Nutrition - Tips for Improving Your Health

Nutrition: Tips for Improving Your Health

Good nutrition is one of the keys to good health. This means making sure you regularly eat foods that have a lot of vitamins and minerals in them, as well as foods that are not high in fat.

Do I need to change what I eat?

If you answer yes to any of the following questions, you may need to talk about nutrition with your doctor:

• Has your doctor talked with you about a medical problem or a risk factor, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol?

• Did your doctor tell you that this condition could be improved by better nutrition?

• Do diabetes, cancer, heart disease or osteoporosis run in your family?

• Are you overweight, or have you gained weight over the years?

• Do you have questions about what kinds of foods you should eat or whether you should take vitamins?

• Do you think that you would benefit from seeing a nutritionist? (A nutritionist is a registered dietitian who specializes in nutrition counseling.)

Won't it be hard to change my eating habits?

Probably, but even very small changes can improve your health considerably. The key is to keep trying to eat the right foods and stay in touch with your doctor and nutritionist, to let them know how you're doing. Here are a few suggestions to help you improve your eating habits:

• Find the strong points and weak points in your current diet. Do you eat 5 to 7 servings of fruits and vegetables every day? Do you get enough calcium? Do you eat whole-grain, high-fiber foods regularly? If so, good! You're on the right track. Keep it up. If not, you can learn the changes you need to make.

• Make small, slow changes, instead of trying to make large, fast changes. Small changes will be easier to make and stick with.

• Keep track of your food intake by writing down what you eat and drink every day. Use this record to help you see if you need to eat more from any food groups, such as fruits, vegetables or dairy products.

• Think about asking for help from a nutritionist if you haven't already done so -- especially if you have a medical problem that requires you to follow a special diet.

Can I trust nutrition information I get from newspapers and magazines?

Nutrition tips from different sources can sometimes conflict with each other. You should always check with your doctor first. Also, keep in mind this advice:

• There is no "magic bullet" when it comes to nutrition. Short-term diets may help you lose weight, but they are difficult to keep up and may even be unhealthy in the long run.

• Good nutrition doesn't come