Information from NUTRITION Human Environmental Sciences Fit Extension ᮢ for ᮢ Life ᮢ Amy Sigman, Food Science and Human Nutrition Extension Assistant

o you want to feel great? ᮣ Pack some fresh . Try apples, Chances are, you do. So how C HALLENGES oranges, bananas, peaches, pears Ddo you get there? Healthy and grapes. habits can bridge the way to feeling CHOICES ᮣ Enjoy cut up plain or great. Read on to find out what you can & dipped into low-fat salad dressing. do for better health. Here are some fun, simple ways to ᮣ Heat up a bowl of soup. eat and vegetables with your ᮣ Drink your favorite fruit or vegetable Eat Smart meals and snacks. juice with your meal.

Eat more fruits Breakfast Lunch or dinner and vegetables ᮣ Top your with fruit. Try ᮣ Look for pre-cut vegetables at your Want one easy way to bananas, strawberries, blueberries local supermarket including lettuce, lower your risk of cancer, and peaches. spinach, cabbage, celery, broccoli, heart disease and high blood ᮣ Add fruit to plain, low-fat yogurt. cauliflower and shredded or baby pressure? Eat more fruits and ᮣ Drink a glass of cool fruit juice with carrots. Enjoy vegetables plain or vegetables. They are low-calo- breakfast. dip into low-fat salad dressing. rie, low-fat, and packed with ᮣ Whip up a fruit smoothie — blend 1 ᮣ Choose pre-cut fruits at your local fiber and nutrients. sliced banana, 8 oz. low-fat yogurt supermarket including melons and More good news: fruits and vegeta- (plain or flavored), 1 cup orange or pineapple. Enjoy fruit plain or dip bles often require little or no prepara- apple juice and a few ice cubes. into low-fat, fruit-flavored yogurt. tion. This makes them the perfect food ᮣ Top your pancakes or waffles with ᮣ Add fruit to your green salad. Try for your busy lifestyle. berries or sliced peaches. grapefruit, oranges, apples, berries ᮣ Slice an apple, sprinkle it with cinna- and grapes. For good health, eat at least mon, and pop it in the microwave ᮣ Make a fruit salad with your favorite 5 servings a day. until tender. canned fruit. Add cut up apple, One serving equals: ᮣ Cut up melon to go with your break- sliced banana and frozen berries. ᮣ one piece of fruit fast. ᮣ Mix an easy fruit cup with canned

3 ᮣ ⁄4 cup juice ᮣ Cook some in water or peaches, pineapple and pears.

1 ᮣ ⁄2 cup cooked, chopped or canned fruit juice to warm your morning. ᮣ Finish off your meal with dried fruit, fruit or vegetable such as apricots, peaches, pears, ᮣ 1 cup salad greens Brown-bag lunch raisins, dates, figs and prunes. ᮣ Add vegetables to sandwiches. ᮣ Use the microwave to bake potatoes Tomatoes, sprouts, lettuce and and sweet potatoes in a hurry, or to cucumbers add color and crunch. heat vegetables quickly.

