Weight Wise Tips

As an extension of the
Little Big Run, Capital
Health, the University
of Alberta and the
Edmonton Journal have
created Proactive, a
weekly information
insert devoted to healthy
living. Visit the link
below to find back issues.

Proactive

Alberta Health Services Weight Wise encourages healthy lifestyles for all. Weekly tips for healthy eating and active living are listed below:

This week's tips...

More Veggies Please!
Make it a habit to add extra vegetables, fresh or frozen, to spaghetti sauce, soups, stews, chili, casseroles or frozen meals. more...

Tips for the week of October 26...

Tips for the week of October 19...

A Weight Wise Tip: Eat More Fibre!
Did you know most Canadians only eat about half the daily recommended amount of fibre? Boost your fibre intake with these tips:

• Eat a high fibre cereal every day. Eat it on its own or add it to another favourite cereal.
• Eat whole grain breads, cereals, legumes (beans, peas and lentils), vegetables and fruits at each meal and for snacks.
• Use bran or wheat germ in hamburger patties, coating mixes and baking.
• Add raisins, bananas or strawberries to your cereal.
• Try a new whole grain. Try whole wheat pasta, couscous, bulgur or brown rice for a unique taste and texture variety.
• For an easy fibre boost, use whole wheat flour in your favourite recipes. Replace up to half of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat in recipes for muffins, loaves and cookies. You can do this without making adjustments to other ingredients in the recipe.

Weight Wise Myth Busting: "No pain, no gain"
Exercise doesn't have to hurt to reap benefits. In fact, if exercise is painful, something is wrong. More often than not, pain and discomfort result from doing too much, too fast, too soon. By gradually increasing the frequency and time spent being active before you increase the intensity (how hard we work), you can eliminate the pain. Slow but steady progression will help ensure that you do not injure yourself or make yourself so tired and sore you get discouraged and quit.

Tips for the week of October 12...

Did You Know?
Common household objects can help you remember portion sizes recommended in Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating. For example, one portion of meat is roughly the same size as a deck of cards. more...

• Do not use salt at the table.
• Cook with very little or no salt. Use herbs, spices and lemon juice to flavour foods instead.
• Eat less processed and packaged foods (i.e. pickles, canned soups, sandwich meats, frozen dinners and condiments like relish, ketchup, mustard).
• Rinse canned foods like tuna and chickpeas.
• Eat less fast food.
• Use fresh or frozen vegetables instead of canned as canned vegetables usually have salt added.

A Weight Wise 411: Physical Activity/Exercise Programs
Did you know that a daily physical activity or exercise program is most likely to establish a behavioral habit and promote adherence? It doesn't have to be the same activity every day; it just has to be some form of physical activity. Find fitness groups/programs and more in the Weight Wise Community Network

Reading into Labels
Reading food product labels can be confusing. Here are some tips:

• Look for breads, cereals and grains with at least two grams of fibre per serving. 
• Look for low fat crackers, processed meats and prepared foods with less than three grams of fat per serving.
• As a rule of thumb, for every 100 calories in a food item, there should be 3 grams of fat or less.
• Canned soups, sauces, vegetables and processed meats and foods are usually high in salt.
• If one of the first three ingredients is salt, sugar, oil or fat, try choosing a different food or use that food in small amounts.

A Weight Wise Challenge: Try an Audio Book
Next time you go for a walk try listening to an audio book from your local library or download one onto your mp3 player instead of listening to music. Getting to the next chapter can motivate us to walk longer and more regularly.

_________________________

Tips for the week of August 31...

Portion-Wise Tip: Measure it Out
It is important to know how much food you are eating so you don't eat more calories than you need. Measure out your food portions for one day so that you can see what your plate, bowl or cup looks like with the appropriate amount of food in it. more

A Weight Wise Challenge: Have a 'Walking Meeting'
Try this for a change – grab your colleague and discuss business while taking a walk outside or down the hall. Source: Canada's Physical Activity Guide

_________________________

Tips for the week of August 24...

A Weight Wise Tip: Cooking with Less Fat
Bake, steam, barbeque, boil, grill, sauté with broth or juice, or microwave your food to limit fat content.

Weight Wise Myth Busting - the "Fat Burning Zone"
When you exercise at higher intensities, you burn more total calories and more total fat calories than when you work at a lighter intensity. If you feel comfortable working at a higher intensity and can keep your pace, don't feel you need to slow down to be in the "fat burning zone."

