By Cathy Rogers
If you are going to a make New Year’s Resolution to be healthier in 2009, I’d like to give you three specific suggestions: 1) Take Down Fat, 2) Take 5 Fruits and Vegetables a Day, and 3) Take Action. According to the “Take Charge of Your Health” program by Michelle Lombardo, it’s not necessary to do a whole lot of different things in order to prevent and manage many of the serious diseases. By doing the three things listed above, you can reduce the risk for most of the big killers. These are things you can do every day. It’s the simple changes and choices that can make a big difference in your future health.
The first one is “Take Down Fat.” This means that each day as you decide what to eat, some of those choices ought to be low-fat. It used to be that trying to eat low-fat meant bland foods, lots of work and lots of money. These days it’s actually much easier to find low-fat products that are really quite tasty. And they don’t cost a fortune. Purchasing low-fat cream soups for recipes, and low- or reduced-fat cheeses, yogurt, and sour cream is easier than ever. Once you have stocked your kitchen with these items it will be easier to make low-fat choices. It is important to remember that a product may be low-fat but not necessarily low-calorie, so check the label.
Another way to take down fat is to try lowering your milk fat content. If you currently drink whole mile, try 2%. Or if you drink 2%, lower it to 1%. Usually all these types of milk are sold for the same price. Other good choices are frozen yogurt rather than ice cream, pretzels or baked chips rather than traditional potato chips and removing the skin from chicken. Trimming the visible fat from meat is also a good way to lower the fat.
Another consideration in “taking down fat” is to consume more of the “healthier” fats than the “unhealthier” fats. For example, mono- and polyunsaturated fats like olive oil, canola oil, and peanut oil are better choices than solid fats like shortening and lard. “Tub” spreads made with the healthier fats are better for you than butter; but all should be used in moderation.
The second suggestion is “Take 5 Fruits and Vegetables a Day.” That means five servings. Research shows that the more of these that you eat each day, the better your health. Fruits and veggies are filled with vitamins, minerals, and fiber. These nutrients strengthen your immune system, protect the heart and arteries, prevent premature aging and certain types of cancer, detoxify pollutants, and help the body in healing wounds.
Focus on fruits. According to the USDA’s MyPyramid, all fruits are good for you whether they are frozen, fresh, canned or dried. Serving sizes are 1/2 cup for most types, and 1/4 cup for dried fruits. For fresh fruits, use a baseball to gauge one serving. Oranges and apples sold by the bag are normally about this size. The loose ones are usually larger; which is okay — just know that you are consuming more than one serving when you eat the entire fruit. Watch out for fruits canned or frozen in syrup. They can be high in calories. Better choices are those with no sugar added. A good alternative to soda is 100% fruit juice. Whole fruits are healthier than juice since the whole fruit always has more fiber.
Vary your veggies. The dark green and orange veggies are super-loaded with anti-oxidants that help the body to fight off many types of cancer and help the body to heal. Try adding spinach or greens to a pot of soup or replacing chips with crisp baby carrots or celery sticks as a side for a sandwich. Microwave a sweet potato for a delicious side dish. More matters when it comes to fruits and veggies. And that includes mushrooms which are considered as part of the veggie group on the USDA’s MyPyramid.
The third healthy resolution is to “Take Action.” Every day schedule at least 30 minutes of physical activity. Exercise, which is planned physical activity, is the best way to help stave off heart disease — the number one killer. Exercise also helps keep our immune system running efficiently, and does wonders for our mental health. To help you take action plan physical activities that you enjoy. Find a partner who will encourage you and be encouraged by you. Exercise is so much easier when you have a good cohort. Mix it up, walking some days, biking, swimming, dancing, playing basketball, or weight-lifting on others. If it’s interesting and fun you are more likely to keep on doing it. Schedule it into your day and keep track of it.
Make these three simple resolutions for your health in 2009. Keep track of whether or not you made some low-fat choices, had five fruits and veggies, and exercised 30 minutes each day. Start each day with a clean slate and give yourself a break if you have a bad day — at least it’s not 15 years of bad days. If doing all three seems too hard, concentrate on just one of them for several weeks until it requires less effort and then add another. The New Year gives us a new chance to start to become healthier for life.
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