Healthy Living
The United States is the most overweight nation in the world as a result of the poor food choices and exercise habits of many Americans. More than 120 million Americans, or 64.5% of the adult population, are overweight and almost 59 million, or 31%, are obese. These numbers are increasing every year, and are even higher in minority populations. Studies have shown that minorities are three times more likely than whites to be obese, exposing them to an increased likeliness to suffer from obesity-related conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and hypertension.
Living a healthy lifestyle of nutritious eating and regular exercise will help you maintain a healthy weight. Decreasing your weight as little as 10% will improve your health. Below are suggested life changes that will help you live a longer, healthier life.
Physical Activity
Studies show that physical activity can help maintain a healthy weight, but less than 25% of Americans get the recommended 30 minutes of daily exercise. A series of extra movements throughout the day, such as standing while talking on the phone, taking an extra flight of stairs, or parking farther away from a building and walking to the door, can add up to a big increase in activity level. Any activity that gets you moving will help improve your health in the long run.
Here are some ways that you can move toward a healthier you:
• Get a pedometer and walk an additional 2000 steps (about 1 mile) each day
• Walk the dog
• Salsa dance
• Play with your kids at the playground
• Vacuum your house
• Go for a bike ride
• Take a karate lesson
• Shovel snow
• Garden
• Take the stairs instead of the elevator
• Play African drums
• Meet a friend for a neighborhood walk
• Walk to the store and carry your bags home
• Play catch with your kids
• Jog
• Work out at the gym for 30 minutes
• Limit TV time to less than 2 hours per day
Healthy Eating
In addition to increasing physical activity, making nutritious food choices will help you maintain a healthy weight and live a longer life. A healthy diet should include fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Here are some suggestions to help you eat healthier:
• Eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day
• Drink 8 glasses of water each day
• Avoid foods that are high in fat and calories, such as candy, chips and cake
• Drink less soda or none at all
• Avoid eating while watching TV
• Add high fiber foods and grains to your diet
• Cook at home rather than eating out
• Cook once and eat all week
• Eat slowly and mindfully – it takes 20 minutes for your stomach to feel full
• Make meals enjoyable: share meals with family and friends
• Find substitutes for high fat, high calorie ingredients in ethnic recipes
Replacing high calorie, high fat foods with lower calorie, low fat foods in meals and recipes is a great way to reduce your caloric intake. Here are some suggested substitutions:
| Instead of this: |
Have this: |
| Orange juice |
Water |
| Fully-loaded coffee |
Black Coffee |
| Sugary cereals |
Oatmeal cooked with water |
| Sugar on cereal |
Unsweetened applesauce |
| Fatty salad dressing |
Lemon juice or balsamic vinegar |
| White rice |
Brown rice |
| Low-fat bran muffin |
Whole-grain bagel, dry |
| Cookies |
Plain rice cake |
| Chips |
Unsalted nuts |
| Pastries for desert |
Fruits, especially apples |
| Baked potato |
Sweet potato |
| Roasted chicken with skin |
Grilled skinless chicken breast |
| Ground beef |
Ground chicken or turkey |
| Cream soups |
Broth based soups |
| Ice cream |
Low-fat yogurt |
| Breads with dinner |
Small green salad |
| Butter |
Olive-oil based spreads |
| Peanut butter |
Organic nut based butters |
Click here to read examples of recipe modification in the African-American community: "Saving Soul Food: Health-Conscious African-Americans Are Reinventing Classic Recipes"
Click here to find a Farmers Market near you!
Additional Information
Click here to learn more about obesity in minority populations
Click here for the Center of Disease Control’s website on overweight and obesity
Click here for the American Obesity Association’s website on overweight and obesity
Click here for U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Minority Health’s website
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