_________________________

Tips for the week of August 17

Smart Grocery Shopping
The grocery store is where the start to a healthy week begins.

• Eat a healthy meal or snack before you shop. Being hungry tempts you to buy more than you need. 
• Plan a menu for the week. Use heart healthy or diabetic cookbooks for new ideas.
• Make a grocery list and stick to it.
• Learn how to read labels and avoid foods that are high in fat, sugar and/or salt.

A Weight Wise Tip – It's never too late to start!
Unfortunately, fitness can not be stored. People who were very fit in their teens but are inactive in their 30's are generally no better off than people who have been couch potatoes for most of their lives. It's the most recent exercise that counts, so keep on moving!

_________________________

Tips for the week of August 10

A Weight Wise Tip: Brown Bag it
Bringing your own lunch to work or school is usually more healthy and cost-effective than buying it every day. Start by packing your own lunch once or twice each week and build from there. Here are some tips:

• Wash, peel and chop enough vegetables for several days.
• Think of lunch when preparing dinner and make extra.
• Add variety with casseroles, salads, veggies with dip or kabobs.
• If a sandwich is your standby, use a variety of breads and fillings.
• Incorporate all four food groups.
• Make sure you pack snacks for the mid-morning and/or mid-afternoon snack attacks.

A Weight Wise Tip – Strength
Strength activities help to keep your muscles and bones strong. You can increase your strength by working against resistance with weights, bands, tubing or even your own body weight. Aim to do strength activities two to four days per week.

_________________________

Tips for the week of August 3

A Portion-Wise Tip: Hands up!
Remember these handy food measuring hints to help develop an eye for portion sizes. A small fist equals one cup of food, a thumb-tip equals a teaspoon, and three thumb-tips equal a tablespoon. more...

A Weight Wise 411: Exercise and HDL
That's right! Exercise (especially endurance or cardiovascular) can help to increase your HDL cholesterol. HDL is the healthy cholesterol that we all need to keep our arteries clear.

_________________________

Tips for the week of July 27

Read the Label!
Compare the Nutrition Facts table on food labels to choose products that contain less fat, saturated fat, trans fat, sugar and sodium. Keep in mind that the calories and nutrients listed are for the amount of food found at the top of the Nutrition Facts table.

Stress Buster – Deep Breathing
High stress is one of many factors that can contribute to weight gain, not to mention increased blood pressure and a variety of other conditions. Try this relaxation technique when you feel overly stressed:

• Slowly inhale through your nose, expanding your abdomen before allowing air to fill your lungs. 
• Reverse the process as you exhale. 
• Do this exercise for three to five minutes whenever you feel tense.

_________________________

Tips for the week of July 20

Smart Grocery Shopping
The grocery store is where the start to a healthy week begins.

• Eat a healthy meal or snack before you shop. Being hungry tempts you to buy more than you need. 
• Plan a menu for the week. Use heart healthy or diabetic cookbooks for new ideas.
• Make a grocery list and stick to it.
• Learn how to read labels and avoid foods that are high in fat, sugar and/or salt.

A Weight Wise Tip – It's never too late to start!
Unfortunately, fitness can not be stored. People who were very fit in their teens but are inactive in their 30's are generally no better off than people who have been couch potatoes for most of their lives. It's the most recent exercise that counts, so keep on moving!

_________________________

Tips for the week of July 13

A Portion-Wise Tip: Build a Healthy Plate
Ensure you get your fill of the right food groups by building a healthy plate. Fill half your plate with fruits or vegetables and divide the other half equally between meat and grains.

A Weight Wise Tip – Flexibility
Flexibility activities help to keep your muscles relaxed and your joints mobile. You can increase your flexibility by doing gentle reaching, bending, and stretching. Examples of activities that incorporate flexibility are yoga, tai chi, Pilates, gymnastics and dancing. Aim to do flexibility activities 4-7 days/week.

_________________________

Tips for the week of July 6

A Weight Wise Time-Saver: Breakfast in a Flash!
Don't have time for the most important meal of the day? Try these breakfast in-a-minute ideas:

• Ready to eat cereal or hot instant types with fruit and milk
• Microwaved egg in a mug
• Fruit and milk whirled in a blender
• Toasted waffle topped with fruit and yogurt

A Weight Wise Tip: Active Living
Try and build extra activity into your day whenever you can! Get off the bus early, use the stairs, park further away from a store entrance, and don't use the drive-thru.

