Eat Wisely It All Boils Down To What You Eat:
Our lives are full of options! Every day, you have optimal health and well-being. For Fitness, there are thousands of options, many of which are related to food. Some appear insignificant. Others are critical. A few of them may even change the course of your life. However, as insignificant as a single choice may appear, when repeated, it can have a significant impact on your health—and your life! This book is about choices—choices about food, nutrition, and health that you, your family, and your friends make every day. Its pages contain dependable nutrition information and sound advice based on scientific evidence. It provides you with practical methods for making healthy food choices in almost any situation and at any stage of life. It also encourages you to appreciate the pleasures of food. After all, most people choose one food over another based on taste.
Most importantly, the pages' practical tips and flexible guidelines assist you in selecting nutritious, flavorful foods to match your own needs, preferences, and lifestyle—even as your life and family situation change. One of the wisest decisions you'll ever make is to eat for health.
Fitness Improving Your Overall Health:
What does fitness mean to you? Maybe being free of disease and other health issues? Or how about having a lot of energy, a trim or muscular body, or the ability to complete a 10K run or fitness walk? The term "fitness" encompasses a much broader and more personal range of concepts. It is about your overall health and comfort Fitness, or wellness is your optimal state of health. Being fit affects all aspects of your health, not just your physical health, but also your emotional and mental well-being. They are linked. Smart eating and physical activity are essential to all three. When you're in shape, you have:
-Energy to do what matters to you and be more productive.
-Stamina and a positive attitude to deal with the mental challenges and emotional ups and downs of daily life, as well as stress.
-Reduced risk for a variety of health problems, including serious, often life-changing diseases like heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and osteoporosis.
--The chance to look and feel your best.
-Excellent physical strength and endurance to defend yourself in an emergency.
-A better chance of having a higher quality of life and possibly living for a longer period.
Fit Is Forever:
Fitness at any age or stage of life is dependent on healthy eating and physical activity. The sooner you make them a priority, the better your health will be.
That, too, is the focus of this book: how to eat for health and stay physically active throughout the life cycle while also enjoying delicious food!
Fitness is promoted by two lifestyle habits: good nutrition and regular physical activity. They are, however, not the only ones. To stay fit, make the following healthy lifestyle choices: get enough sleep, avoid smoking, manage stress, drink alcoholic beverages in moderation (if you drink), wear your seat belt, practice good hygiene, get regular medical checkups, and obtain adequate health care, to name a few.
Smart Eating: Fuel for Exercise
What does it take to be and stay in shape? You don't need any special or expensive foods, nor do you need any fancy exercise equipment or a health club membership. You don't have to give up your favorite foods or establish a time-consuming system of eating rules or calorie counting. You also don't have to reach a certain weight on the bathroom scale.
You’veheardtheterm“nutrition” all your life.
It's all about the food-fitness connection. In a nutshell, nutrition is the process by which food nourishes your body. And being well-nourished entails getting enough of the nutrients your body requires—but not too much—as well as maintaining a healthy weight. Healthful eating fuels fitness at all stages of life. Infants, children, and teenagers who are well-nourished grow, develop, and learn more effectively. A healthy pregnancy and successful breastfeeding are aided by good nutrition. Healthy eating and physical activity help people of all ages feel their best, work more productively, reduce their risk of certain diseases, and may even slow aging! Years of scientific research have led to our current understanding of nutrition. Food and health interest have a long history, and it was even recorded by the ancient Greeks. But it wasn't until the nineteenth century that nutrition's mysteries began to be unraveled. Many nutrition questions have since been answered by scientists. And research is ongoing as scientists investigate new questions about food, nutrients, and phytonutrients, as well as the roles they play in health. We now know that a healthy diet combined with physical activity is essential for maintaining a healthy weight. They are critical for significantly lowering the risk of the leading causes of disability and death in the United States: heart disease, certain cancers, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and osteoporosis. Obesity, high blood pressure, and high blood cholesterol are all risk factors for serious disease, and good nutrition and regular physical activity can help reduce them. Nutrition advise, according to today's nutrition experts, is backed up by solid scientific evidence. Unlike the ancients, you now have a solid foundation for selecting food for health. It is your responsibility to apply nutrition principles and advice for your well-being.
