Healthy Eating
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A balanced diet
and regular physical activity are the building blocks of good health. Poor
eating habits and too little physical activity can lead to overweight and
related health problems. By eating right and being active, you can stay at
or reach a healthy weight. Do it for yourself and your family!
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The basis of
a healthy diet is eating a wide variety of foods. Every day, you should
try to eat:*
-
6
to 11 servings of bread, cereal, rice, or pasta. One serving
equals one slice of bread, about 1 cup of ready-to-eat cereal,
or 1/2 cup cooked cereal, rice, or pasta.
-
3
to 5 servings of vegetables. One serving equals 1 cup of raw
leafy vegetables, or 1/2 cup of other vegetables, cooked or raw.
-
2
to 4 servings of fruit. One serving equals one medium apple,
banana, or orange; 1/2 cup of chopped, cooked, or canned fruit;
or 3/4 cup of fruit juice.
-
2
to 3 servings of milk, yogurt, or cheese. One serving equals
1 cup of milk or yogurt, 1 1/2 ounces of natural cheese (such
as Cheddar), or 2 ounces of processed cheese (such as American).
Choose low-fat or fat-free products most often.
-
2
to 3 servings of meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs, or nuts.
One serving equals 2 to 3 ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry
without skin, or fish. You should eat no more than 5 to 7 ounces
per day. One half cup of cooked dry beans, one egg, or 1/2 cup
of tofu counts as 1 ounce of meat. Two tablespoons of peanut
butter or 1/3 cup of nuts counts as 1 ounce of lean meat.
The larger
number of servings is for active men. Eat a smaller number of servings
if you are a woman, inactive, or trying to lose weight.
* Servings
and serving sizes are from the U.S. Department of Agriculture/Department
of Health and Human Services Food Guide Pyramid
1/2 cup of rice or pasta = size of ice cream
scoop
1 cup of salad greens = size of a baseball
1/2 cup of chopped fruit or vegetables = size
of a lightbulb
1 1/2 ounces of cheese = size of four dice
3 ounces of meat or fish = size of a deck
of cards or cassette tape
2 tablespoons peanut butter = size of a ping
pong ball
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- Eat breakfast every day. People who
eat breakfast are less likely to overeat later in the day. Breakfast
also gives you energy and helps you think and learn.
- Choose whole grains more often. Try whole
wheat breads and pastas, oatmeal, brown rice, or bulgur.
- Select a mix of colorful vegetables each day. Different
colored vegetables provide different nutrients. Choose dark, leafy
greens such as kale, collards, and mustard greens, and reds and
oranges such as carrots, sweet potatoes, red peppers, and tomatoes.
- Choose fresh or canned fruit more often than fruit juice. Fruit juice has little or no fiber.
- Use fats and oils sparingly. Olive, canola,
and peanut oils, avocados, nuts and nut butters, olives, and fish
provide heart-healthy fat as well as vitamins and minerals.
- Eat sweets sparingly. Limit foods
and beverages that are high in added sugars.
- Eat three meals every day instead of
skipping meals or eating a snack instead of a meal.
- Have low-fat, low-sugar snacks on hand at home, at
work, or on the go, to combat hunger and prevent overeating.
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- low-fat yogurt sprinkled with low-fat granola
- oatmeal with low-fat or fat-free milk, or soy-based beverage
- whole wheat toast with thin spread of peanut butter
- fruit smoothie made with frozen fruit, low-fat yogurt, and juice
- low-sugar cereal with soy-based beverage
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- low-fat or fat-free yogurt
- rice
cakes
- fresh or canned fruits
- sliced vegetables or baby carrots
- dried fruit and nut mix (no more than a small handful)
- air-popped popcorn sprinkled with garlic powder or other spices
- low-sugar cereal
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Body mass index (BMI) is one way to tell whether you are at a healthy
weight, overweight, or obese. It measures your weight in relation to your
height. A BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is in the healthy range. In the chart below,
find your height in the left-hand column and move across the row to find
your weight. If you are in the overweight or obese range on the chart,
you are more likely to have certain health problems.
