Fitness and Nutrition 2005

Fitness and Nutition - 2005

November 2005

Nine Health Habits
1. Portion Control; 2. Fruits and vegetables: 5 a day; 3. dairy products: 2-3 daily; 4. whole grains; 5. lean protein; 6. limit fats, added sugar and alcohol; 7. multiple vitamin-mineral supplement; 8. water; 9. exercise.

Six Tips to Help You Avoid Getting Stuffed This Thanksgiving
1. Make exercise a priority-Besides burning extra holiday calories, exercise reduces stress, elevates your mood and gives you more energy.
2. Have a plan-visulize what and how much you will eat before you approach the dinner table. Have a backup plan that incorporates physical activities for that day to burn extra calories.
3. Don't skip meals-If you starve all day long attempting to save up all your calories for the feast, you will be so famished by the time it begins that it will be difficult not to overeat! Be sure to eat regularly all day long.
4. Portion control is key-Try a serving-spoon size of the foods you really want to eat and smaller portions of the foods you just want to "taste".
5. Wear form-fitting clothes-Another trick is to tie a string or ribbon around your waist under your shirt that will not budge with the bulge.
6. Limit or avoid alcoholic beverages-Not only does alcohol contain unneeded calories, it also encourages you to eat more! Alcoholic beverages pack on the calories by delivering an average of 100 calories per ounce!

October 2005

Approximately 25% to 30% of U.S. Children are overweight and according to government data, the prevalence of obesity among children and teens is growing. The most common factors in childhood obesity include: lack of exercise; consuming too many calories; and family history/genetics. Oats contain more than just fiber, they are a good source of vitamins B1, B2, D & E as well as minerals iron, zinc, calcium and magnesium.

September 2005

According to the Institute for the Study of Youth Sports, an estimated 5% of the approximately 25 million American Children who participate in organized sports dropout because of pressure and overemphasis in competition and winning. Undue pressure from parents and others is stripping children's sports of the lessons and benefits they should be providing, including teamwork, physical conditioning, the exhilaration of athletic competition and just plain fun. Consider these questions to help determine if your child's athletic activities are beneficial or are harmful? ****Is the activity fun?****Does my child have friends at the track?**** Is my child participating because he/she enjoys doing so?****Does my child look forward to going to practice or to race?****Am I pressuring my child to participate in this sport?****Am I deriving more enjoyment or fulfilment from my chlld's athletic activities than my child?****After competition, praise your child for his/her accomplishments for participating and stress the importance of enjoyment that can be derived from simply being a participant but you can also point out in a positive manner ways to improve their performance. Ask them****What was the best part of your race?****Did you have fun?****What do you think you need to work on?****What seemed to cause you the most problems?**** What were some of your greatest challenges you faced in competition?**** Don't pressure him/her but offer to help with more practice during the week, private instruction or training to help improve his/her skills or suggestions on how they might have had a different solution to their error/mistake/problem. And above all...show good sportsmanship yourself and acceptable behavior while attending all sporting events. More info on Youth Sports Today and Violence.

In the past 40 years, the average sleep duration among people in the United Sattes has decreased 1-2 hours. At the same time, obesity has more than doubled and nearly two thirds of the United Stated population is overweight. A medium-sized apple with its peel on will give you about 4 grams of dietary fiber with just 80 calories. That's about 15% of the amount advised daily for adults. An apple's mostly soluble fiber may help lower blood cholesterol levels and may also help waste move through your intestinal tract faster. Apples, especially their peels, are loaded with quercetin. A powerful antioxidant, quercetin may reduce the growth and spread of cancer cells and help promote heart health by protecting your blood vessels from fatty deposits. Also, the tannins in apple juice help keep you gums healthy. So there must be some truth in the old saying: " An apple a day keeps the doctor away!".

August 2005

Diet soda contains the same acids as regular varieites and can erode away your enamel on you teeth as well as cause tooth decay. This is something everyone should be aware of that has children, teaches children or works with children! Please click on the link to read more! Important info!

