Friday, October 23, 2009

Be Healthy Part 1


For many of us, including myself, when I walked into my first Weight Watcher meeting my agenda was to lose weight. I never had any health problems so being healthy didn't really factor in. More and more being healthy is what I want.
What does that look like to you?
Off of medication? Taking a walk and not being exhausted? Olympic Volleyball champs? Not having aches and pains? Being able to sleep? We may each have our own version on what being healthy looks and feels like.

The Good Health Guidelines are a huge part of weight loss and being healthy. We discussed 4 of them this week.

Eat 5 servings of fruits and veggies every day. Leafy green are generally 1 cup and everything else is about 1/2 cup. Fruits and vegetables are a rich source of vitamins and minerals and reduce the risk of many diseases.

Have 2 Servings of milk products every day. 8 ounces of milk or calcium fortified soy milk count as 1 serving. Hard cheese, ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt and pudding all can count as a serving of mil products. (consult your book to see serving sizes) . Not only do milk products contain calcium but protein, vitamin and minerals. And it helps strengthen bones and teeth.

Eat 1-2 servings of lean protein every day. You can get your protein serving from lean meat, poultry fish and eggs. Also 1/2 cup dried peas, beans or lentils count as a serving. Proteins contain essential amino acids which are needed to repair and build body tissue.
(muscle!!)

Choose whole grains when possible. This could be whole grain cereal, bread, pasta, rice or grains. Generally (but not always) a serving is 1 cup cooked. Whole grains are packed with nutrients and lots of fiber. That fiber helps keep us satisfied longer too.

If you are missing out on one or more of these 4 Good Health Guidelines what can you do to ensure you get what your body needs?
It's all about the choices we make. Will you choose to take a healthy step this week? Write down your goal for this week and the steps you need to take to reach your goal. What will you do for yourself when you reach your weekly goal? (non food related, please!)

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