Nutrition for healthy living

Active Adults

Deadlines, stress and multiple commitments can lead to a hectic lifestyle. A well-balanced diet is crucial to helping you feel great now and for safeguarding your health for the future. At any time of year you can incorporate key nutrients into your diet. We've used the seasons as a way to help you think about your body's nutritional needs.

• Spring: Focus on Folate
• Summer: Find out about Fiber and Fluids
• Fall: Browse around Beta Carotene
• Winter: Venture through Vitamin C

Spring

Spring is the time for a fresh start. It's a great opportunity to try a new outdoor sport or hobby. Why not get an early start on your garden?

Many fruits and vegetables are rich in the B vitamin folate, or folic acid. Folate is essential for cell production, and it helps form hemoglobin in red blood cells. Folate helps to prevent birth defects, so it is especially important for women of child-bearing age. Folate may also play a role in preventing heart disease. A variety of fruits and vegetables, as well as fortified grain products like cereal, bread, pasta and rice are good sources of folate.

Recommended dietary allowance for folate (mcg)

• Men: 200^*
• Nonpregnant women: 180^*
• Pregnant women: 400
• Lactating women: 260-280^*

^*Recent research now indicates these levels should be increased to 400-600 mcg.

Folate-filled foods

Tips to increase your folate intake

• When making chili, double the amount of beans and cut the meat in half (you'll lower fat too!).
• Add wheat germ to crumb toppings for baked desserts and casseroles.
• Order a pizza with broccoli or spinach topping.
• Add chick peas and sunflower seeds to your salad.
• Add romain lettuce to your sandwiches.
• Make a three-bean salad with chick peas, kidney beans and green beans.
• Try hummus with pita chips or black bean dip with baked tortilla chips.
• Make a trail mix with soy nuts, dry cereal and raisins.
• Drink a glass of orange juice instead of soda or fruit drink.

Spring Activities

• Bicycling
• Fishing
• Golfing
• Gardening
• Bird watching
• Kite flying

Summer

Summer is the season to be active. Whether you like to swim, bike or sun bathe, fluids are especially important in summer. In hot, humid weather, more fluid is lost through perspiration. Inactive people should drink at least eight cups of water each day. For active people, water should be consumed before, during and after a workout.

Just a helpful hint. . .when you are thirsty, your body has already experienced a 1 percent loss of body water. A 2-5 percent loss can lead to headache, fatigue and lack of concentration. Some other common signs of dehydration are weak hands, dark urine and dry mouth.

When choosing liquids, some fluids are better than others. Alcohol and caffeinated beverages like coffee, tea and some sodas, can cause your body to excrete more fluids. Water is an excellent fluid choice. If you need more flavor, add a slice of fresh lemon.

In addition to adequate hydration, summer is also a great time to fit fiber into your diet. Fiber is a complex carbohydrate that is not digested. There are two types of fiber found in foods: soluble and insoluble. Insoluble fiber helps to move waste through your digestive tract, so harmful substances quickly pass through the intestines. Soluble fibers may help with lowering cholesterol levels in the blood. Summer is a good opportunity to include beans with salads, fruits as desserts and whole grains for breakfast to help increase your fiber consumption.

Dietary fiber recommended: 25-35 grams per day

Fiber-filled foods

Tips to increase your fiber intake

• Make a fresh fruit salad to complement any meal in the summer.
• Add oatmeal to your muffin and bread recipes.
• Add fresh fruit to a bowl of whole grain or bran cereal.
• Use whole-wheat or pumpernickel bread for toast in the morning or sandwiches at lunch.
• Add green leafy vegetables like spinach and broccoli to salads.
• Consider adding chick peas to salads or pasta dishes.
• Use a variety of beans to make a vegetarian chili or a three-bean salad.
• Try brown rice or whole wheat pasta.
• Add dried figs and peanuts to trail mix.

Summer activities

• Camping
• Swimming
• Canoeing
• Tennis
• Golf
• Water Skiing

Fall

Fall is the season to enjoy the crisp air and colorful foliage. Fruits and vegetables rich in beta carotene are plentiful during this season.

Beta carotene is important in promoting healthy vision, skin and bones. It also helps support your immune system. Beta carotene is an antioxidant produced by plants and changed into Vitamin A in the body. So, plan a hike, grab a snack and enjoy the fall foliage.

Recommended dietary allowance of Vitamin A (800 retinol equivalents (RE)/day.)

Vitamin A rich foods

Tips to increase your Vitamin A intake

• Add dried apricots to trail mix.
• Blend carrots in a food processor and add to tomato sauce.
• Snack on raw red peppers.
• Add spinach or kale to your tossed salad.
• Make pumpkin bread.
• Try mango or papaya juice.
• Make a squash soup.
• Toss mandarin oranges into a spinach salad.
• Add broccoli to your pizza.

Fall activities

• Tailgating parties
• Frisbee
• Rollerblading
• Finding fall foilage
• Scarecrow building
• Football

Winter

Have you heard you need more Vitamin C during the winter to protect against colds and the flu? While research has yet to support this claim, Vitamin C is still an important nurient in your diet.

It helps with wound healing and iron absorption and it's antioxidant properties may help protect against certain types of cancer and heart disease. So, stock up on Vitamin C rich foods this winter!

Recommended daily allowance of Vitamin C (60 mg/day)

Vitamin C rich foods

Tips to increase your Vitamin C intake

• Use citrus juice in place of water when baking boxed cakes.
• Add roasted red peppers to your sandwich.
• Add raw broccoli and snowpeas to pasta.
• Cut a sweet potato into wedges, toss with a touch of olive oil, salt and pepper and bake for an exciting side dish.
• Stuff a baked potato with broccoli and low-fat cheese for an easy meal.
• Add a slice of tomato to your sandwich.
• Make a shake with frozen strawberries, pineapple juice and orange juice.
• Snack on a kiwi.

Activities

• Skiing
• Ice Skating
• Snowshoeing

Continue: Seniors

Return to the main nutrition page.

Last revised: March 10, 2005 (jj)

Home page URL: http://www.ynhh.org

All information is intended for your general knowledge and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for specific medical conditions. You should seek prompt medical care for any specific health issues and consult your physician before starting a new fitness regimen.