This Friday, February 1st, is Go Red for Women Day. Why, you may ask? Well, heart disease is the leading cause of death in women, and so this is the national day to celebrate and support us women. One of the reasons I particularly like supporting associations that help prevent heart disease is because there IS a history of heart disease in my family, so this cause hits home for me.

If you’re not into wearing red, think about supporting the cause in another way: schedule a check-up with your family physician, get some physical activity on Friday, eat heart healthy food for the day, shop (while supporting a good cause), volunteer…the ideas are endless!

See the American Heart Association’s website for more ideas and information!

That’s right! When was the last time you went to the doctor for a “healthy check-up“? What about the dentist? If you have health insurance and haven’t been to see your doctor in a while, why not start the year off right and schedule a physical?

I know, I know. No one likes to go to the doctor. After all, they might give you bad news, like that your cholesterol is high, that you may need to lose a few pounds, etc. However, knowing that you have high cholesterol may give you motivation to eat healthier and exercise more, and in turn, prevent heart disease or a long-term illness in the future. And, if you have insurance, you are already paying for that doctor visit, so why not make the most of it?

So, let’s figure out that checklist and who to visit:

1. Your general practitioner for a “healthy check-up”
2. Your dentist
3. Your eye doctor to check/revise your prescription
4. If you are female, your gynecologist
5. Any specialists: dermatology, gastroenterology, neurology, cardiology, etc.

Before you go to your “healthy check-up”, make sure you

1. Have your medical history available: What medicines do you currently take (including herbal supplements and dietary supplements), what surgeries/hospitalizations you have had in the past, what chronic conditions you experience, and if you have experienced weight loss/gain in the past year.
2. Have your family history, if available.
3. Write down a list of questions that you may have, such as:

a. Can I get my bloodwork checked (cholesterol levels, fasting blood glucose, complete blood count, thyroid test, etc)?

b. Is my weight appropriate for my height/is my Body Mass Index within normal?

c. Is it safe for me to exercise or engage in physical activity?

d. Any physical issues you may be having (constipation, weight loss, abnormal moles/bumps on body, body aches, etc), how long you have had these problems, and what you have done to try to relieve them (i.e., taking fiber supplement if you are constipated).

If you have a medical condition or are concerned about a medical topic (rash, acne, questionable irritable bowel syndrome), Harvard Medical School has a great list of questions to ask your doctor when you go to visit them. You should check it out and take these questions with you!

So schedule those doctor visits to help ensure you live a long and healthy new year, and make use of that insurance if you have it!

If you’re like me, you like to buy fruits and vegetables in season to get the best quality and the best value. (I’m not one to spend a ton of money on a fruit if it’s out of season!) And often, when I’m at the grocery store, I think about what’s on sale or what I’m in the mood to buy, not necessarily what’s in season (although what’s in season IS usually on sale).

But let’s say you do want to buy fresh fruits and vegetables. You can find several different produce guides online to tell you what is in season and when. For instance, The American Institute for Cancer Research has a small chart that guides you on when to buy produce. The Food Network also has information on this topic. For instance, pears, apples, and grapefruit are in season over the winter; brussels spouts, carrots, and potatoes are a few of the vegetables in season this winter.

If you want to be more specific, you can check the Natural Resources Defense Council for information on what is in season in your state and when. This will also aid you in buying certain produce at your local Farmer’s Market.

So, cook up some brussel sprouts and potatoes for dinner and grab that grapefruit for breakfast!!!

Although I usually like to write positive articles about products on the market, sometimes I like to guide those around me who think that a product is healthy just because it’s low in fat.

One such product is “lunch meat”, or “deli meat”. Whatever the term, it is often seen as a nutritious item that can help people lose weight. However, you rarely hear people talk about how lunch meat is high in sodium. And remember that sodium is a component of salt.

How much sodium do we need in a day? Guidelines recommend that we have less than 2400 milligrams (mg) of sodium a day, which equals 1 TEASPOON of table salt a day. Yep, you read correctly, 1 teaspoon. How much do you put on your food?

What are the side effects of eating too much salt, you may ask? High blood pressure (hypertension), kidney problems, and heart problems for those already at risk to name a few.

Subway, the leader of the low fat sandwich, unfortunately does not have low sodium subs. The Veggie Delite sandwich only has 500 mg of sodium (1/4 of your needs for the day), but combine that with soup and you’re almost done with your sodium limit for the day (each bowl of soup has over 1000 mg of sodium! Wow!). And you think that you’re eating healthy by getting that wrap? Well, a ham wrap has 1500 mg of sodium, and you’re only eating that in one meal!