University of Missouri-Columbia GH 6655 ᮣ ᮣ Serve colorful steamed vegetables Shopping tips over a baked potato. Top with a lit- ᮣ Buy fruits and vegetables in several forms: fresh, frozen, canned and dried. tle reduced-fat cheese. This makes it much easier to eat five a day. ᮣ Spice up your pasta, rice or potato ᮣ Try the local Farmer’s Market for good quality at low prices. salads. Add crunchy, raw vegeta- ᮣ At the supermarket, choose: bles like red or green bell peppers, broccoli and carrots. Frozen fruits without added sugar. ᮣ Add your favorite vegetables to Canned fruits packed in their own natural juices, or light syrup soup, entrees and pasta. Fruit juices that are 100-percent fruit juice (fruit drinks are mostly ᮣ Top your pizza with vegetables. Try sugar water, with a little fruit juice) onions, peppers, mushrooms and Frozen fruit juice concentrate - it is usually the least expensive tomatoes. form of juice ᮣ Add leftover meat or sliced, boiled Frozen berries - if fresh berries are not in season, frozen berries potatoes to your green salads. are the best buy ᮣ Mix up a great salad with leftover Plain frozen vegetables; added sauces are often high in fat and sodium vegetables and low-fat Italian Low-sodium or no-salt-added canned vegetables dressing. Canned fruits and vegetables on sale ᮣ Grill vegetable kabobs made with onions, peppers, squash, eggplant, tomatoes and mushrooms. On the go Hundreds of studies have shown ᮣ Try the salad bar. Choose plain, ᮣ Grab an apple, banana, grapes, a fruits and vegetables lower the risk of fresh fruits and vegetables in a box of raisins or a single-serving some diseases and keep us healthy. variety of colors. juice box on your way out the door. You may start eating more fruits and ᮣ When you stop at fast-food restau- vegetables for your health and keep Snacks rants, order a baked potato. eating them because they taste so ᮣ Grab 100-percent fruit juice to drink ᮣ Drink 100-percent pure fruit juice, good! instead of coffee or soda. usually available from convenience ᮣ Munch on baby carrots, snap peas stores, delis and fast-food restau- Eat Smart or cherry tomatoes. Eat them plain rants. Eat more fiber or dip into low-fat salad dressing. ᮣ Stop at a supermarket, and stock What gives fruits and ᮣ Satisfy a sweet tooth with dried fruit, up on fresh fruits and vegetables at vegetables their such as apricots, peaches, pears, the salad bar. crunch? What makes dates, figs, prunes and raisins. ᮣ Get a great deal at the roadside , beans and ᮣ Have a snack pack of canned fruit. fruit and vegetable stand — high chewy? The ᮣ Freeze fruit for a cool summer quality for low prices. answer to both questions snack. Try grapes, peeled bananas is fiber. Fiber is the part of and berries. Dessert foods that our bodies cannot ᮣ Make frozen fruit juice bars — with ᮣ Add chopped fruit to muffins, cakes digest. You may wonder then, why do 100-percent fruit juice. and cookies. we need it? ᮣ Cool your fruit juice with ice cubes ᮣ Top frozen low-fat or non-fat yogurt, We have known for a long time that made from grapefruit juice. sherbet or ice milk with your fiber aids in moving waste out of the ᮣ Add your favorite fruit to low- or favorite fruits. body regularly. New research says non-fat yogurt. ᮣ Bring a piece of angel food cake to fiber may also help prevent obesity ᮣ Drink a glass of tomato or vegetable life by topping it off with berries. and diseases such as diabetes, heart juice. ᮣ Make a healthy banana split. Slice a disease, stroke, diverticular disease banana lengthwise, and top with and some cancers. frozen, low- or non-fat yogurt, and top with strawberries or pineapple.

2 Human Environmental Sciences Extension There are two kinds of fiber that ᮣ Have a baked potato — and eat the ᮣ Grind oat bran or oatmeal as fine as help fight these diseases, insoluble and peel, too. flour in a food processor or blender. soluble. Insoluble fiber holds onto water ᮣ Mix carrots, pineapple and raisins Use to replace up to one-fourth of in the intestinal tract. for a high-fiber salad. the all-purpose flour called for in a This increases bulk, softens the ᮣ Sprinkle your salad with seeds. Try recipe. stool and aids in passing waste out of sunflower, sesame or pumpkin. EXAMPLE the body. Soluble fiber can help lower ᮣ Warm up with hearty bean soup. A recipe calls for 4 cups of all-purpose blood cholesterol and control blood ᮣ Make your pasta dishes more inter- flour. Adjustment: sugar levels. esting with vegetables. Try broccoli, Use 1 cup oat flour (made from ground Eating a combination of both insolu- carrots and tomatoes. oat bran or oatmeal) and 3 cups all- ble and soluble fiber is best. Insoluble ᮣ Add barley or brown rice to your purpose flour. fiber is found in foods such as whole vegetable soup. grains, wheat bran and some vegeta- ᮣ Add whole- breads and rice to ᮣ Grind bran cereal in a food proces- bles. Soluble fiber is found in foods your meal. sor or blender. Use to replace up to such as beans, oats, barley and some ᮣ Sprinkle whole-grain on sal- one-fourth of the all-purpose flour fruits and vegetables. ads, baked potatoes and called for in a recipe. How much is enough? The National casseroles — anywhere you want EXAMPLE Cancer Institute recommends 25 grams crunch. A recipe calls for 1 cup of all-purpose to 35 grams of fiber per day. Most flour. Adjustment:

