Steps To A Healthier You

1. Steps To A Healthier You

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

3. 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.

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

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

6. 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.

7. What Is The Food Pyramid?

8. 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.

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

10. 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.

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

12. 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.

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

14. Vegetables Continued • Dry Beans and Peas • Black Beans • Lentils • Split Peas • Starchy Vegetables • Corn • Green Peas • Potatoes • Other Vegetables • Green Beans • Okra • Zucchini

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

16. 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: • Apples • Bananas • Strawberries • Mangoes • Watermelon

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

18. 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.

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

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

21. 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.

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

23. Meat and Beans Continued • Eggs • Chicken eggs • Dry Beans and Peas • Soy Beans • Black-eyed peas • Nuts and Seeds • Almonds • Pumpkin seeds • Fish • Tuna • Shrimp

24. 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.

25. 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.

26. Keep In Mind… • It is important to be physically active every day. • Remember to eat foods from all food groups every day. • 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.

27. 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.

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