Steps to a Healthier You!

Steps to a Healthier You! Maureen Snare, RD, CDM, CFPP Clinical Dietitian RWJ Hamilton

Are you getting what you need? • Protein – needed to build muscle and cells in the body and keep you strong • Carbohydrates – the fuel your body uses for energy! • Fat – used to help make new cells, helps with absorption of some vitamins & insulation for internal organs

Is that all I need? • You also need: • Water – helps keep your body temperature normal, lubricates joints, protects the spinal cord & helps the body get rid of waste • Vitamins – made by plants or animals • Minerals – come from the earth; soil & water and are absorbed by plants • Each vitamin & mineral plays a particular role in helping your body function properly & keeping it healthy!

Does your Plate Look Like This?

Or This?

The New American Plate • Aim for meals made up of 2/3 (or more) vegetables, fruits, whole grains or beans, and 1/3 (or less) animal protein. • Why? • Animal proteins provide a large amount of calories, most of which come from Fat • Vegetables, Fruits, Whole Grains & Beans are lower in calories, and provide vitamins, minerals, and fiber

Portion Control is Key! BAGEL 20 years ago Today 140 calories How many 3-inch diameter calories is this bagel?

Portion Control is Key! CHEESEBURGER 20 years ago Today 333 Calories How many Calories?

Portion Control is Key! SODA 20 Years ago Today 85 Calories How many 6.5 ounces Calories?

What should portions look like?

Follow the Green Light to Healthier Choices! • Green Light (GO! – Almost anytime foods): lowest in fats & sugars; nutrient dense foods = rich in vitamins & minerals, and other nutrients for good health • Yellow Light (SLOW – Sometimes foods): higher in fat, added sugar and calories than GO foods. • Red Light (WHOA! – Once in a While Foods): foods highest in fat & added sugar; calorie-dense foods that are usually low in nutrients

What are some Green Light Foods? • Vegetables – almost all fresh, frozed or canned veggies without added fat & sauces • Fruits – all fresh, frozed, and canned in juice • Milk Products – fat-free or 1% milk, fat-free or low-fat yogurt • Meat, fish, eggs, protein foods – extra-lean ground beef; tuna canned in water; baked, broiled, steamed, grilled fish & shellfish; beans, split peas, tofu, egg whites & egg substitutes

What are some Red Light Foods? • Vegetables – French fries or hash browns • Fruits – fruits canned in “Heavy Syrup” • Milk Products – Whole milk; Full-fat American, Cheddar, Colby, Swiss, & Cream cheeses; whole-milk yogurt • Grains – croissants, muffins, doughnuts, sweet rolls, sweetened breakfast cereals • Meat products & proteins – hot dogs, pepperoni, sausage, fried fish, whole eggs cooked with fat • Sweets & Snacks – pies, cheesecake, chips, ice cream • Fats – Butter, stick margarine, regular creamy salad dressing

Be Bright & Colorful • Getting a variety of colorful fruits & vegetables will ensure that you get the vitamins, minerals & fiber you need to maintain your health • Increasing your intake of fresh fruits & vegetables can help you from feeling hungry between meals & they are low-calorie snacks!

Tomatoes Grapefruit Watermelon Cranberries Strawberries Cherries Beets Red Peppers Spaghetti Sauce Natural chemicals in these foods can help prevent certain diseases, such as prostate cancer and heart disease Provide: Folate, Vitamin C, Magnesium, Potassium, Lycopene, Vitamin, antioxidants Remarkable Reds

Carrots Oranges Sweet Potatoes Tangerines Cantaloupe Pumpkin Apricots Butternut Squash Mango Papaya Sweet corn Eat these for heart health, healthy vision, boosting your immune system Provide: Vitamin C, carotenoids, Vitamin A, Folate, Magnesium, Potassium, antioxidants Outstanding Orange-Yellows

Avocado Green apple Green peppers Broccoli Green beans Spinach Artichokes Honeydew Cucumbers Zucchini Brussels Sprouts Kiwi Get plenty of these foods to help fight some cancers, help prevent heart disease, for vision health, and for strong bones & teeth Provide: Vitamin C, Calcium, Vitamin E, Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Folate, Iron, Magnesium, Potassium, antioxidants Gorgeous Greens

Bananas Onions Cauliflower Potatoes White peaches Brown pears Turnips White Corn Mushrooms Garlic Natural chemicals in these foods help prevent heart disease, help lower cholesterol, and can lower the risk of some cancers Provide: Selenium, Magnesium, Vitamin C, Chromium, Potassium, antioxidants, Vitamin B6 Wonderful Whites

Blueberries Blackberries Purple Grapes Raisins Eggplant Plums Purple asparagus Purple cabbage These foods can help promote urinary tract health, memory function, healthy aging, and lower the risk of some cancers Provide: Vitamin C, Folate, Potassium, Magnesium, Vitamin K, Antioxidants Beautiful Blues/Purples

Reading a Food Label • Look at the Serving size first, and how many servings the package contains (light blue) • Next look at the calories (red): 40calories is low; 100calories is moderate; 400calories or more is high • Limit these (Tan): Fat, Saturated Fat, Trans fat, Sodium, Cholesterol • Look for foods with a lot of these (Green) – healthy nutrients!

Find the Right Balance for You! • Gaining or losing weight is a balancing act between how much energy you put in your body (food) and how much energy you use (through exercise) • If you eat 500calories more than you need each day, you will gain 1lb. a week. • If you eat 500calories less than you need each day, you can lose 1lb. a week

Moderate Activity Dancing Hiking Walking Briskly (3 ½ miles per hour Bicycling Gardening/yard work Weight training Golf Vigorous Activity Running/jogging (5miles per hour) Bicycling (more than 10miles per hour) Swimming (freestyle laps) Aerobics Basketball (competitive) An Important Part of the Balance

References • Mypyramid.gov. The United States Department of Agriculture. Accessed at: http://www.mypyramid.gov. • we can! National Heart Lung And Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health. Accessed at: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/wecan/index.htm. • The New American Plate. The American Institute of Cancer Research. Accessed at: http://www.aicr.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pub_nap_index_21. • 5 A Day, The Color Way. The Produce for Better Health Foundation. Accessed at: http://www.5aday.org/html/consumers/colorway.php.

Steps to a Healthier You!