1 3 Americans get much less. Snacks Use ⁄4 cup bran cereal flour and ⁄4 cup A word of caution: Talk with your ᮣ Munch on low-fat popcorn. all-purpose flour. doctor before making any major ᮣ Spread peanut on a celery change in your diet. Slowly add fiber to stick. your diet, but don’t eat more than 50 ᮣ Toast bread. Questions grams a day. Too much fiber can cause ᮣ Make your own high-fiber dip with & Answers gas, diarrhea and discomfort. It may mashed beans and tomato salsa. also prevent some minerals from being ᮣ Use fresh vegetables, whole grain Q. Does processing food change used by the body. crackers, or baked tortilla chips as how much fiber is in food? Read on for tips on how to get more dippers. A. Yes. Unprocessed plant foods are fiber into your meals and snacks. ᮣ Eat a banana, peach, pear or apple. the best source of fiber. A fresh apple has 3.0 grams of fiber. Apple Breakfast juice has no fiber. ᮣ Start your day with whole grain Recipe adjustments More examples are shown in the Com- bread, cereal or muffins. You can add high-fiber ingredients pare the Difference chart on page 4. ᮣ Top your cereal with fruit, dates or to your favorite recipes, and you will raisins. hardly know the difference. These Q. What is meant by whole grain? ᮣ Eat a piece of fresh fruit. ideas are only guidelines. Try them, A. Whole grain means the grain has ᮣ Try stewed or dried fruit. and see what works best for you. not been processed as much. This is important because processing Lunch or dinner ᮣ Use whole-wheat flour to replace often removes the outer layer of ᮣ Fix a sandwich on whole-grain one-fourth to one-half of the all-pur- the grain (called the bran) that con- bread. pose flour called for in a recipe. tains fiber. For example, whole ᮣ Add vegetables to your sandwich. EXAMPLE wheat flour contains fiber from the Try lettuce, sprouts, cucumbers and A recipe calls for 2 cups of all-purpose bran, while white flour contains mushrooms. flour. Adjustment: very little fiber.

1 1 ᮣ Add peas or corn to your green Use ⁄2 cup whole-wheat flour and 1 ⁄2 salad. cups all-purpose flour. Or use 1 cup whole-wheat flour and 1 cup all-pur- pose flour.

