Take care of yourself with natural products


Vegetables: Key to Fitness and Weight Control

I was a young child during World War II.can help you reach and maintain a
To make up for food shortages thehealthy weight, according to the CDC.
government asked citizens to plantTo learn more log onto the CDC Homepage
Victory Gardens. Like other families onand print out "How to Use Fruits and
our block, we had a garden in a vacantVegetables to Help Manage Your
field. Weeding our Victory Garden wasWeight."Vegetables and daily walking
more than a war time activity, it was ahave helped me to keep a healthy weight.
social activity.Families caught up onI love vegetables, probably because of
news as they planted and harvested theirmy childhood Victory Garden experience.
crops. Picking vegetables - fat orangeBut many Americans grimace when they
carrots, turgid Swiss chard, and giantthink about fixing vegetables or eating
potatoes - seemed miraculous to me. Onethem. Why? It takes time to wash and
day some older kids built a fire on aslice vegetables and Americans are short
bare plot and we roasted potatoes. Weof time.Many of us don't know how to
ate the blackened potatoes without anycook vegetables. A serving of limp,
butter or salt, and I can still remembergray-green beans is hardly appealing.
how good they tasted.Vegetables fed theCarrots cooked until they are mush are a
nation during World War II. We were aturn-off. How can we get Americans to
fit nation then because people walked toeat more vegetables? We can explain
conserve gas, ate little protein (steakcooking techniques.Steamed vegetables,
was a rarity), and were restricted byfor example, retain their color and
food stamps. No obese people lived on mycrispness. The same is true of stir
block. In fact, I didn't know any obesefried vegetables. I stir fry vegetables
people. How things have changed.Americain a cast iron skillet. The skillet is
is no longer a fit nation, it is a fatso well seasoned that I need only a
nation, and the obesity statistics aretablespoon (or less) of olive
alarming. According to the President'soil.Americans also need to learn how to
Council on Fitness and Sports 37% ofseason vegetables. Though I rarely cook
Americans aren't physically active.with salt, sometimes I sprinkle light
More than 108 million Americans aresalt on vegetables. Most of the time I
either obese or overweight. Teens andseason vegetables with lemon pepper or
younger kids are developing type 2fresh lemon juice. I also season them
diabetes, formerly an adult disease.Whatwith fresh thyme, rosemary, basil, and
can Americans do? We can eat moregarlic.Involving kids in meal
vegetables. The United Statespreparation is another way to get
Department of Agriculture (USDA) hasAmericans to eat vegetables. Older kids
posted an article on titled "Why is itcan cut the tips off of string beans,
Important to Eat Vegetables?" Thepeel and slice carrots, or slice
reasons include reducing the risks ofmushrooms. Younger kids can get pans
type 2 diabetes, stroke, mouth, stomach,out of the cupboard, measure
and colon-rectum cancer, and heartingredients, and set the table.Trying
disease. In other words, eatingnew vegetables, such as jicima, may also
vegetables is a way to protect yourhelp Americans to eat more of them.
health.Mayo Clinic has posted an articleFresh vegetables add sparkle to any
about the energy density of vegetablesmeal. We don't have Victory Gardens any
on its website. The article, "Energymore, but we can eat vegetables to
Density and Weight Loss: Feel Full onprevent disease and maintain a healthy
Fewer Calories," tells how energyweight. Put vegetables at the top of
density works. Many vegetables have lowyour grocery list today!Copyright 2006
energy density, Mayo says, and you canby Harriet Hodgson Hodgson has been a
eat large servings of them, feel fullnonfiction writer for 27 years and is a
quickly, and because you feel full,member of the Association of Health Care
consume fewer calories.Green vegetablesJournalists. Before she became a health
are a good example. One serving ofwriter she was a food writer for the
green beans, asparagus, or broccoliformer "Rochester Magazine" in her home
contains about 25 calories, according totown of Rochester, MN.
Mayo Clinic. This number refers toHer 24th book, "Smiling Through Your
plain vegetables, not vegetablesTears: Anticipating Grief," written with
drenched in butter or smothered inLois Krahn, MD, is available from A
cheese sauce. Lightly dressed saladsfive-star review of the book is posted
also have low energy density.The Centerson Amazon. You will also find another
for Disease Control (CDC) says most ofreview on the American Hospice
the space on your dinner plate should beFoundation website under the "School
filled with vegetables, fruits, andCorner" heading.
whole grains. Eating lots of vegetables



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