Healthy skin is important for appearance and overall health, because your skin defends against viruses and bacteria.
To keep skin healhty, eat plentiful amounts of Vitamin B (lean meats, dairy, fish) and Vitamin A (broccoli, spinach, dairy).
To help your skin retain its suppleness, drink 8-10 glasses of water a day. Avoid excess alcohol, caffeine, and sunlight.
At least 5 fruits and vegetable a day
At least 5-6 servings of grain (3 whole grain) daily
1000 mg calcium daily
Protein foods 2-3 times a day
Some fat at each meal (5-10 grams minimum)
6-8 cups fluid daily
Fast food-avoid oversizing
Dining out- 1/2 portion size
30 minutes of physical activity daily
General outline:
- Breakfast: grain, fruit, dairy
- Lunch: 2 grain, protein, vegetables, fruit, dairy
- Dinner: 2-3 grains, protein, vegetables, fruit
- Snacks: fruit/dairy, grain/dairy, grain/fruit, vegetables
Twelve Ways to Add Fruits and Vegetable to Your Diet:
1. Add mashed bananas or blueberries to pancake mix.
2. Add spinach to a sandwhich instead of iceberg lettuce.
3. Stir- fry frozen or fresh vegetables with meat or tofu.
4. Add salsa! One-half cup is a vegetable serving:
- Salsa on eggs
- Salsa on baked potato
- Salsa on a veggie burger
- Salsa on a tortilla with cheese
5. Slice a tomato on a sandwich.
6. Add fresh or frozen vegetables to pasta dishes:
- Sundried tomatoes
- Spinach
- Broccoli
- Peas
7. Cut up fruit, or add frozen fruit to mix with yogurt- cantaloupe, blueberries, banana, strawberries.
8. Try frozen bananas or grapes.
9. Try dried fruit - apples, apricots, raisins.
10. Mix chopped vegetables; cucumbers, red pepper, tomato, romaine lettuce, with grated cheese and ranch dressing in a pita.
11. Make fruit salsas to add to chicken, pork, or fish.
12. Make fruit smoothies with yogurt, milk and frozen or fresh fruit.
Blackberry Smoothie
You can use any fresh or frozen berry in this shake. It's easy to to take to the office or school in a small insulated container.
2 cups fresh or frozen blackberries
1 cup plain low fat yogurt
1 cup apple juice
1/4 cup honey
1 large ripe banana
Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth.
Yeild: 3 servings
NUTRITION PER SERVING:
CALORIES 265 (3% from fat); FAT 0.8 g (sat.0.2 g, mono 0.1 g, poly 0.2 g); PROTEIN 5.7 g; CHOLESTEROL 2 mg; CALCIUM 192 mg; SODIUM 62 mg; FIBER 8.7 g; IRON 1.2 mg; CARBOHYDRATE 63.2 g.
Cooking Light, October 1998
Do not make major changes in your eating habits because of what you read in a magazine article without researching it further. Nutrition facts can be validated by consulting textbooks available at libraries and bookstores. Unlike the information in some best-selling nutrition books, the information in nutrition textbooks are scientifically sound. You can also research online, however do not just enter your topic into a search engine. Nutrition misinformation abounds on the Internet. Instead, go to a web site that you respect and search that site's collection of articles and links. A good one to check out is http://www.usda.gov/.
Elizabeth
When it comes to dietary supplements, be very cautious. Dietary supplements do not need to be proven safe OR effective before they are marketed. Their quality may also be questionable; some products don't contain the types and amounts of ingredients stated on their label, and others may be contaminated with unwanted substances. Some dietary supplements may have harmful side effects, and some may interefere with medications. Even vitamins and minerals can be toxic if taken in excessive amounts. Before taking any supplements, (other than vitamins/minerals that are not more than 100% of Daily Value), it is a good idea to check it out with your health care provider. This precaution is especially crucial if you are pregnant, nursing, elderly, under the age of 18, have a chronic medical condition, or if you are taking any prescription or over-the-counter medication.
Elizabeth
