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3 Make your own frozen meals-—it's a great way to use leftovers and save money as well as time. Cook extra when you have time, and divide cooked meat or other main dishes into single portions on a microwave or oven-safe plate. (Plain sliced meat should have a lowfat gravy or other liquid to moisten it.) Add a serving or two of frozen vegetables with 2 teaspoons of water. Cover tightly and freeze promptly. For best quality, use your home-prepared dinners within 2 months.

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Many Americans are overweight. Being overweight can increase your risk for high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers. Recent research suggests that people can be a little heavier as they grow older without added risk to health, although just how much heavier is not yet clear. Talk with your doctor to determine if your weight is right for you.

As people age, they usually need fewer calories to maintain a healthy weight. Older people may become less active too. Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight should be an ongoing part of caring for your health. If you need to lose some weight, don't try to lose weight too fast and avoid extreme approaches. Remember, quick weight loss plans often deprive the body of important nutrients and usually don't keep weight off.

Maintaining a

Healthy Weight

4

Be Physically Active

Physical activity can help reduce and control weight by burning up calories and should be part of a healthy lifestyle at any age. Moderate exercise that places weight on your bones, such as walking, helps maintain and possibly even increases bone strength in older adultsanother good reason to exercise. Scientists looking into the benefits of exercise for older adults agree that appropriate exercise improves overall health at any age. Regular exercise can improve the functioning of the heart and lungs, increase strength and flexibility, and contribute to a feeling of well-being.

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You don't have to jog or do aerobics to ben- Reduce Calories,

efit from exercise. Any regular physical activ-
ity is good. Regular brisk walking is an easy
and enjoyable form of exercise that helps con-
trol weight, but you will benefit from any
form of gentle exercise, even light gardening.
Use your common sense to prevent injury
when you exercise, and check with your doc-
tor before beginning a vigorous exercise pro-
gram or if you haven't exercised in a while.

DID YOU KNOW???

Starchy foods such as breads, cereals, rice, pasta, corn, and potatoes are usually low in fat and provide fiber, as well as vitamins and minerals. Yet many people don't want to eat more breads and potatoes, because they think these foods are fattening. Actually, more calories are likely to come from the fat you put on these foods-butter, sour cream, or gravy-than from the "starch" itself. Eating more starchy foods is a good way to satisfy your appetite while watching your weight. Just go easy on the toppings!

Not Vitamins and
Minerals

To lose weight you need to reduce the amount
of calories you eat. But, you need to do this
without giving up important nutrients. A
weight-reduction diet will be difficult to fol-
low if you always feel hungry. Choosing lowfat
foods allows you to cut calories without sacri-
ficing important vitamins and minerals. For
example, 1 cup of skim milk has about the
same amount of calcium as 1 cup of whole
milk, but only traces of fat and half the num-
ber of calories. On the other hand, fatty
spreads and dressings, sugary foods such as
candy or soft drinks, and alcoholic beverages
such as beer, wine, and liquors add calories to
your diet but little or no nutrients. Limiting
your intake of fats, sweets, and alcoholic bev-
erages will help keep the calories in your diet
down, without sacrificing nutrients.

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