In order to understand the benefits of creatine monohydrate, you need to understand what creatine monohydrate is and how it actually works. Being a sports supplement, creatine monohydrate is often considered to have a negative or even dangerous impact on health. In fact, contrary to what you may think, creatine is not causing any harm to the body. It is a substance that is produced by the liver naturally and it also is contained in foods and processed by the liver.

Sources of Creatine

The liver combines three amino acids, methionine, arginine, and glycine and produced creatine. Also, creatine can be processed from any foods that have a high content of protein in the same way. The big problem with supplementary creatine from food is that you would have to consume huge quantities in order to obtain the same amounts of creatine you would get from supplements. Instead of swallowing two pills, you would have to consume 18 stakes and that would not be practical or healthy.

How Does Creatine Monohydrate Increase Performance?

Creatine is produced from proteins and in turn is transformed into phosphocreatine that is a metabolite used to supplement the muscle energy source known as adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Therefore, creatine indirectly contributes to rejuvenating the energy required by the muscles to sustain longer workouts and build stronger muscles.

Thus, creatine stimulates the creation of lean muscle mass that is essential for body building and other high performance sports. Another important fact is that, in normal circumstances, the muscles would be completely drained of energy after such an intense workout. The time interval between workouts would be longer without creatine supplements such as creatine monohydrate. You should not forget that if you take creatine supplements like Maxiraw creatine monohydrate you also need to work out and consume the energy supplied by the excess creatine. In case you are not using it, the body will automatically eliminate it.

Recovery supplements

Maxifuel recovery supplements claim to speed up and repair the muscles after a workout.

This is why they are extremely popular with the likes of sportsmen, athletes and those that regularly complete an intense workout.

In order to jump-start recovery and speed up the recovery process, you really need to eat after a run. However, due to either other commitments or even simply not feeling like you want to eat, this isn’t always possible.

Many people will go straight from work to the gym and straight from the gym to meet up with their friends. Hectic working hours mean that the modern day individual must cram all of their socialising, working and working out into one session! This is why it is essential to look into energy and recovery supplements.

The refueling window to make sure your body is equipped to carry on with its regular life after exercise is a 60-minute one and if you miss it due to another commitment, you won’t have allowed your body and muscles to recover fully.

Energy and recovery supplements claim to have solved such a dilemma and come in the shape of a liquid drink that can be taken on the move. This way the athlete doesn’t have to worry about rushing home to sit down to a meal.

He or she can instead take both energy supplements and recovery supplements on the move. Pill forms of the energy and recovery supplements are also available as some may see this as an easy and hassle free method of taking the much-needed supplements.

The energy and recovery supplements boast to restore the energy burned as well as to repair the muscles used. This is an essential process and one that pro athletes should most definitely be concerned with, especially if they wish to exercise at their full potential and stay ahead in their career for the long-term.

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Now that we know how to use metabolic rates to lose weight we can set a weight loss goal. Again, we will use my situation to set a weight loss goal. My daily metabolic rate is 1127 (resting) + 451 (daily activity level) = 1578 calories burned/calories out. To lose weight, calories in have to be lower than calories out but not less than 1200 calories in. (If I wanted to gain weight, calories in would have to be higher than calories out.)

If I kept my lifestyle (activity level) the same, my weight loss would be 1578 calories out – 1200 calories in = 378 calories a day. Since we have to burn 3500 calories to lose a pound it would take me almost 10 days to burn 3500 calories. To be exact it would take 3500 divided by 378 = 9.26 days. If I wanted to lose 10 pounds it would take me 9.26 days x 10 pounds = 92.6 days divided by 30 days (1 month) or just over 3 months.