University of Missouri-Columbia 3 Q. Meat can be tough and chewy. Compare the Difference Does it have fiber in it? Less processed foods More processed foods A. No. Fiber is found only in plant foods Whole-wheat bread, 1 slice White bread, 1 slice including fruits, vegetables, grains, 2 grams fiber 0.6 grams fiber beans, legumes, nuts and seeds. 1 1 Brown rice, ⁄2 cup, cooked White rice, ⁄2 cup, cooked 2.4 grams fiber 1 gram fiber Q. I have heard fiber helps people 1 Fresh orange, 1 medium Orange juice, ⁄2 cup lose weight — is this true? 2 grams fiber 0 grams fiber A. Fiber itself does not cause us to lose weight. However, because eating foods with fiber makes us feel more How much fiber are you eating every day? full, we eat less. Food Grams of fiber All dairy products 0 Q. I want to choose high-fiber All meat, fish, and poultry 0 Fruit breads and cereals. What should Apple, 1 medium, with peel 3.0 I look for on food labels? Banana, 1 medium 2.5 A. For breads, look for whole grains. Peach, 1 medium, with skin 2.0 For example, whole-wheat flour, not Pear, 1 medium, with skin 4.5 just wheat flour. Look at the Nutri- Strawberries, 1 cup 3.5 tion Facts panel for grams of Vegetables 1 dietary fiber per serving. Choose Broccoli, ⁄2 cup, cooked 2.0 cooked and ready-to-eat cereals Carrot, 1 medium 2.3 1 with at least 2 grams of fiber per Spinach, ⁄2 cup, cooked 2.0 1 serving. The less fat and sugar, the Corn, ⁄2 cup, canned 3.0 1 better. Peas, frozen, ⁄2 cup 3.0 Potato, baked, with skin, 1 medium 3.6 Eating fiber can be simple. To start, Sweet potato, baked, with skin, 1 medium 3.4 Grains try a few ideas that sound good to you, 3 Bran flakes, ⁄4 cup 5.3 and work up to the recommended 3 Oatmeal, cooked, ⁄4 cup 1.6 amount. You’ll be doing yourself a Beans and legumes favor. 1 Kidney Beans, ⁄2 cup, cooked 7.3 1 Red Beans, ⁄2 cup, cooked 6.0 1 Eat Smart Lentils, ⁄2 cup, cooked 3.7 1 Peanuts, ⁄4 cup, roasted 3.0 Eat Less Fat (All fiber values listed are approximate.) You have probably heard dozens of times that eating less fat is good for you, but have you made the switch? 3. Make low-fat choices for the rest of rants, order the smaller burger While we were growing up, many of us the day when you do splurge. instead of the super or deluxe sizes. ate high-fat favorites such as cheese- ᮣ Use a small amount of reduced-fat burgers, french fries and milkshakes. Eat similar foods cheese instead of regular cheese. Now we know that high-fat diets are with less fat ᮣ Skip the mayonnaise or use a non- linked to heart disease and some types EXAMPLE fat mayonnaise dressing. of cancer. Does this mean we have to If your favorites include high-fat ᮣ Have a baked potato instead of stop eating high-fat foods altogether? cheeseburgers, french fries and milk- french fries. Use non-fat butter-fla- No! We have several choices. shakes, and you still want to eat them, vored granules instead of real butter. 1. Eat a similar food with less fat. here’s how you can lower the fat. ᮣ Try ice milk and skim milk for your 2. Choose high-fat foods less often, ᮣ Choose 85-percent lean ground beef shake instead of ice cream and and eat smaller servings. for the burger. At fast food restau- whole milk.

4 Human Environmental Sciences Extension Shopping tips MEAT, FISH AND POULTRY ᮣ Try marinades that are not high in READ LABELS ᮣ Red meat — Buy lean cuts such as oil, such as wine or lemon juice They can tell you how much fat is in round steak or roasts, flank steak, seasoned with spices. foods before you buy them. Look for: sirloin, tenderloin, and loin pork ᮣ Spice up vegetables and other foods 1. INGREDIENT STATEMENT chops. Trim the fat. Buy 85-percent with herbs and spices, lemon juice, ᮣ Ingredients are listed in order by lean ground beef. or non-fat, butter-flavored granules, weight. The first ingredient listed is ᮣ Fish — Buy frozen fish without not fat. present in the greatest amount, and breading and canned fish packed in ᮣ Cook soups, chili and spaghetti the last ingredient listed is present water, not oil. sauces one day before eating. in the least amount. ᮣ Poultry — Buy chicken, turkey and Refrigerate, and skim off solid fat. 2. NUTRITION FACTS game hens. Look for skinless parts, ᮣ How many calories are in a serving? or take off the skin before cooking. BAKING

