a. Discomfort or pain – back pain, sore knees,
heart conditions, lung disorders can all be
keeping you from living a more active lifestyle.
b. Fear of injury – This is a real concern for
many who may suffer from balance issues, os-
teoporosis or other health issues that may make
you at risk for falls.
c. Isolation – Not having a group of people to
exercise with may prevent you from exercising
alone.
However, not everyone will gain weight as
they age because your body weight is influ-
enced by your genetic makeup, your level of
physical activity and your food choices.
Steps to Control Your Weight in 2020:
1. Follow a Healthy Diet – You are what
you eat, right? It’s true.
a. Lean Proteins: Foods in the meat, poul-
try, fish, eggs, nuts and seed group provide
nutrients that are vital for health and mainte-
nance of your body. However, choosing foods
from this group that are high in saturated fat
and cholesterol may have health implications.
Make sure your diet consists of lean proteins.
Examples include: Fish, chicken, eggs, nuts,
beans and peas.
b. Eat your Vegetables & Fruits: This in-
cludes 100% (no sugar added) juice, raw,
cooked, fresh, frozen or canned. You need
approximately 2-2.5 cups of vegetables per
day and 1-1.5 cups of fruit per day. As part
of an overall healthy diet, eating foods such
as fruits that are lower in calories per cup in-
stead of some other higher-calorie food may
be useful in helping to lower calorie intake.
Eating a diet rich in vegetables and fruits as
part of an overall healthy diet may reduce risk
for heart disease, including heart attack and
stroke. Eating a diet rich in some vegetables
and fruits as part of an overall healthy diet
may protect against certain types of cancers.
Vegetables are divided into multiple cate-
gories and it’s good to get a variety in your
diet each week. Examples include: Dark-
green vegetables: broccoli and greens; red
and orange vegetables: carrots, red peppers,
tomatoes and sweet potatoes; beans and peas:
black-eyed, pinto, black or split peas; other
vegetables: mushrooms, squash, green beans,
celery, cabbage; starchy vegetables: corn,
green peas or white potatoes. Starchy vege-
tables should be limited due to higher sugar
content.
c. Grains/Breads – You need 3-8 ounces of
grain per day, and at least half of those grains
should be whole grains. Whole grains in-
clude: oatmeal, whole wheat breads/pastas,
popcorn, toasted oat and whole wheat cereals,
brown rice and whole wheat crackers.
d. Dairy – Milk, yogurt, ice cream and
cheese. You need approximately 3 cups of
dairy per day.
e. Drink plenty of water - Water is an im-
portant part of all body functions and pro-
cesses, including digestion and elimination.
Drinking water is important during weight
CULLMAN COUNTY SENIOR MAGAZINE
SPRING 2020 | 39