*Without shoes **Without clothes
Another way to find out if you are at risk for health problems
caused by overweight and obesity is to measure your waist. If you are a
woman and your waist is more than 35 inches, or if you are a man and your
waist is more than 40 inches, your risk of disease is higher.
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Extra weight can put you at higher risk for:
-
type
2 diabetes (high blood sugar)
-
high
blood pressure
-
heart
disease and stroke
-
some
types of cancer
-
sleep
apnea (when breathing stops for short periods during sleep)
-
osteoarthritis (wearing away of the joints)
-
gallbladder disease
-
irregular periods
- problems with pregnancy such as high blood pressure or increased
risk for cesarean section (c-section)
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What makes people overweight?
People gain weight when the number of calories they eat is more
than the number of calories their bodies use. Many factors can play a part
in weight gain.
- Habits. Eating too many calories can become a habit. So
can choosing activities like watching TV instead of being physically
active. Over time, these habits can lead to weight gain.
-
Genes. Overweight and obesity tend to run in families.
Although families often share diet and physical activity habits that can
play a role in obesity, their shared genes increase the chance that
family members will be overweight.
-
Illness. Some diseases can lead to weight gain or obesity.
These include hypothyroidism, Cushing's syndrome, and depression. Talk
to your health care provider if you think you have a health problem that
could be causing you to gain weight.
-
Medicine. Some medicines can lead to weight gain.
Ask your health care provider or pharmacist about the side effects of
any medication you are taking.
-
The world around you. You can find food and
messages about food at home, at work, at shopping centers, on TV, and at
family and social events. People may eat too much just because food is
always there. On top of that, our modern world—with remote controlled
televisions, drive-in banks, and escalators—makes it easy to be
physically inactive.
-
Emotions. Many people eat when they are bored, sad, angry,
or stressed, even when they are not hungry.
Although you may not be able to control all the factors that lead
to overweight, you can change your eating and
physical activity habits.
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If you need to lose weight
Losing as little as 5 to 15 percent of your body weight over 6
months or longer can do much to improve your health. For example, if you
weigh 200 pounds, losing 5 percent of your body weight means losing 10
pounds. Losing 15 percent of your body weight means losing 30 pounds. A
safe rate of weight loss is 1/2 to 2 pounds per week.
Try some of these ideas to support your weight loss
efforts:
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Shop from a list and shop when you are not hungry.
-
Store foods out of sight.
-
Dish up smaller servings. At restaurants, eat only half your meal
and take the rest home. See WIN's brochure Just Enough for You,
About Food Portions for more tips on controlling portion size.
-
Eat at the table with the TV off.
-
Be realistic about weight loss goals. Aim for a slow, modest
weight loss.
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Seek support from family and friends.
-
Expect setbacks and forgive yourself.
- Add
physical activity to your weight-loss plan. Doing regular physical
activity can help you control your weight.
Write down all the
food that you eat in a day. Also write down the time you eat and your
feelings at the time.
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You do
not have to be an athlete to benefit from regular physical activity. Even
modest amounts of physical activity can improve your health. Start with
small, specific goals such as walking 10 minutes a day, 3 days a week and
slowly build up from there. Keep an activity log to track your progress.
Try
these activities to add more movement to your daily life:
-
Take
the stairs instead of the elevator. Make sure the stairs are well
lit.
-
Get
off the bus one stop early if you are in an area safe for
walking.
-
Park
the car farther away from entrances to stores, movie theatres, or your
home.
-
Take
a short walk around the block with family, friends, or
coworkers.
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In
bad weather, walk around a mall.
-
Rake
the leaves or wash the car.
-
Visit
museums, the zoo, or an aquarium. You and your family can walk for hours
and not realize it.
- Take
a walk after dinner instead of watching TV.
