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From the
President's Council on fitness, we want to share with you their
Council Publication for tips
that will
get you on the path to healthy living.
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Start your day
with breakfast.
Breakfast fills your "empty tank" to get you
going after a long night without food. And it can help you do better
in school. Easy to prepare breakfasts include cold cereal with fruit
and low-fat milk, whole-wheat toast with peanut butter, yogurt with
fruit, whole-grain waffles or even last night's pizza! |
Get fit with
friends or family.
Being active is much more fun with friends or family.
Encourage others to join you and plan one special physical activity
event, like a bike ride or hiking, with a group each week. |
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Get Moving!
It's easy to fit physical activities into
your daily routine. Walk, bike or jog to see friends. Take a
10-minute activity break every hour while you read, do homework or
watch TV. Climb stairs instead of taking an escalator or elevator.
Try to do these things for a total of 30 minutes every day. |
Eat more grains, fruits
and vegetables.
These foods give you carbohydrates for
energy, plus vitamins, minerals and fiber. Besides, they taste good!
Try breads such as whole-wheat, bagels and pita. Spaghetti and
oatmeal are also in the grain group.
Bananas, strawberries and melons are some great tasting fruits. Try
vegetables raw, on a sandwich or salad. |
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Snack smart.
Snacks are a great way to refuel. Choose snacks from
different food groups - a glass of low-fat milk and a few graham
crackers, an apple or celery sticks with peanut butter and raisins,
or some dry cereal. If you eat smart at other meals, cookies, chips
and candy are OK for occasional snacking. |
Join in physical
activities at school.
Whether you take a physical education class
or do other physical activities at school, such as intramural
sports, structures activities are a sure way to feel good, look good
and stay physically fit. |
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Work up a sweat.
Vigorous work-outs - when you're breathing
hard and sweating - help your heart pump better, give you more
energy and help you look and feel best. Start with a warm-up that
stretches your muscles. Include 20 minutes of aerobic activity, such
as running, jogging, or dancing. Follow-up with activities that help
make you stronger such as push-ups or lifting weights. Then
cool-down with more stretching and deep breathing. |
Foods aren't good
or bad.
A healthy eating style is like a puzzle with many
parts. Each part -- or food -- is different. Some foods may have
more fat, sugar or salt while others may have more vitamins or
fiber. There is a place for all these foods. What makes a diet good
or bad is how foods fit together. Balancing your choices is
important. Fit in a higher-fat food, like pepperoni pizza, at dinner
by choosing lower-fat foods at other meals. And don't forget about
moderation. If two pieces of pizza fill you up, you don't need a
third. |
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Balance your food
choices - don't eat too much of any one thing.
You don't have to give up foods like hamburgers,
French fries and ice cream to eat healthy. You just have to be smart
about how often and how much of them you eat. Your body needs
nutrients like protein, carbohydrates, fat and many different
vitamins and minerals such as vitamins C and A, iron and calcium
from a variety of foods. Balancing food choices from the Food Guide
Pyramid and checking out the Nutrition Facts Panel on food labels
will help you get all these nutrients. |
Make healthy
eating and physical activities fun!
Take advantage of physical activities you
and your friends enjoy doing together and eat the foods you like. Be
adventurous - try new sports, games and other activities as well as
new foods. You'll grow stronger, play longer, and look and feel
better! Set realistic goals - don't try changing too much at once. |