But let’s assume I’m going to a class reunion in 2 months and I want to lose 10 pounds before then. 10 pounds = 3500 calories x 10 = 35000 calories I have to lose in 60 days (2 x 30 days). That’s 35000 calories divided by 60 days = 583 calories per day I have to burn. Since I can’t eat any less than the 1200 daily calories I’m eating, I to have to exercise to burn the difference between the 583 calories I need to burn daily and the 378 calories I can cut out with my diet. 583 – 378 = 205 calories I have to burn off with exercise. Now let’s see how much weight we would lose each week if we burn 583 calories each day. 7 days x 583 calories divided by 3500 calories (1 pound) = 1.17 pounds a week we would lose. Most nutritionists recommend a pound a week weight loss. Mainly because losing weight slowly helps you build healthy eating habits and you’re more likely to keep the weight off. If you’re otherwise healthy, you should be able to safely and healthfully lose about 1% of your body weight per week. More than 1% per week and you can damage your body, reduce your resistance to sickness like colds and flu and cut down on the amount of energy you have to get through the day. Our goal of 1.17 pounds per week is below the healthy weight loss of 1.5 pounds for someone weighing 150 pounds.

Now let’s assume our class reunion is in 30 days. Since we only have half the time, we would have to lose twice as much each week or 2.34 pounds. That is not a healthy rate for someone weighing 150. For me, it would also mean a 1200 calorie diet and 410 exercise calories per day. If we look at examples of calories burned while walking you can see how long you would have to exercise to burn 410 calories. And that’s doing it EVERY DAY!

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From my post on metabolism testing I know my resting metabolic rate is 1127 calories. My lifestyle calories burned (based on a light lifestyle) is 451 calories. So the number of calories I can eat each day and maintain my weight at my current lifestyle is 1578 (1127+451). So the next step is to figure out how I can use my metabolic rates to lose weight. To do that we have to know a few more things.

First, one body pound is equal to 3500 calories. So to lose one pound of weight I have to eat 3500 fewer calories or do enough exercise to burn off 3500 calories or some combination of eating and exercise. Since it doesn’t make sense to try to lose weight on a daily basis, we will do calculations based on a weekly rate.

A good rule is to weigh yourself every day when you are trying to maintain your weight, and weigh only once a week when you are trying to lose weight. I weigh every Monday after I pee and before I eat breakfast. Monday weigh-ins keep me from pigging out on the weekend since I know I have to weigh first thing Monday.

Most nutritionist agree a health weight loss goal is 1 pound a week. That means you need to lose calories each day or 3500 calories divided by 7 days = 500 calories. So you can subtract 500 calories from the number of calories needed to maintain your weight. In my case, I need 1578 to maintain. By subtracting 500 I can only eat 1078 calories each day in order to lose 1 pound a week. But I also know my resting metabolic weight is 1127. So if I only eat 1078, I won’t lose weight because my body will think it is in trouble and will store the calories I eat as fat. Therefore, I can only cut my food calories to 1200. By subtracting 1078 from 1200 = 122 means I have to do enough exercise to burn 122 calories. So my daily weight loss equation looks like this:

Calories Out: 1127 (resting metabolic rate) – 451 Lifestyle – 122 exercise = 1700
Calories In: 1200 (food)

Calories Out – Calories In = 1700 – 1200 = -500

So I have lost 500 calories or 1/7th of a pound. By keeping up this formula I will lose 1 pound a week, that is 7 x 500 calories = 3500 calories which = 1 pound.

If I want to lose more than 1 pound a week it is clear that I can’t eat any less food, so I will have to exercise more.

How Much Exercise Do I Need to Lose Weight?

Figuring how much you have to exercise to lose weight is easy once you know how many calories you need to burn each day to lose the amount of weight you want to lose. In the example above, I need to do enough exercise to burn 122 calories every day in addition to keeping my calorie intake at 1200 calories in order to lose 1 pound a week. So I need to find an exercise that I like to do and will keep doing that will burn 122 calories.

