|
|
(HealthNewsDigest.com) – It is that time of year when we make promises to eat better, lose weight, stop smoking, exercise regularly, sleep more, and reduce our stress. Within a few days after the New Year you have even more stress because you have already broken some of the resolutions you made. A better approach to making changes in the New Year is to think small. Small consistent changes can add up to significant change over time.
Watch a little less TV. For every hour you spend in front of the TV each day you increase your risk of dying from all causes by 11%, a 9% increase risk of dying from cancer, and an 18% increased risk of dying from heart disease. Start moving. A typical half hour TV show has 8 to 12 minutes of commercials. Instead of surfing with the remote, get up and walk in place. Researchers showed that 21 minutes of walking in place equaled 2,100 steps and burned 150 calories. The average American watches 3 to 5 hours of TV a day. Walking in place through 5 hours of commercials could burn more than 500 calories.
Eat a handful of walnuts each day. Walnuts fight inflammation and are rich in antioxidants and heart-heathy, omega-3 fats all of which protect cells against damage. As part of a healthy diet, walnuts can help to reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer and diabetes. You only need to eat 7 walnuts a day (14 halves or 1 ounce) to get a health benefit.
Aim to sleep at least 7 hours each night. Researchers have found that lack of sleep stimulates the part of the brain that is involved with appetite. Those who get too little sleep are hungrier.
Eat a rainbow every day. Fruits and vegetables are nature’s rainbow of nutrients. Instead of worrying about which food has what vitamin or mineral, just pick a colorful variety. Every fruit and vegetable, even a dab of salsa or ketchup on your lunch contributes to your overall nutrient intake daily.
Switch from white bread to whole wheat bread. It is such a simple change that offers excellent health benefits over time. White bread is made from the part of the wheat kernel that is high in starch. Whole wheat is made from the entire kernel rich in fiber, vitamin and minerals. Every serving counts. Start with 1 serving a day and eventually aim for 3. Those who eat more whole grain foods also eat more fruits and vegetables, exercise more, and don’t smoke. Is it whole grain foods or a healthy lifestyle or the combination that makes this group more disease free? We don’t know but we do know that it works.
Eat potassium-rich foods each day. Potassium helps to lower blood pressure and most Americans need to get more. Foods high in potassium include: white and sweet potatoes, oranges and orange juice, tomatoes and tomato juice, milk, yogurt, beans, banana, avocado and spinach.
Eat fish regularly to protect your brain. Those who ate baked or broiled fish at least once a week had greater grey matter in areas of the brain responsible for memory and reasoning. It did not matter how much omega-3 fatty acids the fish contained. This suggests that eating any type of fish regularly can help to delay dementia later in life.
For Families:
Eat together at least a few times a week. Family meals are becoming extinct. Moms are buying and stocking the kitchen with grab-and-go, 24/7 food choices that fit the family’s preferences and schedules. This is too bad because family meals shape more than food habits. Eat together. It is more important than you think.
Make family meals healthier. Only 23% of all family meals include a vegetable.
If vegetables are a hard sell try raw carrots, celery, raw pepper strips or cherry tomatoes. Or swap vegetables for fruit – watermelon, apple slices, fresh grapes, applesauce, or strawberries. Remember you need to eat some, too.
Parents need to eat well. Sadly, becoming parents doesn’t make us eat better. It should. Remember monkey-see, monkey do. Your little ones are watching and learning from you every day. Teach them well.
Make sure the kids eat breakfast. Eating breakfast after a full night of fasting not only feeds a child’s belly but it feeds their brain too, promoting brain development and learning. Interacting with parents during breakfast promotes vocabulary and may increase IQ.
Bottom line: Change takes time but it is worth the effort because small changes reap big results. Have a healthy New Year.
© 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 sales of more than 8.5 million books.
Look for:
The Diabetes Counter, 5th Ed., 2014
The Fat and Cholesterol Counter, 2014
The Most Complete Food Counter, 3rd ed., 2013
The Calorie Counter, 6th Ed., 2013
The Complete Food Counter, 4th ed., 2012
The Protein Counter, 3rd Ed., 2011
The Ultimate Carbohydrate Counter, 3rd Ed., 2010
The Healthy Wholefoods Counter, 2008
Your Complete Food Counter App: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/your-complete-food-counter/id444558777?mt=8
For more information on Jo-Ann and her books, go to: www.TheNutritionExperts.com.
###
Advertise/promote your products/services:
Call Mike McCurdy at 877-634-9180 or email [email protected] We have 7,000 journalists as subscribers.