July 2005

Eating a morning meal rich in fiber may make you more alert during the day. A recent study done at Cardiff University in Wales found that subjects who ate a high-fiber cereal in the morning showed a 10% reduction in fatigue, lower incidence of depression and better cognitive skills. One theory: Fiber helps slow down the absorption of food in the stomach, so you have more energy for a longer period of time. Adolescents who consume soft drinks display a risk of bone fractures 3 to 4 times the normal rate. You can get your day's worth of whole grains in one swope by eating 1 1/2 coups of cooked oatmeal.

June 2005

The safe level of artificial trans fats is NONE, according to USDA experts. Evidence from a 9-year Harvard study indicates that trans fats-plentiful in the oils that restaurants use to make french fries, fried chicken and fried fish may increase your colorectal cancer risk. Scientists suspect that trans fats may promote cancer by interfering with the cells' ability to create protective membranes. Other trans fats packed sources are processed cakes, pies, cookies, and crackers. Stretching helps avoid soreness in the days following a tough workout, and soreness is an easy excuse for taking a day off. If you stretch thoroughly after each workout, you will feel better and your muscles will be ready to go the next day. Weight training has been proven to prevent bone loss, improve balance, boost metabolism and tone your body. Just 30 minutes of weight training a day slashes the risk of cariovascular disease by 23%.

May 2005

Between 1977 and 1994 overall caloric consumption increased by about 9 percent in adolescent boys and about 7 percent in adolescent girls. You should never take children to a party hungry. Give them a healthy snack before you go to the party.

April 2005

One cup of plain low-fat yogurt has one and a half times the bone-building calcium as a cup of low-fat milk and it provides 60% more protein. Good nutrition and a balanced diet will help your child grow up healthy. Five of the best strategies to improve nutrition and encourage smart eating habits are: (1) have regular family meals; (2) serve a variety of healthy foods and snacks; (3) be a role model by eating healthy yourself; (4) avoid battles over food; and (5) involve kids in the process. Four strips of bacon pack a total of 12 grams of fat and contain nitrates, which have been linked to cancer.

March 2005

The University of Illinois researchers have reported that children who scored low on a standarized physical fitness assessment tool ranked further down the scale on state acheivement tests than did children who scored high in fitness. Thus far their findings support the widely held theory that active bodies foster active minds. Thirty years ago, nearly 50% of all kids walked to school. Today, only about 15% do. The Walking Bus program is changing that. Adult volunteers pick up kids on foot and escort them to school, then home again at day's end. To find out more about the program go to www.walkingschoolbus.org

February 2005

A new study of 30,000 people from 52 countries revealed the 9 causes of 90% of heart attacks:(1) smoking; (2) high cholesterol; (3) diabetes; (4) high blood pressure; (5) stress; (6) excess belly fat; (7) sedentary lifestyle; (8) eating too few fruits and vegetables; (9) excess alcohol. Poor nutrition, characterized by zinc, iron, vitamin B and protein deficiencies, leads to low IQ, which leads to later antisocial behavior, according to a study conducted by the University of Southern California.

January 2005

A new study of 30,000 people from 52 countries revealed the 9 causes of 90% of heart attacks:(1) smoking; (2) high cholesterol; (3) diabetes; (4) high blood pressure; (5) stress; (6) excess belly fat; (7) sedentary lifestyle; (8) eating too few fruits and vegetables; (9) excess alcohol. If you neglect to cool down after exercising, you can injure yourself. Take five minutes to walk at a lower intensity, then spend a few mintues stretching at the conclusion of your workout to prevent injury.

There are many different names for sugar: dextrose; evaporated cane juice; fructose; fruit juice concentrate; glucoe; high fructose corn syrup; honey; lactose; maple syrup; molasses; and sucrose. Check the food labels carefully before you purchase to make sure sugar by another name is not a hidden ingredient.

Back to Archive Menu