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| Mar07 Nutrition |
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Staff from the Cardiovascular Health, Nutrition and Physical Activity section of Michigan Department of Community Health
and the Office of the Surgeon General, in partnership with the Department of Agriculture and many local partners, are actively planning the launch of the
Campaign in March. This new campaign will replace the old
5 A Day program and will encourage Michiganders to eat MORE fruits & veggies at every eating occasion.
While research indicates that more than half of all adults know they need to eat fruits and vegetables, over 90% of Americans
do not eat the recommended amount. To meet the new recommendations, most consumers will have to more than
double the amount they currently eat.
The MDCH and its partners are planning events to launch
in Grand Rapids, Lansing, Flint and Detroit during the week of March 19, 2007. Click to find background information. For more information, contact Diane Golzynski, Michigan Fruit & Vegetable Nutrition Coordinator, at (517) 335-8980.
To get you started on eating more fruits & veggies, click recipes and you will find a list of newly analyzed and updated recipes that meet the new product promotable criteria for the campaign. The CDC will continue to analyze more recipes and this list will be updated online as recipes are completed.
Poster
Meijer - Healthy Living
Please watch for more news on the campaign and the launch of its new website.
 With every eating occasion, eat more 'F&V'!
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National Nutrition Month® is an annual campaign sponsored by the American Dietetic Association (ADA) which promotes the importance of making healthy food choices and being regularly physically active.
Nutrition is a key component of good health,
along with physical activity.
Diet fads come and go, and some may help you lose weight for a brief period of time. For the National Nutrition Month® 2007, the ADA says the most effective long-term way to achieve a healthful lifestyle is to be 100% Fad Free.
"You can lose weight on virtually any diet," says registered dietitian and ADA spokesperson Roberta Anding..."The question is, can you maintain a healthy lifestyle over the long term ? your life? The real key to reaching long-term goals is to focus on your overall health."
Key healthy lifestyle messages of the National Nutrition Month® 2007 campaign are:
- Develop an eating plan for lifelong health.
- Choose foods sensibly by looking at the big picture.
- Learn how to spot a food fad.
- Find your balance between food and physical activity.
- Food and nutrition misinformation can have harmful effects on health and well-being.
- Children are often more willing to eat healthy foods and be active if they see their parents and other family members doing these things first. Visit Healthy Habits for Healthy Kids for ideas on getting the whole family involved.
Regular physical activity is important for your
overall health plus it helps control body weight,
promotes a feeling of well-being
and reduces the risk of chronic diseases.
Dieting is big business. "The lure of quick and easy weight loss
is hard to resist," says registered dietitian and also an ADA spokesperson Dee Sandquist. This is especially true for people who struggle to make changes that will optimize their health. They wind up on fad diets that can be harmful to your health in the long run."
The ADA defines 'food fads' as "unreasonable or exaggerated beliefs that eating (or not eating) specific foods, nutrient supplements or combinations of certain foods may cure disease, convey special health benefits or offer quick weight loss." For National Nutrition Month® 2007 and beyond, the ADA encourages consumers to go 100% Fad-Free and achieve lifelong success through proven, science-based approaches to weight loss.
"The reality is, no 'super food' or diet approach can reverse weight gain resulting from overeating and inactivity. And because most fad diets don't teach new eating habits and many require you to give up your favorite foods, people usually don't stick with them," Sandquist says. She offers the following tips to help evaluate a new product, diet or recommendation:
- If it sounds too good to be true, it is!
- Avoid products offering a guaranteed cure or which promote "limited-time offers."
- Watch out for products that describe certain foods as "good" or "bad".
- Is the source of the information - such as a book author -also trying to sell a product, like supplements?
- "Countless reputable studies...have shown balance and variety are needed for good health. Any diet that requires you to avoid foods or give up whole categories of foods and to take supplements to replace their nutrients is, by definition, unbalanced," Sandquist says.
- Are the product claims backed up by scientific research? Do reputable scientific and professional organizations support the claims? If the answer is 'no', don't buy.
The following are the Top Ten Reasons Why Consulting with a Registered Dietitian Can Benefit You ?
