Proper Nutrition

To achieve a healthy lifestyle, it is essential to nourish our bodies by making healthy eating choices.  The food that nourishes our body has a great impact on how healthy we are overall.  A proper diet can control chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure.  It can even reduce the risk of cancer in some cases (WELCOA, 2006).

Overall, we can have healthy eating habits by making smart choices from every food group, finding a balance between the food we eat and the physical activity we participate in, and getting the most nutrition out of the calories we consume daily.  Remember, “low-fat” or “fat-free” doesn’t mean “low-calorie” and that low-fat foods are often very high in calories.

The amount of calories we need to eat every day is different from person to person.  A person's age, basal metabolic rate (BMR), sex and current level of physical activity can influence the number of calories needed to maintain, lose or gain weight. Here are some basic nutritional guidelines to follow:

• Eat a variety of healthy foods.
• Try to include fruits and vegetables at every meal and for snacks.
• Limit how much red meat you eat as it tends to be higher in fat.
• Drink “low-fat” or “fat-free” milk.
• Steer clear of fried foods.
• Stay away from foods high in sodium.  Eat less than 1 teaspoon of salt per day.
• Eat whole grain rice, bread, pasta and cereal instead of processed grains.
• Avoid foods and drinks that have high sugar content.
• Restrict how many high-calorie foods you eat.
• Drink fruit or vegetable juices that are 100% juice.
• Do not eat more calories in a day than what you burn in a day.

We all know it’s hard to eat healthy when the culture around us seems to be “super-sizing” portions of food.  This is why our state is ranked 3rd in obesity.  We tend to eat more and exercise less.  The American Cancer Society has put together some tips to help us know exactly how much we should be eating and what our portions should look like.  You can access these tips at: http://www.fightcancer.org/ACSWW/GetFit/EatWell/ControlPortions.asp by typing our login: Wellnessky

Fast Food and the Nutritional Choice

Yes, we all do it. We all head to McDonald’s for lunch or pick up pizza for dinner on our way home. According to Eric Schlosser, author of “Fast Food Nation,” in 2005, Americans spent $134 billion on fast food, more than on college education, personal computers or even new cars.

Why do we do it? Not only because fast food is tasty, but also because it is more convenient and generally costs less than healthier foods. Some experts even go as far to say our society has become addicted to fast food. As a result, an estimated 65 percent of U.S. adults aged 20 years and older are either overweight or obese. (CDC, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey for 1999–2002).

Most health experts agree that you should avoid fast food whenever possible. However, thanks to some new healthier menu items being introduced by some fast food chains, there are ways to eat healthy when eating out. Check out the link below for tips on how to make healthy decisions when eating out: http://www.diabetes.org/nutrition-and-recipes/nutrition/eatingoutguide.jsp

Eating healthy will give you the energy you need to accomplish personal health goals.  Let the above guide start you on your path to great health. You can do it!!!

 Get the most nutritional value out of your calories. Make a smart choice and learn more about nutrition at: http://www.mypyramid.gov/