This weeks Topic is: Figuring out Fat

Figuring Out Fat

With so much information available about the effects of dietary fat on health, understanding the role fat plays in a well-balanced diet can be pretty confusing. To cut through the confusion, it's important to remember that fat is an essential nutrient that everyone needs to stay healthy.

Fat is a valuable energy source and carries fat-soluble vitamins needed for proper growth and development. It also contributes important taste and textural qualities that are part of enjoying food.

Too much fat, however, can increase the risk of heart disease, obesity and other health problems. When moderating fat intake, it's important to consider these points:

• Health authorities recommend Americans consume 30 percent or less of their total daily calories from fat, with 10 percent or less of those calories from saturated fat. Remember, the 30 percent refers to your total fat intake over time, not single foods or meals. Use the following chart to guide your fat intake.
• If you eat this Total fat Total saturated
  number of calories per day fat per day
  per day: (grams) (grams)
  
  1,600 53 or less 18 or less
  2,000 65 or less 20 or less
  2,200 73 or less 24 or less
  2,500 80 or less 25 or less
  
• Use the Nutrition Facts panel on the food label to help determine how much fat is in foods. Remember, it's the total fat intake over time that's important. A food high in fat can be part of a healthy diet as long as it's balanced with other lower-fat food choices.
• All fats are a combination of saturated, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids. Each of these types of fats have different effects on the body, but all contain nine calories per gram.
• Blood cholesterol levels are influenced by family history, weight, age, smoking, physical activity and eating habits. Studies have shown that diets which are too high in certain saturated fatty acids and dietary cholesterol can raise blood cholesterol.

Information acquired from: http://www.realtime.net/anr/10eattip.html

Check us out next weeks or new Healthy And Eating Tips.

This weeks topic is Healthy foods foryour HEART!

The following video can giveyour great insight on healthy foods and techniques to keep your health healthy!! Later this week there will be even more information on keeping a healthy heart!!

Here are some simple ways to cut calories from your everyday diet to start loosing those extar unwanted pounds!!


     -Shave Calories Losing weight doesn't have to mean a steady diet of lettuce. In fact, you'll increase your chance of success if you don't take such a drastic approach, says Jaime Brenkus, author of 'Get Lean in 15.'

     -Making a few dietary nips and tucks can mean a 10-pound loss over a year. Try his favorite ways for trimming 100 calories from your diet. Bottom Out Dessert Dieting doesn't mean saying no to pie. Shaving off the bottom crust decreases the damage by 100 calories and you won't even know it's missing. (Hint: This works with layer cake too.)

     - Dine Out Lighter For Mexican meals, ask that your burrito be made with the the smaller taco-sized tortilla to subtract at least 100 calories.

     -When having Japanese food, order the miso soup (30 calories) instead of the green salad (250 calories). If it's a Chinese dinner you crave, skip the crunchy noodles with your wonton soup for a 120-calorie savings.

     -Get the Scoop The average deli bagel packs at least 300 calories -- and that's before you add butter or cream cheese. Hollow out the inside (about a third of the bagel) and you'll downsize by at least 100 calories.

     - Switch What You Won't Miss Do your taste buds detect the difference between oil packed and water packed tuna? How about an omelette prepared with butter-flavored nonstick spray rather than butter?

     - These simple swaps will net 100-plus calories in savings, but chances are you won't even notice the switch. Lighten Your Liquids Replacing an 8-ounce soda with seltzer saves you 100 calories a pop. Other substantial liquid savings: Substitute a glass of water and an orange for your morning OJ. Thin the Skin Pulling the skin from a serving of poultry instantly trims 100 calories.
   
 -To keep your bird moist, do the peeling after baking or broiling. Right-Size Your Carbs The typical restaurant pasta meal is at least four times the recommended amount. Dole out a single serving -- about the size of a tennis ball -- and spare yourself hundreds of extra calories.
 
   -Ditto for rice and potatoes. Ban the Umbrella Salt around the rim of a glass is usually a sign of pending calorie catastrophe. One beverage with two to five ounces of alcohol and a mixer equals 300 to 700 calories. Keep happy hour under control by sticking with chardonnay (90 calories for 4 ounces) or light beer (about 100 calories for 12 ounces) and heed the one-drink limit.


Information from-http://www.thatsfit.com/2009/12/03/cut-calories/ Check in with uslater this week for even more easy ways to cut calories!!!

Exercise: 4 benefits of regular physical activity

Exercise: 4 benefits of regular physical activity:
     - You know exercise is good for you, but do you know how good? By Mayo Clinic staff Want to feel better, have more energy and perhaps even live longer? Look no further than exercise. The health benefits of regular exercise and physical activity are hard to ignore. And the benefits of exercise are yours for the taking, regardless of your age, sex or physical ability. Need more convincing to exercise? Check out these seven ways exercise can improve your life.

No. 1: Exercise controls weight Exercise can help prevent excess weight gain or help maintain weight loss. When you engage in physical activity, you burn calories. The more intense the activity, the more calories you burn. You don't need to set aside large chunks of time for exercise to reap weight-loss benefits. If you can't do an actual workout, get more active throughout the day in simple ways — by taking the stairs instead of the elevator or revving up your household chores.

No. 2: Exercise combats health conditions and diseases Worried about heart disease? Hoping to prevent high blood pressure? No matter what your current weight, being active boosts high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or "good," cholesterol and decreases unhealthy triglycerides. This one-two punch keeps your blood flowing smoothly, which decreases your risk of cardiovascular diseases. In fact, regular physical activity can help you prevent or manage a wide range of health problems and concerns, including stroke, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, depression, certain types of cancer, arthritis and falls.

No. 3: Exercise improves mood Need an emotional lift? Or need to blow off some steam after a stressful day? A workout at the gym or a brisk 30-minute walk can help. Physical activity stimulates various brain chemicals that may leave you feeling happier and more relaxed. You may also feel better about your appearance and yourself when you exercise regularly, which can boost your confidence and improve your self-esteem.

No. 4: Exercise boosts energy Winded by grocery shopping or household chores? Regular physical activity can improve your muscle strength and boost your endurance. Exercise and physical activity deliver oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and help your cardiovascular system work more efficiently. And when your heart and lungs work more efficiently, you have more energy to go about your daily chores.

Check out this Podcast

100 Calorie Blog!!  (LINK)

My sister works at The Hunterdon Wellness Center and has created this Podcast with much insight on simple ways to cut calories!

Check out my Flickr!!!-- (This is a link)

My first upload consists on photos from my Local Gym back in Hunterdon, New Jersey.  There is a variety of classes, staff and more in my first album which will give viewers a general idea of classes at the Hunterdon Wellness center.

The previous video is a very strong and helpful video on reading food labels as well as what to look for.

The following link is a great video on simple eating strategies to help you stay healthy and will benefit your heart.

Check out the Hunderton Wellness Healthy Tips Video!!