1. You have diabetes, cardiovascular problems or high blood pressure.
2. You are thinking of having or have had gastric bypass surgery.
3. You have digestive problems.
4. You're pregnant or trying to get pregnant.
5. You need guidance and confidence for breastfeeding your baby.
6. Your teenager has issues with food and eating healthfully.
7. You need to gain or lose weight.
8. You're caring for an aging parent.
9. You want to eat smarter.
10. You want to improve your performance in sports.
To develop a 'personalized' healthy weight-loss plan that is a balanced approach for long-term success and is right for you, consultation with a registered dietitian is the place to start.
To locate a registered dietitian in your area,
visit the American Dietetic Association @
www.eatright.org.
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Are you eating the WORST FATS? 
Unlike saturated, polyunsaturated and
monounsaturated fats, trans fats or
trans-fatty acids, are primarily artificial
fats. A small amount of trans fats occur
naturally in meat and dairy products.
Trans fats are made by a chemical process called partial hydrogenation. Liquid vegetable oil is packed with hydrogen atoms and converted into a solid fat. The food industry has found trans fats ideal to work with because of their high melting point, creamy texture and reusability in deep-fat frying.
Partially hydrogenated or trans fats, extend the shelf life
of food. They add a pleasing taste to ALL processed foods.
Buttery crackers and popcorn, crispy French fries, crunchy
fish sticks, creamy frosting, snack foods and pies and pastries
are all high
in trans fats. Thanks to the new food-label laws
in January 2006 trans fats are now listed on all packaged
foods.
Trans fats are more harmful than saturated fats. Both
saturated and trans fats raise total and bad (LDL) cholesterol
levels, but trans fats also reduce levels of good (HDL)
cholesterol, which helps unclog arteries. Trans fats also increase triglyceride levels in the blood, adding to our risk
of cardiovascular disease.
The body needs dietary fat. Fat is a source of energy, it
allows the proper function of cells and the nervous system, and is required for the proper absorption of certain vitamins.
Fat also helps us maintain healthy hair and skin, and insulates
us from the cold. Nonetheless, we should limit our fat intake
to no more than 30 percent of daily calories. Anything lower
than 20 percent is unhealthy. Most of that fat should be
unsaturated. To help you better understand 'good & bad' fats
visit Low Fat Cooking.
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Here are heart healthy ways to cut fat from your diet:
- Use nonstick olive or canola oil cooking spray or at least choose liquid oils over solid fats.
- Choose extra-lean meat and skinless chicken breasts.
- Trim all visible fat from meat.
- Grill, broil, bake, braise, steam, poach, and microwave foods instead of frying them. Sautéing is ok with minimal amounts of oil, or use nonstick spray or broth instead.
- Drain fat from cooked meats and blot them with paper towel.
- Use vegetables, beans or whole grains to replace some of the meat in burgers or meatloaf.
- Coat chicken and fish in breadcrumbs rather than batter, and bake instead of frying.
- Choose chicken or turkey sausages instead of pork or beef sausages.
- Choose Canadian bacon or turkey bacon instead of regular bacon.
- Use one egg and two egg whites per person in your
favorite egg dishes or cakes; or cut fat and cholesterol completely by using egg substitute.
- Substitute two meat dishes each week for fish or
vegetarian meals.
- Use fat-free chicken broth or fat-free milk in mashed
potatoes, soups, gravies and stews.
- Try fat-free evaporated milk in creamy soups and
casseroles instead of heavy cream.
- Top your pies or line your tarts with phyllo dough instead of regular pastry.
- Oven-fry potatoes instead of making or buying French fries.
- Use herbs, spices, fruits and salsas to flavor your food.
- Substitute reduced fat cheeses for full-fat, and cut the amount you use.
- Choose reduced fat sour cream or yogurt instead of
full-fat versions for stews, dips & spreads.
- Use reduced fat or fat-free cream cheese instead of
regular for cheesecakes.
- Replace some of the fat in baked goods with applesauce, plain nonfat yogurt or low fat buttermilk.
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Learn and Live Quiz--
Click to get the resources
to live a longer, healthier life.
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