Engaging in regular physical activity and reducing sedentary activities promotes health, psychological well-being, and a healthy body weight. The best way to achieve physical fitness is by incorporating cardiovascular conditioning, with stretching exercises for flexibility and resistance exercises or calisthenics for muscle strength and endurance into your workout.
To reduce the risk of chronic disease in adulthood, engage in at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most days of the week. Greater health benefits can be obtained by engaging in physical activity of more vigorous intensity or longer duration.
To help manage body weight and prevent weight gain, engage in 60 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity activity on most days of the week while not exceeding caloric intake requirements.
To sustain weight loss in adulthood, participate in at least 60-90 minutes of daily moderate-intensity physical activity, while not exceeding caloric intake requirements. You may need to consult a health care provider before participating in this level of activity
CHECKLIST FOR HEALTHY EATING
Consume a sufficient amount of fruits and vegetables while staying within energy needs. Two cups of fruit and 2 1/2 cups of vegetables per day are recommended for a 2,000-calorie intake, with higher or lower amounts depending on the calorie level.
Choose a variety of fruits and vegetables each day. In particular, select from all five vegetable groups (dark green, orange, legumes, starchy vegetables, and other vegetables) several times a week.
Consume 3 or more 1-oz servings of whole-grain products per day, with the rest of the recommended grains coming from enriched or whole-grain products. At least half the grains should come from whole grains.
Consume 3 cups per day of fat-free or low-fat milk or milk products.
Food Groups to Encourage
Fats
Consume less than 7% of calories from saturated fatty acids and less than 200 mg/day of cholesterol. Try to keep trans fatty acid consumption as low as possible.
Keep total fat intake between 20 and 35% of calories, with most fats coming from sources of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids-such as fish, nuts, and vegetable oils.
When selecting and preparing meat, poultry, dry beans, and milk or milk products, make choices that are lean, low fat, or fat free.
Limit intake of foods that contain fats and oils high in saturated and/or trans fatty acids.
Carbohydrates
Include fiber-rich fruits, vegetables, and whole grains as part of your everyday diet.
Choose and prepare foods and beverages with little added sugars or caloric sweeteners. Use the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Guide and the DASH Eating Plan for reference.
Reduce the incidence of dental caries by practicing good oral hygiene and consuming less sugar and starch containing foods and beverages.
Sodium and potassium
Consume less than 2,300 mg-approximately 1 tsp-of sodium per day.
Choose and prepare foods with little salt. At the same time, consume potassium-rich foods like fruits and vegetables.
Alcoholic beverages
Those who choose to drink alcoholic beverages should do so sensibly and in moderation-defined as the consumption of one drink per day for women and up to two drinks per day for men. Make sure to check your blood glucose after consumming alcohol because alcohol can raise certain blood fats and may cause low blood glucose.
ALCOHOL AWARENESS
Alcoholic beverages should never be consumed by certain individuals, including:
those who cannot restrict their alcohol intake
women of childbearing age who may become pregnant
pregnant and lactating women
children and adolescents
individuals taking medications that can interact with alcohol
those with specific medical conditions
individuals engaging in activities that require attention, skill, or coordination, such as driving or operating machinery
Food Safety
To avoid microbial foodborne illness:
Clean hands, food contact surfaces, and fruits and vegetables.
Separate raw, cooked, and ready-to-eat foods while shopping, preparing, or storing foods.
Physical Activity
