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The Good News Guide for Healthy Women
from the American Dietetic Association
There's good news about women's health that can affect the way every
woman looks and feels about herself.
You don't have to go to extremes in diet and exercise to be healthy and
attractive. Instead, there's exciting new evidence that achieving and
maintaining a "healthy weight" has a significant impact on a woman's
health and well-being.
Simple changes in what you eat do not only affect your appearance, they
may reduce your risk for developing heart disease, osteoporosis,
diabetes and certain types of cancer, diseases that strike millions of
women each year.
The best news is that it's the little things you do, the small changes,
that can make the most difference to your health.
Now is the perfect time to make small, easy changes--changes that can
lead to big benefits in how you look and feel and put you in charge of
your life.
Healthy Weight/Healthy Women
A key to taking charge of your own health is to be at a healthy weight.
New studies show that excessive weight gain and/or obesity may place
women at a higher risk for all five leading causes of death in which
diet plays a role: heart disease, certain types of cancer, stroke,
diabetes and atherosclerosis.
But the news for women wishing to lose weight is excellent.
Healthy weight may be more attainable than you think. Scientific
research indicates that if you're overweight, losing just 5 percent to
10 percent of your total body weight can have positive health benefits.
As a result, experts recommend that you create a realistic goal and aim
to lose just 10 percent of your total body weight. Being realistic about
your weight goal also makes it easier to maintain, so you can continue
to reap the benefits.
Even a small weight loss combined with regular physical activity can
deliver big results in reducing health risks. Studies show that in some
overweight people, losing as little as two pounds lowers blood
cholesterol; and for others, losing seven pounds can bring high blood
pressure down to normal. It is important not to lose weight too rapidly.
The recommended rate of weight loss is 1/2-1 pound a week and not more
than 2 pounds a week.
Chances are very good that achieving and maintaining a healthy weight
will make you look and feel better, too.
Heart Disease
You can take steps to protect yourself against heart disease--the
leading cause of death in women.
Many risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure and
high blood cholesterol, can be directly influenced by your diet,
physical activity and body weight.
To reduce your chances for heart disease--and to help you maintain a
healthy weight, choose a diet lower in fat, saturated fat and
cholesterol and high in complex carbohydrates (breads, cereals, pasta
and dried beans), fruits and vegetables. Become less sedentary and more
physically active.
Osteoporosis
If you're not concerned about osteoporosis, you're not looking very far
ahead. A major disease for women, it can affect your vitality as you
grow older. Osteoporosis causes decreased bone density or strength and
makes bone fractures much more likely later in life.
The good news is you can reduce your risk of osteoporosis by getting
enough calcium and vitamin D and weight-bearing exercise. This is
especially important for young girls between the ages of 8 and 16 when
most bone density is formed, a process that continues until around age
35. Getting adequate calcium and vitamin D is essential for women of all
ages; even after menopause, eating calcium-rich foods results in slower
bone loss.
Breast Cancer
The role of food choices in breast cancer is less clear, but still
promising.
In studies of different population groups, women eating low-fat diets
appear to have a reduced risk of developing breast cancer.
Recently, some studies have indicated that women who have gained a large
amount of weight during adulthood may have an increased risk of breast
cancer.
Where your fat is stored in your body may also be important. Some early
studies show that women with excess fat around their abdomens--an "apple
shape" rather than a "pear shape"--may also be at increased cancer risk.
Many ongoing studies are now examining these issues in greater depth.
Meanwhile, it would be wise to choose a low-fat diet, rich in fruits,
vegetables and complex carbohydrates, and to achieve and maintain a
healthy weight.
Diabetes
For persons with diabetes, maintaining a healthy weight and eating a
healthy diet are important for good diabetes control.
Diet and exercise work together to improve diabetes control. A diet that
is low in saturated fat is recommended for persons with diabetes.
If you have diabetes, it is wise for you to see a registered dietitian
to talk about what is best for you to eat. In addition to a dietitian or
diabetes educator, see a health care provider, such as a physician, for
your diabetes care.
Good News Guidelines
Smart Eating and Active Living Put You In Charge
The good news gets even better. The same eating and activity habits that
will protect your health are also most likely to help you reach or
maintain a healthy weight.
The best news is it's possible to learn and follow one set of good
habits that will help you achieve all these goals--simultaneously--by
using the guidelines below.
Plan to eat a diet that is lower in fat and high in carbohydrates
(bread, rice, pasta), fruits and vegetables, and be sure to get the
calcium and other nutrients you need every day. You want to become less
sedentary and increase your physical activity.
Guidelines for Healthy Eating
Here's the foundation for an overall healthy diet. Keep in mind, you
don't need to do everything at once to get started. Select one or two
recommendations to put into practice, such as eating an extra piece of
fruit and a calcium-rich food each day. When you feel you've mastered
these small changes, try others. Remember, your goal is to make changes
gradually, going as slowly as necessary so you can stick with them.
