daily has advice for how to avoid the mercury while still enjoying your seafood.

These days, there’s something fishy about fish—and we’re not talking about the smell!

The deluge of information about mercury contamination (affects the brain and nervous system) has us concerned. We know it’s a wonderful source of protein, good fats, vitamins and minerals—so what’s the catch?

American Dietetic Association spokesperson Susan Moores, MS, RD reels us in:

Large, predatory fish tend to be at risk for greatest contamination—like shark, swordfish, tilefish, king mackerel, tuna (albacore has 3x the level of methylmercury as canned light tuna). Eating these fish once weekly is "safe" for most adults. Pregnant women (or those trying or nursing) should avoid them.

If these fish sound familiar, understand your exposure with the NRDC’s mercury calculator.

And when possible, opt for wild salmon (not farmed), tilapia, trout and sole—they’re light on mercury. Finding healthy fish boils down to good manufacturing practices, so ask the shop about its sources.

Download this pocket guide to smart seafood selections for guidance on the go.

Also on GO:

Daily Tip: Smart Seafood Choices

Dear Vital Juice Daily:

Any suggestions?

-Lucy K.

Have we got just the thing for you! In case you haven’t heard us talk about this already, Weleda Skin Food is hands down (pun intended) our favorite hand cream out there! First, it’s from Weleda—a brand we love and trust because their products are free of synthetic preservatives, fragrances, colorants and raw materials derived from mineral oils. Second, it’s intensely hydrating (made of pure Lanolin) and doesn’t irritate our skin.

Read more at Vital Juice Daily.

Ask VJD is a weekly feature from email tip provider Vital Juice Daily. Got a question about health and nutrition? Ask VJD!

Editor’s note: This week, our friends at email tip provider Vital Juice Daily have water on the brain… drinking water, that is. If you want to avoid bottled water, but still aren’t sure about what’s coming out of your tap, VJD has some helpful suggestions.

Like what you read here? Sign up to get Vital Juice Daily tips delivered directly to your email inbox.

Thou shalt not drink bottled water. (An eco-mmandment we hear often.)

Thou shalt not deny the convenience of portable drinking water either! (We hear this one in our head.)

But with 38 billion plastic water bottles in landfills each year, it’s a habit in need of kicking.

First, know your local water. Every year by July 1, your water supplier should make available an annual water quality report.

Don’t like what you read? Give your water a rinse with a commercial system (Brita-type pitchers, faucet mounted filters). Most rely on carbon to filter out impurities (unwanted tastes, smells and chemicals)—it’s also extremely cost effective.

For an earthier method, use iodine drops—5 drops per quart will generally do the trick. Wait 30 minutes before drinking to be sure the water is purified.

Now all you need is a stylish, safe, reusable bottle for your home-filtered water. With Klean Kanteen’s stainless steel model or SIGG’s super-chic designs, you’ll be sipping pretty in no time.

Editor’s note: This week, our friends at email tip provider Vital Juice Daily explore the options available for eating eggs while still maintaining a healthy cholesterol level.

Dear Vital Juice Daily,

I love eggs, but how many can I safely eat in a week without raising my cholesterol??

-In Eggony

Dear In Eggony,

We got eggxactly what you need from Heather Bauer, RD, founder of Nu-train.

Crack this: A great source of protein (6 grams), but high in cholesterol with 213 mg per yolk (daily recommended total = 300 mg), the average egg contains 75 calories and 5 grams of fat. Egg white only: 16-20 calories. ¼ cup of Eggbeaters: 30 calories.

Different yolks: Forgoing yolks skips fat, but leaves you less satisfied. Eggbeaters (made of whites and added vitamins and minerals), while not as natural, are a cholesterol- and fat-free option.

Read more at VJD!

Editor’s note: Looking for a travel experience a bit more exotic (and meaningful) than the traditional trip to the beach or lakeside resort? Our friends at email tip service Vital Juice Daily have some suggestions today.

If you’re jealous of Angelina Jolie’s exotic globetrotting to save the world, you might consider a volunteer vacation (Brad Pitt not included) … help yourself while helping others! What could be better than that (besides Brad Pitt)?

