- Author: Nora Lopez
- Editor: Emily Harris
Adults at any age need at least 150 minutes of physical activity each week, which comes out to about 30 minutes, five days a week. Physical activity has different benefits. Walking, for example, can give us energy, help us relax, reduce stress, help us sleep better, tone our muscles, and help us control our appetites. If we have a chronic condition, physical activity can help to improve our health and reduce the risk of developing other conditions. As we age, our balance, flexibility and strength is not as it was in our younger years. Simple, everyday activities, such as opening a water bottle or holding a spoon to eat, can become a hassle. Being active can help us perform our everyday activities with more ease.
Try out the exercises from Go4Life below to improve your balance, flexibility and strength, no matter your age.
- Author: Emily Harris
In honor of National Breakfast Week, this month's Tasty Tips is all about the first meal of the day. Many of us are busy and find excuses to skip this important meal that “breaks the fast” after sleeping through the night. If this is you, then look no further than this post! You'll find tips and recipes to get over your breakfast slump and find out what it feels like to start every day right with breakfast.
1. Skip the excuses, not breakfast.
“I don't have time.”
“I don't like breakfast.”
“I'm not hungry in the morning.”
If you identify with any of these breakfast excuses, you're not alone. But before you make another excuse, remember that breakfast fires up your metabolism after 8-plus hours without any food.
2. Make breakfast prep an evening routine.
Prep everything you'll need for breakfast the night before, whether that's setting your bowls, spoons and cereal on the table or making a grab-and-go bowl of yogurt and fruit that you can take with you as you run out the door. If everything is already done, you're more likely to make this morning meal a priority.
3. Toss aside the idea of “breakfast food.”
Whether you have a child who doesn't like traditional breakfast foods or you find yourself cringing at the idea of eating a scrambled egg or oatmeal in the morning, forget the idea that breakfast is only made with certain foods. There are no rules to what you are allowed to eat at breakfast! If you have left over spaghetti that needs to be eaten or you prefer a grilled cheese sandwich with apple slices, go for it! All that matters is that you eat in the morning, while aiming for at least three food groups when you do.
Need some #BreakfastInspiration?
Check out the recipes and articles below to start your day with food that energizes and inspires you.
Breakfast Ideas for Busy Mornings
Easy Breakfasts for Kids to Make
Smart Nutrition Solutions for Busy Mornings
Try one of these recipes, take a picture and tweet it to us @UCCalFreshFC with the hashtags: #BreakfastInspiration #UCCE #UCANR and the name of the recipe!
- Author: Nelly Carrillo
- Editor: Emily Harris
Cold weather can definitely make us feel the need for warm comfort food. Unfortunately, these food choices are not always the healthiest choices.
It is essentially important to maintain a steady consumption of fruits and vegetables throughout the whole year. The new American Dietary Guidelines for 2015 recommend that we eat 4-5 cups daily.Take a look at the comparison of Recommended Intake versus Average Intake:
Why eat more fruits and vegetables? Fruits and vegetables provide our bodies with a variety of vitamins and minerals that help support the overall health of our body, yet about three-fourths of the population has an eating pattern that is LOW in fruits and vegetables.
So, the next time you want to reach for a comfort food, try a fruit or vegetable instead. Your body will thank you later.
- Author: Emily Harris
In honor of National Wear Red Day today, this month's Tasty Tips is all about heart health. Whether you are dealing with heart health issues, know someone who is, or want to prevent any heart issues in the future, this post is for you! The best place to start when thinking about your heart health is to think of the foods you eat. Below are some tips and tricks to help your heart:
1.Choose foods that promote heart health more often.
Fruits and vegetables. At least half of your plate should be fruits and vegetables.
Whole grains. At least half of your grains should be whole grains. Whole grains include:
- whole wheat
- whole oats
- oatmeal
- whole-grain corn
- brown rice
- wild rice
- whole rye
- whole-grain barley
- buckwheat
- bulgur
- millet
- sorghum
Fat-free or low-fat dairy products. These include milk, calcium-fortified soy drinks (soy milk), cheese, yogurt, and other milk products.
Seafood, skinless poultry, lean meats, beans, eggs, and unsalted nuts.
Source: www.womenshealth.gov
2. Reduce your intake of foods that hinder heart health.
Saturated fats. Saturated fat is usually in pizza, ice cream, fried chicken, many cakes and cookies, bacon, and hamburgers. Check the Nutrition Facts label for saturated fat. Less than 10% of your daily calories should be from saturated fats.
Trans fats. These are found mainly in commercially prepared baked goods, snack foods, fried foods, and margarine. The Food and Drug Administration is taking action to remove artificial trans fats from our food supply because of their risk to
Added sugars. Foods like fruit and dairy products naturally contain sugar. But you should limit foods that contain added sugars. These include sodas, sports drinks, cake, candy, and ice cream. Check the Nutrition Facts label for added sugars and limit the how much food you eat with added sugars.
Source: www.womenshealth.gov
3. Bring heart healthy recipes to life.
Now that you know what's best to eat for your heart, try out some of the recipes from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute below to turn your knowledge into action.
Want more information? Check out the resources below for more tips, studies, and inspiration:
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
The USDA Food and Nutrition Service Information Center
The American Heart Association
Have you seen how healthy eating and dietary changes have made an impact on the heart health of you or someone you know? Let us know in the comments below!
- Author: Emily Harris
The new dietary guidelines are here! If you don't have time to read through them yourself, here are the key recommendations:
- Eat more…
- Vegetables of all colors
- Whole fruits
- Grains, making at least half of your grains whole grains
- Low-fat or fat-free dairy products
- Varieties of protein foods, such as seafood, eggs, legumes (which includes beans and peas), nuts, lean meats and poultry and soy products
- Eat less…
- Saturated fat
- Trans fat
- Sodium
- Added sugars
- Everyday…
- Consume less than 10 percent of your calories from added sugar
- Consume less than 10 percent of your calories from saturated fats
- Consume less than 2,300 milligrams (mg) of sodium
- Limit your alcohol consumption to up to one drink per day for women and up to two drinks per day for men (for adults of legal drinking age).
For more detailed information on the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines, click here.