One way to know when you have burned 122 calories is use a piece of exercise equipment that will tell you how many calories you have burned based on how long you use it and how hard you are exercising. For example, many treadmills will show you how many calories you have burned as you walk or run. It takes approximately 100 calories to move 150 pounds 1 mile. So most machines are based on a person weighing 150 pounds. To find your actual calories burned your would have to adjust the machines calorie count according to your weight. Suppose the machine shows you have burned 200 calories. That means, if you weighed 150 pounds you have burned 200 calories. But you actually weigh 175 pounds. To adjust for your actual weight you divide 200 cal/150 pounds then multiple by your weight of 175 pounds and find that you have burned 233 calories. If you weigh less than 150 it’s the same drill, you divide 200/150 x your weight to find how many calories you burned.

The next post will show you how to set a weight loss goal.

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After weeks of frustration trying to lose weight I decided to get a metabolic assessment at my club. The goal of the test is to find two points in my metabolism. One point is my base rate, which is the rate at which my body is the most efficient at burning fat. The second point is my threshold which is point where my body is most inefficient at burning fat. By knowing these two points, I can see how my body responds to exercise and I can loose fat more efficiently by making my workouts more efficient.

Metabolism Testing

To find my resting metabolic rate all I had to do was sit in a chair and breathe normally through my mouth while wearing a mask. The expelled air is a mixture of oxygen and carbon dioxide which when analyzed tells your resting metabolic rate. The resting metabolic rate is how many calories you body needs to support your vital organs. So if all you did is sit and breathe all day, the number of calories your body burned in a day would be your resting metabolic rate (RMR). Once you know your resting metabolic rate you can add the number of calories you burn everyday based on your lifestyle. A “very light” lifestyle means you site all day, “light” lifestyle is equivalent to standing all day. Moderate lifestyle would be standing with some physical labor. A heavy lifestyle means heavy physical labor.

Why Do You Need to Know Your Metabolic Rate

Weight management (maintaining a healthy weight) is a very simple formula — Calories in must equal Calories out. Calories out is measured as your metabolic rate which is how many calories you burn in a day or for a given activity. Your daily calorie burn rate is equal to the calories you burn at rest (such as while you are sleeping or sitting) + calories you burn doing your daily activities (this includes what your do around the house as well as at work or school) + any calories you burn with exercise (this would be exercise that is not part of your normal day). Add these up and you can find out how many calories you burn that day. Once you know calories out then you can maintain your weight by counting the calories in — that is, the calories in the food you eat that day. Knowing your BMI is also important.

Knowing your resting metabolic weight is important, too. Remember, your resting metabolic rate is how much energy (calories) your body needs to support your vital organs. If you eat fewer calories than your body needs to support your vital organs your body may sense that it is in trouble and respond by getting rid of lean muscle instead of burning fat. In other words, your body will try to get rid of weight so it won’t have to work so hard. By going on a diet that is few calories than your resting metabolic rate can cause you not to lose weight because your body will store the food thinking it is in trouble.

The Results of My Metabolism Testing

After the resting test, I got on a treadmill to find out my exercise metabolic rate. By knowing these metabolic rates, I can figure out how many calories I can eat each day and lose weight. I also found out at what level of exercise my body quits burning fat efficiently.

My resting metabolic rate is 1127 calories. My lifestyle calories based on a light lifestyle is 451 calories. So the number of calories I can eat each day and maintain my weight at my current lifestyle is 1578. So the next trick is to figure out how I can use my metabolic rates to lose weight, how to lose fat instead of muscle and how to burn fat more efficiently.

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All new mothers want to do what is best for their baby, especially feeding their baby food that will protect them from illness and help them thrive. More than 20 years of research has proven that breast milk is the best food to feed a baby—it is perfectly suited to nourish and project babies from illness. Your body make the perfect food  your baby needs in the right amount at the right temperature. Babies should be breastfed for 6 months to a year. There are no recommendations on how long moms should breast feed.


