Your Healthy Level Of Physical Activity

February 20, 2009 by admin  
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So, now that you’ve determined whether or not you are at a healthy weight, how many calories are right for you? For now, we want to assess how many calories you need. A calorie is a scientific way to measure energy. You need to know about how physically active you are currently to estimate how many calories you need daily. Later on in the book, we’ll discuss strategies for making small changes that will help you reach your healthy weight.

 Regular physical activity is important for your overall health and fitness. Physical activity helps your body function, and it helps you control your body weight by burning up some of the calories you take in as food and beverages each day.

THE ENERGY BALANCE

The Energy Balance image

  • To maintain weight, calories in (food and beverages consumed) should equal calories out (metabolism + routine activity + physical activity).
  • To lose weight, calories in should be less than calories out.
  • To gain weight, calories in should be more than calories out.

Monitor weight: Over a few weeks, check your weight regularly, and adjust your calories in and out to stay on track with your goal.

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What’s In It For Me?

February 19, 2009 by admin  
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 Part of it comes down to: Feeling better! Looking better! Not so bad, right? In the big picture, it also comes down to good physical health. If that’s not enough, there’s also that sense of well-being you get from regular physical activity—a constructive way to deal with the demands of the day, release stress, and just feel better about yourself. Many people say that exercising regularly helps them have more energy, sleep better, and simply, enjoy taking time to do something good for themselves.

With most everything, extra work really does pay off! Physical activity is no exception, and the more active you are, the more you benefit. For example, you can further reduce your risk for many chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, colon and breast cancers, and osteoporosis, by doing more than the minimum 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most days of the week. Incorporating up to 60 minutes of cardio activity may also help you to prevent unhealthy weight gain or to manage your weight, if that is your goal.

Some of us suffer from the yo-yo factor—weight on, weight off, weight on, weight off. Sure, we can lose the weight, but how do we keep it off for good? That may take at least 60 to 90 minutes of daily moderate-intensity physical activity. Sounds like a lot—no kidding! But it’s the truth based on the data of people who have successfully lost weight (at least 30 pounds) and kept it off for at least a year. Keep your perspective and start small—do your physical activity in 10-minute moderately intense increments and build up. Eventually, you will become your own success story.

Different intensities and types of exercise offer different benefits. Cardio or aerobic activities exercise your heart and increase your ability to be physically active for a longer period of time. This type of endurance makes it easier to carry out harder tasks for longer periods of time—whether it’s keeping up with your kids or grandchildren, or playing basketball with your co-workers. Strength training or resistance exercises also contribute to muscular endurance. Strength training is especially beneficial as we get older. As we age, we tend to lose bone and muscle mass, making it difficult to carry out everyday activities: getting in and out of a chair, carrying groceries or laundry, or just walking. Together, cardio and strength training work your whole body. Vigorous physical activity (for example, jogging or other aerobic exercises) provides greater health benefits for physical fitness than does moderate physical activity and burns more calories per unit of time. Aside from all the health benefits, what a bonus that it also seems to make us feel better about ourselves.

Now to the biggest challenge: How do we fit this into our life? Our busy, already-pressed-for-time, on-a-budget life? A lot of people have shared their thoughts with us. Here’s some of their feedback on what works.

Buddy System: Some days it’s hard to talk yourself into an activity. Working with others who are going through the same thing can be motivating, especially when you promised that you would meet for a walk in the park, or a tennis match, or signed up to take a yoga class together. You don’t want to let your buddy down. In the process, you end up not letting yourself down either. Buddies can be co-workers, spouses, neighbors, or even faraway friends that you stay in touch with via e-mail and provide encouragement. Heck, your walking buddy can even be your pet!

The Great Outdoors: Opportunities for physical activity may be closer than you think. Take advantage of public parks and pools. There are millions of acres to explore—walk, hike, swim, kayak, canoe, and bike. Also consider being a volunteer. Whether it’s leading a hike or cleaning a trail or playground, you are making a difference in your life and others’.

