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NUTRITION: HEALTHY EATING HABITS

How can I make healthier food choices? 

• Focus on fruits.
  Eat a variety of fruits—fresh, frozen, canned, or dried—rather than fruit juice for most of your fruit choices. For a 2,000-calorie diet, you will need 2 cups of fruit each day. An example of 2 cups is 1 small banana, 1 large orange, and 1/4 cup of dried apricots or peaches.
  
• Vary your veggies.
  Eat more:
  
  • dark green veggies, such as broccoli, kale, and other dark leafy greens
  • orange veggies, such as carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, and winter squash
  • beans and peas, such as pinto beans, kidney beans, black beans, garbanzo beans, split peas, and lentils
    
• Get your calcium-rich foods.
  Each day, drink 3 cups of low-fat or fat-free milk. Or, you can get an equivalent amount of low-fat yogurt and/or low-fat cheese each day. 1.5 ounces of cheese equals 1 cup of milk. If you don't or can't consume milk, choose lactose-free milk products and/or calcium-fortified foods and drinks.
  
• Make half your grains whole.
  Eat at least 3 ounces of whole-grain cereals, breads, crackers, rice, or pasta each day. One ounce is about 1 slice of bread, 1 cup of breakfast cereal, or 1/2 cup of cooked rice or pasta. Look to see that grains such as wheat, rice, oats, or corn are referred to as "whole" in the list of ingredients.
  
• Go lean with protein.
  Choose lean meats and poultry. Bake it, broil it, or grill it. Vary your protein choices with more fish, beans, peas, nuts, and seeds.
  
• Limit saturated fats.
  Get less than 10 percent of your calories from saturated fatty acids. Most fats should come from sources of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, such as fish, nuts, and vegetable oils. When choosing and preparing meat, poultry, dry beans, and milk or milk products, make choices that are lean, low-fat, or fat-free.
  
• Limit salt.
  Get less than 2,300 mg of sodium (about 1 teaspoon of salt) each day.

Source: http://www.4woman.gov/faq/weightloss.cfm#b   

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DIETING

What is the best way for me to lose weight?

The best way to lose weight is to use more calories than you take in. You can do this by following a healthy eating plan and being more active. Before you start a weight-loss program, talk to your doctor.

Safe weight-loss programs that work well:

• set a goal of slow and steady weight loss—1 to 2 pounds per week
• offer low-calorie eating plans with a wide range of healthy foods
• encourage you to be more physically active
• teach you about healthy eating and physical activity
• adapt to your likes and dislikes and cultural background
• help you keep weight off after you lose it

Source: http://www.4woman.gov/faq/weightloss.cfm#b  

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EXERCISES FOR ACTIVE WOMEN / SPORTS

How can physical activity improve my health?

An active lifestyle can help every woman. Being physically active may:

• Lower your risk of getting heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, breast and colon cancer, type 2 diabetes (the most common form of diabetes), osteoarthritis (the most common form of arthritis), and osteoporosis (a disease that weakens bones)
• Lower high blood pressure in people who already have high blood pressure
• Reduce the risk of a second heart attack in people who have already had one heart attack
• Help control joint pain and stiffness from arthritis
• Reduce feelings of mild to moderate anxiety and depression
• Improve your mood
• Increase feelings of well-being
• Help you handle stress
• Help control your weight
• Help you quit smoking
• Increase your energy and endurance
• Help you sleep better
• Reduce falls among older adults
• Reduce the risk of mental decline among older adults

Physical activity can also help you lose weight. If you are overweight or obese, losing weight can lower your risk for many diseases. Being overweight or obese increases your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, type 2 diabetes, breathing problems, osteoarthritis, gallbladder disease, sleep apnea (breathing problems while sleeping), and some cancers.

Source: http://www.4woman.gov/faq/exercise.cfm  

How can physical activity help?

An active lifestyle helps all women. You don't have to be as fit as an athlete to benefit from physical activity. In fact, 30 minutes of moderate activity on most days of the week can greatly improve your health. Moderat

Moderate activities include:

• walking
• biking at a leisure pace
• working in your yard
• playing with your children

Doing more vigorous activities or being active for a longer time can improve your health even more.