Smart Eating is also pleasurable:
Why do you prefer one type of food over another? Food is a source of pleasure, adventure, and great taste, in addition to nutritional benefits. It's no surprise that people use food to entertain and celebrate, or to look forward to a special dish. Your food choices reflect who you are and what is important to you: your culture, your surroundings, the people around you, your self-image, the foods available to you, your emotions, and, of course, your knowledge of food and nutrition. To eat healthily, you don't have to give up your favorite foods. Simply learn how to incorporate them. Good nutrition enhances the pleasure of eating, especially as you consume more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and other nutrient-dense
Enough but not too much:
Adequate Nutrients within Calorie Requirements It's common knowledge that many Americans get a failing grade on their nutrition report card!
Many people consume far too many calories, as well as far too much-saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, added sugars, and salt. On the other hand, both children and adults frequently deprive themselves of calcium, potassium, fiber, magnesium, and vitamin E. Many adults do not get enough vitamins A (as carotenoids) and C. Others have insufficient vitamin B12, folate, vitamin D, and iron. To improve one's nutrient profile, the Dietary Guidelines recommend that one (1) eat a variety of nutrient-dense foods and beverages within and between food groups (including more dark-green vegetables, orange vegetables, legumes, fruits, whole grains, and low-fat milk and milk products) and (2) limit foods high in saturated fat, trans fats, cholesterol, added sugars, salt, and alcohol. You can accomplish this with the assistance of two tools: The USDA's MyPyramid and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan. Both are concerned with what to eat and how much to eat. Why the variety? Different food groups, as well as the nutrients and other substances they contain, help you stay healthy in different ways. There is no one nutrient, food, or food group that has everything you need, and none works alone. When your overall eating plan is varied and healthful, without excess calories, you will reap health benefits. Balance is also important in healthy eating: balancing the calories you consume with the calories you expend. Make the most of your calorie intake. Select nutrient-dense foods (foods with substantial amounts of nutrients, yet relatively few calories). Maintain calorie control while adhering to nutrient and food group recommendations.
"Weight" for Weight Management in Health:
Overweight and obesity have become national and global epidemics, not just for adults, despite known risks. Overweight among children and adolescents has increased dramatically over the last two decades. What are the main reasons? In the United States, typical eating and lifestyle habits provide more calories (energy) than many people require: too many calories consumed, too few burned through physical activity. However, some people do not need to lose weight. Instead, they should strive to maintain a healthy weight over time, or gain weight if they are underweight.
Do you think you're at a healthy weight? Appearance or fitting into a clothing size is two of the most frequently cited reasons for maintaining a healthy weight. However, even a few extra pounds may be more dangerous than you think. Excess body fat increases the risk of high blood pressure and unhealthy blood lipid (fat) levels, as well as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, gall bladder disease, breathing problems, gout, osteoarthritis, and certain cancers, according to research. Did you know that being overweight is also linked to a higher risk of dying young?
Pay attention to your weight, regardless of your age. Body mass index (BMI) and waist size are two measurements that can help you determine your body fat. Abdominal fat poses a greater health risk than other areas of body fat. (Strenuous workouts build muscle; extra muscle weight isn't a problem.) What is your "standard" of fitness?
Set a goal for yourself as an adult to achieve or maintain a healthy weight. Your calorie requirements will gradually decrease over time. To combat "weight creep," gradually reduce your calorie intake and increase your physical activity. If you are overweight and want to lose a few pounds, aim for slow and steady weight loss. Reduce your calorie intake while maintaining an adequate nutrient intake—and get moving! Also, if you have a medical condition or are taking medication, consult your doctor before beginning. When children and teenagers maintain a healthy weight as they grow, their chances of becoming overweight or obese as adults decrease. The recommendation for children who are mild to moderately overweight is to help them slow or prevent further weight gain so that they can grow and develop normally. Their best strategies are more active play, fewer sit-down activities (TV, video, and computer games), and healthy eating. A healthy weight is essential for living a long, healthy, and productive life at any age. Balance is the key to achieving a healthy weight range: calories from food and drinks must be balanced with the calories used. To consume fewer calories, limit added sugars, fats, and alcoholic beverages, and eat in moderation. Maintain physical activity as well.