Enjoy What You Do: If aerobicizing in a room full of people isn’t your thing, why do it? There are hundreds of activities to choose from. Find something you like and chances are you will stick with it. Maybe you were a swimmer when you were younger, but haven’t thought of it since high school. Many local park and recreation facilities, or area schools, have open or lap swims. Some people enjoy walking around a nearby school track, or if you prefer indoors, walk at your local mall. What about hiking at a local, state, or national park; playing in a soccer, volleyball, or softball league; or taking a yoga, Pilates, or tai-chi class a couple days a week? Don’t limit yourself. Don’t get discouraged. Pick a few activities to try out, rotate them, and slowly you will figure out what works best for you. Trying something new can be fun and give you more confidence to pursue other activities.

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What Are Nutrients?

February 18, 2009 by admin  
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What are nutrients?

Nutrients are substances that play a role in health. For example, vitamins and minerals are nutrients, as are fats, protein, and carbohydrates. Nutrients are in foods and can come from dietary supplements. Nutrients consumed should come primarily from foods. Foods contain vitamins and minerals that are often found in supplements, but food also contains hundreds of beneficial naturally occurring substances that may protect against chronic health problems. Therefore, if you have a choice between an orange or a vitamin C supplement, it is better to eat the orange.

Some specific groups of people have higher requirements for certain nutrients and may benefit from use of vitamin and mineral supplements. These groups include women of childbearing age, who may become pregnant; women who are in their first trimester (that is, the first 3 months) of pregnancy; people over 50; people with dark skin; and people who don’t get enough sunlight. However, most people will not need to exceed 100% of their RDA. RDA stands for Recommended Dietary Allowance—the amount of a specific nutrient needed each day.

Why are nutrients important for you?

It is important that you meet your recommended nutrient needs because they offer important benefits—normal growth and development of children, health promotion for people of all ages, and reduction of risk for a number of chronic diseases.

Many Americans don’t consume the right amount of many nutrients. For each of us, there is a recommended need for specific nutrients. This need is based on our age and gender. From data collected by the federal government and scientists across the nation, we know the nutrients Americans need to pay special attention to, because they may not be getting enough of them:

  • Adults: calcium, potassium, fiber, magnesium, and vitamins A, C, and E
  • Children and adolescents: calcium, potassium, fiber, magnesium, and vitamin E
  • Specific population groups: vitamin B12, iron, folic acid, and vitamins E and D

For example, women of childbearing age, who may become pregnant, and women who are in their first trimester (that is, the first 3 months) of pregnancy need to pay attention to their folic acid intake. Also, adolescents, women of childbearing age, who may become pregnant, and pregnant women (at all stages) need to watch their iron intake.

Maximizing your nutrients—making calories work for you

The main premise of this book is that food should provide you with all the nutrients you need for growth and health. You may be saying to yourself, "How am I going to control my calories and get enough nutrients? This is too much information."

Earlier, you set your calorie goal and learned how to monitor your intake. Calories are one aspect of your diet. Another is trying to eat types and amounts of food that will promote health and help prevent chronic diseases. You could use up all of your calories on a few high-calorie foods or drinks, but if you did, chances are you wouldn’t get the full range of nutrients your body needs to be healthy. Choose the most nutritionally rich foods you can each day—those packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other nutrients but lower in calories. Pick foods like fruits, vegetables, dry beans and peas, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and equivalent milk products more often.

At first, this may seem like a lot of information. You don’t have to do everything at once. Remember, this is a lifestyle makeover, not quick weight loss. Relax. You can pick one aspect of your diet to work on at a time. We want to help you find what works for you. In the following chapters, you will find tips and resources to help you set goals for yourself.

