10K/5 A Day

By Fae Aldrich

September 3, 2004

Peaches and Corn

Hey! Now is a good time to be getting the color yellow in your diet with all the yellow sweet corn around. The time is over really for fresh, so I hope you put some up! Yellow fruits and vegetables contain varying amounts of antioxidants such as vitamin C as well as carotenoids and bioflavonoids. Peaches too, from the western slope, haven’t they been good? Slice them and freeze them. They help you maintain heart health, vision health, a healthy immune system, and they help lower the risk of some cancers.

Yes, peaches and corn both have carbohydrates. So remember what you have learned about serving size—1 ear of corn at a meal is probably plenty. Eating whole corn is so much better for you than eating any of the derivatives we make from corn. Did you know that about 5% of our corn is refined to high-fructose corn syrup? From 1972 to 2002, the amount of sugar and syrup produced annually per American grew 21% from 104 lbs. to 126 lbs., according the the Department of Agriculture. 1 peach can be 1 serving, if it doesn’t have added sugar.

Oh, and here’s an interesting book that goes along with what we have been doing-----"The Step Diet" It actually comes with a pedometer (maybe you can buy a used book, it probably won’t have the pedometer, though). Excerpts include: (1) Don’t make lifestyle changes you’ll give up on; (2) Reduce food intake 15%; (3) Increase daily steps by 500 (five flights of stairs) every week for 12 weeks. This book makes the claim that counting steps is a more effective way to lose weight than counting calories.

Now who can argue with the advice to be more active and to eat less? If you change your thinking and your attitude—eat "high yield" foods and take some extra steps—you’ll change your weight.

Portion Control

What is a portion? A portion of ice cream can easily turn into a half gallon for me. Now come on---you have stretched your portions too, I bet. We need to eat for good nutrition to maintain our health and not just eat to be eating. Let’s use our common sense.

The BIG problem is, we have a warped sense of portion size. Most people consume far more calories than they realize. Most Americans (78%) still believe that the kind of food they eat is more important in managing their weight than the amount of food they eat (American Institute for Cancer Research). You will still have weight issues if you consume more food than your body needs on a regular basis.

Americans total daily caloric intakes have risen by 148 calories per day since 1980. This amount reflects an extra 15 pounds every year. (US Department of Agriculture) And interestingly, the same studies show that the amount of fat in the average American diet has decreased from 40% of total calories to 33% during the same period. So even though calories from fat have decreased—Americans have more than made up for their fat intakes with larger portion sizes of other types of foods. Larger portions equal more calories. More calories lead to weight gain, regardless of the source of the calories.

When at home:

•Measure out single servings onto your plates and bowls to help you remember what they look like. Figure out how many servings should make up your personal portion, depending upon whether you need to lose, gain, or maintain weight.

•Avoid serving food "family style." Serve up plates with appropriate portions in the kitchen, and don’t go back for seconds.

•Never eat out of the bag or carton.

•When using packaged foods, read the portion sizes and follow them.

When in restaurants:

•Ask for smaller portions or half portions.

•"Eyeball" your appropriate portion, set the rest aside & ask for a doggie bag right away.

•If you order dessert, share it or choose fruit.

No one is making us eat too much. We are doing it ourselves. We are the only ones that can make the difference. Take charge of your eating habits. Best wishes.

Submitted by, Cheyenne County Public Health, Diabetes Prevention, Colorado Trust, Healthy People 2010.

Sponsored by the Colorado Trust Healthy People 2010 Initiative, locally 10K/5 A Day, Cheyenne County Public Health