Tag Archives: wellness

Muscle vs. Fat: What’s the Difference?

Posted on by

Muscle vs Fat PosterToday I want to bring you a special treat from the Nutrition Education Store! This Muscle vs. Fat poster is one of our top-selling resources, popular with a wide range of health educators. Since all of the posters we make come with a handout, now I’d like to share the handout that comes with this popular poster, for free! I hope you like it!

Weight is weight, right? Does what makes up the weight actually make a difference? Surely a pound of muscle is the same as a pound of fat, right?

Well, it’s not that simple.

What makes up the weight you carry can have an impact on your health, appearance, physical abilities, and general well-being.

Muscle and fat could not be more different in terms of both structure and role.

Let’s Talk About Muscle:

Some muscles attach to your skeletal system. Others are key to the circulatory and digestive systems. Your heart is a muscle, and so is your bicep. Muscles are vital to the way your body runs!

Muscles use up calories in order to function, and they generally use up more calories than fat does (1). According to a paper published in the Exercise and Sport Sciences Review, “exercise improves the capacity of muscle to oxidize fat” (2). Since “reduced rates of fat oxidation […] have been shown to predict weight gain” (2), regular exercise can give muscles a boost in their fat oxidation, making it easier for you to control your weight.

Muscle is also denser than fat, which means that a pound of it will take up less space than a pound of fat. This can impact your physical appearance.

Let’s Talk About Fat:

Your body does need some fat, but it doesn’t need a ton of it. Fat helps store energy, insulate organs, and can even help the messenger systems in your body function. It also stores some nutrients, like vitamins A, D, E, and K.

Fat doesn’t use up as many calories as muscle does. Meanwhile, fat cells store more calories than muscle cells do (1).

In terms of appearance, a person with a higher body fat percentage will appear larger than a person with a lower percentage, even though they weigh the same.

Sources:

Like what you see? Here’s the handout, for free! How will you use your copy?

Muscle vs Fat Handout

And there’s lots more in the Nutrition Education Store…

Great visual aids!

Muscle and Fat Replicas

BMI 101 Education Set

Ideal Body Weight Bookmark

Related Posts

Nutrition from A to Z

Posted on by

It’s time for an exclusive look at the handout that accompanies our awesome Nutrition from A to Z poster! How will you use your free copy?

A is for Apples. An apple a day may be a cliche, but cliches exist for a reason. You see, apples are naturally fat-free and are very low in sodium. They are also excellent sources of fiber, antioxidants, and vital nutrients like vitamin C. Try one today!

B is for Balance. MyPlate and the Dietary Guidelines both emphasize the importance of balance in your life. Balance your calorie intake with physical activity, and balance your plate according to MyPlate’s proportion guidelines.

C is for Cooking. When you cook at home, you control exactly what goes into your meals. Cook healthfully with plenty of fruits and vegetables, as well as whole grains, lean protein, and nonfat dairy.

D is for Dairy. MyPlate and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans advise people to choose low- or nonfat dairy when possible. The saturated fat found in dairy products is very bad for your health, especially your heart!

E is for Empty Calories. According to MyPlate, foods with empty calories are foods that contain solid fats and added sugars. They are usually calorie-dense, but these calories are very nutrient-light. Avoid foods with empty calories whenever you can — they just aren’t good for you.

F is for Fruit. MyPlate’s fruit group contains everything from stone fruits to berries to tropical rarities. Follow MyPlate’s advice and fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables at every meal.

G is for Grains. MyPlate advises people to make at least half the grains they eat whole grains, every day. In a rut? Try a new whole grain like amaranth, bulgur, or quinoa!

H is for Healthy Eating Patterns. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans insist that healthy eating patterns should meet nutrient needs at a reasonable calorie level. Stick to nutrient-dense foods whenever you can.

I is for Include Seafood. Did you know that most people should consume at least 8 ounces of cooked seafood per week? That’s what MyPlate suggests. Just remember to keep seafood preparations lean and sidestep breaded or fried options.

J is for Juice. If you do drink juice, be sure to choose options that are 100% fruit or vegetables. Juice is a hiding place for a surprising amount of added sugars. Don’t fall into the trap! Choose 100% juice instead.

K is for Kids. Did you know that kids need at least 60 minutes of exercise every day? The Dietary Guidelines for Americans posts that number as the minimum for most children, so get out there and play!