_________________________

Tips for the week of June 29

A Weight Wise 411: Guilt-Free Desserts
Not all desserts are laden with sugar and fat. Healthier desserts include angel food cake topped with fresh fruit or fruit sauce, fruit salad or fresh fruit platter with low fat yogurt, meringues, sorbet, sherbet, gelato or fruit ices, and fruit crisp.

A Weight Wise Tip: Machines Don't Tell the Whole Truth!
The calorie count on your club's treadmill could be fairly inaccurate. A lot of people choose to workout on a certain machine because it tells them they are burning the most calories. If you feel you don't even break a sweat on one machine and another one makes you sweat up a storm, you are burning more calories on the one that makes you sweat up a storm regardless of what the machine tells you.

_________________________

Tips for the week of June 22

A Weight Wise 411: Cocktail Calories
Alcohol is full of empty calories (about 100 calories in 5 oz of wine, or 1 1/2 oz liquor alone and 150 calories in a can of beer). Instead of wine, try a wine spritzer (half white wine and half club soda) for half the calories, or use diet pop instead of regular for mixes.

A Weight Wise Tip: The Stoplight Approach
Green – Normal signs of physical activity include an increase in your breathing and heart rate, it may feel challenging and you might be getting sweaty. Keep going if you feel these.
Yellow – SLOW DOWN if you are out of breath, have difficulty speaking or a cramp or stitch.
Red – STOP if you feel dizzy, like you are going to throw up, if you have excessive breathlessness or if you are experiencing a lot of pain.

_________________________

Tips for the week of June 15

A Portion-Wise Tip: Build a Healthy Plate
Ensure you get your fill of the right food groups by building a healthy plate. Fill half your plate with fruits or vegetables and divide the other half equally between meat and grains. more

Flexibility
Flexibility activities help to keep your muscles relaxed and your joints mobile. You can increase your flexibility by doing gentle reaching, bending and stretching. Examples of activities that incorporate flexibility are yoga, tai chi, Pilates, gymnastics and dancing. Ideally, you should aim to do flexibility activities four to seven days per week.

_________________________

Tips for the week of June 8

A Weight Wise Time-Saver: Breakfast in a Flash!
Don't have time for the most important meal of the day? Try these breakfast in-a-minute ideas:

• Ready to eat cereal or hot instant types with fruit and milk
• Microwaved egg in a mug
• Fruit and milk whirled in a blender
• Toasted waffle topped with fruit and yogurt

A Weight Wise Tip - Active Living
Try and build extra activity into your day whenever you can! Get off the bus early, use the stairs, park further away from a store entrance, and don't use the drive-thru.

_________________________

Tips for the week of June 1

A Weight Wise Time-Saver: Plan Ahead
Keep washed and sliced carrots, celery, peppers, zucchini sticks, or cucumber slices in the fridge for a quick snack or addition to a lunch bag.

A Weight Wise Tip: Check Out Your Local Library
Your local library is a great resource for exercise DVDs! Pick a few to try; if you don't like them, you can always take them back and try new ones.

_________________________

Tips for the week of May 25

A Weight Wise 411: Should I be eating less carbs to lose weight?
Your body needs carbohydrates to think, breathe and move. Some diet programs lump all carbohydrate foods together and give them a bad name. The truth is that higher carbohydrate foods such as grains, beans, potatoes, rice and pasta give you a lot of nutrients and can help prevent disease. Keep in mind that too much of any food leads to excess calories and extra weight.

A Weight Wise Tip: Endurance
Endurance activities are also known as aerobic or cardiovascular activities. They are activities that use large muscle groups and are good for the heart, lungs and circulatory system. Examples of endurance activities include walking, cycling, swimming, aquatic fitness classes, jogging, cross-country skiing and rowing. Ideally, you should aim to do endurance activities four or more days per week.

_________________________

Tips for the week of May 11

Say Yes to Fruits and Veggies!
Research has shown that people who eat more vegetables are less likely to gain weight. Plus, each vegetable or fruit has its own unique package of health protective nutrients and plant compounds. Adults should aim for seven to 10 servings of this food group each day.

A Weight Wise Tip – Don't over do it!
Slowly increasing the amount of physical activity you do will help to keep you injury-free. Aim to increase physical activity by 10% each week. If one week you went for three 20 minute walks, bump yourself up to three 22 minute walks the following week. 

