Download Health and Wellness Newsletter - 2012 - March

March 2012: National Nutrition Month & Understanding
Eating Disorders
Hello Everyone,
March is National Nutrition Month. Eating healthy, nutritious meals is one of the
easiest ways to improve overall health and wellbeing. We invite you to celebrate
National Nutrition Month with us by exploring new options for fueling your body
with healthy, delicious foods. Our newsletter focuses on ways to plan and maintain a balanced diet, as well as how to have fun while working off a few calories.
The second page of our newsletter promotes awareness and understanding of
eating disorders. We hope that the facts we've gathered will serve as a resource
to those seeking to learn more about this growing issue.
Your Partners at The Wellness Corporation
National Nutrition Month
National Nutrition Month® (NNM) is a nutrition
education and information campaign
sponsored annually by the Academy of
Nutrition and Dietetics. The campaign is
designed to focus attention on the importance
of making informed food choices and
developing sound eating and physical activity
habits.
Get Your Plate in Shape
Before you eat, think about what goes on your
plate or in your bowl. Foods like vegetables,
fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy products and
lean protein foods contain the nutrients you
need without too many calories. Over the day, include foods from all the food
groups. Try the following tips to “Get Your Plate in Shape.”
Make half your plate fruits and vegetables. Eat a variety of vegetables,
especially dark-green, red and orange vegetables plus beans and peas. For
canned vegetables, choose “reduced sodium” or “no-salt added” varieties. Buy
fruits that are fresh, dried, frozen or canned in water or 100% juice instead of
syrup.
Make at least half your grains whole. Choose 100% whole-grain breads,
cereals, crackers, pasta and brown rice.
Switch to fat-free or low-fat milk. Both have the same amount of calcium
and other essential nutrients as whole milk, with less calories and fat. If you are
lactose intolerant, try lactose-free milk or a calcium-fortified soy beverage.
Vary your protein choices. Try a variety of items from the proteins food
Learn More About
National Nutrition
Month
To learn more about National
Nutrition Month, please visit:
www.ChooseMyPlate.gov
For additional information on
making healthy eating
choices for yourself and your
family, please visit:
www.eatright.org
www.kidseatright.org
group each week. This includes lean meat, poultry, eggs, nuts and beans. Make
seafood your protein of choice twice a week.
Cut back on sodium and empty calories from solid fats and added
sugars. Replace sugary drinks with water, and choose 100% fruit juice instead of
fruit-flavored beverages. Heart disease" is an umbrella term that includes any
disorder that affects the heart’s ability to function normally. The most common
cause of the condition is narrowing or blockage of the coronary arteries, which
supply blood to the heart itself. Add spices or herbs to season food without adding
salt. When cooking, try using extra virgin olive oil for flavor instead of solid fats.
Enjoy your food but eat less. Avoid consuming oversized portions by using a
smaller plate, bowl and glass during meals. If you drink alcoholic beverages, limit
yourself to 1 drink a day for women or 2 drinks a day for men.
Read Food Labels
Become a smart shopper by reading food labels to find out more about the foods
you eat. The Nutrition Facts panel found that reading most food labels will help
you:
·
·
·
·
Find out which foods are good sources of fiber, calcium, iron, and
vitamin C.
Compare similar foods to find out which one is lower in fat and calories.
Search for low-sodium foods. Compare the sodium in foods and choose
those with lower numbers.
Look for foods that are low in saturated fat and Trans fats.
Be Physically Active YOUR Way
Pick activities that you like and start by doing what you can, at least 10 minutes at
a time. Every bit adds up and health benefits increase as you spend more time
being active. It is recommended that children and teens engage in physical activity
for 60 minutes or longer a day. Adults should try to get 2 hours and 30 minutes or
more of moderate activity per week. Some ideas for physical activities the entire
family can enjoy include:
· Brisk walking
· Hiking
· Participating in a favorite sport
· Biking
· Rock climbing
· Swimming (indoor or outdoor)
· Playing a game of tag
Understanding Eating Disorders
:For
over 30 million Americans with an eating disorder, food is not a
source of nutrition, but an object of obsession. Secret starving, binge
eating, or the purging of food are all
common, as are feelings of anxiety,
depression, guilt and shame. The
physical problems associated with
eating disorders can be lifethreatening: 1 in 10 people with eating
disorders will die as a result of the
condition.
Eating Disorders:
Additional
Resources
For more information on the
prevention and treatment of eating
disorders, or to learn more about
how to help someone who you think
may be suffering with one, please
visit the following sites:
www.nationaleatingdisorders.com
www.edap.org
www.aedweb.org
When Food Becomes a Problem
Eating disorders are centered on extreme emotions, attitudes and behaviors
surrounding weight and food issues.
Anorexia Nervosa. Anorexia is a disorder that is characterized by selfstarvation. This condition usually begins in puberty, and tends to strike young
people with perfectionist, obedient personalities. Anorexics generally refuse
to eat or eat only a few morsels of food despite being severely underweight.
Another common symptom of the condition is the compulsive need to
exercise, which can contribute to dramatic levels of weight loss. Many people
with anorexia do not see how thin they are becoming and often “feel fat” even
at 80 pounds. A person with anorexia may resist any attempts for help
because gaining weight is viewed as undisciplined and weak. For anorexics,
control is key.
Bulimia Nervosa. People with bulimia are involved in a binge-purge cycle
of trying to control their weight and food intake. Stress usually triggers their
purging which may include vomiting, laxative abuse, excessive exercise,
fasting, and abuse of diuretics, diet pills and enemas. Bulimics tend to strive
for the approval of others while food becomes their only source of comfort.
Despite the drastic effort to control their weight and food intake, people with
bulimia are often at or near a normal weight. Unlike anorexics, bulimics
typically realize they have a problem and are more likely to seek help.
About The Wellness
Corporation
The Wellness Corporation is a
free and confidential program
provided by your employer for
you and your household
members. The EAP can help
resolve personal and
professional problems.
Contact us today!
800.828.6025
www.wellnessworklife.com
Compulsive Overeating & Binge Eating Disorders. Compulsive over
eaters, or binge eaters, use food as away to cope with stress, emotional
conflicts and daily problems. They typically eat in response to emotional
rather than physical hunger, and are often obese. People with this condition
may abuse alcohol and other substances, and may also have a history of
losing and regaining weight. Many people will choose “comfort foods” such as
starchy, sweet, salty and fatty items to fill emotional hunger. Weight
management becomes difficult and can cause the person to resort to drastic
diets or purging methods to compensate for the excessive food intake. Thus,
compulsive over eaters can be at risk for developing bulimia.
Treatment and Recovery
If you fear that you or someone you know might be suffering with an eating
disorder, don’t hesitate to seek professional assistance. The sooner a trained
medical professional can intervene and provide healthy treatment options, the
sooner the person can get back to living a healthy, happy life. Remember that
it can be difficult for someone with an eating disorder to realize there is a
problem. It is important to remain calm and non-judgmental.
Professional counseling is usually successful in assisting those with eating
disorders. The harmful eating cycles can be replaced with new
techniques to manage needs and feelings. Eating disorders are treatable but
cannot be solved overnight, it takes time. Two to three years is not an
uncommon amount of time for a person to recover and develop a healthy new
relationship with food.