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American Dietetic Association Urges Everyone to Celebrate National Nutrition Month

View these exciting Nutrition Facts Sheets for a Healthier You !!

34 tips for helping you eat right Nutrition Facts V Fiction Counting Colors

Top 10 Nutrition Facts Healthy Eating More Healthy Eating

CHICAGO - March is National Nutrition Month® - Nutrition: It's a matter of Fact

Through National Nutrition Month®, created in 1973, the American Dietetic Association promotes healthful eating by providing practical nutrition guidance and focusing attention on the importance
of making informed food choices and developing sound physical activity habits.

Step up today by making healthier lifestyle choices to improve your health and the
health of your family and you'll reap the benefits for years to come.
Small steps equal big rewards.

Remember these National Nutrition Month® key messages to eat smart and stay
physically active this month and all year long:

	The food and physical activity choices you make today - and every day - affect
	your health and how you feel today and in the future. Eating right and being physically active are keys to a healthy lifestyle.
	Make smart choices from every food group. Give your body the balanced nutrition it needs by eating a variety of nutrient-packed foods every day. Just be sure to stay within your daily calorie needs.
	Get the most nutrition out of your calories. Choose the most nutritionally rich foods you can from each food group - those packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber and other nutrients but lower in calories.
	Find your balance between food and physical activity. Regular physical activity is important for your overall health and fitness plus it helps control body weight, promotes a feeling of well-being and reduces the risk of chronic diseases.
	Play it safe with foods. Prepare, handle and store food properly to keep you and your family safe.

National Nutrition Month® reminds consumers that registered dietitians are the most valuable and credible source of timely, science-based food and nutrition information. For more information about National Nutrition Month® or to locate a registered dietitian in your area, visit the American Dietetic Association at www.eatright.org.

With nearly 65,000 members, the Chicago-based American Dietetic Association is the world's largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. ADA serves the public by promoting nutrition, health and well-being.

Forget Myths, Folklore and Magic Bullets: The Best Approach to a Healthful Lifestyle Is the “Total Diet”

Don’t eat after 8 p.m. Avoid carbohydrates, even fruit. A piece of cake on your birthday will ruin your diet. Right?

Not exactly. There are no bad foods, no good or bad times to eat and no magic bullet for maintaining a healthy weight. The fact is, it’s your total diet approach that matters in living a healthful lifestyle.

March is National Nutrition Month®, the perfect time to take a fresh look at the big picture. The theme for National Nutrition Month 2008 is Nutrition: It’s a Matter of Fact and the American Dietetic Association reminds consumers to focus on the total balance of foods you consume, rather than any one food or meal.

No single food or meal makes or breaks a healthful diet. Your overall pattern of eating is the most important focus. A wide variety of foods can fit within this pattern, if consumed in moderation, in appropriate portions and combined with regular physical activity. No one food or type of food guarantees good health, just as no single food is necessarily detrimental to health.

It doesn’t matter if you eat after 8 p.m. What’s more important is how many calories you ate the entire day, not when you ate them and splurging on cake and ice cream during a party isn’t going to ruin a healthful eating plan. Pay attention to the portion of your treat and enjoy it in moderation, exercise a little longer the next day or plan ahead to save calories, like skipping your morning latte.

Develop an eating plan rich with fruits, vegetables and whole-grains for lifelong health. Too often, people adopt the latest food fad rather than focusing on overall health. Get back to basics consult a registered dietitian and use the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans and MyPyramid as your guide to healthy eating.

A registered dietitian can help you look at your total diet and learn the balance and moderation needed for success, and can dispel the myths and legends that get in the way of healthful eating. To locate an RD near you, visit the Find a Nutrition Pro

Key Messages for National Nutrition Month 2008:

	Develop an eating plan for lifelong health. Too often people adopt the latest food fad rather than focusing on overall health. Get back to basics and use the Dietary Guidelines 2005 and MyPyramid as your guide to healthy eating.
	Choose foods sensibly by looking at the big picture. A single food or meal doesn’t make or break a healthful diet. When consumed in moderation in the appropriate portion size, all foods can fit into a healthful diet.
	Learn how to spot a food fad. Unreasonable or exaggerated claims that eating (or not eating) specific foods, nutrient supplements or combinations of foods may cure disease or offer quick weight loss are key features of fad diets.
	Find your balance between food and physical activity. Regular physical activity is important for your overall health and fitness plus it helps control body weight, promotes a feeling of well-being and reduces the risk of chronic diseases.
	Food and nutrition misinformation can have harmful effects on your health and well-being, as well as your wallet. Registered dietitians are uniquely qualified to communicate current and emerging science-based nutrition information and are an instrumental part of developing a diet plan that is unique to your particular needs

Nutrition Month Quiz...

