Tammy Roberts, MS, RD, LD, Nutrition and Health Education Specialist in Barton County
University of Missouri Extension

For many Missourians weight loss is included in the list of resolutions for the New Year. We will go on diets to lose weight and most will be successful for at least the first few months. Then, our willpower wanes and we go off the diet. Instead of going on a diet, choose to adopt healthy habits for a lifetime. To get started, here are ten suggestions based on the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

1. Engage in 30 minutes of physical activity every day. This helps to reduce the risk of chronic disease. To lose weight or maintain weight loss, 60-90 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity is recommended.

2. Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables daily. They are low in fat and calories and high in nutrients.

3. Get plenty of fiber. Fiber has many healthful benefits including reducing risks for chronic disease such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. Get 20-35 grams of fiber every day. When you are increasing fiber in your diet, make sure you increase fluid intake as well.

4. Get three or more servings of whole grains every day. Choose from oatmeal, brown rice, popcorn, cereal, tortillas and bread. To assure the bread is whole grain, make sure the first ingredient listed on the package is whole wheat or another whole grain.

5. Eat three cups of beans every week. They are packed with fiber, vitamins and minerals. One half cup of cooked beans can have as much as seven grams of fiber.

6. Eat until you are satisfied and then stop. Many of us add unwanted extra pounds every year because we keep eating just because the food tastes good. Make sure that when you eat it is because of hunger and not boredom. If you are not sure if it is hunger or boredom you are experiencing, try doing another activity for fifteen minutes and then see if the desire to eat is still there.

7. Limit total fat to no more than 30% of total calories. For a person consuming 2,000 calories per day, that would mean no more than 67 grams of fat per day. Saturated fat should be no more than 10% of total calories.

8. Eat a variety of foods from all food groups. Choose grains, fruits, vegetables, dairy products and meat and beans. Each group provides different nutrients and we need them all to be healthy.

9. Drink plenty of fluids to keep your body adequately hydrated. Adequate hydration assures that your body can function at its best. With zero calories, water is an excellent choice.

10. Be a safe food handler. According to the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 76 million people in the U.S. become ill each year because of food borne illness. Of this number, 5,000 die. Keep food safe in your household by washing your hands often and keeping kitchen surfaces clean. Cook foods to a safe temperature to kill bacteria and then promptly refrigerate. Bacteria can grow at temperatures of 40 degrees to 140 degrees. Within that temperature range, they can double in number every 20 minutes.

Habits are hard to change. Choose one at a time to work on and then move on to the next. When 2007 is approaching, you’ll feel better and you will be healthier!