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Media Release

MARCH IS NATIONAL NUTRITION MONTH

AUBURN, MARCH 8, 2000---National Nutrition Month occurs annually during the month of March, but it focuses on personal health habits that should be practiced for a lifetime.

This year's theme, "Food and Fitness, Health for a Lifetime," reinforces the importance of nutrition and physical activity as key components of a healthy lifestyle.

The American Dietetic Association (ADA) has sponsored National Nutrition Month since 1973. Each year the association encourages consumers to eat better and to exercise more frequently to improve or maintain a healthy lifestyle.

The ADA says variety, balance and moderation are the three keys to healthy eating. The Food Guide Pyramid is based on these keys.

No one food group can supply all the nutrients you need so eating a variety of food from several food groups will help you meet your nutritional needs each day.

"Most Americans eat way too much food," says Dr. Barbara Struempler, a nutritionist with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. The average portion size for most people equals two or three servings at each meal instead of the recommended serving size by the ADA's Food Guide Pyramid.

A proper portion size isn't a plate of pasta, a 10-ounce steak or a 32-ounce cola. Appropriate portion sizes range from 1/3 to 1 cup, depending on the food and sometimes how it is cooked. If you don't have a measuring cup to measure the food, use these tips as a quick reference.

• 3 ounces (1 serving) of meat, poultry or fish is about the size of a deck of playing cards or the palm of a woman's hand
• 1 serving (1 oz) of cheese is equal to 1 thin slice of prepackaged cheese or a chunk about the size of your thumb
• 1 serving of chopped green salad is a small handful of greens

And finally, the ADA says to eat in moderation. What and how you eat may help you lose or maintain weight and may help protect you from some health problems later in life. It also allows you more flexibility in your food choices.
 
 

Exercise or other type of physical activity are recommended by the ADA. You don't have to join a gym to exercise. Here are a few simple activities you can do daily to get some exercise.

• Take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator. Walking up stairs is a great exercise for the heart and it burns calories too.
• Get up at least 30 minutes earlier in the morning and take a brisk walk to start your day. Or, take a 30- to 40-minute walk after work. This also helps relieve stress that's builtup during your day.
• Park at the far end of the parking lot for a longer walk to the office or store. Or get off the bus one stop ahead and walk the rest of the way to your destination.
• Rent an exercise video rather than a movie. Work out with the video as a leisure time activity. You may even want to invite some friends over to join you.
• Do some gardening.
• Get up and move your body at least five time for every hour you work on a computer. This movement also will help prevent eye strain from staring in to a computer screen
• Plan an active family outing. Rather than sit on the beach, go canoeing, hiking or snow skiing.
• Walk while you talk. Use a cordless phone so you can work on other tasks, instead of being forced to sit in one place.
• Don't become a couch potato when you get home from work. If you watch television, do some type of house chores, such a sweeping, mopping, vacuuming or dusting while you watch.

SOURCE: DR. BARBARA STRUEMPLER, Nutritionist, Alabama Cooperative Extension System, (334) 844-2217