Take care of yourself with natural products


Vegetables: Key to Fitness and Weight Control

I was a young child during World War II. Tolots of vegetables can help you reach and
make up for food shortages the governmentmaintain a healthy weight, according to the
asked citizens to plant Victory Gardens.CDC. To learn more log onto the CDC Homepage
Like other families on our block, we had aand print out "How to Use Fruits and
garden in a vacant field. Weeding ourVegetables to Help Manage Your
Victory Garden was more than a war timeWeight."Vegetables and daily walking have
activity, it was a social activity.Familieshelped me to keep a healthy weight. I love
caught up on news as they planted andvegetables, probably because of my childhood
harvested their crops. Picking vegetables -Victory Garden experience. But many
fat orange carrots, turgid Swiss chard, andAmericans grimace when they think about
giant potatoes - seemed miraculous to me.fixing vegetables or eating them. Why? It
One day some older kids built a fire on atakes time to wash and slice vegetables and
bare plot and we roasted potatoes. We ateAmericans are short of time.Many of us don't
the blackened potatoes without any butter orknow how to cook vegetables. A serving of
salt, and I can still remember how good theylimp, gray-green beans is hardly appealing.
tasted.Vegetables fed the nation during WorldCarrots cooked until they are mush are a
War II. We were a fit nation then becauseturn-off. How can we get Americans to eat
people walked to conserve gas, ate littlemore vegetables? We can explain cooking
protein (steak was a rarity), and weretechniques.Steamed vegetables, for example,
restricted by food stamps. No obese peopleretain their color and crispness. The same
lived on my block. In fact, I didn't knowis true of stir fried vegetables. I stir fry
any obese people. How things havevegetables in a cast iron skillet. The
changed.America is no longer a fit nation, itskillet is so well seasoned that I need only
is a fat nation, and the obesity statisticsa tablespoon (or less) of olive oil.Americans
are alarming. According to the President'salso need to learn how to season vegetables.
Council on Fitness and Sports 37% ofThough I rarely cook with salt, sometimes I
Americans aren't physically active. Moresprinkle light salt on vegetables. Most of
than 108 million Americans are either obesethe time I season vegetables with lemon
or overweight. Teens and younger kids arepepper or fresh lemon juice. I also season
developing type 2 diabetes, formerly an adultthem with fresh thyme, rosemary, basil, and
disease.What can Americans do? We can eatgarlic.Involving kids in meal preparation is
more vegetables. The United Statesanother way to get Americans to eat
Department of Agriculture (USDA) has postedvegetables. Older kids can cut the tips off
an article on titled "Why is it Important toof string beans, peel and slice carrots, or
Eat Vegetables?" The reasons includeslice mushrooms. Younger kids can get pans
reducing the risks of type 2 diabetes,out of the cupboard, measure ingredients, and
stroke, mouth, stomach, and colon-rectumset the table.Trying new vegetables, such as
cancer, and heart disease. In other words,jicima, may also help Americans to eat more
eating vegetables is a way to protect yourof them. Fresh vegetables add sparkle to any
health.Mayo Clinic has posted an articlemeal. We don't have Victory Gardens any
about the energy density of vegetables on itsmore, but we can eat vegetables to prevent
website. The article, "Energy Density anddisease and maintain a healthy weight. Put
Weight Loss: Feel Full on Fewer Calories,"vegetables at the top of your grocery list
tells how energy density works. Manytoday!Copyright 2006 by Harriet Hodgson
vegetables have low energy density, MayoHodgson has been a nonfiction writer for 27
says, and you can eat large servings of them,years and is a member of the Association of
feel full quickly, and because you feel full,Health Care Journalists. Before she became a
consume fewer calories.Green vegetables are ahealth writer she was a food writer for the
good example. One serving of green beans,former "Rochester Magazine" in her home town
asparagus, or broccoli contains about 25of  Rochester,  MN.
calories, according to Mayo Clinic. This
number refers to plain vegetables, notHer 24th book, "Smiling Through Your Tears:
vegetables drenched in butter or smothered inAnticipating Grief," written with Lois Krahn,
cheese sauce. Lightly dressed salads alsoMD, is available from A five-star review of
have low energy density.The Centers forthe book is posted on Amazon. You will also
Disease Control (CDC) says most of the spacefind another review on the American Hospice
on your dinner plate should be filled withFoundation website under the "School Corner"
vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Eatingheading.



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