1 1 ᮣ How many calories are from fat? Try ground turkey in place of ᮣ Lower fat by ⁄4 to ⁄3 in baked prod- ᮣ To get the percent calories from fat: ground beef. ucts. Replace it with pureed fruit Divide fat calories by total calories ᮣ Prepared poultry — Buy roasted such as applesauce or prunes. in a serving, and multiply by 100. poultry instead of fried. ᮣ Use two egg whites in place of one EXAMPLE whole egg. The fat is all in the yolk. Suppose you want to buy American VEGETABLE OILS, COOKING FATS ᮣ Use skim or one-percent milk Cheese: Buy in small amounts. Try vegetable instead of whole milk. 1 serving has 78 calories oil cooking spray so that you can add EXAMPLE: 56 calories are from fat as little fat as possible when you cook. A recipe calls for 1 cup of oil. Instead,

2 1 56/78 x 100 = 72% calories from fat use ⁄3 cup oil, and ⁄3 cup applesauce. FRUITS AND VEGETABLES Buy low- or non-fat salad dressings. CASSEROLES THAT CALL Buy plenty. Fruits and vegetables are FOR CREAM SOUPS naturally low in fat. Check labels for Cooking at home Use low-fat soups or this low-fat added sauces that may be high in fat. ᮣ Bake, grill, broil, roast or pan broil casserole sauce mix: meats and seafood. Throw away CASSEROLE SAUCE MIX PASTA, RICE, BREAD, drippings with fat. Yield: equal to 9 cans condensed soup CRACKERS AND CEREAL ᮣ Remove skin from poultry before 2 cups nonfat dry milk powder

3 Look for plain pasta and rice. Stay cooking. ⁄4 cup cornstarch

1 away from convenience foods with lots ᮣ Drain ground meat, and rinse with ⁄4 cup instant chicken or beef bouillon of added fat. Choose low-fat breads hot water after browning. granules (may use low sodium) such as sandwich bread, sourdough ᮣ Eat smaller servings of meat. Use 2 tablespoons onion flakes

1 bread, English muffins and bagels. rice or pasta with a small amount of ⁄2 teaspoon dried crushed thyme

1 Crackers are often high in fat. Choose meat mixed in as your main dish. ⁄2 teaspoon dried crushed basil

1 plain, saltine crackers or reduced-fat ᮣ White sauces, custards and pud- ⁄4 teaspoon pepper crackers. Buy cereals with 2 grams of dings: Use low-fat or non-fat dairy Other as desired fat or less per serving. Stay away from products. Blend all ingredients together in a donuts, sweet rolls, biscuits and crois- ᮣ Sauces and gravies: Thicken without mixing bowl. Store in an airtight con- sants — they are loaded with fat. adding fat. Mix corn starch or flour tainer. To use in place of one can con- with a small amount of cold liquid. densed soup in recipes:

1 DAIRY PRODUCTS Stir it slowly into the hot liquid that 1. In a saucepan, stir together ⁄3 cup

1 Buy skim milk, low-fat buttermilk, you want thickened. Cook and stir dry mix and 1 ⁄4 cups water. reduced-fat cheese, low- or non-fat until thick. 2. Cook over low heat, and stir until

1 1 yogurt, sour ⁄2 and ⁄2, or fat-free sour ᮣ Saute in a small amount of oil — thickened. cream. one teaspoon is often enough. Or, (Recipe from Iowa State University use vegetable oil cooking spray. Extension) ᮣ Buy a non-stick skillet.