_________________________

Tips for the week of April 27 

Did You Know?
Common household objects can help you remember portion sizes recommended in Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating. For example, one portion of pasta is roughly the same size as a light bulb.

A Weight Wise Tip – Breathe Right!
When performing resistance training (weights, resistance bands/tubing) remember to breathe out on exertion. A lot of people forget to breathe and end up holding their breath throughout an exercise.  

_________________________

Tips for the week of April 6 

Drinking Liquid Candy?
For many people, extra calories often come from pop and other sugar-sweetened drinks such as iced tea, fruity beverages, sport drinks and slurpees. Think of these as 'liquid candy' as they are high in sugar content and have no nutrients. Go for water and low fat milk most often, and choose calorie-free choices such as diet pop instead of high sugar regular versions.

A Weight Wise Tip – Don't hold on!
Let go of the rails on the treadmill once you are comfortable and have your balance. Holding onto the rails decreases the intensity that you are working at.

_________________________

Tips for the week of March 30...

A Weight Wise 411: Breakfast and Healthy Weights
Breakfast skippers often overeat during the rest of the day - a habit which may lead to extra body weight. Even if it is last night's leftovers, ensure you eat breakfast everyday to start your day off right and help you feel less hungry later.

A Weight Wise Tip – Using Rate of Perceived Exertion to Measure Intensity
Using a scale of one to 10 (with one being extremely light and 10 being very, very hard), rate how hard you are working. One to three is light intensity, four to six is moderate intensity and seven to 10 is vigorous intensity. Aim to participate in 30 to 60 minutes of moderate physical activity on most days of the week.

_________________________

Tips for the week of March 23...

A Portion-Wise Tip: Wrap it up!
When eating at a restaurant, ask the waiter or waitress to wrap up half of your meal right away. Not only will you be watching your portions, you'll also have a meal for the next day!

Weight Wise Myth Busting – Muscle turns into fat or vice versa!
People sometimes make the mistake of thinking that muscle turns into fat when they stop working out OR that fat will turn into muscle when they start working out. This is simply not true! Fat and muscle are two different types of tissue. Endurance or cardiovascular exercise is your best bet when trying to lose fat and resistance training is best for trying to gain muscle.

_________________________

Tips for the week of March 9...

A Weight Wise Challenge: Get Menu Savvy
Many restaurant foods are high in calories, fat and/or salt. The average restaurant entree has 1,000 calories. Cut calories by choosing foods that are baked, broiled, steamed or roasted instead of fried or deep fried and ask for dressings and sauces on the side. Limit how often you eat out to 0 to 2 times per week.

A Weight Wise Tip: Invest in a Good Pair of Shoes
You don't need any fancy workout gear to be active but you should invest in a good pair of shoes. If you can't remember when you bought your last pair of athletic shoes, it's probably time for a new pair. You shouldn't have to break a shoe in; it should be comfortable from the moment you put it on. Look for a shoe with lots of room in the toe box, good cushioning, and the appropriate amount of support.

_________________________

Tips for the week of March 2...

The Lowdown on Fats: Avoid Trans Fats
Trans fats (or hydrogenated fats) raise blood cholesterol. Food likely to contain trans fats are pre-made baked goods, packaged foods, fried foods, and snack foods. To avoid trans fats, avoid hard margarine and vegetable shortening. Read ingredient lists; if hydrogenated, partially hydrogenated or vegetable shortening are listed, the food contains trans fat.

Keep your Kids Moving
Kids still need 90 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity per day during Spring Break, especially since they aren't in daily Physical Education classes at school.

_________________________

Tips for the week of February 23...

Hunger Buster
To manage weight, it is important to avoid being over-hungry. Eating four to five times per day (three meals and one to two snacks) can help manage hunger.

Avoid All or Nothing Thinking
Diets don't work. Setting goals for lifestyle changes does. If you slip up on your goals, don't be too hard on yourself and get back on track as soon as you're able.

_________________________

Tips for the week of February 16...

Sugar Shocker
Did you know that a can of pop contains about 8 teaspoons of sugar and a chocolate bar contains approximately 9 teaspoons of sugar? Eat or drink less pop, sugary drinks, white or brown sugar, honey, syrup, chocolate, candy, cakes and cookies. These foods have very few nutrients and are high in sugar and calories.

