Steps To A Healthier You For Better Health

Steps To A Healthier You

For Better Health: • Aim for fitness • Build a healthy base • Choose sensibly

Aim For Fitness • Participate in at least 30 minutes (adults) or 60 minutes (children) of moderate physical activity most days of the week, preferably daily. • Choose activities that you enjoy and that you can do regularly such as walking, jogging, dancing, roller skating, playing basketball, etc.

Aim For Fitness Continued • What other activities could you incorporate into your exercise routine?

Did You know…? • Physical activity and nutrition work together for better health. Physical activity: Ø Increases physical fitness Ø Helps build and maintain healthy bones, muscles, and joints Ø Helps manage weight Ø Lowers risk factors for cardiovascular disease, colon cancer, and type 2 diabetes

Build A Healthy Base • Let the food pyramid guide your food choices. • Choose a variety of grains daily, especially whole grains. • Choose a variety of fruits and vegetables daily.

What Is The Food Pyramid?

What Is the Food Pyramid? • The food pyramid is a diagram that fits food groups into a triangle and notes that, for a healthful diet, those with wider stripes should be eaten more frequently than those with narrow stripes.

What Are Food Groups? • Food groups include grains, vegetables, fruits, milk, and meat & beans. • Recommended servings per day include: Ø Ø Ø Grains (6 -11 servings) Vegetables (3 -5 servings) Fruits (2 -4 servings) Dairy (2 -3 servings) Meat and Beans(2 -3 servings)

What Are Food Groups? • Oils are not a food group, but you need some for good health. • Get your oils from fish, nuts, and liquid oils such as corn oil, soybean oil, and canola oil.

Grains • Grains are divided into 2 subgroups, whole grains and refined grains. 1. Whole grains include: ü Whole-wheat flour ü Oatmeal ü Brown rice 2. Refined grains include: ü White flour ü White bread ü White rice

Vegetables • Any vegetable or 100% vegetable juice counts as a member of the vegetable group. • Vegetables may be raw or cooked; fresh, frozen, canned, or dried/dehydrated; and may be whole, cut-up, or mashed. • Vegetables are organized into 5 subgroups, based on their nutrient content.

Vegetables Continued • Some commonly eaten vegetables in each subgroup are: 1. Dark Green Vegetables Ø Broccoli Ø Kale Ø Spinach 2. Orange Vegetables Ø Carrots Ø Pumpkin Ø Sweet Potatoes

Vegetables Continued 3. Dry Beans and Peas Ø Black Beans Ø Lentils Ø Split Peas 4. Starchy Vegetables Ø Corn Ø Green Peas Ø Potatoes 5. Other Vegetables Ø Green Beans Ø Okra Ø Zucchini

Vegetables Continued • What other vegetables could you add to your diet?

Fruits • Any fruit or 100% fruit juice counts as part of the fruit group. • Fruits may be fresh, canned, frozen, or dried, and may be whole, cut-up, or pureed. Some commonly eaten fruits are: Ø Ø Ø Apples Bananas Strawberries Mangoes Watermelon

Fruits Continued • What other fruits could you add to your diet?

Dairy • All fluid milk products and many foods made from milk are considered part of this food group. • Foods made from milk that retain their calcium content are part of the group; while foods made from milk that have little to no calcium, such as cream cheese, cream, and butter, are not. • Most dairy group choices should be fat-free or low-fat.

Dairy Continued • Some commonly eaten choices in the dairy group are: 1. Milk Ø All fluid mild (skim, low fat, reduced fat, whole milk) 2. Cheese Ø Cheddar Ø Ricotta Ø American

Dairy Continued 3. Yogurt Ø All yogurt (fat-free, low fat, reduced fat, whole milk yogurt) 4. Milk-based desserts Ø Frozen yogurt Ø Ice cream

Meat and Beans • All foods made from meat, poultry, fish, dry beans or peas, eggs, nuts, and seeds are considered part of the protein foods group. • Dry beans and peas are part of this group as well as the vegetable group. • Most meat and poultry choices should be lean or low-fat. Fish, nuts, and seeds contain healthy oils, so choose these foods frequently instead of meat or poultry.

Meat and Beans Continued • Some commonly eaten choices in the protein foods group, with selection tips, are: 1. Meats Ø Beef Ø Lamb 2. Poultry Ø Chicken Ø Turkey

Meat and Beans Continued 3. Eggs Ø Chicken eggs 4. Dry Beans and Peas Ø Soy Beans Ø Black-eyed peas 5. Nuts and Seeds Ø Almonds Ø Pumpkin seeds 6. Fish Ø Tuna Ø Shrimp

Choose Sensibly • Limit use of solid fats, such as butter, hard margarines, lard, and partially hydrogenated shortenings. Use vegetable oils as a substitute. • Choose fat-free or low-fat dairy products, cooked dry beans and peas, fish, and lean meats and poultry.

Choose Sensibly Continued • Eat plenty of grain products, vegetables, and fruits daily. • Limit your intake of beverages and foods that are high in added sugars. • Do not let soft drinks or other sweets crowd out other foods you need to maintain health, such as low-fat milk. • Drink water often.

Keep In Mind… Ø It is important to be physically active every day. Ø Remember to eat foods from all food groups every day. Ø Take one step at a time. You do not need to change overnight what you eat and how you exercise. Just start with one new, good thing, and add a new one every day.

Link For Further Learning • Visit the Web site http: //www. mypyramid. gov/index. html to learn more about how to eat better and exercise more.

References http: //www. cnpp. usda. gov http: //kidshealth. org/kid/stay_healthy/food/pyra mid. html http: //www. mypyramid. gov/index. html http: //www. nal. usda. gov/fnic/Fpyr/pmap. htm