Here are some of the many benefits your breast milk gives your baby:

• Breast milk made in the first few hours after child birth is very healthy for the baby as it helps your baby’s immune system to protect your baby. It helps fight various diseases and illnesses thereby cutting down on hospital and doctor visits.
• Breast milk helps your baby grow strong and healthy with fewer minor illnesses like colds, ear aches, allergies, eczema, or asthma because mother’s milk  has antibodies that are passed from mom to her baby through her milk.
• Breast milk is easer to digest than formula. Therefore your baby won’t suffer from colic, diarrhea, or constipation. Your baby’s diapers will even have very little odor.
• Breast milk is always sterile.
• As the amount of milk your baby needs increases, the amount of breast milk your body produces will increase.
• Breastfeeding has psychological benefits as it offers a special way for mother and baby to bond. Your baby feels the warmth and closeness of its mother and feels wanted and loved. Your baby learns your smell and voice and begins to learn that she is in a safe place.

Though you might think breastfeeding is only beneficial for your baby, it benefits mother too:

• Breastfeeding helps the mother lose extra weight. Breastfeeding uses an extra 500 calories each day.
• Breastfeeding helps the uterus too return to its normal, pre-pregnancy size more quickly.
• Unlike formula, breast milk doesn’t need to be mixed, measured, heated, sterilized or refrigerated. There is no need to wash, dry and store bottles and nipples. Breast milk is readily available and is custom made just for your baby!
• When your baby needs to be fed at night, breast milk is easily accessible.
• If you breastfeed, going out can be quicker and with fewer hassles since you don’t need to carry bottles, formula, or find a place to heat the bottle. Breast milk is always with you at the right and at the right temperature!
• Breastfeeding saves money.
• When your baby needs to be breastfed, the mother feels wanted and gets a feeling of satisfaction. Breast milk is a gift, which not everyone is blessed with. Breastfeeding makes a mother feels good about being able to provide for her baby.
• Breastfeeding helps the mother and baby bond more quickly and helps build an emotional bond between mother and baby.

These are just a few of the reasons breastfeeding is beneficial to both mother and baby. If you’re not sure if you want to breastfeed, even if you only try breastfeeding for a few days or weeks it will give your baby much needed antibodies.

Even if you try breastfeeding for only a few days or weeks it will give your baby much needed antibodies.

If you need help getting your baby to latch on or just moral support, most hospitals have a lactation consultant that you call call for help and advice. Also, you can visit the website of the La Leche League, a national support organization for breastfeeding mothers. Their website is www.lalecheleague.org. With these great reasons to breast feed, hopefully more mothers will choose breastfeeding over formula.

See this page for more information about Caring for your Newborn. For more about feeding your newborn.

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Common types of weight loss surgeries

Graphic of gastric bypass using Roux-en-Y anastomosis.

• Roux-en-Y (ROO-en-WEYE) gastric bypass. The surgeon uses surgical staples to create a small stomach pouch. This limits the amount of food you can eat. The pouch is attached to the middle part of the small intestine. Food bypasses the upper part of the small intestine and stomach, reducing the amount of calories and nutrients your body absorbs.

• Laparoscopic (LAP-uh-ruh-SKAWP-ik) gastric banding. A band is placed around the upper stomach to create a small pouch and narrow passage into the rest of the stomach. This limits the amount of food you can eat. The size of the band can be adjusted. A surgeon can remove the band if needed.

• Biliopancreatic (bil-ee-oh-pan-kree-at-ik) diversion (BPD) or BPD with duodenal (doo-AW-duh-nul) switch (BPD/DS). In BPD, a large part of the stomach is removed, leaving a small pouch. The pouch is connected to the last part of the small intestine, bypassing other parts of the small intestine. In BPD/DS, less of the stomach and small intestine are removed. This surgery reduces the amount of food you can eat and the amount of calories and nutrients your body absorbs from food. This surgery is used less often than other types of surgery because of the high risk of malnutrition.

