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Eating Right and Exercising are Keys to a Healthy Lifestyle

This time of year, many people take inventory of their life and make resolutions to change come the new year. One area to focus on is personal health.

Are you as healthy as you could be? It’s important to make informed food choices and develop sound eating and physical activity habits to stay healthy. The food and physical activity choices you make today - and everyday - affect your health and how you feel right now and in the future, says the American Dietetic Association (www.eatright.org). To maintain good health, the Association suggests that you make smart choices from every food group to give your body the balanced nutrition it needs, being sure to stay within your daily calorie needs. Exercising regularly is just as important, which helps control body weight, promotes a feeling of well being, and reduces the risk of chronic diseases.

FOOD GUIDE

PYRAMID UPDATE

Since not all people are the same, the need for a more individualized approach to improving diet and lifestyle is necessary. This important point led to a revision in the Food Guide Pyramid last January by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Called MyPyramid, this new food-guidance system utilizes interactive technology, allowing individuals to enter their age, gender and physical activity level to obtain a more personalized recommendation on their daily calorie level based on the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The Web site features MyPyramid Plan, MyPyramid Tracker and Inside MyPyramid, plus tips, resources and a worksheet. There is also a child-friendly version for children 6 to 11 years old. The main points of MyPyramid are highlighted below, courtesy of the USDA. All daily servings are based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Visit their Web site at http://www.mypyramid.gov to determine the amounts that are right foryou.

• Make half your grains whole: Eat 6 ounces of whole-grain cereals, breads, crackers, rice, or pasta. Substitute a whole-grain product (brown rice, bulgur, graham flour, oatmeal, whole-grain corn, whole oats, whole rye, whole wheat, and wild rice) for a refined product - such as eating whole-wheat bread instead of white bread or brown rice instead of white rice. It’s important to substitute the whole-grain product for the refined one, rather than adding the whole-grain product. Note that foods labeled with the words “multi-grain,” “stone-ground,” “100 percent wheat,” “cracked wheat,” “seven-grain,” or “bran” are usually not whole-grain products.

• Vary your veggies: Eat 21/2 cups of dark-green veggies like broccoli, spinach, and other dark leafy greens; orange vegetables such as carrots and sweet potatoes; and dry beans and peas like pinto beans, kidney beans, and lentils. Stock up on frozen vegetables for quick and easy cooking in the microwave, buy vegetables that are easy to prepare, pick up pre-washed bags of salad greens and add baby carrots or grape tomatoes for a salad in minutes.

• Focus on fruit: Eat a variety of fruits, and go easy on fruit juices. Choose 2 cups of fresh, frozen, canned, or dried fruit, and keep a bowl of whole fruit on the table, counter or in the refrigerator. Buy fresh fruits in season when they may be less expensive and at peak flavor. Consider convenience when shopping and buy pre-cut packages of fruit (such as melon or pineapple chunks) for a healthy snack in seconds. Choose packaged fruits that do not have added sugars.

• Get your calcium-rich foods: Two cups for kids ages 2 to 8, and 3 cups for people ages 9 and up are recommended. Go low-fat or fat-free when you choose milk, yogurt and other dairy products. If you don’t or can’t consume milk, choose lactose-free products or other calcium sources such as fortified foods and beverages. Include milk as a beverage at meals. If you usually drink whole milk, gradually switch to fat-free milk to lower saturated fat and calories. Try reduced-fat (2 percent), then low-fat (1 percent), and finally fat-free (skim). If you drink cappuccinos or lattes - ask for them with fat-free (skim) milk. Add fat-free or low-fat milk instead of water to oatmeal and hot cereals. Have fat-free or low-fat yogurt as a snack, or use as a dip for fruits or vegetables. Top casseroles, soups, stews, or vegetables with shredded low-fat cheese.

• Go lean with protein: Choose 51/2 ounces of low-fat or lean meats and poultry and either bake, broil or grill. The leanest beef cuts include round steaks and roasts (round eye, top round, bottom round, round tip), top loin, top sirloin, and chuck shoulder and arm roasts. The leanest pork choices include pork loin, tenderloin, center loin, and ham. Choose at least 90 percent lean ground beef. You may be able to find ground beef that is 93 percent or 95 percent lean. Buy skinless chicken parts, or take off the skin before cooking. Boneless skinless chicken breasts and turkey cutlets are the leanest poultry choices. Choose lean turkey, roast beef, ham, or low-fat luncheon meats for sandwiches instead of luncheon meats with more fat, such as regular bologna or salami. Vary your protein routine - choose more fish, beans, peas, nuts, and seeds.

• Find your balance between food and physical activity: Be sure to stay within your daily calorie needs, and be physically active for at least 30 minutes most days of the week; about 60 minutes a day to prevent weight gain; and 60 minutes a day, or most days, for children and teenagers. Choose activities that you enjoy and can do regularly. Fitting activity into a daily routine can be easy - such as taking a brisk 10-minute walk to and from the parking lot, bus stop, or subway station. Or, join an exercise class. Keep it interesting by trying something different on alternate days. What’s important is to be active most days of the week, and make it part of a daily routine. For example, to reach a 30-minute goal for the day, walk the dog for 10 minutes before and after work, and add a 10-minute walk at lunchtime. Or, swim 3 times a week and take a yoga class on the other days. Make sure to do at least 10 minutes of the activity at a time; shorter bursts of activity will nothave the same health benefits. To be ready anytime, keep some comfortable clothes and a pair of walking or running shoes in the car and at the office.

• Know the limits on fats, sugars, and salt (sodium): Most of your fat sources should come from fish, nuts, and vegetable oils. Limit solid fats like butter, stick margarine, shortening, and lard, as well as foods that contain these. Check the nutrition facts label on product packaging to keep saturated fats, trans fats, and sodium levels low. Choose food and beverages low in added sugars, which contribute calories with few, if any nutrients.

 

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