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Posts Tagged ‘Meet Jim’

Nutrition: The Key to a Healthy Life! By Our August Student Pharmacist, Joshua Kretzer.

With another school year upon us, keeping our children healthy throughout the year is very important. Good health not only saves on missed days from work, but also saves us money from going to the doctor.

There are many factors that affect a person’s health. One of the most important is maintaining a proper diet. We all know that we are supposed to eat a balanced diet, but what makes up a balanced diet?

The basic food groups in a balanced diet are fruits, vegetables, grains, proteins, and dairy. Oils are also part of a balanced diet, however, they are not considered a food group. Eating healthy amounts of foods from these groups are what compose a balanced diet.

The recommended daily amounts to consume are:

  • Fruits – Children: 1 Cup; Adults: 1 and ½ Cups
    • Any fruit or 100% fruit juice
  • Vegetables – Children: 1 and ½ Cups; Adults: 3 Cups
    • Any vegetable or 100% vegetable juice
  • Grains – Children: 4 Ounces; Adults: 7 Ounces (at least half as whole grains)
    • Any food made from wheat, rice, oats, corn meal, barley, or another cereal grain
  • Protein – Children: 3 Ounces; Adults: 5.5 Ounces
    • All foods made from meat, poultry, seafood, beans and peas, eggs, processed soy products, nuts, and seeds
  • Dairy – Children: 2 Cups; Adults: 3 Cups
    • All fluid milk products, milk products that retain their calcium, calcium fortified soy milk
  • Oils – Children: 4 Teaspoons; Adults: 6 and ½ Teaspoons
    • Fats that are liquid at room temperature (come from plants and fish)

These estimates are great guides to follow. However, if you are like me, you are not carrying measuring cups around in your back pocket. There are several estimates that can be made just by using your hand! Click on the diagram to the right to enlarge it.

  • 1 Teaspoon – Tip of your index finger to the nearest knuckle
  • 1 Tablespoon – Tip of your thumb to the nearest knuckle
  • 3 Ounces of meat – The size of your palm
  • 1 Cup – Clenched fist
  • ½ Cup – The front of a clenched fist

Following these recommendations will provide you with a well balanced diet leading to a healthy lifestyle.

Another excellent aid to help maintain a healthy balanced diet is “My Plate.” My Plate uses picture representations of what your plate should look like at meals to remind you how much of a particular food group you should be eating. Half of your plate should be fruits and vegetables and the other half should be grains and protein with a small amount of dairy on the side. To avoid eating excessively, your plate should not exceed 9 inches in diameter. Oils are not accounted for in My Plate because they are not considered a food group–however, it is still important to track them to maintain healthy amounts and not consume them in excess.

By eating a balanced healthy diet, you greatly reduce your risk of developing serious health issues. Eating a balanced healthy diet not only benefits your life, but also teaches your children healthy eating habits, which can carry on throughout their lifetime.

A recent video posted by Strong4Life, a group affiliated with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, called “Meet Jim” provides some disturbing insight into the importance of proper nutrition in children and the impact we, as adults, have on them.

Watch the video: http://www.strong4life.com/pages/LearnAssess/RewindtheFuture/ArticleDetails.aspx?articleid=HaventMetJimYet&sectionid=Overview

Resources:

http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/

http://www.strong4life.com/pages/LearnAssess/RewindtheFuture/ArticleDetails.aspx?articleid=HaventMetJimYet&sectionid=Overview

http://www.guardyourhealth.com/