L is for Lean. When you go to get your servings from the protein food group, stick to lean options. Try beans, peas, white meat poultry, or lean cuts of beef or pork.

M is for MyPlate. Follow the plate! At each meal, half your plate should be filled with fruits and vegetables, with the rest divided equally between protein and grains. Add a bit of dairy too, and remember to keep things balanced!

N is for Nutrients. Most Americans aren’t getting enough nutrients. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, people should replace foods that are made mostly of empty calories with nutrient-dense foods. Nutrients of concern in American diets include calcium, potassium, vitamin D and dietary fiber.

O is for Orange. Oranges are a nutrient powerhouse. They are full of vitamin C, antioxidants, and fiber. Eating oranges may also help lower your blood pressure and cholesterol. Try one today!

P is for Protein. MyPlate’s protein group is filled with meat, nuts, poultry, seeds, seafood, eggs, beans, and peas. Eat a wide variety of lean options daily.

Q is for Quality of Life. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, “Achieving and sustaining appropriate body weight across the lifespan is vital to maintaining good health and quality of life” (2010, page 8).

R is for Reduced Risk. MyPlate claims that eating fruits and vegetables will reduce your risk of heart disease. That’s just one more reason to fill half your plate with fruits and veggies at each meal.

S is for Sodium. Most people are consuming way too much sodium. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans advise people to keep sodium consumption below 2300 mg per day. People who are African American, are over 51, or who have hypertension, diabetes, or kidney disease should all consume less than 1500 mg of sodium per day.

T is for Tomato. Tomatoes are filled with key nutrients to improve your health. They are excellent sources of vitamins A, C, and K, and also contain fiber and several B vitamins.

U is for Unique. Did you know that beans and peas are unique foods? MyPlate counts them as both a vegetable and a protein, so tally them where you need them the most!

V is for Variety. While portion sizes should stay small, it is important to eat a variety of fresh and healthful foods. Don’t fall into the rut of eating the same foods over and over — you could be missing out on nutrients! Look for new and nutritious foods to try each day.

W is for Water. One of MyPlate’s key consumer messages is to replace sugary drinks like soda and sport beverages with water. Water is essential to health, and many people don’t drink enough of it.

X is for eXplanation. Do you want more details about healthful eating and balanced nutrition? Visit www.ChooseMyPlate.gov for more information about MyPlate. Or, drop by www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines for a closer look at the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Y is for Yogurt. Yogurt is a great source of calcium, but make sure that it doesn’t overload you with sugar and fat. Stick to low- or nonfat options, and check sugar content to make sure it isn’t too high.

Z is for Zone. Keep foods out of the danger zone. Food that has been sitting out at 40-140 degrees F for more than 2 hours is no longer safe to eat.

Like what you see? Here’s the free handout! Normally you can only get this when you get the Nutrition from A to Z poster, but we’re making an exception for you today!

Nutrition from A to Z Handout

But wait, there’s more! Check out these great nutrition education posters that will help you look your very best, right now!

Nutrition Poster Set

Whole Grain Poster

12 Lessons of Wellness and Weight Control Posters

Related Posts

Wellness Fair Success: The Story of a Banner

Posted on by

Want to hear a story?

Change It Up Health Fair BannerThis one is all about wellness fairs, health education, weight management, and custom posters. Intrigued? I thought so.

It all started with Kisha Bowden, a supervisor at the Parker Hannifin Corporation. Parker Hannifin is having a wellness fair for all its employees in order to kick off a weight-loss contest, and Kisha needed some banners to pep up her booth.

After an in-depth look at the Nutrition Education Store and some soul searching, Kisha chose the following banners on banner stands…

Once those were ordered, Kisha changed her focus to accessories and prizes. The 10K Steps wristbands offered a daily reminder and compelling message, so Kisha added them to her cart.

10,000 Steps WristbandsThat would be a great story of wellness fair decorations and balance, but it doesn’t stop there, because the next thing Kisha did was get inspired.

Since the wellness fair promotes a weight loss contest that runs from now to June, Kisha decided to have us create a custom banner for her employees, adding their names and offering inspiration that was designed to fit their needs. I loved her idea, so my team and I started in on possible designs right away.

We were on fire! From the time that Kisha emailed me to the time the order was set up and processed, less than one whole day had passed. We worked together to create a brand-new poster for her team, and Kisha liked it so much that she ordered custom bracelets too! All of these amazing treats will be on their way to Kisha soon, arriving only 6 days after she first visited the store.