The Food Guide Pyramid
can help you plan what to eat each day. Foods at the base of the
pyramid--breads, cereals, rice and pasta, vegetables, and fruits--should
form the foundation of your healthy food choices.
On this sound base, you can add dairy foods like milk, yogurt, and
cheese and protein foods such as meats, poultry, fish, dried beans,
eggs, and nuts in moderate portions. The top of the pyramid--fats and
sweets--can be eaten sparingly.
Include plenty of calcium. Recommendations are 1200 mg each day for
women ages 11-24 years and for those pregnant or nursing. All other
women should have at least 800 mg of calcium each day. This means eating
several servings of calcium-rich foods every day like milk, cheese, and
yogurt (choose low-fat varieties), canned sardines and salmon with
bones, and leafy green vegetables like broccoli and kale. (One cup of
milk provides about 300 mg of calcium.)
If they are factors in your life, excess alcohol consumption, caffeine
intake, and cigarette smoking should be curbed as you make positive
changes in your eating habits and activity.
Tips to help you practice the nutrition basics...
These simple tips can help you remember how to follow the
recommendations listed above.
The Color/Crunch Test.
Try to choose foods with a variety of colors and textures at each meal.
The Pie Test.
Think of your plate as a pie. 75% of the pie is made up of fruits,
vegetables and grains, 25% of other foods such as dairy products or
protein foods.
Five-a-Day.
Five servings of vegetables and fruits each day are important for your
good health. Count them as you go along.
Tips to make food preparation a snap:
Preparing meals with less fat doesn't have to be tough or confusing.
Salad dressings, mayonnaise and cheese account for much of the fat in a
woman's diet. Substitute nonfat or low fat varieties. Cut down on butter
or margarine, or choose low fat varieties. Choose leaner meats, poultry
and fish.
Make vegetables, dried beans and grains the main dish and use meats,
cheese and eggs as side dishes.
If you like convenience, shop for packaged foods that are lower in fat
and calories and add pizzazz to your meals. There are many
single-serving frozen entrees that you might never prepare from
"scratch" that can be delicious additions to your daily fare.
Guidelines For An Active Lifestyle
Being less sedentary doesn't necessarily mean strenuous exercise, it
just means moving more. Again, take it one step at a time so the changes
you make become a permanent part of your lifestyle.
To get started, just add extra steps to what you normally do--walk an
extra block or "window shop" around the mall before entering a store.
Learn to replace periods of inactivity with activity--stand up and walk
in place during a TV commercial or choose stairs whenever you can.
Rediscover how good your body feels when it's active. Walk more
frequently, play the radio and dance, garden, ride a bike--whatever you
enjoy enough to do regularly.
Guidelines To A Healthy Attitude
Your thoughts and attitude play a big part in taking positive steps.
Here are some important ideas to keep in mind as you choose to live more
healthfully.
All foods can be part of a healthy diet. There are no good or bad foods,
simply some that are best eaten frequently and others occasionally or in
moderation. Make trade-offs in your food choices to achieve balance
overall.
Plan ahead when you can. Shop smart and stock up on lower fat foods.
Decide what meals you will have each day and then stick to your plan.
Periodic overeating, or eating more sweet or fatty foods does not mean
that you have failed. In fact, it's normal. The key is to aim for
balance. If you overeat one day, be more active or make lower fat food
choices the next day. Learning this balancing act is a key part of
maintaining a healthy weight and eating a balanced diet.
Your health is the foundation of your well-being. Good health enables
you to do what you want to do, whereas illness limits your abilities.
Give yourself credit everyday for even the smallest step you take to be
healthy. Each one is evidence that you are empowering yourself to live a
higher quality of life.
The Power of Group Support...
Changing your nutrition and activity habits can be overwhelming. You
don't have to do it alone. If it seems frustrating to put this all
together, consider joining a group of people who can support and advise
you along the way. You may find it's easier and more fun when you are
with people with similar goals.
The Nutrition & Health
Campaign for Women, sponsored by The American Dietetic Association
and its Foundation, is a national effort to promote the role of
nutrition in women's health.
For more information:
The American Dietetic Association/National Center for Nutrition and
Dietetics Consumer Nutrition Hot Line. For food and nutrition
information or for a
referral to a registered dietitian in your area, call 800/366-1655.
For customized answers to your food and nutrition questions by a
registered dietitian, call 900/CALL-AN-RD (900/225-5267). The cost of
the call will be $1.95 for the first minute and $.95 for each additional
minute.
Copyright © 1996-2000 The American Dietetic Association. Reprinted with
permission.
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