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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – As we ring in the New Year and resolve to eat better, exercise more, and lose weight, here are some health tips to get you started.
When it comes to your health size does matter.
For men, if your waist measures more than 40 inches (for women 38 inches) you are at greater risk for diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke and other serious health problems.
Set your exercise goal.
To improve health = 30 minutes of brisk walking most days of the week.
To lose weight = 60 minutes of exercise most days of the week.
To maintain weight loss = 60 to 90 minutes of walking every day of the week.
Food journals work.
People who keep track of what they eat are less likely to overeat and more likely to make healthy lifestyle changes.
Extra pounds are hard on your teeth.
Weighing too much puts you at risk for cavities, tooth loss and bad breath.
Avoid the junk food blues.
Research shows that people who eat the most junk food had a 58% higher risk of depression. Healthy food equals a good mood.
Too much alcohol can hurt your heart.
Drinking too much alcohol can damage your liver and your brain but did you know that it can cause an irregular heartbeat? Men who drank 5 or more beers a day had a 46% chance of suffering an irregular heartbeat. Women who drank 2 drinks a day had a 60% chance of having atrial fibrillation.
Eating and drinking does not cause indigestion.
Though alcohol slows down digestion, having a drink or glass of wine with a heavy meal will not cause more indigestion such as heartburn, belching and bloating.
Cut the chocolate, cut the milk.
When flavored lowfat milk was removed from school cafeterias, kids drank 35% to 50% less milk. In a perfect world our kids would make perfect choices. In the real world a little lowfat chocolate milk might be better than no milk at all.
Baby fat may predict future health problems.
In a study of 16,000 children, over 40% of overweight children, aged 3 to 5, showed early warning signs for future heart disease. At the next check-up, ask your doctor where your child falls in the range of healthy or unhealthy weights.
Eat beans, live longer.
Eating as little as 1 ounce of beans a day can reduce your risk of dying by 8%. No other food, by itself, predicted a long life across different ethnic groups.
Your sperm reflects what you eat.
Men who eat large amounts of meat and full fat dairy products have lower semen quality than those who eat fruits, vegetables and reduced fat dairy foods. Citrus fruits, peppers and spinach lower oxidative stress which affects semen quality, and improves sperm concentration, mobility and structure.
Look for the Whole Grain Stamp.
Over 4,400 foods are displaying it. The Dietary Guidelines advises everyone over the age of 9 to eat 3 servings of whole grains every day. The Whole Grain Stamp can help you find these healthy foods.
© NRH Nutrition Consultants, Inc.
Jo-Ann Heslin, MA, RD, CDN is a registered dietitian and the author of the nutrition counter series for Pocket Books with 12 current titles and sales of more than 8.5 million books. The books are widely available at your local or on-line bookseller.
Current titles include:
The Diabetes Counter, 4th Ed., 2011
The Protein Counter, 3rd Ed., 2011
The Calorie Counter, 5th Ed., 2010
The Ultimate Carbohydrate Counter, 3rd Ed., 2010
The Complete Food Counter, 3rd ed., 2009
The Fat Counter, 7th ed., 2009
The Healthy Wholefoods Counter, 2008
The Cholesterol Counter, 7th Ed., 2008
For more information on Jo-Ann and her books, go to TheNutritionExperts
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