Food and Fitness:
Health for a Lifetime

The new millennium is the perfect time to begin a healthy chapter on life. If you haven’t done a very good job in the past or if you want to make some resolutions that have lasting impact, start the year off by committing to eat a healthier diet. Add plenty of exercise to your plan and begin to take good care of your mind and body, too.

The American Dietetic Association has proclaimed March as National Nutrition Month and this year’s theme, "Food and Fitness: Health for a Lifetime," encourages Americans to nourish themselves with good food and physical activity for the rest of their lives. Healthful eating fuels fitness at every stage of life, so no matter what your age, this message is for you.

Don’t worry if you are not a marathon runner, or if aerobics isn’t exactly your thing. Meet the challenge where you are and with what you are capable of doing. Apply variety, balance and moderation to both your physical activity and your food choices to help increase your stamina for your overall long-term good health. A physically active lifestyle offers many rewards, from heart health to strong bones to weight management to stress relief to much more.

Here are some ways to improve and maintain your lifestyle for a lifetime:

• Get up 30 minutes earlier in the morning and take a brisk walk to start your day. Invite a neighbor or a friend to make the walk more enjoyable.
• Forget the drive-through car wash. Wash your car yourself for added exercise. You’ll burn calories and save money at the same time.
• If you’re a computer user, get up and move around at least five or 10 minutes for every hour of time you’re at the computer. You’ve heard of couch potatoes? Well, don’t become a computer potato either!
• Use the exercise equipment you already own. Do two things at one time. Ride your stationary bicycle while you read the morning paper. Watch the morning news while you work out on your rowing machine.
• "Walk your talk." If you like to chat on the phone, buy a portable one so you don’t need to sit still.
• Rent an exercise video rather than a movie. Work out with the video as a leisure-time activity.