Spring 2006, Vol. 8, No.
2
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A quarterly
publication to enhance |
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Spring 2006, Vol. 8, No.
2
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Dietary guidelines: Test your knowledge (Courtney Tiemann, Cynthia Fauser)
Building strong, healthy families requires commitment (Maudie Kelly)
Small amounts add up: See if you can find the money! (Sherron Hancock)
Dietary
guidelines: Test your knowledge
Courtney Tiemann
Dietetics Intern
University of Missouri-Columbia
Dietetics Major
Cynthia Fauser, MS, RD, LD
Nutrition & Health Education Specialist
FauserC@missouri.edu
It
has been about one year since the release of the 2005 Dietary Guidelines and
MyPyramid by the U. S. Department of Agriculture and the U. S. Department of
Health and Human Services. Updated jointly every five years, these
recommendations are meant to serve as a general guide to promote health and
reduce risk for major chronic diseases.
Unfortunately, some of the recommendations are not given in
forms that are easy to identify or put to use. Take the following quiz to gauge
your knowledge and clear up some common misconceptions.
1. The new MyPyramid graphic shows calorie and serving recommendations based on
2000 calories a day.
Answer: False. Because the new recommendations
are personalized, no recommendations appear on the graphic. People need
different amounts of calories as they
grow and age: older adults, children, and sedentary women
(1600 calories per day); moderately active women, teenage girls, and sedentary
men (2000
calories per day); and active men, teenage boys, and very
active women (2600 calories per day).
To estimate your individual needs,
visit http://www.mypyramid.gov and plug in your gender, age, and physical
activity level. Keep in mind this is only an estimate. It
does not take into account your size or if you are trying to
lose weight.
2.
Most
days of the week, adults should be physically active for at least __ minutes per
day, and children and teenagers should be physically active for __
minutes per day.
A. 20, 45 C. 30, 60
B. 30, 30 D. 60, 60
Answer: C. 30, 60.
Adults should be physically active on most days for at least 30 minutes per day,
but between 60 and 90 minutes a day of physical activity may be
required to prevent weight gain and sustain weight loss,
respectively. Children and teenagers should be physically active for 60 minutes
most days, if not every day.
Physical activity does not have to be going to the gym or
playing on a sports team. Physical activity just means you have purposeful
movement such as: taking a brisk
walk during coffee breaks, yard work, weight training,
walking, hiking, swimming, or playing recreational games. The most important
thing is that you enjoy the activity.
3. Which of the following are whole grains?
A. Popcorn
B. Multi-grain
C. Bran
D. Whole oat
E. 100% wheat
F. Brown rice
Answers: A. Popcorn, D.
Whole oat, F. Brown rice.
MyPyramid states half of daily grains should be whole,
but sometimes it is difficult to recognize whole grains. Here are a few tips.
First, color is not an indication of
a whole grain. Bread can be brown due to molasses or other ingredients. Instead,
check the ingredients list on the food label. If the
food is whole grain, the type of whole grain will be listed
first.
Second, fiber is another good
indication of a whole grain. The percent Daily Value (%DV) listed on the
Nutrition Facts label indicates the nutritional composition of a food, but remember these percentages are based on a
2000-calorie diet. In the case of whole grains, the higher the percent Daily
Value is for fiber the better.
Building strong, healthy families requires commitment
Maudie Kelly, MS
Human Development Specialist
KellyME@missouri.edu
How do you define “family”?
The American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences uses this definition:
“A family is defined as two or more persons who share resources, share
responsibility for decisions, share values and goals, and have a commitment to
one another over time.”
Families come in many forms,
shapes and sizes, but all can be made stronger with a little effort.
Strong families and support
systems are an integral part of developing character and competence in our
children. We know that families play a major role in children’s school success
and ultimately help to determine if they become adults who can successfully
contribute to society. Families are the first and primary influence on
development.
