Send This Story
Health and Wellness: A Healthier Lifestyle
It's not that difficult to do the right thing. Here are some tips to make it even easier.
by Elissa McCrary
April 1, 2008
T
here’s no doubt about it: Eating a healthier diet is good for your health and can help
prevent serious diseases like cancer. And for women, men and children, eating a healthy diet of
mostly vegetables, fruits and whole grains is a good way to avoid obesity – which has been linked
to cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. When you add in daily physical activity, you have a
proven formula for achieving better health.
Everyone can start to eat smarter and be more active at any time – from childhood to old
age. No matter when you start, you’ll begin to be healthier and reduce your cancer risk. The
American Cancer Society has developed a set of guidelines for nutrition, physical activity and
cancer prevention to help you make choices that may reduce your risk of cancer (heart disease and
diabetes, too) and to promote healthy changes where you live, work and play.
Guidelines At A Glance:
• Maintain a healthy weight throughout life.
• Adopt a physically active lifestyle.
• Eat a healthy diet, with an emphasis on plant sources.
• If you drink alcoholic beverages, limit your consumption.
Q: How can I use these guidelines?
A:You may already be following some or all of these guidelines. If you want to
make changes, try some of the following tips. Start slowly; small steps can add up to big changes.
Promote healthy changes at home, work, school and in all of your communities.
1. Maintain a healthy weight throughout life.
• Balance caloric intake with physical activity.
• Avoid excessive weight gain throughout your life.
• Achieve and maintain a healthy weight if you are currently overweight or obese.
2. Adopt a physically active lifestyle.
• Adults: Get at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity, in addition to
your daily activities, on five or more days of the week; 45 minutes to 60 minutes of intentional
activity on five or more days of the week is preferred.
• Children and adolescents: Get at least 60 minutes per day of moderate to vigorous physical
activity on five or more days per week.
3. Eat a healthy diet, with an emphasis on plant sources.
• Choose foods and beverages in amounts that help you achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
• Eat five or more servings of a variety of vegetables and fruits each day.
• Choose whole grains over processed (refined) grains and sugars.
• Limit your consumption of processed and red meats.
4. If you drink alcoholic beverages, limit consumption.
• Drink no more than one drink per day for women or two per day for men.
• A drink is 12 ounces of regular beer, five ounces of wine, or one and a half ounces of
80-proof distilled spirits.
The Right Weight
Calculating your body mass index is one of the best ways to learn whether your weight is
right for someone of your height. You can find your BMI by using a simple chart, by calculating it
online (go to
www.cancer.org and search for “BMI calculator”)
, or by asking your doctor. Maintaining a healthy weight is more important than ever! Eating right
and being active go hand in hand. Both are keys to weight control.
Downsize!
It seems like everything these days is “super-sized.” Cutting back can be as simple as
watching your portion sizes. Share a restaurant entree with a friend or just eat half and have the
rest the next day. Little steps can add up to big calorie savings.
Read Those Food Labels!
Low-fat and fat-free don’t always mean low-calorie. Low-fat foods that are high in calories
from sugar and other refined carbohydrates won’t necessarily help control your weight. Try
substituting vegetables, fruits and whole grains for higher calorie foods.
Have Fun And Be Fit
You can be active by walking briskly, swimming, gardening, doing housework or even dancing!
The more you do, the better. If you have children, be active together. Your daily activity doesn’t
need to be continuous, but exercising is most valuable if done at least 20 minutes at a time.
Source: The American Cancer Society
For more information, call the American Cancer Society at 1-800-ACS-2345 or log on to www.cancer.org.
