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Recipes and news on nutrition to discover each month in Focus on Healthy weight
Get valuable information on nutrition, physical activity and healthy lifestyle habits!
Calculate your healthy weight and assess your lifestyle habits.

Read the most frequently asked questions to dietitians and physical activity experts, and most importantly, their answers which can help you achieve and maintain a healthy weight.


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Demystify your healthy weight

12 questions
Q: What is best? Exercise or diet? - Surreymommy
A: The quick answer is: BOTH! To reach and stay at a healthy weight you need to eat healthy foods most of the time, and be active. People might have success when focusing on just their diet or just their activity, but the results are much more dramatic when you make changes to both parts of your life. In fact, research has shown that while diet is one of the major determinants of weight loss, people who have success in keeping their weight down in the long run are those individuals who are physically active at least 60 minutes per day. If that sounds like a lot, keep in mind that you don’t have to run on a treadmill or swim laps to be active. Housework, gardening, walking your kids to the bus, playing with your toddler…all of these activities count towards your total! Paired with a healthy and balanced diet, additional daily activity will help you maintain your strength, improve your stamina and increase your energy. In addition, being active helps to decrease cravings and helps with appetite control, while following a healthy diet gives you the energy you need to exercise – activity and diet really go hand in hand! If you need tips on how to increase your activity or improve your diet to support your goals, make sure to check out the Ways to Live By and Nutrition Info sections on the website. They are full of great information and helpful tips to get you started on the path to more energy and vitality. Eat well and stay fit! - Nicole Springle, RD


Q: What is a healthy BMI for a 57 year old woman - Louise
A: BMI is definitely a useful tool adults (18-65 years old) can use to asses their health. However, there is even more to take into consideration when looking at your current health situation and making goals to optimize your health. BMI will help you determine if you are within a healthy weight range that is associated with good health.

A healthy weight can vary from one individual to the next, even for women of the same height. This is because we are individuals and we don’t all have the same bone structure and body size.

When assessing a healthy weight range for someone, both BMI and waist circumference are important factors because the location of body fat can affect our health and the waist circumference indicates where excess fat is stored. If it is around the buttocks, hips, and thighs, this is less dangerous to one’s health than fat accumulated around the abdomen. A waistline less than 88 cm (35 in) for women is recommended.

Here is an easy way to assess your healthy weight. Simply click on My Healthy Weight Assessment and once you’re there, you can also assess your eating habits and physical activity.
Remember that to achieve and maintain your healthy weight, it is vital to look at your daily routine. Do you eat food from all four food groups? Do you make a point of being active everyday? If there is room for improvement, today’s the day, get active with healthier habits so you can enjoy life in optimal health.-Lois Ferguson


 
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