A Weight Wise Challenge: Active Video Games
Get active inside by playing active video games as a family. Challenge yourselves to reach a higher level and really get sweating!

_________________________

Tips for the week of February 9...

A Weight Wise 411 for Parents: Sneaking Food
Many parents notice that their children are sneaking treats when they are trying to manage their weight. Sneaking and hiding food is a "guilty" type of eating, and children usually know that they should not be taking these foods. Rather than lecturing your child, try managing the food they have access to in your environment. If it isn't around they won't sneak it! If you have to have treats around, make it a normal part of your week. Schedule in one or two treats a week that you enjoy as a family. Kids who have treats feel less deprived!

A Weight Wise 411: Safe Snow Shoveling
Keep those sidewalks clean, your body active and your back happy this winter! When shoveling snow, remember to bend at the knees (and not at the hips).

_________________________

Tips for the week of February 2...

A Weight Wise Challenge: Make it a Family Affair!
It's not always fun to do something alone. When you decide to make changes to your lifestyle for yourself or your child, get your whole family involved. That way, no one feels like they are being punished with diet or exercise, and you also have fun "family time." You're also more likely to stick to changes when they are a part of daily living for everyone in your family.

A Weight Wise Tip: Warm up to Cold Weather
Don't let the cold weather be a deterrent to being active in the winter – bundle up and have fun! Have warm clothes handy by the door to eliminate excuses.

_________________________

Tips for the week of January 26...

Weight Wise Myth Busting: Is there Such Thing as Negative Calorie Foods?
In short, no. So-called 'negative-calorie' foods are supposed to be so low in calories that you burn more calories by digesting them. In reality, all foods add calories to your diet.

A Weight Wise Tip: Limit Screen Time
'Screen time' refers to time spent watching television, on the computer or playing video games. Studies show that increased screen time can mean decreased time for physical activity. Try to keep screen time down for yourself and your children. Start by trading one minute of screen time for one minute of physical activity – do the physical activity first!

_________________________

Tips for the week of January 19...

A Weight Wise Tip: Salad 'Dip 'n' Stab' Method
When you order a salad at a restaurant, ask for your dressing on the side and try dipping your fork into the dressing before you stab your lettuce to get the taste without the extra calories.

A Weight Wise Challenge: Go Play in the Snow!
Although we tend to avoid the cold fluffy stuff that falls from the sky, taking advantage of the mountains of snow outside can be fun for the whole family! Here are some ways you can be active together outside in the winter (make sure to dress warmly!):

• Make snowpeople and snow angels.
• Walk to the playground.
• Find a hill and go sledding.
• Go skiing. If you don't know how, you can enroll your family in some skiing lessons.
• Rent some snowshoes and take a walk through nature.
• Go skating on an outdoor ice rink.
• Let your kids help you shovel the driveway.

_________________________

Tips for the week of January 12...

A Weight Wise Tip: SMART Resolutions
If you are making a New Year's resolution this year (not just related to healthy eating and active living), set yourself up for success by making SMART goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable (and sustainable), Relevant and Time-specific – with extra emphasis on the 'achievable and sustainable' part. For example, instead of resolving to "eat healthy and workout every day, from this point forward," setting smaller goals one at a time, such as remembering to eat breakfast every day or taking the stairs instead of the elevator once a week, is less daunting and will make it more likely you will follow through. Remember, you want to keep up these behaviours for life!

A Weight Wise Challenge: Shake-Up Your Activity Routine
The beginning of a new year is the perfect time to challenge yourself to something new. Have you ever taken a Yoga class? Interested in Pilates or aqua aerobics? It's an ideal time of year to broaden your fitness repertoire, so check out what's available and go for it.

_________________________

Tips for the week of January 5...

Keep Food Safe to Eat
Invest in a digital thermometer to check for doneness. You can find more food safety information at www.canfightbac.org.

Wise New Year's Resolutions
Resolutions often set higher expectations than a person can reasonably reach. When people fail at that tough resolution, they often give up. Before setting a resolution, look at what you are already doing in terms of healthy eating and exercise and aim to change one reasonable thing at a time. When deciding what change to make, think about: time commitment, your current schedule, and supports you will need. Once you have consistently made a change for two weeks, add another reasonable change. That way you can keep working on your resolution two weeks at a time all year long!

• Nov Dec 08
• Sept Oct 08
• May June 08
• March April 08