Let’s pretend you’re trying to follow a healthy meal plan. (Forgive the brand names, I’m not picking on one brand over another). Here’s your meal plan for the day:

Breakfast
1 cup cheerios–200 mg
1 cup skim milk–145 mg
1 banana–n/a

Lunch
1 6″ turkey sandwich with cheese from subway–1000 mg
1 bag baked lays–150 mg
1 can diet soda–20 mg

Snack
handful of peanuts–(let’s assume they’re salted, in a single serve bag)–115 mg

Dinner
1 lean cuisine spa classics (chicken in peanut sauce)–560 mg
1 apple– n/a
1.5 cups salad with 2 tbsp fat free italian dressing–300 mg (400 mg if it’s low fat)
1 cup light ice cream (chocolate)–100 mg

Total sodium content: 2590 mg sodium

And you thought all those food items were healthy because the advertisers said so. When you’re shopping for a food, just think about the “whole package” rather than if it’s just low fat, low sodium, trans-fat free, etc. And also remember that only YOU can control the amount of salt you take in per day. That’s a public service announcement from Salty the Bear!

Have you ever wondered how much it really costs to eat like the 2005 Dietary Guidelines and MyPyramid Guidance System (you know, the “new food guide pyramid”) tell us to eat? The Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP), a division of the USDA, has put out an 80 page report on the costs of different meal plans.

The 4 USDA food plans are as follows:

1. Thrifty — “The national standard for a nutritious diet” that is the cheapest (most cost effective); this is what food stamp programs are based on.
2. Low-Cost — this is what bankruptcy courts use to determine which portion of a bankrupt person’s income is allotted to food.
3. Moderate-Cost — Sorry, couldn’t pin this one down to any major usage
4. Liberal — The Dept of Defense uses this to determine the “Basic Allowance for Subsistence for all service members”.

Who else uses these plans? They are often used for alimony cases, foster care guidelines, and child support cases. Isn’t it great to finally know where this information comes from?

What the CNPP has done is divide these plans up into “market baskets”, which basically means all of the food needed to be purchased for one week of healthy menus. These are then categorized by different age groups, such that an 17 year old male will be at a higher basket rate than a 60 year old woman, because the boy needs more calories than the older woman does.

Do they meet all of the nutrition guidelines?

For the most part. Unfortunately, the diets are lower in potassium and vitamin E and higher in sodium than the Dietary Guidelines recommend. Because they wanted to base these diets as much as possible as what Americans typically eat, they had to make some compromises.

The food plans assume that you are going to buy food “as is”; i.e., you’ll buy grains uncooked (like pasta and cook it once home), raw, canned or frozen vegetables, meat with bones, and juice concentrate. It also assumes that all food is prepared at home (so no fast food!). And before you say that making food at home takes a lot of time, see my post on thrifty food recipes.

So what are the numbers? I’m going to assume that most of you reading this are between the ages of 19-70 years old, so I’m only presenting that data. For data on other age groups, see CNPP’s website.

Males

For a Male, aged 19 - 50 years, budget the following for food PER WEEK:

• Thrifty food plan = $36.60,
• Low-cost food plan = $47.30
• Moderate-cost food plan = $58.50
• Liberal food plan = $71.60

For a male, aged 51-70 years, budget the following for food PER WEEK:

• Thrifty food plan = $33.50
• Low-cost food plan = $44.80
• Moderate-cost food plan = $55.10
• Liberal food plan = $66.50

Females

For a female, aged 19 - 50 years, budget the following for food PER WEEK:

• Thrifty food plan = $32.90
• Low-cost food plan = $41.20
• Moderate-cost food plan = $50.30
• Liberal food plan = $64.80

For a female, aged 51-70 years, budget the following for food PER WEEK:

• Thrifty food plan = $32.40
• Low-cost food plan = $39.90
• Moderate-cost food plan = $49.60
• Liberal food plan = $59.60

Families

So, if you are a family of 2, (2 adults between the ages of 19-50 years), expect to pay, PER MONTH:

• Thrifty food plan = $331.50
• Low-cost food plan = $421.90
• Moderate-cost food plan = $518.40
• Liberal food plan = $650.20

If you are a family of 4, (2 adults between 19-50 years of age, kids between the ages of 2-5 years), expect to pay, PER MONTH:

• Thrifty food plan = $482.40
• Low-cost food plan = $612.60
• Moderate-cost food plan = $750.80
• Liberal food plan = $ 930.70

Conclusion

Take a look at these numbers and compare them to what you have allotted in your monthly budget. Are you budgeting more than this or less than this?

Remember that these are researched data for how much it will cost you to eat healthy for a whole month. Interesting, isn’t it? It helps me argue my point with my husband when I tell him that he has budgeted too little for our groceries (only $200 per month for food alone)!!!!

_{Photo Credit: Rick}