• January 18-24 Healthy Weight Week from the Healthy Weight Network

You may know that a healthy lifestyle contributes to a stronger immune system, greater self-confidence, more healthy energy and vitality, reduction in your risk of degenerative disease, and a more optimistic viewpoint on a daily basis. But how can you take that information and apply it to your life in a way that works for you? We hope to increase your motivation for healthy change by answering the following questions:

What can exercise do for you?
Keeping your body moving is essential for a healthy metabolism, stress control and natural energy production. A sedentary lifestyle invites the body to exchange lean muscle for fat, which slows your metabolism, promotes weight gain and a depressed immune system and paves the way for degenerative disease. Strive for some form of exercise that lasts at least 20 minutes, three times per week at minimum, and build from there. Remember, regular exercise:

Contributes to a healthy heart, body and mind Helps reduce the effects of heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, arthritis and obesity Supports strong bones, muscles and joints, and builds endurance and muscular strength Helps you reach and maintain a healthy weight Lowers risk factors for cardiovascular disease, colon cancer and Type II diabetes Helps control blood pressure Promotes healthy self esteem and a positive outlook Reduces feelings of depression and anxiety

To get an accurate gauge of your fitness, learn your body mass index (BMI), which is a measure of weight adjusted for height. Click here to have your BMI calculated in seconds. Another way to determine your fitness is to learn your body fat percentage. This test—offered free at many gyms and health clubs—is a far more accurate indicator of fitness than the reading on your bathroom scale, which fails to distinguish between fat and lean muscle.

How will a healthy body weight improve your life?
Maintaining your ideal body weight has been shown to reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke and some types of cancer, among other issues. By eating a healthy diet—with high calorie foods only in moderation—you will find it easier to reach and maintain a healthy weight. In doing so, you will feel better, have more energy and strengthen your immune system while minimizing your risk of long term health problems. As a bonus, you will also likely experience a boost in your self-esteem and a more optimistic attitude on a daily basis.

How can you easily incorporate healthier foods into your diet?
Aim for at least five to nine fruit and vegetable servings daily. Enjoy more salads, sampling the endless variations on the theme: Greek and Taco, spinach, grilled vegetable, low-fat Cobb, and so many more. You can find many beautifully prepared salads at Trader Joe's, as well as health food stores like Whole Foods Market.

Enliven your meals with vegetables, like steamed broccoli or baked potatoes with low-fat toppings, steamed or grilled asparagus, baked yams and corn-on-the-cob. For optimal health, aim to obtain most of your calories from plant foods, such as legumes, grains, fruits and vegetables. If you eat a lot of high fat/high calorie foods during a special occasion, don't worry, just return to healthier eating the next day. Incorporate fresh fruit and veggies as snacks between meals, and take advantage of smoothies on the go.

Why should you know about "good" vs. "bad" fats?
Are you getting enough good fat? You may know that all fats are not created equal. Some—like essential fatty acids—sustain and build health. Saturated animal fats, on the other hand—found primarily in meats and dairy products—are those most strongly linked to heart disease, cancer and many other health problems.

Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are referred to as "essential" since they must be provided by the diet, and can not be manufactured by our bodies. EFAs include omega-6 linoleic acid and omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid. The omega-6 fatty acids, found in large amounts in vegetable oils, are all too plentiful in the diets of most Americans. The omega-3 fatty acids—less frequently consumed by Americans—are supplied by flaxseeds and flaxseed oil, walnuts, walnuts, dark leafy greens, and cold water fish, such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel.

Optimal health depends on eating the right balance of the omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Dr. Michael Murray, N.D., author of The Encyclopedia of Nutritional Supplements (Prima Publishing, 1996), discusses the optimal ratios of omega-3 to omega-6 EFAs. He notes that although the ideal ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 is 4:1, most Americans consume far more omega-6 than omega-3 EFAs—typically at a ratio of 20:1. Dr. Murray points out that this imbalance is largely due to the fact that omega-6 EFAs are the primary fatty acids found in refined oil products and most processed foods. For optimal health, target the omega-3 EFAs by consuming flaxseed oil, walnuts, and fatty fish, like salmon.

Why should you scale back on saturated fat and cholesterol?
Consumption of foods high in fat and cholesterol has been shown to contribute to heart disease, diabetes, obesity and some forms of cancer. According to the National Academy of Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Senate Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society and at least 20 other authoritative agencies and organizations in the United States and abroad, a low fat, high-fiber diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables offers the best disease prevention across the board, as well as immediate wellness benefits.

What should you know about "good" vs. "bad" carbohydrates?
When choosing carbohydrates, target whole, unrefined complex carbohydrates. According to Dr. Elson Haas, M.D., and founder and director of the Preventive Medical Center of Marin, highly starchy foods—like refined white flour bread, bagels and pretzels, white potatoes and white rice—break down quickly, causing the release of extra insulin that burdens your metabolism.

Unrefined complex carbohydrates on the other hand—such as brown and wild rice, whole-wheat bread, oatmeal, popcorn, nuts, seeds, and beans—provide your body with a steadier stream of glucose and other nutrients. These hearty foods are also higher in nutrients and fiber, promoting a more gradual energy release. This enables you to avoid the rapid insulin production that causes blood sugar spikes, burdens your metabolism and leads to weight gain.

How can you easily make healthier choices in restaurants?
The following tips are easy to remember, and will make all the difference when eating out:

Starting a meal with soup is a healthy choice, filling you up so you eat less heavier fare. Good choices are any broth-based soup, Miso, minestrone, black bean or split pea, etc. Avoid fatty, cream-based soups

How can you easily provide healthy foods for families on the go?

Preparation is key. Organize healthy snacks to fit the needs of the trip or occasion Plan a destination to a restaurant offering nutritious choices. You can usually find salads, vegetables, baked potatoes, rice and bean dishes, healthy sandwiches, grilled fish, etc. If visiting friends, offer to bring (a healthy) part of the meal Recognize that the healthy option is often as easy to prepare as the unhealthy one: bean and rice burritos, veggie burgers, turkey or tofu franks, instead of hamburgers or nitrate-laden hot dogs and lunchmeats Plan ahead to bring along some healthful, protein-rich spreads like hummus or low-fat bean dip. Include easy to pack vegetables and whole grain crackers, low-fat tortilla chips or bread sticks. Grapes, bananas and apples travel well.

How can you make smart dessert choices?

What can you expect to gain from nutritional supplements?
Although many of us have the right intentions with our diets, the reality is that less than 9% of Americans get the minimal five servings of fresh fruits and vegetables per day that deliver the RDA of essential nutrients, according to the US Department of Agriculture. Therefore, it can be very difficult to obtain all the nutrients we need to function at peak levels through our diets alone.

As long as your supplements are of high quality and are well absorbed, you should experience more energy and day-to-day well being. A recent New England Journal of Medicine article written by Dr. Edward Schieber stated that a lifetime of reduced levels of essential nutrients was a likely cause of a number of degenerative diseases of aging, like heart disease, arthritis and cancer.

What immediate benefits can you expect with healthy lifestyle changes?
Healthy lifestyle changes will reduce your risk of all major degenerative diseases in the long run, but what can a healthy diet, regular exercise and proper nutritional supplementation do for you in the short term? If you have ever made a concerted effort to consistently make healthy changes, you most likely experienced the short term reward of increased energy, a more positive attitude, better appearance, a heightened immune system and improved sleep, among other benefits. And healthy changes have a cumulative effect. The more positive changes you make and incorporate into your lifestyle on a regular basis, the greater and more evident the benefits over time.