National Nutrition Month: Healthy lifestyle important for weight loss

Published Feb. 29, 2008
By Wendi Knowles, RD/LD
Registered Dietitian, Health and Wellness Center

TINKER AIR FORCE BASE -- Nutrition: It's a Matter of Fact"
   Don't eat after 8 p.m. Avoid carbohydrates. A piece of cake on your birthday will ruin your diet; Right?
   Not exactly; there are no bad foods, no good or bad times to eat and no magic bullet for maintaining a healthy weight. In fact, it's the total diet approach that matters in living a healthful lifestyle.
   March is National Nutrition Month®, the perfect time to take a fresh look at the big picture. No single food or meal makes (or breaks) a healthful diet; the most important focus is your overall eating pattern. A wide variety of foods can fit within this pattern, if consumed in moderation, in appropriate portions and combined with regular physical activity.
   The theme for National Nutrition Month 2008 is "Nutrition: It's a Matter of Fact". The American Dietetic Association reminds consumers to focus on the total balance of foods you consume, rather than any one food or meal.
   No one food or type of food guarantees good health, just as no single food or type of food is necessarily detrimental to your health.
   It doesn't matter if you eat after 8 p.m. What's more important is how many calories you ate the entire day, not when you ate them. Splurging on cake and ice cream during a party isn't going to ruin a healthful eating plan. Pay attention to the portion of your treat and enjoy it in moderation, exercise a little longer that day or plan ahead to save calories, like skipping the fries with lunch.
   In recognition of National Nutrition Month®, the nutrition staff and other members from the Health and Wellness Center, along with C&C Produce, will present a local chef for a cooking demonstration. In addition, Bobby the Banana will issue raffle tickets for a free year's supply of Dole bananas to one lucky winner. Pedometers and information on fitness will be given out to help inspire you to include fitness into your healthy lifestyle (while supplies last). Come and learn the top 10 Nutrition facts while sampling healthy treats.
   National Nutrition Month® will be celebrated in the foyer of the Commissary on Tuesday, MarCH 4 from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m..
   The Health and Wellness Center offers a wide variety of classes to assist you in moving towards a healthier lifestyle see our calendar of events in the wingman monthly section of the Tinker Take Off or contact the HAWC on 736-2169.