MyPyramid Plan

What Should You Be Eating Daily?

One size doesn't fit all, anymore--according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Remember, the old two dimensional food pyramid that gave a vague description of how many servings of bread, vegetables, fruits, milk, meat, etc. we should be eating. Well its reign is finally over, and has been for a couple years now.

In case you don’t know (and some people don’t) the USDA has come out with a more interactive pyramid, call the MyPyramid. The MyPyramid is correctly named in that this pyramid, unlike the first, is tailored to your body's needs based on your size, and level of activity.

To build your food pyramid to help you choose the foods and amounts that are right for you, visit MyPyramid at (http://www.mypyramid.gov/mypyramid/index.aspx) to get a quick estimate of what and how much you should be eating daily. This is done through the MyPyramid Plan which requires you to enter your age, sex, height, and activity level in the MyPyramid Plan form. The form will take your information and calculate in cups and ounces how much of what, from six food groups (grains, vegetables, fruits, oils, milk, and meat) you should be eating. In addition, it recommends at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity per day.

From the information you provide, your plan will look something like this:


I recommend printing the PDF version of the plan (see the link option under “View, Print and Learn More” to the right of your chart) and placing it on your refrigerator, or some place in your kitchen where you will have a constant reminder of your new dietary goals. Also, print out the worksheet (a link to the worksheet is located just below the PDF print option). Carry a copy of your worksheet around with you daily, until you’ve established a habit of making healthy food choices.

If you are really serious about changing your diet, continue with the MyPyramid Tracker (http://www.mypyramidtracker.gov/Default.aspx?Module=6). You’ll need to register, but once you get registered you’ll be able to use the navigation bar at the top of the page, to navigate your way through the online dietary assessment and the physical activity assessment. They are designed to provide you with a progress chart to better understand your diet and to visually depict your physical activity level over time).

Other resources:

Food Tracking Worksheets
(http://mypyramid.gov/professionals/food_tracking_wksht.html):
Provides 12 Food Tracking Worksheet you can download based on your intake pattern.

MyPyramid Food Intake Patterns (http://mypyramid.gov/downloads/MyPyramid_Food_Intake_Patterns.pdf): Explains in details what and how much food an individual should eat for health. The amounts to eat are based on a person’s age, sex, and activity level.

Dietary Guideline Brochure (http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/Publications/DietaryGuidelines/2005/2005DGConsumerBrochure.pdf): Provides dietary guidelines for Americans.

MyPyramid Plan for kids:

http://www.mypyramid.gov/preschoolers/index.html
http://www.mypyramid.gov/kids/index.html

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Are You Getting Enough Vitamin D?

If I told you that there was a pill that helps protect against chronic diseases such as cancer (breast cancer, ovarian cancer, colon cancer, and prostate cancer), type 1 diabetes, depression, weight gain, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and autoimmune diseases, would you believe me? A better question is: Would you take it?

The pill I’m talking about, which is actually a vitamin, is vitamin D. Known as the sunshine vitamin, vitamin D helps keep bones strong, it also helps the body absorb calcium, and it is also the only vitamin that is a hormone.

“After Vitamin D is made by the skin or eaten, the kidney and liver help to convert it into an active hormone form. As a hormone, it controls calcium absorption to help the body build strong bones and teeth, and it helps maintain muscle strength. When you are deficient in calcium and vitamin D, your bones break down to supply calcium to the rest of your body. ...Low levels of vitamin D have also been linked with poor muscle strength and other chronic conditions, such as autoimmune disease and some forms of cancer."

Because Vitamin D is not abundant in most of our food choices, we get most of the vitamin from sun exposure and multivitamins.

The body manufactures vitamin D when exposed to sunshine, however, if you’re an indoor person like me who prefers limited sun exposure for her daily does of vitamin D; keep in mind that 10 to 15 minutes of sun exposure (without sunscreen) daily can provide you with most of your vitamin D requirements.

Also, like most vitamins, vitamin D may be obtained by eating a well-balanced diet. Some foods that contain vitamin D are: egg yolks, sardines, mackerel, salmon, herring, fish liver oils, shrimp, chicken liver, oysters and fortified foods such as orange juice, milk and infant formula.

Your Call to Order...
Your call to Order is to take care of the body God has blessed you with by making sure you are getting the right amount vitamin D you need?

From birth to age 50, people should get 200 IU of vitamin D a day, that’s equivalent to two glasses of milk daily. Adults 51–69 require 400 IU daily, and those over 70 require 600 IU. It is recommended that patients with osteoporosis get 800–1,000 IU of vitamin D a day.

Power Verses:

Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food (Genesis 1:29).

Praise the LORD, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits-
who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's (Psalm 103:1-5).

References:
http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/are-you-getting-enough-vitamin-d
http://www.netwellness.org/healthtopics/osteoporosis/vitamind.cfm
http://healthnews.uc.edu/news/?/757/

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"Enjoy Good Health"

Since this blog is about balance, I should strive to be a positive role model by showing some balance in my devotional topics. I’ve talked mostly about spiritual qualities, mental development, and emotional challenges, but as you well know many women are also dealing with physical challenges.

So many friends and associates have shared with me how tired, drained, stressed, and overwhelmed they feel at the end of most days; and statistical data reports that we are the heaviest we’ve ever been. This does not mean we are to be model thin. Slenderness runs in my family, but being slender does not automatically make me or anyone else healthy.

Just as the apostle John said to Gaius the Elder in 3 John 2, I want to say to you: "Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.”

Although I enjoy hearing the poetic words of the King James Version, the New International Version simply says, “Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.”



As you continue to grow and mature in Christ, don’t forget that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost (1 Corinthians 6:19). Your continuous ministry to the masses is predicated not only on God’s will, but also whether you are willing to eat healthy and exercise regularly. Exercising may not be something you want to add to your to-do list, but I guarantee you, that exercising makes all other tasks seem less laborious (it changes your attitude). In addition, eating healthier foods, will give you more energy.

I am still developing better eating habits, but I can definitely tell the difference between the days I take time to ride my treadmill and the days I don’t. For starters exercising energizes my day; the circulation of blood through my heart, and blood vessels gives me more energy to do the things I need to do. Exercise also helps me to sleep better, think better, and keeps me focused longer.

Enough about me, the truth is balancing blessings and obtaining order in this area of our lives requires us to live healthier life styles so we have the energy to respond to God’s call and to perform our daily responsibilities. The benefits of exercise and physical activity according to a surgeon general report are:

· Reduce the risk of premature death
· Reduce the risk of developing and/or dying from heart disease
· Reduce high blood pressure or the risk of developing high blood pressure
· Reduce high cholesterol or the risk of developing high cholesterol
· Reduce the risk of developing colon cancer and breast cancer
· Reduce the risk of developing diabetes
· Reduce or maintain body weight or body fat
· Build and maintain healthy muscles, bones, and joints
· Reduce depression and anxiety
· Improve psychological well-being
· Enhanced work, recreation, and sport performance

Your Call to Order...
Obtain order in this area of your life by finding a simple and convenience activity that you can do regularly that will help you get your heart rate up. I walk on the treadmill every other day for 20 to 30 minutes. It may be more expedient for you to walk up and down your stairs seven to eight times back-to-back, three to four times a week.

Next, make some small changes to your diet; consider adding more fruits, raw vegetables, water, whole-grains, and fish.

Power Verses

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10: 24-25, NIV).

“Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones” (Proverbs 3:7-8, NIV).

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