KEEP THE WEIGHT OFF AND ENERGY LEVEL UP - FROM ARCHIVES : 09 25 06
CURRENT

How many of you feel fit and healthy, or are you tired and out of shape? Well, you're not alone; the extra pounds you carry around increase your risk for heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and even cancer.

While most professionals in the health field say the keys to reaching and maintaining healthy weight are regular exercise and a healthy diet, it's obvious it's not that simple and, unfortunately, many people struggle with weight issues.

According to Robin Hogshagen, Ph.D. a healthy weight-maintenance plan doesn't have to be that difficult.

Nutrition

Fortunately, the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) has revamped the infamous food pyramid to guide us on how we should eat and exercise to keep our immunity system and body at its best. Sarah Duffy, MA, CSCS, an exercise physiologist based in St. Petersburg, Florida gives us some tips on understanding this new food pyramid.

1) Exercise is a major part of the new FGP (Food Guide Pyramid).

Exercise is a major component of the new pyramid and depending on the amount of exercise you do, allows you to have more serving sizes from each food group. The less exercise you do, the higher you go up on the FGP and the less serving sizes you get.

2) Focus is primarily on fruits and vegetables. These two categories have the best source of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. Be careful about using canned fruits because they typically have added sugars. Frozen or fresh, is best.

3) Fats/oils category hardly changed from the old pyramid. These are the butters, oils, and fats you find in foods. USE SPARINGLY!

4) The "Milk" category consists of dairy products, such as, milk, yogurt, cheese. You should watch for fat content with these products so try using one percent or skim milk. You can also use products made from one percent or whole milk, or that are "low-fat.”

5) The "Meat" category consists of animal meats, beans or tofu products. When you are selecting meat, opt for leaner choices like fish and chicken, rather than beef and pork.

Exercise

It's never too early – or too late – to start exercising.

Aerobic exercise involves the large muscle groups and provides the most benefit to the heart. For example, running, fast walking, bicycling and dancing are aerobic, heart-healthy exercises.

Strength or resistance training involves building muscle strength while burning fat. Weightlifting is a good example, and it carries the added benefit of helping prevent osteoporosis.

Flexibility-Stretching exercises like yoga or tai chi can help prevent injuries and provide a wider range of movement. The best exercise is simply any activity you'll do on a consistent basis. Choose an activity you enjoy, such as tennis, walking or biking, and you're more likely to make time for it.

In addition, you should strive to maintain an aerobic workout session for a minimum of 30 minutes three to four times a week. Benefits from strength training can be seen in as few as two, 15-minute training sessions a week, although three sessions a week are optimal. Stretching exercises can be done daily.

According to Hogshagen, “Even with the many advances in medicine and pharmacology today, maintaining a healthy weight will continue to be a struggle for millions of Americans. But the benefits – increased energy, better health and an overall better quality of living -- make it a goal worth striving for.”

By: Dawn Dudgeon