Maxim Hygiene is committed to being healthy and part of being healthy is eating right! Food doesn’t need to be the enemy! Our friend, Joy Bauer, has a very positive outlook on eating and explains how certain foods can really improve your health.
As part of celebrating National Women’s Health Week, we are promoting NWHW resources. Below please find some encouragement from womenshealth.gov about eating healthy:
You’ve probably seen many articles in the media telling you what to eat and not eat. All this information can be confusing. You may be left wondering how much of different types of foods you should eat to stay healthy.
To help you choose foods wisely, the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services and Agriculture have developed several tools, including:
- Healthy eating plans with interactive websites that help you choose foods based on your height, weight, and other information
- The Nutrition Facts label on food packages
- A Nutrient Database for foods that don’t come in packages
Eating in a healthy manner isn’t hard at all. To help prevent heart disease, stroke, and perhaps other diseases, you should eat mainly:
- Fruits and vegetables
- Grains (at least half of your grains should be whole grains, such as whole-wheat, oatmeal, and brown rice)
- Fat-free or low-fat versions of milk, cheese, yogurt, and other milk products
- Fish, skinless poultry, lean red meats, dry beans, eggs, and nuts
- Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats
Also, you should limit the number of foods you eat that contain:
- Saturated fat
- Trans fat
- Cholesterol
- Sodium
- Added sugars
If you choose to drink alcohol, do so in moderation. For women, that means one drink per day. One drink is defined as:
- 12 fluid ounces of regular beer
- 5 fluid ounces of wine
- 1.5 fluid ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits
Following a healthy eating plan doesn’t mean that you can’t indulge every now and then. If what you eat is generally low in fat (especially saturated and trans fat) and sugars and you are getting enough vitamins and minerals, you may indulge in a rich dessert or serving of fried food every once in a while. If, on the other hand, you eat a lot of high-calorie foods, you are likely to get all the calories you need quickly without getting enough vital nutrients.
Additional Resources
Publications
- Fact Sheet — Heart Healthy Eating — This fact sheet provides information on how healthy eating habits can help to reduce the risk of heart disease. It explains what a healthy portion is and how to make heart-healthy food choices.
- BodyWorks: A Toolkit for Healthy Teens and Strong Families — In this program, trainers teach parents how to help teens maintain a healthy weight. The toolkit provides parents with hands-on tools to make small, specific behavior changes to prevent obesity and help maintain a healthy weight.
- Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010 — This report provides advice about how good dietary habits can promote health and reduce risks for major chronic diseases.
- Fruit & Vegetable Benefits — This website provides an overview of the health benefits gained by eating fruits and vegetables daily. It has links to more information on how many fruits and vegetables to eat, how using them will help manage weight, and charts to help you learn which nutrients are in certain foods.
- A Guide to Healthy Eating of the Fish You Catch — This guide helps you select and prepare fish that is low in chemical pollutants. By following these recommendations, you and your family can continue to enjoy the benefits of eating fish.
- MyPyramid.gov: Steps to a Healthier You — This interactive site gives information on how much of each food group you should eat each day. It also includes tips and resources for planning a well-balanced and healthy diet.
- Food Ingredients & Colors (Copyright © International Food Information Council) — This brochure provides information about food additives such as coloring, preservatives, and artificial sweeteners. The brochure also answers common questions about food and color additives.