Celebrate the Beauty of Youth

Want to feel better, look better, and have more energy? Moving more and eating better is the best place to start.

Move More, Eat Better is a program to help you maintain a healthy weight by being active and eating healthier foods. You can do it!

Why Move More and Eat Better?

Being physically active and making smart food choices is good for your health. But that is not the only reason to move more and eat better. You can:

• have more energy
  
• look good in hip, trendy clothes
  
• tone your body (without losing your curves!)
  
• reduce stress, boredom, or the blues
  
• feel good about yourself.

Tips on Moving More

Physical activity can be fun! Do things you enjoy like:

• dancing
  
• rollerblading
  
• fast walking
  
• playing sports
  
• bicycling
  
• swimming.

If you can, be physically active with a friend or a group. That way, you can cheer each other on, have company, and feel safer when you are outdoors. Find a local school track where you can walk or run, go for a stroll in a local park, or join a recreation center near your home or work.

Think you do not have time for physical activity? It is easy to move more by making these small changes to your daily routine:

Get off the bus or subway one stop early and walk the rest of the way (be sure the area is safe.
Park your car farther away and walk to your destination.
Walk to each end of the mall when you go shopping.

Look Good as You Get Fit

If you avoid physical activity because you do not want to ruin your hairstyle, try:
a natural hairstyle
a style that can be wrapped or pulled back
a short haircut
braids, twistes or locs.

TIP: Day-to-day activities can cause salt buildup in your hair. To remove salt, shampoo with a mild, pH-balanced product at least once a week.

Tips on Eating Better

Eating right can be hard when you do not feel like cooking or there is a fast-food place on every corner. Here are some simple things you can do to eat better:

Start every day with breakfast. Try a low-fat whole-grain breakfast bar, nonfat or low-fat yogurt, or whole-grain toast or bagel spread with a little peanut butter, jam or low-fat cream cheese.

Eat more fruits and vegetables, and choose whole grains like 100 percent whole wheat bread, oatmeal, or brown rice instead of refined grains like white bread and white rice.

Choose low-fat or nonfat milk instead of whole milk or a milkshake.

Order a plain hamburger (without sauce or mayonnaise) or a grilled (not fried) chicken sandwich. Skip the fries and try a salad with fat-free or low-fat dressing instead.

Go easy on mayonnaise, creamy sauces, and added butter.

Don't let sugary soda or other sweets crowd out healthy foods and beverages.

TIP: Many food labels say "low-fat," "reduced fat," or "light." That does not always mean the food is low in calories. Sometimes fat free or low-fat muffins or desserts have even more sugar than the full fat versions. Remember, fat free does not mean calorie free and calories do count!

Many people think that bigger is better. We're so used to value-size servings that it is easy to eat more than our bodies need. Eating smaller portions will help you cut down on calories and fat (and might save you money too!).

Even take-out and high-fat foods can be part of a balanced diet — if you do not eat them every day and do not eat too much of them. Here are sensible serving sizes for some favorite foods:

French fries: 1 small serving (equal to a child's order)

Shrimp fried rice (as a main dish): 1 cup

Cheese pizza: 2 small slices or 1 large slice


TIP: Do you eat in front of the TV out of habit? Do you eat when you are bored, nervous, or sad? Be aware of when, where, and why you eat, and try to eat balanced meals throughout the day. Instead of reaching for that cookie, do something else like call a friend or take a walk.

Out 'n About

You can hang out with your friends and still make healthy food choices. Try these tips when you are out 'n about:

Order vegetable toppings on pizza instead of salty high-fat meats like pepperoni or sausage.

Share popcorn (and skip the added butter) at the movies instead of getting your own bag, or order the smallest size — you will save money too!

Choose bottled water instead of sweetened soda.

Munch on pretzels, or vegetables at parties instead of fried chips or fatty dips.

If you drink wine, beer, or other alcohol, limit yourself to one drink — alcohol has lots of calories but little nutritional value.

You Can Do It!

Set doable goals. Move at your own pace. Celebrate your successes. Allow for setbacks. Let your family and friends help you. And keep trying — you can do it!