Vigorous activities include:

• jogging or running
• biking fast or uphill
• swimming laps
• skiing or skating

To prevent weight gain, aim for 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity on most days and make sure you don't take in too many calories. You don't have to be active for 60 minutes at a time. You can be active for shorter periods during the day.

Your regular activities should include:

• moderate or vigorous activity 
• stretching to make you more flexible
• resistance exercises to make you stronger

• trouble sleeping
• headaches
• constipation
• diarrhea
• irritability
• lack of energy
• lack of concentration
• eating too much or not at all
• anger
• sadness
• higher risk of asthma and arthritis flare-ups
• tension
• stomach cramping
• stomach bloating
• skin problems, like hives
• depression
• anxiety
• weight gain or loss
• heart problems
• high blood pressure
• irritable bowel syndrome
• diabetes
• neck and/or back pain
• less sexual desire
• harder to get pregnant

Source: http://www.4woman.gov/faq/stress.cfm    

How can I help handle my stress?

Don’t let stress make you sick. As women, we tend to carry a higher burden of stress than we should. Often we aren’t even aware of our stress levels. Listen to your body, so that you know when stress is affecting your health. Here are ways to help you handle your stress.

• Relax.
  It’s important to unwind. Each person has her own way to relax. Some ways include deep breathing, yoga, meditation, and massage therapy. If you can’t do these things, take a few minutes to sit, listen to soothing music, or read a book.
• Make time for yourself.
  It’s important to care for yourself. Think of this as an order from your doctor, so you don’t feel guilty! No matter how busy you are, you can try to set aside at least 15 minutes each day in your schedule to do something for yourself, like taking a bubble bath, going for a walk, or calling a friend.
• Sleep.
  Sleeping is a great way to help both your body and mind. Your stress could get worse if you don’t get enough sleep. You also can’t fight off sickness as well when you sleep poorly. With enough sleep, you can tackle your problems better and lower your risk for illness. Try to get seven to nine hours of sleep every night.
• Eat right.
  Try to fuel up with fruits, vegetables, and proteins. Good sources of protein can be peanut butter, chicken, or tuna salad. Eat whole-grains, such as wheat breads and wheat crackers. Don’t be fooled by the jolt you get from caffeine or sugar. Your energy will wear off.
• Get moving.
  Believe it or not, getting physical activity not only helps relieve your tense muscles, but helps your mood too! Your body makes certain chemicals, called endorphins, before and after you work out. They relieve stress and improve your mood.
• Talk to friends.
  Talk to your friends to help you work through your stress. Friends are good listeners. Finding someone who will let you talk freely about your problems and feelings without judging you does a world of good. It also helps to hear a different point of view. Friends will remind you that you’re not alone.
• Compromise.
  Sometimes, it’s not always worth the stress to argue. Give in once in awhile.
• Write down your thoughts.
  Have you ever typed an email to a friend about your lousy day and felt better afterward? Why not grab a pen and paper and write down what’s going on in your life! Keeping a journal can be a great way to get things off your chest and work through issues. Later, you can go back and read through your journal and see how you’ve made progress!
• Help others.
  Helping someone else can help you. Help your neighbor, or volunteer in your community.
• Get a hobby.
  Find something you enjoy. Make sure to give yourself time to explore your interests.
• Set limits.
  When it comes to things like work and family, figure out what you can really do. There are only so many hours in the day. Set limits with yourself and others. Don’t be afraid to say NO to requests for your time and energy.
• Plan your time. T
  hink ahead about how you’re going to spend your time. Write a to-do list. Figure out what’s most important to do.

Source: http://www.4woman.gov/faq/stress.cfm  

I heard deep breathing could help my stress. How do I do it?

Deep breathing is a good way to relax. Try it a couple of times every day. Here’s how to do it.

1. Lie down or sit in a chair.
   
2. Rest your hands on your stomach.
   
3. Slowly count to four and inhale through your nose. Feel your stomach rise. Hold it for a second.
   
4. Slowly count to four while you exhale through your mouth. To control how fast you exhale, purse your lips like you’re going to whistle. Your stomach will slowly fall.
   
5. Repeat five to 10 times.

Source: http://www.4woman.gov/faq/stress.cfm  

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Note:  The information in these FAQs has been compiled from reputable sources, which we have cited for each question.  Sanita sal does not hold responsibility for the accuracy of the content, nor any behaviors taken with regard to the FAQs.