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As you become more fit, slowly increase
your pace, the length of time you are active, and how often you are
active. Before starting a
vigorous physical activity
program, check with your health care provider if you are a man and over
age 40 or a woman and over age 50, or have chronic health
problems.
For a well-rounded workout plan, combine aerobic activity,
muscle-strengthening exercises, and stretching. Do at least 30 minutes a
day of moderate physical activity on most or all days of the week. Add
muscle-strengthening activities to your aerobic workout two to three times
a week.
To reduce the risk of injury, do a slow aerobic warm-up, then
stretch before aerobic or strengthening activities. Follow your workout
with a few more minutes of stretching. See WIN's brochure Walking-A
Step in the Right Direction for stretching exercises.
Aerobic activity is any activity that speeds up your heart
and breathing while moving your body at a regular pace. If you have been
inactive for a while, you may want to start with easier activities such as
walking at a gentle pace. This lets you build up to more intense activity
without hurting your body.
Regular aerobic activity can help to:
-
Control weight. Aerobic activity burns calories, which may
help you manage your weight..
-
Prevent heart disease and stroke. Regular aerobic
activity can strengthen your heart muscle and lower your blood pressure.
It may also help lower cholesterol, a type of fat in your blood.
-
Maintain strong bones. Weight-bearing aerobic activities
that involve lifting or pushing your own body weight, such as walking,
jogging, or dancing, help to maintain strong bones.
-
Improve your outlook. Aerobic exercise relieves tension
and decreases stress. As you get fit, it can help to build confidence
and improve your self-image.
Choose aerobic
activities that are fun. People are more likely to be active if
they like what they are doing. It also helps to get support from a friend
or a family member. Try one of these activities or others you enjoy:
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brisk
walking or jogging
-
bicycling
-
swimming
-
aerobic exercise classes
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dancing (square dancing, salsa, African dance, swing)
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playing basketball or soccer
Strengthening activities include lifting weights, using
resistance bands, and doing push-ups or sit-ups. Besides building stronger
muscles, strengthening activities may help you to:
-
Use more calories. Not only does the exercise burn
calories, but having more muscle means you will burn more calories-even
when you are sitting still.
-
Reduce injury. Stronger muscles improve balance and
support your joints, lowering the risk of injury.
- Maintain strong bones. Doing
strengthening exercises regularly helps build bone and may prevent bone
loss as you age.
Strengthening exercises should focus on working the major muscle
groups of the body, such as the chest, back, and legs. Do exercises for
each muscle group two or three times a week. Allow at least 1 day of rest
for your muscles to recover and rebuild before another strengthening
workout. (It is safe to do aerobic activity every day.)
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Many people feel stress in their daily lives. Stress can cause you
to overeat, feel tired, and not want to do anything. Regular physical
activity can give you more energy. Try some of these other ideas to help
relieve stress and stay on track with your fitness and nutrition goals:
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Get
plenty of sleep.
-
Practice deep breathing and relaxing your muscles one at a
time.
-
Take
a break and go for a walk.
-
Take
short stretch breaks throughout the day.
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Try
taking a yoga or tai chi class to energize yourself and reduce stress.
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Try a
new hobby, like a pottery class or any activity that sparks your
interest.
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Surround yourself with people whose company you
enjoy.
A balanced eating plan, regular physical activity, and stress
relief can help you stay healthy for life.
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Eat
breakfast every day. People who eat breakfast are less likely to overeat
later in the day.
-
Choose whole grains more often. Try whole wheat breads and
pastas, oatmeal, brown rice, or bulgur.
-
Select a mix of colorful vegetables each day. Different colored
vegetables provide different nutrients.
- Eat
three meals every day instead of skipping meals or eating a snack
instead of a meal.
-
Have low-fat, low-sugar snacks on hand at home, at work, or on
the go, to combat hunger and prevent overeating.
- At
restaurants, eat only half your meal and take the rest home.
- Visit museums, the zoo, or an aquarium. You and your family can
walk for hours and not realize it.
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