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Tips For Eating Less Salt

February 17, 2009 by admin  
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  • When you’re choosing packaged foods, look at the sodium content on the Nutrition Facts label. Use the percent Daily Value (% DV) to help limit your sodium intake. 5% DV or less is low and 20% DV or more is high. You don’t want to exceed a total of 100% DV for sodium in a day. Some people (people with high blood pressure, African-Americans/blacks, and people who are middle-aged or older) should get even less—about half as much.
  • Compare sodium content for similar foods. This can really make a difference. The table on the next page shows you examples of foods that have a range of sodium content depending on the brand chosen. By comparing brands of similar foods, you can save over hundreds of milligrams of sodium. Use the Nutrition Facts label on the food package to select food brands that are lower in sodium.
  • Use the claims on the front of the food package to quickly identify foods that contain less salt or that are a good source of potassium, a nutrient you want to get more of in your daily diet. Examples include "low in sodium," "very low sodium," and "high in potassium."
  • When you’re preparing food at home, use herbs and spices to add flavor to your foods so you don’t depend too heavily on salt. Don’t salt foods before or during cooking—and limit salt use at the table.
  • When you’re eating out, ask that your meal be prepared without added salt or ask the server to identify foods on the menu that are made without added salt.

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The Skinny On Fats

February 16, 2009 by admin  
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Fats and oils are part of a healthy diet and play many important roles in the body. Fat provides energy and is a carrier of important nutrients such as vitamins A, D, E, and K and carotenoids. But fat can impact the health of our hearts and arteries in a positive or negative way, depending on the types of fat we eat. Experts recommend getting between 20 and 35 percent of calories from total fat, with most fats coming from sources of "good" fat, such as fish, nuts, and vegetable oils.

  • Eat less saturated and trans fats, and cholesterol.
  • Be wise about fats by eating fish, nuts, and foods with or prepared with vegetable oils.
  • Use the label to choose fats wisely.

Limit saturated and trans fats, and cholesterol. Eating too many saturated and trans fats, or cholesterol, may raise the level of LDL (bad) cholesterol and increase the risk of heart disease. A saturated fat, the type of fat that is solid at room temperature, is found mostly in animal-based food products. A trans fat is made when liquid vegetable oil is processed to become solid. And cholesterol is a fatty substance found only in animal-based products like egg yolks and whole milk. It is important to eat less than 10 percent of your calories from saturated fats. How do we figure this out?

Total Calorie Intake

Limit of Saturated
Fat Intake

1,600

18g or less

2,000

20g or less

2,200

24g or less

2,500

25g or less

2,800

31g or less

For example, if you aim to eat 2,000 calories per day, your daily allowance of saturated fat would be less than 10 percent of 2,000 calories or 200 calories. There are approximately 9 calories in a gram of fat. OK, OK. To make the math easier, we’ll use 10 calories per gram of fat. This at least gives you the right idea. Therefore, 200 calories/ 10 g/cal. = 20 or 20 grams—which equals 100% DV for saturated fat. The table to the right shows the saturated fat limits for people with various calorie needs. Also, you should keep trans fats as low as possible, and eat less than 300 milligrams of cholesterol each day. These limits are recommended so you will not consume too much saturated fat and too many calories in your healthy eating plan.

Unhealthy fats such as saturated and trans fats, and cholesterol, are found in many foods. So, look for choices that are lean, fat-free, or low-free when selecting and preparing meat, poultry, dry beans, and milk products. An easy and quick way to reduce saturated fats is to trim excess fat from meat and poultry and remove the skin from poultry. Additionally, watch out for foods processed or made with certain oils (for example, palm oil, palm fruit oil, palm kernel oil, and coconut oil) that increase the amount of saturated fats in the food. Examples of foods that tend to have saturated fats are fatty cuts of meat, whole milk products, cakes, cookies, pies, crackers, candy, candy bars, household shortening, and creamers. Limiting these foods can reduce saturated fats in your diet.

trans fats are mostly found in food products made with shortening and partially hydrogenated vegetable oils—liquid oil that is processed to become a solid fat. Most of the trans fats Americans eat come from cakes, cookies, crackers, pies, fried potatoes, household shortening, and hard (stick) margarine. Look for partially hydrogenated oil in the ingredient list—and limit these foods. Limiting consumption of many processed foods is a good way to reduce trans and saturated fats.

