March is National Nutrition Month, and CAM Physical Therapy and Wellness Services wants to be a part of this campaign to spread awareness. Sponsored by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the goal of the month is to focus on the importance of making informed food choices and developing quality eating and physical activity habits for you and your family.

The theme of National Nutrition Month for 2015 is “Bite into a Healthy Lifestyle,” which encourages everyone to think about ways in which they can make improvements in their diet, one bite at a time. By putting more thought into your food choices and getting more physical activity, you’ll be on your way to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight while reducing the risk of chronic disease and promoting overall health. It all starts with educating yourself and making sure you know what you’re putting in your body.

In a time when overweight and obesity have become an epidemic that’s discussed on a constant basis, it’s perhaps more important now than ever to take more control over eating habits for yourself and your children. One of the first steps you should take in order to achieve this is to learn and follow “MyPlate,” the current nutrition guide created by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). MyPlate replaced the familiar Food Pyramid in 2011 and was designed to help consumers make healthier food choices by building a healthy plate with a balance between five food groups.

In honor of National Nutrition Month, CAM physical therapists in Glenn Dale present these tips to improve your diet and get more active based on the USDA’s MyPlate:

• Balance calories: find out how many calories you need each day (there are tools to calculate it online like this) and do your best to stick to that amount daily
• Eat smaller meals more often: it’s fine to eat more than three meals a day, so long as they are portioned out properly and you’re not filling up every time; a few small meals throughout the day is much better than two or three massive meals
• Take your time: chew your food properly and don’t rush through meals
• Focus on healthy choices: eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains, which all have nutrients that are necessary for maintaining optimal health
• Make fruits and veggies half your plate: all are healthy, but try to especially focus on eating lots of red, orange and dark green leafy vegetables
• Favor whole grains: substitute these for refined products whenever possible
• Avoid foods high in trans fats, added sugars and salt: check the labels on anything in a box and save foods high in these for occasional treats, not everyday items
• Drink water instead of sugary drinks: don’t waste empty calories on drinks
• Eat certain types of fish: try to eat fish with high omega-3 fatty acids (e.g. salmon, mackerel, sardines, halibut and cod) about 2-3 times each week
• Exercise regularly: shoot to get 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise every week

We hope you learned something today. Taking charge of your diet takes time, but by being more aware of how you can improve, you’re already on the right track. If you’d like more information along with guides to help you improve your dietary habits, click here. For any injuries or pain you might be experiencing, call 301-853-0093 to schedule an appointment at any of CAM Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation’s four locations in Laurel, Hyattsville, Glenn Dale/Bowie or Parkville, MD