There are many ways to keep
families strong in the midst of stress and troubles we all face daily. Research
has found that strong families share a number of common traits, such as
adaptability, time together, encouragement, commitment, communication, coping
with change, spirituality, community and family ties, and clear roles.
All families can be strong.
A family’s strength is not dependent on who makes up the family, but on how well
members work together to accomplish tasks, teach children what is expected of
them, and develop shared values and goals.
Take a minute to think about
your family. What strengths can you think of right away? Are there others you
know you would like to develop?
Strong families don’t just
happen—all family members must work together to strengthen their own family. The
examples we set for our children will help them grow into responsible adults.
This will, in turn, help them understand their role in building their own strong
families.
The MU Extension Guidesheet
# GH6640, Promoting Family Strengths (available online at
http://extension.missouri.edu/explorepdf/hesguide/humanrel/GH6640.pdf),
suggests several ways to strengthen families:
Respond to children with patience, and respect their feelings and abilities.
Encourage family members by asking them to share their accomplishments.
Visit and find ways to help at your child’s school.
Eat a meal together as a family at least once a day and involve family members in mealtime tasks.
Hold family meetings that give all family members an opportunity to talk openly.
Develop a family mission statement that includes your family’s purpose, goals and objectives.
Develop and maintain family traditions and rituals.
Finding time to complete
some of these strategies may be a challenge, but it is important to remember
that strengthening family relationships requires the commitment and cooperation
of all family members.
As a result, families will
more than likely build closer and stronger family relationships that will help
them meet the challenges of daily life. Hopefully, they also will have fun while
creating great memories!
Source:
Adapted
from Building Strong Families curriculum, developed by University of
Missouri Extension.
Small amounts add up: See if you can find the money!
Sherron Hancock,
MS
Family Financial
Education Specialist
HancockS@missouri.edu
Summer is quickly approaching, and we all want to head off on vacation to have a fun, relaxing time with our family. This may be impossible if a vacation has not been identified as a family goal, and if no money has been set aside for this purpose. Where can the money be found at this late date?
Spending small amounts of money every day can add up to a large sum over a years’ time. Most of this kind of spending doesn’t even factor into the budget for many of us. Cutting back, or cutting out, on spending on the incidental items listed may make a vacation possible after all. See if you can find the money!
Movie Rentals ($3 per movie/video game) PER YEAR
Rent 3 movies or video games each week for 1 year............................. $468.00
Rent 1 movie or video game each week for 1 year................................ $156.00
(Note: In 2004, Americans spent $2 BILLION in late fees for movies and video games!)Soda/Water & Candy
1 Soda or Water (20 oz.) @ $1.00...................................................... $365.00
1 Soda or Water (1 liter) @ $1.30....................................................... $474.50
1 Large Candy Bar @ 95 cents.......................................................... $346.75
1 Candy and 1 Soda/Water each day for 1 year................................... $711.75Eating Lunch Out
1 lunch @ $5.00 each day for 260 days............................................. $1300.00Cigarettes
One Pack per day @ $3.00 per pack................................................ $1095.00
Two Packs per day @ $3.00 per pack............................................... $2190.00
One Chewing Tobacco @ $3.00 per can............................................ $1095.00Lottery Tickets
One Instant per day @ $1.00........................................................... $ 365.00
One Instant per day @ $2.00........................................................... $ 730.00
One Instant per day @ $3.00............................................................ $1095.00
One Instant per day @ $5.00............................................................ $1825.00Drinks
12 Cans of Soda per week @$3.75..................................................... $195.00
12 Cans of Beer per week @ $8.50..................................................... $442.00
1 Case of Beer per Week @$15.00..................................................... $780.00Other items to watch closely . . .
Acrylic Nails, Personal Grooming, Dog & Cat Food, Computer Supplies, Hunting & Fishing Supplies
(Figures are based on local convenience store prices.)
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Editor: Roxanne T. Miller MillerRT@missouri.edu |
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