Use the label—what to look for and how it adds up.
Use the % DV on the Nutrition Facts label to identify whether total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol are high or low. Remember: 5% DV or less is low and 20% DV or more is high. There is no % DV for trans fat, but you should aim to keep trans fat intake as low as possible. Additionally, the front of many food packages has information called claims that describe a specific level of fat in a food. Some examples of claims to look for are "fatfree," "low saturated fat," or "light."

There are many ways to reduce saturated fats in your diet. The table on the next page shows a few examples of the saturated fat content of different forms of foods you may eat. Compare foods in the same food type (for example, regular cheddar cheese and low-fat cheddar cheese). You can choose the one with less saturated fat and still eat many of the foods you enjoy.

Be wise about fat. Choose fats found in fish, nuts, and vegetable oils. Most of the fat in your diet should come from sources of what are called polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat. You may have heard of polyunsaturated fats such as omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. It’s a mouthful, we know, but a mouthful of these fats is good for you in moderation to replace the saturated and trans fats you have chosen to cut back on. As we mentioned before, experts recommend getting between 20 and 35 percent of calories from total fat, with most fats coming from fish, nuts, and vegetable oils. And we’ve made it easier for you to get these amounts of fat by following the food group recommendations.

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The Balancing Act: Food and Physical Activity

February 15, 2009 by admin  
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Staying at—or getting to—a healthy weight helps us in several ways. Remember: Not only does it help us get to that "better me," but research shows it plays an important role in reducing the risk of several types of chronic diseases. In chapter 4, "Where to Start," you identified what your healthy weight range is and wrote it down in "My Personal Profile." This chapter will focus on finding the balance between food and physical activity and reaching or maintaining a healthy weight.

If you are overweight or obese, you are not alone. Many of us are. In fact, in the United States, two-thirds of adults are overweight or obese. That is why many of us need to eat fewer calories, be more physically active, and make wiser food choices. What we are going to do in this chapter is sum up the information you have already learned so you can see where you can take small steps to decrease the number of calories you consume if you need to lose weight. We are going to introduce physical activity to you as part of the "energy balance" equation. You will learn more about that in the next chapter.

Lifestyle changes in diet and physical activity are the healthiest choices for weight loss. To lose weight, many of us need a reduction in 500 calories or more per day from food and drink. In addition, increasing physical activity is also important. Remember: To lose weight, calories in must be less than calories out.

When it comes to weight control, it is calories that count—not the proportions of fat, carbohydrates, and protein in the diet. Diets that provide very low or very high amounts of protein, carbohydrates, or fat are likely not providing enough of some nutrients—that is why they are not advisable for long-term use. Although these kinds of weight-loss diets have been shown to result in weight loss, maintaining weight loss ultimately depends on a change in your lifestyle. A healthy lifestyle is about more than just your weight—it is also about feeling better and reducing your risk of chronic diseases.

"Energy balance"

To maintain your body weight, the energy that you expend through your daily activities (for example, breathing, sleeping, and moving around) and additional physical activities has to equal the energy (food and drink) that you consume as calories. If these two things—energy use and energy consumption—are equal, then you are in "energy balance." If you want to lose weight, you will have to either increase the amount of energy expended through additional physical activities or decrease the calories that you consume, or both. Be careful to still get all the nutrients that you need if you decide to eat fewer calories to tip the energy balance. The best recommendations provide the right proportions of fat, carbohydrates, and protein for good health. Remember: It is always important to eat foods that are high in nutrients for the number of calories they contain, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk or equivalent milk products.

We know it’s difficult to lose weight; it is better not to gain it in the first place. Since many of us tend to gain weight slowly as we age, small decreases in calorie intake can help avoid that slow weight gain, especially when accompanied by increased physical activity. Remember: 3,500 calories equals 1 pound. For most adults, a reduction of 50 to 100 calories per day from foods and beverages may prevent gradual weight gain.