University of Missouri-Columbia 5 TRY THESE LOW-FAT RECIPE IDEAS Healthy choices ᮣ Make a low-fat burrito. Wrap black This chart shows how many grams of fat are in some foods. Make the beans and salsa, topped with a little lower-fat choices! (All fat values listed are approximate.) reduced-fat cheese, in a flour tor- CHOOSE THIS INSTEAD OF THIS tilla. Heat, and top with non-fat Food Grams of Fat Food Grams of Fat yogurt. Bagel, 1 1.5 Donut, 1 raised 11.2 ᮣ Try a fruit cobbler with low-fat crumb topping, instead of pie with a high- Skim milk, 1 cup 0. Whole milk, 1 cup 8.0 fat crust. Vanilla ice milk, 2.8 Vanilla ice cream, 7.2 1 1 ᮣ Make chocolate milk or hot choco- ⁄2 cup ⁄2 cup late with skim milk and chocolate Non-fat, plain 0. Sour cream, 6.0 syrup. Make sure the chocolate yogurt, 2 Tbsp. 2 Tbsp. syrup you add is low in fat. Cheddar cheese, 6.0 Cheddar cheese, 7.5 ᮣ Mix up a low-fat salad dressing. If 1 1 reduced fat, ⁄4 regular, ⁄4 cup the recipe calls for sour cream, use cup shredded shredded non-fat yogurt. If the recipe calls for Evaporated skim 0. Whipping cream, 5.0 mayonnaise, use reduced or non- milk, 2 Tbsp. 2 Tbsp. fat mayonnaise dressing instead. ᮣ Oven-fry your chicken. Dip skinless Ground beef, extra 9.3 Ground beef, regular 11.7 lean, 2-oz. patty, cooked 2-oz. patty, cooked chicken pieces into skim milk or low-fat buttermilk, and roll in sea- Chicken, roasted, 2.6 Chicken, roasted, 6.2 soned bread crumbs or cornflake light meat, no skin light meat, with skin 2 oz. 2 oz. crumbs. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour on cookware sprayed lightly with vegetable oil cooking spray. Eating less fat may be hard at first, but your taste buds will Eating out learn to like it. Your waistline will thank you. ᮣ Read the menu for key words. ᮣ Look for menu items with these words in the description: steamed, in its own juice, garden fresh, ᮣ Use only small amounts of butter ᮣ Think about ordering a la carte — broiled, roasted, poached and dry and cheese spreads. Spread thinly maybe you don’t want everything broiled (in lemon juice or wine). if at all. that comes with the meal. ᮣ Avoid menu items with these words ᮣ Watch what you put on your salad. ᮣ Ask if you can order half a serving. in the description: buttered, butter Use low-fat or non-fat dressings. ᮣ Split an entree with a friend. sauce, creamy, cream sauce, Stay away from the creamy pasta ᮣ Order a couple of appetizers instead cheese sauce, gravy, hollandaise, salads and other high-fat items on of a large meal. marinated in oil, sauteed, fried, salad bars. ᮣ Choose low-fat items that are on the breaded and fried, au gratin, escal- ᮣ Ask questions to find out more about menu when you eat at fast food loped and casserole. what is in food and how it is restaurants. ᮣ Choose lean meat, and remove any cooked. ᮣ Stop eating when you are full. Ask fat. ᮣ Ask for condiments such as butter, for a take-home bag. ᮣ Remove skin from poultry. , sour cream, salad ᮣ Wait until you finish your meal ᮣ Limit breaded or fried items — order dressing and mayonnaise to be before you order dessert. If you still only once in a while. served on the side. want it, order a light one, such as ᮣ Order vegetables without added fat. ᮣ Ask for skim or one-percent milk. sorbet or fresh fruit. ᮣ Try broth-based soups instead of ᮣ Ask for low-fat items, even if you do ᮣ If you drink alcohol, drink only a cream soups. not see them listed on the menu. small amount. It can increase your appetite and adds calories.