Poster: Stand Up For YouI love projects like these! It makes me so happy to be able to make your jobs easier and to create exciting new resources that promote health and wellness. If you’d like a customized poster or bracelet set of your very own, all you need to do is ask! We are here when you want to look your very best right now.

And, in the meantime, I want to remind you about all the free resources my team and I have created for health educators. Here is a rundown of a few of my favorites — which ones are most useful to you?

Plus, we are always creating new products and resources. If you have anything you’d especially like to see, just let me know!

And here are some other wellness fair resources, perfect for health fairs, presentations, and more!

Fruit and Vegetable Banner and Stand

Wellness Fair Kit

Fruit and Vegetable Pens

Related Posts

Health Fairs on a Budget

Posted on by

Today, it’s storytime.

$50 DisplayThe story to follow is all about how one reader put together a health fair display booth on a tight deadline with an even tighter budget. I want to share her success with you! Maybe this information helps you save money on your next program. Maybe it inspires you to create your own great resources. Maybe it’s just a fun blog post to read before you get back to your next agenda item. Whatever the case may be, I thought that this story was too awesome not to share.

So let’s get to it.

A few weeks ago, a long-time reader at a food bank called me up and asked about putting together a health fair package on a budget. She had $50, tons of great plans, and one week to pull everything off.

Let’s start with the health fair tools we picked. The budget display kit was made up of…

The first thing to go into this display kit was the 100-Calorie Snack poster. It comes with a free handout, so our intrepid reader had two tools in her arsenal right off the bat. She also has an easel to help show off the poster at her booth. This eye-catching poster came to her attention through the Displays by Design program, which she loved. You can use this feature to look through products by design rather than subject matter, which in turn can help you select resources that look good together.

Next up were stickers and bookmarks. The Fruit and Veggie stickers were too eye-catching to miss, and who could say no to amazing bookmarks?

The next part of her display were free handouts. The Free Handout Program was a good place to start, and the weekly free handouts that are part of the Email Program could also be used to round out a health fair display. Handouts are great for building visual appeal and for offering “take-home” reminders of key health lessons. They’re perfect for a wide variety of audiences, and can be just the inspiration your clients need to make a change in their lives.

Oh, and speaking of free resources, the health-fair planner couldn’t pass up the myriad recipes in the Food and Health Free Recipe Archive. These also made great handouts. They could also be used in a cooking demo or to make tasty samples to draw more traffic to a health fair booth.

But wait, there’s more! Although we’ve now covered all the items on the budget health fair booth list above, our intrepid reader had a few last tools up her sleeve. She kept the booth on budget by taking advantage of the free shipping I offered, and she also found the discount code link lurking at the bottom of the store page. This code saved her 10% off the entire order!

When we finished talking about the program, she laughed with relief and told me that all her stress was gone for the first time since she heard about the project. Now she had everything she needed.

What a great day!

By Judy Doherty, PC II

Displays are key to fun health fairs, and there are tons of great resources in the Nutrition Education Store! Which one will make your life easier?

Change It Up Poster

Wellness Fair Kit

MyPlate Stickers

Food Safety Poster

Related Posts

Haven’t Died, Yet

Posted on by

Resource Alert: This post contains a free infographic. Can you find it?

You know, I’ve worked for over 30 years as a country educator in the the Cooperative Extension System. Sometimes I think that I’ve heard all the consumer questions that are out there. And you know the theme to most of them? Food safety.

When it comes to food safety calls, most folks want to know if something that they had in their refrigerator, cupboard, or even the trunk of their car is still safe to eat. Frequently, my recommendation is to throw it out. I think most of the time the people knew that their food was not safe, but they really wanted confirmation from another person. After all, if they had thought it was safe in the first place, then why did they call?

Then there are the people who thought their food was safe, though I told them that I wouldn’t recommend eating it. Those folks are a little harder to convince. Usually they call with a related question, then, in the subsequent discussion, I discover an unsafe practice. These folks usually argue with me that their food is safe.

Now I always wonder if those people really followed my recommendation to “toss it.” 

I know one lady said, “Well I’m going to eat it anyway, so if you see my name in the obituary, you’ll know what happened.” I looked in the paper, and perhaps she was sick, but I don’t think she died from eating those 79 cents worth of food. But why take the risk?

One phrase I hear over and over again is “we’ve been doing it this way for years and we haven’t died yet.” I swear that one of these days I’m going to write a book with that title.