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Much More Than a Diet

February 14, 2009 by admin  
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“What exactly does a healthy lifestyle mean? Deny myself the very pleasures of eating? Is this the end of eating out? What about my hectic life? Seriously, how much physical activity do you really expect me to get each day?" Sometimes, it’s hard enough to get everything done in a day—let alone physical activity!

The food and physical activity choices we make every day affect our health. The more we know, the better choices we can make.

We need to learn to make more room in our lives for things that make us happy, healthy, and productive.

To get the most out of our lives starts with small steps— a slow, steady approach to being healthy that we can live with each day—or most days. Hey, nobody’s perfect!

At some level, we all know that a lot about being healthy comes down to taking care of ourselves: what we eat, how much we eat, and how much physical activity we get. We don’t need to be rocket scientists to figure this out

  • make smart choices from every food group
  • find our balance between food and physical activity
  • get the most nutrition out of our calories.

Good to know, right? But let’s face it, healthy habits take some effort. There’s no magic pill that instantly does the trick.

How often have we told ourselves, "I’m going to start eating better and moving more." And, we mean it. We make the pact with ourselves at least every New Year. Too often, however, it’s easy to get derailed and fall back into unhealthy habits. We don’t mean to. But, the truth is—it takes a real commitment to change our behavior, especially for the long haul.

We basically know that we eat to live, but today, some of us seem to live to eat. Food represents a lot of things to us. To some it’s a stress reducer—"I’m stressed. I’m tired and just want to go home and eat." There’s often nothing like the emotional comfort of a pint of ice cream. Sometimes, food is our way of celebrating or a reason for coming together for special events like block parties or family reunions. Food is part of our social fabric. It’s one way we pass traditions down from generation to generation and sometimes preserve our cultural identities. We hear stories from people talking about how food is part of their heritage. The secret ingredient in Nana’s strudel is "love" to be sure, but there’s also "lard" in that strudel! From Sunday family dinners serving spaghetti and meatballs to the best barbecue for a handful of nieces and nephews, extended family, and friends…sometimes, the entire neighborhood—we all love to kick back and relax with our favorite foods and enjoy ourselves!

There are ways, though, to make a healthier lifestyle doable and still enjoy Nana’s cooking at the reunion. It’s the day-in and day-out choices that we really need to think about. Whether this means finding the motivation to be our own personal trainer, using easy-to-make recipes to prepare our own meals in about as much time as it takes to head out to the nearest fast-food place, doing our best to eat healthfully on a budget, or making better choices when eating out—the little things do add up and make a big difference.

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Making Physical Activity Part of a Healthier You

February 13, 2009 by admin  
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Most of us know we need to be physically active to be healthy. It’s not new information, but it leaves us with many questions and many opinions. There’s plenty of information about physical activity, but sorting through it and figuring out what to do can be challenging. Instead of answering questions, all that information only seems to generate more: "What exactly does being physically active mean? Is this physical activity or ‘exercise?’ How much do we need versus what can we do to get by? Do we need to do it all at once? Is there an easy way to fit it into our day, because life is pretty hectic already?" So many questions…plus, almost every day, a new exercise product is introduced promising a quick fix—to whip us into shape requiring only the slightest amount of effort on our part. If only that were true, we tell ourselves….

Here’s what we can agree on—we’ll give it to you straight: The basic, scientifically grounded information on physical activity. Then, we’ll begin to figure out how to balance this with your day and your lifestyle.

 

Science tells us that when it comes down to our overall health, adults, regardless of age, need to do two key types of physical activities:

  • Cardio or Aerobic: At a minimum, do moderately intense cardio activity for at least 30 minutes per day, most days of the week.
    AND
  • Strength Training: At a minimum, 2 days per week.

We are going to introduce a couple of terms that you may be less familiar with in this context—moderately intense and vigorously intense. By understanding how much effort we need to exert, we can begin to choose what kind of activity fits our available time, life, and needs. Here are some tips and examples to help identify whether physical activity is moderately or vigorously intense.

