Lifestyle Newsletter

Healthy Choices on Every Menu
Heading out for a bite to eat? Don't let your diet cramp your style. Whether you're craving Asian, Italian, or good ol' American grub, there's always something healthy on the menu if you're willing to look for it.

Japanese
Sashimi is always a great choice. It's fresh fish and nothing else — what could be healthier? If you're more of a sushi fan, order your favorite rolls as hand rolls without the rice (you can do this with almost any roll). Want to beef up that spicy tuna roll by adding a little avocado? Go ahead! Mix and match healthy ingredients to create rolls that suit your taste buds.

Italian
Choose chicken, fish, or beef — beef carpaccio is killer — and any salad (always ask for dressing on the side). Order your protein with red sauce — tomato sauce is full of antioxidants. As always, avoid creamy and sugary sauces. I know it's tempting, but skip the pasta. With all the flavors of Italian meats and sauces, trust me — you won't miss it.

French
Choose steak, chicken, or fish entrees with any salad (again, ask for dressing on the side). Or, make the salad your main course and order a Salad Niçoise with tuna, olives, and crisp vegetables. As always, avoid rich, creamy, and sugary sauces. And, hey, if you order the steak, skip the frites!

American
What's life without hamburgers? Place your order, but make sure to get that burger on a whole-grain bun (or lose the bread all together). Turkey dogs, meat chili, veggie soups, kosher turkey bacon, white meat turkey burgers, white meat chicken, and egg white omelets also make the top of my list. If you find pizza in your path, eat the toppings, but leave the dough.

Eat Fast Food, Stay Healthy

Fast food doesn't have to derail your diet as long as you make good food choices.

With a little bit of know-how, you can occasionally enjoy fast foods while maintaining a healthy weight-loss program. Here are a few tips to help you stay on track:

• Avoid supersize combo meals, or split one with a friend.
• Sip on water or fat-free milk instead of soda.
• Choose salads and grilled foods, like a grilled chicken breast sandwich or small hamburger.
• Try a "fresco" taco (with salsa instead of cheese or sauce) at taco stands.
• Fried foods, like french fries and fried chicken, are high in fat and calories, so order them only once in a while, order a small portion, or split an order with a friend.
• Use only small amounts of high-fat, high-calorie toppings, like regular mayonnaise, salad dressings, bacon, and cheese.

37 Ways to Get Moving

You have plenty of good reasons why you're not exercising enough. But for every obstacle to physical activity, there are multiple solutions to help you get in a workout.

Lack of time

• Identify available time slots. Keep track of your daily activities for one week, and identify at least three 30-minutes time slots you could use for physical activity.
• Add physical activity to your daily routine. For example, walk or ride your bike to work or shopping, walk the dog, and exercise while you watch TV.
• Carve out fitness appointments. For example, walk, jog, or swim during your lunch hour, or take fitness breaks instead of coffee breaks.
• Select activities requiring minimal prep time, such as walking, jogging or climbing stairs.

Lack of social support

• Explain your interest in physical activity to friends and family. Ask them to support your efforts.
• Invite friends and family members to exercise with you. Plan social activities involving exercise.
• Develop new friendships with physically active people. Join a group, such as the YMCA or a hiking club.

Lack of energy

• Schedule physical activity for times in the day or week when you feel energetic.
• Convince yourself that if you give it a chance, physical activity will increase your energy level; then, try it. Commit one month to the endeavor and then assess if you feel more energetic. Unless you are overly rigorous in your workouts, you'll have far more energy than you did before.

Lack of motivation

• Plan ahead. Make exercise a regular part of your daily or weekly schedule and write it on your calendar.
• Make a regular date with a friend for an active get-together, and write it on both your calendars.
• Join an exercise group or class that meets regularly.

Fear of injury

• Always spend a few minutes doing light activity before and after your exercise session. Warming up and cooling down help prevent injury.
• Learn how to exercise appropriately considering your age, fitness level, skill level, and health status. You can have one session with a trainer, get a prescription for physical therapy, take a book out of the library or start with an exercise video.
• Choose activities involving minimum risk such as walking.

Lack of skill

• Select activities requiring no new skills, such as walking, climbing stairs or jogging.
• Exercise with friends who are at the same skill level as you are.

• Find a friend who is willing to teach you some new skills.
• Take a class to develop new skills.

Lack of resources

• Select activities that require minimal facilities or equipment, such as walking, jogging, jumping rope, or calisthenics.
• Identify inexpensive, convenient resources available in your community such as programs at colleges, community centers, the parks and recreation department, at work or at a YMCA or YWCA.

Poor weather conditions

• Develop a set of regular activities that are always available regardless of weather (indoor cycling, aerobic dance, indoor swimming, calisthenics, stair climbing, rope skipping, mall walking, dancing, gymnasium games, etc.)
• Rather than relying on them as the basis of your routine, consider any outdoor activities that depend on weather conditions (cross-country skiing, outdoor swimming, outdoor tennis, etc.) as "bonuses"—extra activities possible when weather and circumstances permit.

Travel

• Put a jump rope in your suitcase and use it.
• Walk the halls and climb the stairs in hotels.
• Stay in places with swimming pools or exercise facilities.
• Join the YMCA or YWCA and ask about reciprocal membership arrangements.
• Visit the local shopping mall and walk for half an hour or more.

Family obligations

• Trade babysitting time with a friend, neighbor or family member who also has small children.
• Exercise with the kids — go for a walk together, play tag or other running games, get an aerobic dance or exercise tape for kids (there are several on the market) or just run around after them at the playground. You can spend time together and all get your exercise. Hire a babysitter and look at the cost as a worthwhile investment in your physical and mental health.
• Jump rope, do calisthenics, ride a stationary bike, or use other home exercise equipment while the kids are playing or sleeping. (Take safety precautions to ensure they don't get injured if they have access to home exercise equipment.)
• Try to exercise when the kids are not around, such as during school hours or playdates.
• Look for exercise facilities that provide child care services — many now do.

You're too old

• Look upon your retirement as an opportunity to become more active instead of less. Spend more time gardening, walking the dog, and playing with your grandchildren.
• Learn a new skill you've always been interested in, such as ballroom dancing, square dancing, or swimming.
• Now that you have the time, make regular physical activity a part of every day. Go for a walk every morning or every evening before dinner. Treat yourself to an exercise bike and ride every day while reading a favorite book, magazine or newspaper or while you watch TV.

What's in a Serving?

The nutrition facts and calorie information on food labels aren't helpful if you don't understand what they mean or follow the serving sizes.

A "serving" is a unit of measure that generally describes how much of a food you should probably eat at one time — and it's often a lot less than you really consume. The serving size is the amount listed on the Nutrition Facts panel on packaged food or the amount recommended in the FDA's Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Consider the following suggested serving sizes:

Meat: 3 ounces cooked, or a piece the size of a deck of cards.

Cheese: 1 ounce, or a portion equal to the size of a pair of dice.

Potato: 1/2 cup, or one ice cream scoop.

Bread: One-half of a bagel, half an English muffin, half a hamburger or hotdog bun.

Cereal: 1 ounce, or 1/2 cup to 1 cup, depending on the type of cereal.

Rice or pasta: 1/2 cup cooked, or a very small bowl. Think of the kind that side dishes are served in at a cafeteria.

Salad Dressing or Gravy: 2 tablespoons, or half of the small ladle of dressing at a salad bar.

Fruits and Vegetables: 1/2 cup chopped, cooked, or canned, or a very small bowl. One "piece" of fruit is considered to be a medium-sized apple or orange.

Juice (Fruit or Vegetable): 3/4 cup, or a small juice glass