If you’re evaluating the safety of food in your refrigerator, of if a client or consumer asks for your advice, here are some key food safety concepts:

  • Follow the two hour rule. Food should not be kept at room temperature for more than two hours (and reduce that to 1 hour if it’s a very hot day).
  • Follow reputable references when preserving food. (Just because it’s on the internet or television does not make it safe). The two best references are the National Center for Home Food Preservation and the USDA Guide to Home Canning. Both are available at http://nchfp.uga.edu.
  • Use a food thermometer when cooking. Get a reference chart so that you know the correct temperature to look for. Don’t rely on color or texture alone.
  • Use extra precautions if you are serving food to young children, older folks, or people with chronic diseases. These people are more susceptible to foodborne illnesses.
  • Use a thermometer in your refrigerator and freezer. This tool is especially important during a power outage, since it will help you track the temperature inside these appliances.
  • Watch the expiration dates on food.
  • Take care with “doggie” bags and leftovers (see the TWO HOUR rule).
  • Eat, freeze, or PITCH leftovers after 4 days.

Maybe they “haven’t died, yet” but these key points may guide people to safer practices. Then there won’t be a question of possible risk.

By Cheryle Jones Syracuse, MS, Professor Emeritus at The Ohio State University

Looking for more food safety education resources? Check out these great options…

Handy Kitchen Measurements Poster

Food Safety Presentation

Healthy Kitchen Poster Value Set

Free Infographic: Here it is! Get your copy of this helpful infographic today — it’s a great food safety resource.

Food Safety Infographic

Related Posts

Making MyPlate a Reality

Posted on by

Freebie Alert: This post contains a free MyPlate handout!

Does your plate look like MyPlate?

Food 002-2

The new USDA food icon for healthful eating is much simpler to implement and understand than the older version, MyPyramid. Rather than trying to visualize the foods in a pyramid of varying composition, people simply look at their plates during meals and ask themselves whether their plates are balanced like MyPlate. With healthful portions and proportions of fruit, vegetables, protein, grains, and dairy, MyPlate offers a great way to approach eating right.

Now eyeballing those same portions and proportions just got easier.

With the new Nutrition Education Store MyPlate plastic plates, you can eat meals off of an actual MyPlate. Each plate comes printed with MyPlate, so that eating healthfully is just a matter of filling each section with foods that are good for you and that fit the MyPlate categories. And each plate is 9.5 inches, just like most real plates!

Think of the possibilities!

All the guesswork of healthful eating could be eliminated, replaced by an easy and consistent model. You could have a MyPlate party, incorporate these plates into your next cooking demonstration, offer them as a giveaway at your next health fair or event, use them in one-on-one consultations, and much more!

They are available as singles, 10 packs, and 50-pack super savers.

Your clients’ lives just got a whole lot easier.

Pick up your own MyPlates today!

Looking for more MyPlate? Check out all the options in the Nutrition Education Store! We’ve picked out some of the most popular to feature below…

MyPlate Poster

MyPlate for Kids Handout Tearpad

MyPlate Plastic Window Clings

And now, because we love you, here is a free MyPlate handout. Simply download it and use it as you will! It’s perfect for emails, bulletin boards, handouts, and more!

MakeMyPlateHandout

Related Posts

2 Weeks to Go!

Posted on by

The deadline is fast approaching!

MyPlateBack in February, the USDA Food and Nutrition Service proposed guidelines for local school wellness policies. Now there are only 2 weeks left to comment on them!

The rules that the Food and Nutrition Service outlined focused on what school wellness policies need to feature, including…

  • Physical activity goals
  • Nutrition education goals
  • Rules for informing parents about wellness policies
  • Assessing progress
  • Sharing updates

According to the USDA, “Parents, students, representatives of the school food authority, teachers of physical education, school health professionals, the school board, school administrators, and the general public must be permitted to participate in the wellness policy process as a part of the wellness policy team.”

This rule would also affect the marketing of snacks, drinks, and other foods at the school. Everything would have to align with the Smart Snacks in Schools rules and regulations.

So, what do you think about these proposed guidelines? There are only 2 weeks left to log your comments, so, if you have views, share them today!

For More Information:

Remember, there are tons of resources for schools! Check out the Nutrition Education Store for amazing handouts, posters, display kits, and more!

School Menu Erasable Poster

7 Elementary School Nutrition Poster Set

MyPlate Stickers

Related Posts