Moderate: While performing the physical activity, if your heart is beating noticeably faster—it’s probably moderately intense: We need to do this level of activity for at least 30 minutes, most days of the week.

Examples include:

  • walking briskly (a 15-minute mile)
  • light yard work (raking/bagging leaves or using a lawn mower)
  • light snow shoveling
  • actively playing with children
  • biking at a casual pace.

Vigorous: If you are breathing hard and fast and your heart rate is increased substantially during physical activity, it’s probably vigorously intense.

Examples include:

  • jogging/running
  • swimming laps
  • rollerblading/inline skating at a brisk pace
  • cross-country skiing
  • most competitive sports (football, basketball, or soccer)
  • jumping rope.

 

You don’t have to do 30 minutes all at once…

To meet the goal of 30 minutes a day of moderately intense physical activity, you don’t have to do all 30 minutes at once. Scientific evidence shows you get the same health benefits from breaking 30 minutes up into three 10-minute or two 15-minute intervals throughout the day, if you prefer. Daily activities like climbing several flights of stairs or parking farther away from store entrances are a good start. But if you don’t do that activity for at least 10 minutes at a time, it doesn’t help you meet the recommendation for 30 minutes of moderately intense physical activity. In addition, for most people, greater health benefits can be obtained by engaging in physical activity of more vigorous intensity or of longer duration.

 

What is strength training and why do it?

Moving on to the second type of physical activity—strength training. This consists of resistance exercises, which means your muscles work or hold against an applied force or weight. These exercises increase the strength of our muscles, help maintain the integrity of our bones, and may improve our balance, coordination, and mobility. Strength training can also change the appearance of our bodies with better muscle definition. Usually, resistance exercises are done using weights or workout bands, but there are other ways to achieve the same effect. If you like going to the gym, include resistance exercises in your routine there; or look at the examples on the next page and do them at home. Strength training or resistance exercises can be done anywhere. An example of a goal to work toward could be to do 8 to 12 repetitions of 6 to 8 strength-training exercises twice a week.

Examples include:

  • push-ups
  • pull-ups
  • biceps curls
  • sit-ups
  • carrying full laundry baskets
  • rowing a boat
  • strength training in aerobics class.

Both strength training and cardio activity are important. In particular, strength training helps develop and maintain healthy bones, and develop and tone muscles.

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Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults

February 12, 2009 by admin  
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 We found a list of helpful health and weight loss information for you.

  • weight loss to lower elevated blood pressure in overweight and obese persons with high blood pressure.
  • weight loss to lower elevated levels of total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and triglycerides, and to raise low levels of HDL-cholesterol in overweight and obese persons with dyslipidemia.
  • weight loss to lower elevated blood glucose levels in overweight and obese persons with type 2 diabetes.
  • Use the BMI to assess overweight and obesity. Body weight alone can be used to follow weight loss, and to determine the effectiveness of therapy.
  • The BMI to classify overweight and obesity and to estimate relative risk of disease compared to normal weight.
  • The waist circumference should be used to assess abdominal fat content.
  • The initial goal of weight loss therapy should be to reduce body weight by about 10 percent from baseline. With success, and if warranted, further weight loss can be attempted.
  • weight loss should be about 1 to 2 pounds per week for a period of 6 months, with the subsequent strategy based on the amount of weight lost.
  • Low calorie diets (LCD) for weight loss in overweight and obese persons. Reducing fat as part of an LCD is a practical way to reduce calories.
  • Reducing dietary fat alone without reducing calories is not sufficient for weight loss. However, reducing dietary fat, along with reducing dietary carbohydrates, can help reduce calories.
  • A diet that is individually planned to help create a deficit of 500 to 1,000 kcal/day should be an intregal part of any program aimed at achieving a weight loss of 1 to 2 pounds per week.
  • Physical activity should be part of a comprehensive weight loss therapy and weight control program because it: (1) modestly contributes to weight loss in overweight and obese adults, (2) may decrease abdominal fat, (3) increases cardiorespiratory fitness, and (4) may help with maintenance of weight loss.
  • Physical activity should be an integral part of weight loss therapy and weight maintenance. Initially, moderate levels of physical activity for 30 to 45 minutes, 3 to 5 days a week, should be encouraged. All adults should set a long-term goal to accumulate at least 30 minutes or more of moderate-intensity physical activity on most, and preferably all, days of the week.
  • The combination of a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity is recommended since it produces weight loss that may also result in decreases in abdominal fat and increases in cardiorespiratory fitness.
  • Behavior therapy is a useful adjunct when incorporated into treatment for weight loss and weight maintenance.
  • weight loss and weight maintenance therapy should employ the combination of LCD’s, increased physical activity, and behavior therapy.
  • After successful weight loss, the likelihood of weight loss maintenance is enhanced by a program consisting of dietary therapy, physical activity, and behavior therapy which should be continued indefinitely. Drug therapy can also be used. However, drug safety and efficacy beyond 1 year of total treatment have not been established.
  • A weight maintenance program should be a priority after the initial 6 months of weight loss therapy.

