My Mother’s Health Plan: Part 2
Posted on December 20, 2012
Eat Your Vegetables
Diets high in nutrients can help to boost your immune system. Your immune system is your strongest defense against illness. What you eat every day plays a big role in your ability to prevent or manage illness. So when your mother told you to eat your brussels sprouts, she was not trying to punish you!
In the U.S., many of us live to eat, as opposed to eating to live. Food is center stage at most events, whether it is a joyous occasion or a solemn one — birthdays, anniversaries, showers, religious events, summer picnics, holidays, graduations, and the list continues. Gathering together to share a meal is very important to our social health. The issue is the amount and type of food we choose at these gatherings. Think of the last time you went to the Big E. What were you looking forward to? Was it the overstuffed baked potato, the apple pie with cheese on it, fried Oreos, or this year’s cheeseburger between two donuts? When was the last time you went to a party that did not have cake or dessert? Do you need a nap after Thanksgiving dinner because you ate too much?
Food is a daily requirement and, as such, it’s not something you can give up. What you can control is the amount of food and the types of food you eat. Poor food choices can contribute to the development of many chronic health conditions such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, coronary artery disease, hypertension, sleep apnea, and components of many other conditions. Once someone is diagnosed with a chronic health condition, nutrition remains important to help the individual manage his or her condition effectively.
In 2005, few adults met the Healthy People 2010 objectives for fruit and vegetable consumption; only 33 percent consumed fruit two or more times per day, and only 27 percent consumed vegetables three or more times per day1. About five daily servings of fruits and vegetables — 2.5 cups of vegetables and 2 cups of fruit — are recommended.
Obesity has been referred to as an epidemic in the U.S. We are even seeing it among our children. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), among children and adolescents hospital costs related to obesity rose from $35 million from 1979-1981 to $127 million in 1997-19992.
Most of us know the difference between a healthy food choice and an unhealthy food choice. Unfortunately many of us make the latter. Even when we think we are making a healthy choice, we can sometimes be fooled by the food industry. Here is an example: a Caesar salad, depending on the amount and type of dressing, the amount of chicken and how it is prepared, and the amount of shaved cheese, can total 800 calories — and that is without the croutons! Some of our favorite coffee drinks can range from a low of 20 calories to a high of 800 calories. A fast-food burger can range from 250 calories (kid size) to more than 1,000 calories (super size)3.
Although life expectancy has increased dramatically over the past several decades, studies demonstrate that “overnourishment” and increased body size reduce our potential longevity4, having the potential to reverse the positive trends. The New York Times reported in March 2005 that “for the first time in two centuries, the current generation of children in America may have shorter life expectancies than their parents, according to a new report, which contends that the rapid rise in childhood obesity, if left unchecked, could shorten life spans by as much as five years.”
To learn more about recommended daily requirements and portion sizes, log on to mypyramid.org. And remember — eat your vegetables!
1 CDC, 2009. Preventing Obesity and Chronic Disease Through Good Nutrition and Physical Activity.
2 ibid.
3 AHIP, 2010. Health Law Will Make Calorie Counts Hard to Ignore.
4 Ageing Research Reviews, 2002. Longevity, Mortality and Body Weight. Vol 1(4), p 673-691.
Comments are currently closed.