Follow the Rainbow to a Long and Healthy Life
by Amy Snider, PHEc
America is experiencing a demographic shift. A large portion of the population is rounding middle age and enjoying life is becoming their top priority. And why not? After years of working hard, it's about time!
Yet, the desire for a rich, active life demands or requires a body that can keep up. For that reason, many Americans are considering making lifestyle changes so that they can live longer, fuller lives. It's never too late to adopt healthy eating habits, and eating well can have an immediate impact on everyday vitality as well as in the prevention future diseases. Statistics show a clear link between diet and conditions such as adult-onset diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and osteoporosis.
As we age, our eating habits change for many reasons:
• As children leave the nest, household cooks can find it a challenge to shop and prepare for just one or two.
• Tastebuds can diminish with age and take some of the enjoyment out of eating.
• For some, decreased activity levels and slowed metabolisms can interfere with hunger and result in skipped meals.
• Physical limitations can interfere with ease of preparation.
The consequence can be a tendency to eat a bland and often repetitive menu. Unfortunately, this routine is not a prescription for aging gracefully.
The easiest way possible to eat healthfully at every meal is to fill your plate with a wide variety of colorful foods. The simple truth is that colorful foods generally contain a greater wealth of nutrients—especially fruits and vegetables. However, recent studies about fruit and vegetable consumption show that many people find it difficult to eat the recommended number of servings per day.
According to the Centers for Disease Control:
• Only 33% of adults eat 2 or more servings of fruit a day.
• Only 28% of adults eat 3 or more servings of vegetables a day.
Colorful fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants, which help to reduce the negative effects of oxygen on our bodies. We need oxygen to live and breathe, but as it is used, by-products called free radicals are formed in the body. Cell damage by free radicals is the root cause of many of the "natural signs of aging" such as wrinkles, poor circulation and stiffness. The same damage can also lead to more serious diseases that impact the population, such as atherosclerosis, arthritis, cancer, and, it is now believed, Alzheimer's disease. One of the functions of antioxidants is to "mop up" these free radicals as they are produced so that they are not free to wreak havoc.
For those who don't want the bother of washing, peeling, chopping and cooking all the vegetables and fruit recommended by nutrition experts, DineWise's selection of meal plans and mix-and-match entrées, sides and vegetables provide a wonderful range of antioxidant-rich items.
When making meal selections, try to incorporate foods of different colors throughout the day. Colorful vegetables are usually low in calories, yet high in nutritional payoff, and therefore can be consumed liberally. Like a bountiful garden, each plate can host a variety of lean proteins, vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Check out how easy it is to eat from the rainbow at every meal.
• Yellow: Sample Lentil and Corn Medley, Yellow and Green Beans or Corn and Asparagus Medley from the Mix and Match Menu.
• Orange: Choose Baby Carrots, Mashed Sweet Potatoes or Butternut Squash from the Mix and Match Menu.
• Red: Try the Turkey Chili or Garden Vegetable Soup from the Lunch Selections.
• Brown: From the Low-Sodium Selections you can select the Whole Grain Wheat Cereal with Toasted Pecans, Bacon & Pineapple entrée for breakfast.
• Blue: Start your day with a 7-Grain Waffle and Yogurt with Blueberry Compote from the Breakfast Selections.
• Green: There are so many to choose from, including Broccoli Florets, Sugar Snap Peas and Baby Carrots or Green Beans Almondine.
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