If you are thinking about weight-loss surgery, talk with your doctor about changes you will need to make after the surgery. You will need to:

• Follow your doctor’s directions as you heal
• Make lasting changes in the way you eat
• Follow a healthy eating plan and be physically active
• Take vitamins and minerals if needed

You should also talk to your doctor about risks and side effects of weight loss surgery. Side effects may include:

• Infection
• Leaking from staples
• Hernia
• Blood clots in the leg veins that travel to your lungs (pulmonary embolism)
• Dumping syndrome, in which food moves from your stomach to your intestines too quickly
• Not getting enough vitamins and minerals from food

Is liposuction a treatment for obesity?

Liposuction (LY-poh-suhk-shuhn) is not a treatment for obesity. In this procedure, a surgeon removes fat from under the skin. Liposuction can be used to reshape parts of your body. But this surgery does not promise lasting weight loss.

Image Courtesy of Ethicon Endosurgery, Inc., used with permission. Author: Ethicon Endosurgery, Inc.

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Overweight, Obesity, and Weight Loss

• How many women in the United States are overweight or obese?
• How do I know if I’m overweight or obese?
• What causes someone to become overweight or obese?
• What are the health effects of being overweight or obese?
• What is the best way for me to lose weight?
• How can I make healthier food choices?
• How can physical activity help?
• What medicines are approved for long-term treatment of obesity?
• What surgical options are used to treat obesity?
• Is liposuction a treatment for obesity?
• I’m concerned about my children’s eating and physical activity levels. How can I help improve their habits?
• For more information

How many women in the United States are overweight or obese?

Over 60 percent of U.S. adult women are overweight, according to 2007 estimates from the National Center for Health Statistics of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Just over one-third of overweight adult women are obese.

How do I know if I’m overweight or obese?

Find out your body mass index (BMI). BMI is a measure of body fat based on height and weight. People with a BMI of 25 to 29.9 are considered overweight. People with a BMI of 30 or more are considered obese.

What causes someone to become overweight or obese?

You can become overweight or obese when you eat more calories (KAL-oh-rees) than you use. A calorie is a unit of energy in the food you eat. Your body needs this energy to function and to be active. But if you take in more energy than your body uses, you will gain weight.

Many factors can play a role in becoming overweight or obese. These factors include:

• Behaviors, such as eating too many calories or not getting enough physical activity
• Environment and culture
• Genes

Overweight and obesity problems keep getting worse in the United States. Some cultural reasons for this include:

• Bigger portion sizes
• Little time to exercise or cook healthy meals
• Using cars to get places instead of walking

What are the health effects of being overweight or obese?

Being overweight or obese can increase your risk of:

• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Type 2 diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Breathing problems
• Arthritis
• Gallbladder disease
• Some kinds of cancer

But excess body weight isn’t the only health risk. The places where you store your body fat also affect your health. Women with a “pear” shape tend to store fat in their hips and buttocks. Women with an “apple” shape store fat around their waists. If your waist is more than 35 inches, you may have a higher risk of weight-related health problems.

What is the best way for me to lose weight?

The best way to lose weight is to use more calories than you take in. You can do this by following a healthy eating plan and being more active. Before you start a weight-loss program, talk to your doctor.

Safe weight-loss programs that work well:

• set a goal of slow and steady weight loss — 1 to 2 pounds per week
• offer low-calorie eating plans with a wide range of healthy foods
• encourage you to be more physically active
• teach you about healthy eating and physical activity
• adapt to your likes and dislikes and cultural background
• help you keep weight off after you lose it

How can I make healthier food choices?

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Department of Agriculture (USDA) offer tips for healthy eating in Dietary Guidelines for All Americans.

• Focus on fruits. Eat a variety of fruits — fresh, frozen, canned, or dried — rather than fruit juice for most of your fruit choices. For a 2,000-calorie diet, you will need 2 cups of fruit each day. An example of 2 cups is 1 small banana, 1 large orange, and 1/4 cup of dried apricots or peaches.

