Nutrition and Weight Management

You are what you eat. If you eat junk, it will be reflected in your health. If you don't exercise, you will lose muscle mass and calcium density in your bones. Many of the top 10 causes of illness and death in the US have a nutrition component and many have a lack of exercise component as well. Controlling your weight is one of the best ways to reduce your risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. If you want to live a healthier life, eat healthy foods and exercise to maintain a healthy body weight.

Body Weight

A healthy weight is important to prevent health problems like high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, certain types of cancer, arthritis, and breathing problems. Choose a lifestyle that combines healthy eating with regular physical activity. By balancing the calories you eat with physical activity, you can maintain a healthy weight which is key to a healthy life.¹

You can evaluate your weight by taking your waist measurement and determining your Body Mass Index (BMI). A waist measurement greater than 35 inches for women or 40 inches for men usually means you have too much abdominal fat. Measure your waist while standing, just above your hip bones. When evaluating your BMI, take note of your index number. A BMI for adults should be less than 25.

Click here to calculate your Body Mass Index, used to measure and classify overweight and obesity. This calculator is based on U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services recommendations for healthy weight.

Antioxidants

Antioxidants are substances that may protect your cells against the effects of free radicals. Free radicals are molecules produced when your body breaks down food, or by environmental exposures like tobacco smoke and radiation. Free radicals can damage cells, and may play a role in heart disease, cancer and other diseases. ²

Antioxidant substances include:

• Beta-carotene
• Lutein
• Lycopene
• Selenium
• Vitamin A
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin E

Antioxidants are found in many foods. These include fruits and vegetables, nuts, grains, and some meats, poultry and fish.

How Much to Drink?

The human body is made up of 50 to 75 percent water, or about 10 to 12 gallons, so replenishing your body’s water supply is crucial for proper function. ³

"Although there are many theories about the amount to drink, a safe bet is to drink at least eight cups of water each day to make sure you are properly hydrated," says registered dietitian and American Dietetic Association spokesperson Dee Sandquist. "If you’re working out regularly, you should ideally drink even more than eight cups."

According to the American Dietetic Association's Complete Food and Nutrition Guide, the average adult loses about two and a half quarts or about 10 cups of water daily. To maintain your body’s fluid balance, you need to replace it each day.

 

For more information on Nutrition and Readiness visit Performance Power the Nutrition Connection on this website.

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Sources:

1. Freeman, J. Aim For a Healthy Body Weight. From Food and nutrition education. University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service and College of Family and Consumer Services and College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, cooperating (Eds.).

2. U.S. National Library of Medicine. Health Topics: Antioxidants. Available from Medicine Plus, at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/antioxidants.html

3. American Dietetic Association. Water, water everywhere... how much should you drink? From the ADA press release, available at http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/media_3173_ENU_HTML.htm