1. What is a fad?

A. Bellbottoms and polyester

B. Pet rocks

C. Low carb/high protein diets

D. All of the above

2. Following a diet fad is bad for your health…

A. Always

B. Sometimes

C. Never

3. Which fad diet was originally published in 1825 but is still popular today?

A. Cabbage Soup Diet

B. Grapefruit Diet

C. Low-Carbohydrate Diet

D. Banana and Skim Milk Diet

4. A diet that recommends the following should raise a red flag:

A. Special food or drink to detoxify the body

B. Eating a specific food with all meals

C. Eating protein and carbohydrates at separate meals

D. All of the above

5. It’s not a diet fad if it’s endorsed by a celebrity.

True / False

6. Some diet fads work.

True / False

7. What popular cracker was originally created as part of a

health-food diet?

A. Cheese crackers

B. Saltine crackers

C. Graham crackers

D. Animal crackers

8. Adding physical activity to your day can help give you:

A. A healthy heart

B. Stronger bones

C. Less emotional stress

D. All of the above

9. If you eat 100 more food calories a day than you burn, you will gain how many pounds in a month?

A. 1⁄2 pound

B. 1 pound

C. 2 pounds

D. 10 pounds

10. For the most reliable, fad-free, science-based nutrition information, consulting a registered dietitian is the best approach.

True / False

A n s w e r s

1. Answer: D. We all make mistakes. And if you’ve followed any of the fads —A, B or C — you’ve had lots of company. Fads are trends that seem like a good idea at the time, but often in hindsight are just the opposite. The most important lesson about fads is to avoid repeating them!

2. Answer: A. While you may lose weight with fad diets, they are potentially harmful to your health. A diet fad that excludes many foods or an entire food group eliminates key nutrients that are essential for health. Learn how to spot a fad diet. Don’t get caught in a diet plan that doesn’t allow foods you enjoy, promises fast weight loss or sounds too good to be true.

3. Answer: C. The low-carbohydrate diet has been around since 1825 when Jean Brillat-Savarin introduced it as the key to weight loss in his book The Physiology of Taste. Many decades and several variations later, low-carb diets are still among the most popular fad diets. Giving this diet another chance has never been shown to improve long-term health.

4. Answer: D. Requiring a specific food or beverage to be included with each meal or eating certain types of foods separately are clues to spotting a fad diet. There are no miracle foods or beverages that can lead to quick weight loss or stop you from aging.

5. Answer: False. Celebrity endorsements shouldn’t replace sound science. Make sure your weight-loss plan is based on research studies that support effectiveness and safety. And be sure to talk with your physician and a registered dietitian about your weight-loss goals, especially if you have a health problem.

6. Answer: True. But only for the short-term. You may lose some pounds quickly; however, long-term maintenance of that loss is unlikely. Dieters often return to old eating habits and regain the weight they lost. Developing an eating plan for lifelong health, combined with regular physical activity, is the best way to reach and maintain a healthy weight.

7. Answer: C. Sylvester Graham may be the originator of food fads in the U.S. Beginning in 1830, he promoted a bland, meat-free diet and avoidance of rich pastries, alcohol, coffee and tea. Eating his whole wheat Graham bread was best. Graham crackers are his contribution to healthy eating.

8. Answer: D. Regular physical activity is important for your overall health and fitness — plus it helps control body weight, promotes a feeling of well-being and reduces your risk of chronic diseases.

9. Answer: B. You will gain about 1 pound in a month. That’s about 10 pounds in a year. The bottom line is that to lose weight, it’s important to reduce calories and increase physical activity. Find your balance between food and physical activity.

10. Answer: True. Registered dietitians are your most valuable and credible source of timely, science-based food and nutrition information. RDs specialize in taking a personalized approach to weight management because one size does not fit all. RDs help individuals understand how healthy eating and physical activity are important in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.