How To Stay Young.
Want to feel better, look better, and have more energy? Being healthy and active
is the best place to start.
Sisters Together: Move More, Eat Better is a program for Black women 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 active and making smart food choices is good for your health. But thats not the
only reason to move more and eat better. You can:
- have more energy
- fit into 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
- roller skating
- brisk walking
- playing sports
- bicycling.
If you can, be active with a friend or a groupthat way, you can cheer each other
on, have company while you exercise, and feel safer when you're 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.
Dont have time to exercise? Its easy to move more by making these small changes in
your daily routine:
- Get off the bus or subway one stop early and walk the rest of the
way.
- Get up and stretch during TV commercials.
- Walk around the house while you talk on a cordless or cell
phone.
Look Good as You Get Fit
If you dont exercise because it will ruin your hairstyle, try:
- a natural hairstyle that holds up to frequent
shampoos
- a short haircut thats easy to wash and wear
- braids, twists, or locks that stay in place while you work
out
- a style that you can pull back with a headband or
scrunchies.
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
It's hard to eat right when you don't feel like cooking or there's a fast-food place
on every corner. Here are some simple things you can do to eat better:
- Start the day with breakfast.
- Order a hamburger without sauce or fries, or a grilled chicken sandwich (not
fried).
- Choose low-fat or nonfat milk instead of whole milk or a regular
milkshake.
- Eat more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
- Go easy on mayonnaise, creamy sauces, and added
butter.
- Dont let soda or other sweets crowd out healthy
foods.
- Drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water every
day.
TIP:Many food labels say low-fat, reduced
fat, or light. That doesnt always mean the food is low in calories. Sometimes nonfat or low-fat muffins or desserts have added sugar. Remember,
calories do count!
Many people think that bigger is better. We're so used to super-size servings that
it's easy to eat more than our bodies need. Eating smaller portions will help you cut down on calories and fat (and save
money!).
Even take-out and high-fat foods can be part of a balanced diet, if you don't eat
them every day and don't eat too much of them. Here are sensible serving sizes for some favorite foods:
- French fries: 1 small serving (equal to a childs
order)
- Shrimp fried rice: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 youre 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, read a book or call a friend.
Out 'n About
You can be part of the scene and still make healthy food choices. Try these when
you're 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 bagyou'll save money too!
- Choose bottled water or diet soda instead of regular
soda.
- Munch on pretzels, vegetables, or unbuttered popcorn at parties instead of
fried chips or fatty dips.
If you drink alcohol, limit yourself to one drinkalcohol has lots of calories but
little nutritional value.
You Can Do It!
Set doable goals. Move at your own pace. Reward your successes. Allow for setbacks.
Let your family and friends help you. And keep tryingyou can do it!

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