6 Human Environmental Sciences Extension Questions Get ᮣ have pain or pressure in the chest, & Answers Moving neck, shoulder or arm during or Q. Which has more calories, a tea- Imagine a group of right after exercise spoon of sugar or a teaspoon of small children doing ᮣ have fainting or dizzy spells fat? nothing but sitting still. ᮣ become short of breath after light A. A teaspoon of fat, by far. It’s difficult, isn’t it? Our activity 1 teaspoon sugar = 16 Calories adult bodies are ᮣ have high blood pressure or do not 1 teaspoon fat = 36 Calories designed to be active too. know what your blood pressure is Q. What is an acceptable level of fat Yet as we get older, we often become ᮣ have a medical condition such as in my diet? less active. Many of us have sit-down diabetes, arthritis, back problems, A. The American Heart Association and jobs or watch a little too much TV in kidney or liver disease, orthopedic other health professionals recom- our spare time. or musculoskeletal problems, mend that we limit fat in our diets to Physical activity is important at all osteoporosis, metabolic problems, no more than 30 percent of total ages. It makes us look and feel great or any condition that would make calories. and can add years to our lives. exercise difficult EXAMPLE Look at the ways that exercise can You eat 2,000 calories a day. make your life better. It can help you: Stick with it To figure 30 percent of 2,000: lower blood pressure, lower blood cho- Make exercise a regular part of your 2,000 lesterol, stop smoking, lose weight or routine. Here are some tips for sticking x.30 maintain a healthy weight, and keep with it from people just like you: 600 calories from fat bones strong. ᮣ “I thought finding the time was hard To figure how many grams of fat you If the word exercise makes you think for me. Then I looked at how I spent can eat, divide calories-from-fat by 9 of aches and pains or expensive exer- my free time, and decided to watch (there are 9 calories in a gram of fat). cise equipment, think again. Physical less TV.” 600 = 67 grams of fat activity can be fun and can easily fit ᮣ “Exercise is part of my daily routine 9 into your busy lifestyle. now. I plan other activities around Q. Are all fats the same, or are some my exercise time.” fats better for me than others? Getting started ᮣ “Regular exercise helps me sleep at A. All fats have the same number of Make a list of activities that you enjoy. night.” calories. Limit all fat in your diet. You may like team sports, bicycling with ᮣ “I work out with a friend who is faith- However, research has shown that a group, or walking by yourself. ful about exercising, and it helps we may benefit from having more Think about comfort. Find some keep me going.” polyunsaturated and monounsatu- walking shoes that support your feet ᮣ “I walk because it makes me feel rated fat in our diet than saturated and feel good. Wear loose-fitting cloth- good.” fat. Which is which? Here are some ing — layers are ideal because you can examples. peel them off as your body warms up. What kind of physical ᮣ Polyunsaturated fats: Corn, sun- Talk to your doctor before you start activities suit you best? flower, safflower, , sesame shaping up. It is especially important if We all benefit from different kinds of seed and cottonseed oils. you: exercise. Aerobic, non-aerobic and ᮣ Monounsaturated fats: Olive, peanut ᮣ are over 40 weight-bearing activities are all impor- and canola oils. ᮣ have not been physically active for a tant. Aerobic activities make the heart ᮣ Saturated fats: Fats that are solid at long time pump faster, which helps keep it healthy. room temperature. Butter, lard, ᮣ are overweight Examples of aerobic activities are brisk solid vegetable shortening, and ᮣ have heart disease or heart trouble walking, jogging, swimming, bicycling, tropical oils such as palm, palm of any kind, have had a heart cross-country skiing and dancing. kernel and coconut oils. Fast foods attack, or there is a family history of Non-aerobic activities improve and packaged baked goods are heart attack before age 55 strength, flexibility, and muscle tone. often high in saturated fat. ᮣ have had a stroke Examples include bending and stretch- ᮣ have high blood cholesterol ing exercises and weight-lifting.