• Vary your veggies. Eat more:
  • dark green veggies, such as broccoli, kale, and other dark leafy greens
  • orange veggies, such as carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, and winter squash
  • beans and peas, such as pinto beans, kidney beans, black beans, garbanzo beans, split peas, and lentils
• Get your calcium-rich foods. Each day, drink 3 cups of low-fat or fat-free milk. Or, you can get an equivalent amount of low-fat yogurt and/or low-fat cheese each day. 1.5 ounces of cheese equals 1 cup of milk. If you don’t or can’t consume milk, choose lactose-free milk products and/or calcium-fortified foods and drinks.

• Make half your grains whole. Eat at least 3 ounces of whole-grain cereals, breads, crackers, rice, or pasta each day. One ounce is about 1 slice of bread, 1 cup of breakfast cereal, or 1/2 cup of cooked rice or pasta. Look to see that grains such as wheat, rice, oats, or corn are referred to as “whole” in the list of ingredients.

• Go lean with protein. Choose lean meats and poultry. Bake it, broil it, or grill it. Vary your protein choices with more fish, beans, peas, nuts, and seeds.

• Limit saturated fats. Get less than 10 percent of your calories from saturated fatty acids. Most fats should come from sources of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, such as fish, nuts, and vegetable oils. When choosing and preparing meat, poultry, dry beans, and milk or milk products, make choices that are lean, low-fat, or fat-free.

• Limit salt. Get less than 2,300 mg of sodium (about 1 teaspoon of salt) each day.

How can physical activity help?

The new 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans state that an active lifestyle can lower your risk of early death from a variety of causes. There is strong evidence that regular physical activity can also lower your risk of:

• Heart disease
• Stroke
• High blood pressure
• Unhealthy cholesterol levels
• Type 2 diabetes
• Metabolic syndrome
• Colon cancer
• Breast cancer
• Falls
• Depression

Regular activity can help prevent unhealthy weight gain and also help with weight loss, when combined with lower calorie intake. If you are overweight or obese, losing weight can lower your risk for many diseases. Being overweight or obese increases your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, type 2 diabetes, breathing problems, osteoarthritis, gallbladder disease, sleep apnea (breathing problems while sleeping), and some cancers.

Regular physical activity can also improve your cardiorespiratory (heart, lungs, and blood vessels) and muscular fitness. For older adults, activity can improve mental function.

Physical activity may also help:

• Improve functional health for older adults
• Reduce waistline size
• Lower risk of hip fracture
• Lower risk of lung cancer
• Lower risk of endometrial cancer
• Maintain weight after weight loss
• Increase bone density
• Improve sleep quality

Health benefits are gained by doing the following each week:

• 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity

or

• 1 hour and 15 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity

or

• A combination of moderate and vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity

and

• Muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days

This physical activity should be in addition to your routine activities of daily living, such as cleaning or spending a few minutes walking from the parking lot to your office.

If you want to lose a substantial (more than 5 percent of body weight) amount of weight, you need a high amount of physical activity unless you also lower calorie intake. This is also the case if you are trying to keep the weight off. Many people need to do more than 300 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week to meet weight-control goals.

What drugs are approved for long-term treatment of obesity?

The Food and Drug Administration has approved two medicines for long-term treatment of obesity:

• Sibutramine (si-BYOO-tra-meen) suppresses your appetite.
• Orlistat (OR-li-stat) keeps your body from absorbing fat from the food you eat.

These medicines are for people who:

• Have a BMI of 30 or higher
• Have a BMI of 27 or higher and weight-related health problems or health risks

If you take these medicines, you will need to follow a healthy eating and physical activity plan at the same time.

Before taking these medicines, talk with your doctor about the benefits and the side effects.

• Sibutramine can raise your blood pressure and heart rate. You should not take this medicine if you have a history of high blood pressure, heart problems, or strokes. Other side effects include dry mouth, headache, constipation, anxiety, and trouble sleeping.

• Orlistat may cause diarrhea, cramping, gas, and leakage of oily stool. Eating a low-fat diet can help prevent these side effects. This medicine may also prevent your body from absorbing some vitamins. Talk with your doctor about whether you should take a vitamin supplement.

What surgical options are available to treat weight loss?

