Overeating during the holidays is a favorite guilty pleasure, but one you need not indulge in to have a festive time, nutritionists advise. Registered dietitian Suzanne Henson of the University of Alabama, Birmingham, EatRight Weight Management System says some simple menu adjustments can cut calories from your holiday feast without making it into a fast. She advises substituting reduced-fat items when possible and/or reducing quantities. "Simply using two egg whites in place of one whole egg when appropriate or cutting the amount of butter in a recipe from six tablespoons to four can make a major difference," Hansen said. Gravies, dressings and dishes such as sweet potato casserole are good places to cut fat and calories, she added.

TIPS ON SAFE INDOOR TANNING

Summertime may have come and gone, but sunbathers continue to tan indoors -- and they need to take precautions as they would outside, researchers say. Whether bronzing the skin at a tanning salon, health club or even a video store with tanning beds, it is important to follow some basic safety rules to prevent sunburn, scientists said. When done responsibly, indoor tanning has many benefits and, according to recent research, may actually help prevent some forms of cancer. Just as with exercise, care must be taken to increase the tan gradually and not overdo it. It is important to choose a professional facility, to understand the industry's guidelines and to avoid overexposure or any degree of sunburn. To maintain a tan, people with a good base tan from outdoor sunning can take one to two weekly sessions at 48-hour minimum intervals. The type of skin will determine the schedule, experts advise. Skin types range from a Skin Type I (albino) to Skin Type VI (African-American). Most people using indoor tanning systems are a skin type II, III or IV. A person's skin type and the amount of base tan should always be displayed on the tanning bed. The salon attendant should: discuss skin types and exposure time charts; recommend a tanning schedule that will produce a moderate tan in successive stages; discuss medications that may have a potentially photosensitizing effect when combined with UV exposure; provide approved eyewear with instructions on use; explain the cleaning procedures of the tanning beds between sessions. Beds should be cleaned after each session.

STUDY EYES CUSTOM VISION CORRECTION

Two studies have begun of customized laser vision correction, which sculpts the cornea. Dr. Scott MacRae, professor of ophthalmology and visual science at the University of Rochester Medical Center, will enroll up to 120 patients interested in laser vision correction. The procedure has allowed hundreds of thousands of patients worldwide to toss out their glasses or contact lenses. MacRae will look at a unique form of the surgery known as "customized ablation," a new technique that allows doctors to precisely tailor the surgery to compensate for imperfections deep within the eye. Eventually, MacRae plans to include 750 patients. Doctors will compare conventional laser vision correction to the customized version. Such studies are crucial to making the procedure safer, and making sure that people benefit as much as possible from the procedure, MacRae said. "With the latest technology used in our research studies, many patients today see better than doctors thought was possible just 10 years ago," MacRae said. "As more and more doctors begin doing these procedures for patients, it's crucial that we discover what works best for patients, and who is appropriate for the procedure and who is not." Persons interested in participating can call 585-273-2020.

MEMORY TRAINING MAY HELP SOME ALZHEIMER'S PATIENTS

Memory training can help some people with early-stage Alzheimer's disease to sharpen their recall and reduce disability, researchers say. The study is published in the journal Neuropsychology. "There is a good deal that can be done to improve well-being of Alzheimer's patients," said lead researcher Linda Clare of University College London. Clare's team studied the training in 12 patients with mild Alzheimer's who still had a capacity for learning. The researchers trained the participants to remember the names of people whom they had difficulty naming from a set of 12 photos. They used such memory aids as mnemonic devices, which use the image to jog memory through meaningful association; "vanishing cues," a method in which participants fill in more and more letters in the name until they can come up with the correct one; and "expanding rehearsal," in which people test themselves on what they've learned, in spaced intervals over time. All training methods minimized the chance of errors. The memory training produced a significant improvement in group performance on free recall of trained items. Participants kept their memory gains six months after training, and improved memory was noted even a year later. The results suggest doctors could design programs to help people hang on to their memory gains through ongoing new learning, scientists said. "These methods could be applied very effectively by non-professionals such as friends, volunteers and family members," Clare said.

(EDITORS: For more information about FEAST, call 205-934-3884; about TANNING, contact Daryl Toor at 770-777-9489 or dtoor@precisioncommunications.net; about VISION, contact Tom Rickey at 585-275-7954 or tom_rickey@urmc.rochester.edu; about MEMORY, call 202-336-5700.)