University of Missouri-Columbia 7 Weight-bearing exercise is good for For more information on fitness and proud of your body, and enjoy what it your bones. Strong bones help prevent health, call or write the following: does for you. osteoporosis, a disease that often President’s Council on Physical Fit- If you need to gain or lose weight for leads to broken bones. Examples of ness & Sports health reasons, use common sense. weight-bearing activities are walking, 701 Pennsylvania Ave NW Eat smart, stay active and let the jogging, dancing, and strength training Suite 250 change happen over time as a result of or weight-lifting. Washington D.C. 20004 your good habits. (202) 272-3421 Make it a habit to think positively How much is enough? American Running & Fitness about your body. Here are some tips Experts say adults need 30 minutes Association (800) 776-ARFA for accepting yourself and staying with or more of moderate exercise every a healthy lifestyle. day or at least most days. Ten minutes, Think your way to a healthy three times a day is fine. Build from lifestyle POSITIVE THINKING TIPS there. For better health and fitness, do Picture yourself ᮣ Appreciate yourself! 20 minutes of aerobic activity three waking up one day ᮣ Believe you can. Lots of people times per week. Make sure you are not and being satisfied have made the switch to a healthy over-doing during aerobic activity. You with your body. You lifestyle. You can too. should still be able to carry on a con- look and feel great. ᮣ Do it for yourself. Choose a healthy versation without being out of breath. You like yourself just the lifestyle — You deserve it! Most importantly: way you are. If this is ᮣ Be realistic. If you need to make JUST DO SOMETHING! hard to imagine, you are changes, take them one step at a ᮣ Walk to the neighborhood store not alone. Many of us want to improve time. Don’t expect results overnight. instead of driving. our eating and exercise habits. We ᮣ Don’t be hard on yourself. Every- ᮣ Park in the far corner of the lot. may wish we felt better about our- body gets off-track once in a while. ᮣ Take the stairs instead of the selves. The good news is thinking posi- It doesn’t mean that you have elevator. tively can open the door to a healthy failed. You can get back on track. ᮣ Take several short walks daily. A 15- lifestyle. Feeling good about ourselves ᮣ Find support. Spend time with peo- minute walk in the morning plus 5 is the first step. Lots of people have ple who believe in themselves and minutes after lunch and 10 minutes done it, and so can you. you. If you think a professional after dinner adds up to 30 minutes counselor or support group would a day. BODY IMAGE help, they are available. Check with ᮣ Enjoy some activity with your kids — Everywhere we look we get the your doctor, local hospital or the baseball, bicycling, hiking! message that thin bodies are best, Community Services pages of your ᮣ Aerobic activity three to five times a especially for women. It’s no wonder telephone book. week can help make your heart we end up worrying about our weight ᮣ Do something nice for yourself now, strong, lower blood pressure, lower and dieting. Yet dieting can cause ups not later. Treat yourself to some- body fat and make you feel more and downs in weight that are not good thing really good for you. It may energetic. for us. And being thin does not mean help you stay on the path to health. You can get into shape and stay fit we’re healthy. without pain. No pain, no gain, makes Healthy bodies come in many Fit for life no sense. Listen to your body. If you shapes and sizes. Mother Nature gave If you want to be fit for life, choose feel pain, nausea, extreme breathless- us our height, bone size and basic healthy habits. Eat smart. Cut fat by ness or pain in the chest during physi- body shape. Tell yourself that your eating more fruits, vegetables and fiber. cal activity, stop. body is OK. Think about your best fea- Get moving. Your body will love you for The best thing you can do for your tures. When you get a compliment, it. Think positively. It will help you get fit health is to get moving. accept it by saying, “Thank you!” Be and stay fit for life!

■ Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension Work Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the University United States Department of Agriculture. Ronald J. Turner, Interim Director, Cooperative Extension, University of Missouri and Lincoln University, Columbia, MO 65211. ■ If you have special needs as addressed by the Extension Americans with Disabilities Act and need this publication in an alternative format, write ADA Officer, Extension UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI and Agricultural Information, 1-98 Agriculture Building, Columbia, MO 65211, or call (573) 882-8237. Reasonable COLUMBIA efforts will be made to accommodate your special needs. ■ An equal opportunity institution. $1.00 GH 6655 3/96/3M