Weight loss surgeries — also called bariatric (bair-ee-AT-rik) surgeries — can help treat obesity. You should only consider surgical treatment for weight loss if you:

• Have a BMI of 40 or higher
• Have a BMI of 35 or higher and weight-related health problems
• Have not had success with other weight-loss methods

Common types of weight loss surgeries are:
If you are thinking about weight-loss surgery, talk with your doctor about changes you will need to make after the surgery.

Is liposuction a treatment for obesity?

Liposuction (LY-poh-suhk-shuhn) is not a treatment for obesity. In this procedure, a surgeon removes fat from under the skin. Liposuction can be used to reshape parts of your body. But this surgery does not promise lasting weight loss.

I’m concerned about my children’s eating and physical activity levels. How can I help improve their habits?

The things children learn when they are young are hard to change as they get older. This is true for their eating and physical activity habits. Many children have a poor diet and are not very active. They may eat foods high in calories and fat and not eat enough fruits and vegetables. They also may watch TV, play video games, or use the computer instead of being active.

Kids who are overweight have a greater chance of becoming obese adults. Overweight children may develop weight-related health problems like high blood pressure and diabetes at a young age. You can find out if your child is overweight or obese by using the Body Mass Index for children and teens.

You can help your child build healthy eating and activity habits.

• Limit time spent watching TV, playing video games, and using the computer.
• Make sure your child is physically active for 1 hour each day.
• Find out about activity programs in your community.
• Ask your children what they like to do and what they’d like to try, like Little League Baseball or a swim team.
• Plan activities for the whole family – like hiking, walking, or playing ball.
• Help your children eat healthy foods.
• Have your children plan and cook healthy meals with you.
• Don’t do other things while you eat, like watch TV.
• Give your kids healthy snacks, like fruits, whole-grain crackers, and vegetables.
• Limit your trips to fast-food restaurants.
• Involve the whole family in healthy eating. Don’t single out your children by their weight.

We know children do what they see — not always what they are told. Set a good example for your children. Your kids will learn to eat right and be active by watching you. Setting a good example can mean a lifetime of good habits for you and your kids.

Content last updated March 6, 2009. womenshealth.gov

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A full mouth is a quiet mouth was my mom’s nutrition philosophy in a nutshell. To be fair, she didn’t have a big budget, the Internet, or Rachel Ray’s 30-minute meals. Mom’s recipes came from her mom and were pretty much Southern comfort foods—pan-fried, deep-fried, and batter-fried.

Studies now show that whether you will be overweight is likely determined during your first year when your eating habits are developed. As a parent, starting your kids with healthy eating habits makes them less likely to become overweight. And, it’s never too late to change unhealthy eating habits!

Seniors often have the opposite problems with nutrition—not getting enough to eat. And what they do eat is not healthy for them. It’s much harder to cook for one than to cook for a family, not to mention eating alone isn’t nearly as social.

Whether you’re wanting to lose weight, gain weight, or just stay the same, we have something for you! You can find information by category or by using the search box at the top of each page. We have tags to help you find related articles. When we find good resources to help you learn more, we provide links to their site to help you in your quest for good health.

Don’t forget to check out the fitness category—fitness and nutrition go hand-in-hand!

For more information about Nutrition

For more information on nutrition contact the following organizations:

Steps to a HealthierUS, HHS
Internet address: http://www.healthierus.gov

Weight Control Information Network, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, NIH, HHS
Internet address: http://win.niddk.nih.gov

Food and Nutrition Information Center, USDA
Internet address: http://www.nutrition.gov

MyPyramid.gov, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Internet address: http://www.mypyramid.gov

The President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports
Internet address: http://www.fitness.gov

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Information Center (NHLBI), National Institutes of Health, HHS
Internet address: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov

Food and Drug Administration (FDA), HHS
Internet address: http://www.fda.gov

American Society of Bariatric Physicians
Internet address: http://www.asbp.org/siterun_data/

International Food Information Council
Internet address: http://www.ific.org

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