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How Many Fruits And Vegetables Do You Need?

February 11, 2009 by admin  
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How many fruits and vegetables do you need each day? How does this number compare with what you usually eat each day? Let’s look at at example eating plan.

Nutrients in Fruits and Vegetables

 

Sources of vitamin A
Bright orange vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin Tomatoes and tomato products, and red sweet pepper Leafy greens such as spinach, collards, turnip greens, kale, beet and mustard greens, green leaf lettuce, and romaine Orange fruits like mangoes, cantaloupe, apricots, and red or pink grapefruit

Sources of folate
Cooked dry beans and peas Oranges and orange juice Deep green leaves like spinach and mustard greens

Sources of vitamin C
Citrus fruits and juices, kiwi fruit, strawberries, guava, papaya, and cantaloupe Broccoli, peppers, tomatoes, cabbage (especially Chinese cabbage), Brussels sprouts, and potatoes Leafy greens such as romaine, turnip greens, and spinach

Sources of potassium
Baked white or sweet potatoes, cooked greens (such as spinach), and winter (orange) squash Bananas, plantains, many dried fruits, oranges and orange juice, cantaloupe, and honeydew melons Cooked dry beans Soybeans (green and mature) Tomato products (sauce, paste, and purée) Beet greens

 

When shopping for fruits and vegetables, choose an assortment of different types and colors to provide you with a variety of nutrients. Buy fruits and vegetables you are most likely to eat, and sometimes, try something new! It is fun to try fruits and vegetables you haven’t tried before; you may find that you can add another favorite to your list. Remember, if you buy fresh fruits and vegetables, buy only what you will eat that week, because fresh fruits and vegetables can spoil.

A good way to save money and make sure you always have fruits and vegetables in your home is to stock up on packaged (canned, frozen, and dried) fruits and vegetables.

One caution about buying canned, frozen, or dried fruits or vegetables: they may contain added sugars, saturated fats, or sodium—ingredients you may want to limit. There are three places to look on a package that give you clues to what is in the food: the ingredient list, the Nutrition Facts label, and the front label of the package. Added sugars can appear on the ingredient list as brown sugar, sucrose, glucose, dextrose, high fructose corn syrup, invert sugar syrup, corn syrup, maple syrup, honey, and fructose.

 At the beginning of a meal, ask yourself how many fruits and vegetables you’ve eaten that day. Then, try to add one or two fruits or vegetables if you still haven’t met your goal.

  • If fruits and vegetables are canned, dried, or frozen, read the label and avoid those with saturated fat, added salt (sodium), and added sugars.
  • When you’re increasing the amounts of fruits and vegetables you eat, eat them instead of less nutritious foods.
  • Put fruits and vegetables on your shopping list—choose an assortment of different types and colors to provide you with a variety of nutrients.
  • When eating at a restaurant, order a low-fat vegetable dish as an appetizer or salad. Order fruit as a dessert. Watch out for added fat or sugar!

 

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