1. Make it count

With Global Volunteers, you can teach conversational English in Italy; paint, build, and repair buildings in Costa Rica; care for at-risk children in Romania; revitalize communities in small American towns; and much more. Global Volunteers’ goal is to “wage peace by facilitating mutual international understanding,” and that sounds pretty good to us!

2. "Swank"y travel

Last summer, Hilary Swank volunteered at an orphanage in North India with United Planet, an organization that creates international volunteer programs. They offer trips lasting from 1-52 weeks in 50 countries worldwide. Check out their new initiative to help battered women and their children at a shelter in Guatemala.

3. Volunteer as a family

Cross Cultural Solutions offers weeklong Insight Abroad trips to take as a family. This unique program exposes children to a different culture and provides an incomparable opportunity for them to learn the value of hands-on volunteerism. Trips are offered in Brazil, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Peru and Russia … perfect fodder for the inevitable “What did you do during your summer vacation?”

4. Make it green

Starting to worry about how all that international air travel will impact the environment? Through Climate Friendly™ you can buy energy credits to offset the emissions from your flight. A simple emissions calculator lets you figure out exactly how to offset the carbon trail of your travel (and make Al Gore proud!).

Editor’s note: As we mentioned yesterday, in addition to featuring a weekly tip from Vital Juice Daily’s email tips, we’ll also be featuring their "Ask VJD" column on Wednesdays. Here’s the first one, which was originally published on August 15, 2007.

Dear Vital Juice Daily,

- Marcia R.

Dear Marcia,

We did a little digging and here’s what we found about hemp:

One nutritious seed! Shelled hempseed is packed with 33% pure digestible protein (one of the highest levels from a plant source) and is rich in iron and vitamin E, as well as omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids. Hemp also contains 3x the Vitamin E than flax. And unlike soy, hemp is not genetically modified so it’s free of the anti-nutritional qualities commonly found in soy.

Read the rest of VJD’s answer at Vital Juice Daily

Editor’s note: Today, we’re pleased to launch a new content partnership with daily email tip provider Vital Juice Daily, "your entertaining, uplifting, convenient (oh, did we mention free?), go-to-source for all things healthy and wellthy." Every Tuesday, we’ll publish a tip from VJD, and tomorrow, we’ll start featuring "Ask VJD," their health and wellth advice column. Today’s tip was originally published on August 31, 2007.

Considering we spend 1/3 of our lives asleep, what we put near our bodies (while snoozing) can be as important as what we put in them. Opting for natural and eco-friendly products can help the earth, eliminate toxins and give you a better night’s sleep—which goes to show you don’t have to be conscious to be health-conscious.

1. Non-haz Mats

A healthy bed starts from the ground up. Mattresses are often made with synthetic rubbers and fillers that pollute the environment inside your room and out, so look for a model with natural fibers. Our picks? Green Fusion Design Center’s Green Sleep collection uses natural rubber for a safer, durable alternative. Or try Magniflex’s new soy-based, organic foam GeoEthic mattress, which is available by phone at 888-642-4800.

2. Top This

Want to stop overheating in your sleep? No sweat! Natural fibers absorb moisture and control body temperature, giving you a more pleasant rest. Vivetique’s Pure Grow Wool™ line has some of the most breathable bed toppers around, including lining for cribs. Anna Sova’s organic cotton bedding is not only comfortable, it’s produced under ethical working conditions so you can rest easy.

3. On the Pillow

We release skin particles and moisture while we sleep, creating a perfect breeding ground for dust mites, germs and other impurities (and let’s not even discuss the one-third of people who snooze with their pets). A dirt- and allergen-filtering pillow like FabricTech’s PillowBarrier™ can ensure that your bedtime breathing is clean and pure, even if Fluffy stays.

4. Clean Green

Even the cleanest bedding needs a good cycle to stay fresh, although washing isn’t always green. To limit environmental harm, look for a natural detergent that promises to make the entire laundry process biodegradable. We love Ecover’s plant-based detergents and Seventh Generation’s vegetable-based line, both of which fight dirt … without a trace.