Cent$ible Nutrition Program Curriculum

Healthy Lifestyles

Background Information
Background #1: Benefits of Healthy Lifestyles

A healthy weight is the weight you achieve when you have a healthy lifestyle. A weight that can
only be maintained by an unhealthy lifestyle is not a healthy weight, according to Joanne Ikeda,
Retired Extension Nutrition Specialist, University of California, Berkeley. These words help shift
people from a focus on weight to a focus on health. This lesson is not about dieting or weight loss,
it is about focusing on health.
Healthy lifestyles include eating nutrient-rich foods, engaging in regular physical activity, and
enjoying both. Ultimately, the balance of calories consumed and calories burned should result in a
healthy weight. But achieving a healthy weight is not the only benefit to having healthy lifestyles.
Benefits of healthy lifestyles include the following:
increases physical fitness
helps build and maintain healthy bones
helps build and maintain healthy muscles
helps maintain healthy joints
builds endurance
builds muscular strength
lowers risk factors for cardiovascular disease, certain cancers and type 2 diabetes
helps relieve stress and improve mood
helps control blood pressure
promotes psychological well-being and self-esteem
reduces feelings of depression and anxiety
improves blood circulation
improves energy level
improves balance and coordination
enhances immune function
increases flexibility

Background #2: Eating Triggers

On a flip chart page, list the following eating styles by name only. During the group discussion,
share more about the common eating styles and triggers. Listed below are eight eating styles and
their common triggers.

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Distracted Eating - eating while doing something else. This might be watching television, working,
reading the paper, or driving a car. Distracted eating can lead to chronic overeating and reduced
satisfaction with food.
Chaotic Eating - too busy for regular meals. This is gulp-and-go eating and relying on handy food.
Refuse-Not Eating - eating just because food is there.
Waste-Not Eating - being a card-carrying member of the Clean Plate Club, influenced by the
value of all-you-can-eat buffets and super-sized meal deals.
Emotional Eating - using food for comfort. These people eat in response to an emotion rather
than hunger.
Careful Eating - being motivated by fitness and health. People who eat this way have good
intentions, but feel guilty when they eat food they consider bad. They anguish over each morsel.
They may appear to be perfect eaters, but they are extreme in their vigilance and scrutiny.
Professional Dieting - always either on a diet, just off a diet, or about to begin a diet. People who
eat this way have tried them all and are motivated by feeling fat. They often binge or engage in
Last-Supper eating (eating one last large meal before the next diet).
Intuitive Eating - eating when they are hungry and stopping when feeling satisfied. Small children
are generally very good at letting us know when they are hungry and when they are full. We
all had that ability at one time. Intuitive eating or normal eating is not based on deprivation,
calorie counting or making foods forbidden. It is based on making peace with food, making eating
pleasurable and being in tune with ones mind and body.
People often see themselves in one or more of these categories. We all eat in response to these
triggers sometimes. Having one or a combination of these first seven eating styles all the time will
work against internal signals of hunger and fullness. Near the end of the discussion, focus on the
eighth style intuitive eating. This concept will be the message shared through the remaining class
activities and discussions. The lesson shares a variety of tools and methods to be an intuitive eater.

Background #3: Eat When Hungry, Stop When Satisfied

Normal eating means eating in a physically connected way in touch with hunger and fullness.
Hunger is discomfort or weakness from lack of food. Some ways the body signals hunger are
stomach pangs, shakiness, headaches, dizziness, and/or low energy.
Fullness or satiety (sah-tie-ah-tee) is having enough food or drink. Some ways the body signals
fullness are extended stomach, food no longer tastes good, and/or discomfort or pain.

Background #4: Moderation

Moderation is a key element of intuitive eating. Large portion sizes and easy access to good-tasting
food work against this concept. Being aware of portion sizes and being mentally present while
eating can help people not to eat too much. And they may also enjoy food more.

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MyPlate and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010, encourage enjoyment of food while
eating less.
The Chocolate Kiss activity from the New Beginnings lesson is an excellent way to reinforce
the concept of being present while you eat. Remind participants about the activity and these
techniques for enjoying the pleasure of eating:
Look at the variety of colors, shapes and sizes on the plate.
Close your eyes and deeply breathe in the aromas
Savor each taste sensation in the food: sweet, sour, salty, bitter
Feel the textures and temperatures: crunchy, soft, creamy, hot
Listen to the sound the food makes as you chew

Background #5: Diet Facts

Research clearly shows that families eat more nutritiously when they eat home prepared meals
versus eating away from home. Preparing meals at home allows the cook to control added fat,
sugar and sodium. In addition, the cook can plan to increase fruits, vegetables, whole grains and
diary products.
More and more people are eating meals out in restaurants and fast food chains, often eating in
their cars. The frequency of eating out rose by more than two-thirds over the past two decades.
According to a report from USDA, food made outside the home contains more of the nutrients
Americans over-consume, such as fat and saturated fat, and less of those nutrients that they underconsume, such as calcium, fiber and iron.
Consumers need to be aware of serving sizes and request nutrition facts for menu items. Water,
low-fat milk or unsweetened teas are available at most restaurants. Consumers can ask for wholegrain bread products when available. A salad can add vegetables and also help curb hunger
feelings so the diner eats less of the entre. Steamed, grilled or broiled dishes are lower in fat
than fried or sauted foods. High-fat foods that should be eaten sparingly include salad dressings,
gravies, and creamed sauces. Take home bags or boxes can be requested. This not only spreads
the calories to another day, it also is less wasteful of the money spent on restaurant food.

Background #6: Respect for Body-Size Diversity

People with healthy lifestyles come in many different sizes, as do people with unhealthy habits.
Helping people feel good about their bodies can be a challenge. The media provides messages
every day about the ideal body type. According to artist and size-acceptance advocate Larry
Kirkwood, the beauty industry promotes anxiety so we will want to buy their products and body
hatred is a lucrative business.
In the late 1800s, the definition of the ideal female body type was drastically different than
it is today. In a weight gain product advertisement from the 1890s, a large female body was
considered robust and healthy. On the other hand, a thin body was described with the word
poor.

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Respect for body-size diversity includes respect for oneself and others. Human beings come in a
wide variety of shapes and sizes. Share with participants some of the key elements including the
following:
be able to accept and value every body, including oneself
be critical of messages that focus on unrealistic body images as symbols of success and happiness
identify personal strengths and abilities and build on assets
recognize that people of all sizes and shapes can reduce their risk of poor health by adopting
healthy lifestyles
challenge personal size-prejudice beliefs

Background #7: Physical Activity

The dietary guidelines for Americans 2010 recommend these 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines.
18 to 64 years:
All adults should avoid inactivity. Some physical activity is better than none, and adults who
participate in any amount of physical activity gain some health benefits.
For substantial health benefits, adults should do at least 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes)
a week of moderate-intensity. Aerobic activity should be performed in episodes of at least 10
minutes, and preferably, spread throughout the week.
For additional and more extensive health benefits, adults should increase their aerobic physical
activity to 300 minutes (5 hours) a week of moderate-intensity. Additional health benefits are
gained by engaging in physical activity beyond this point.
Adults should also include muscle-strengthening activities that involve all major muscle groups on
2 or more days a week.
65 years and older:
Older adults should follow the adult guidelines. When older adults cannot meet the adult
guidelines, they should be as physically active as their abilities and conditions will allow.
Older adults should do exercises that maintain or improve balance if they are at risk of falling.
Older adults should determine their level of effort for physical activity relative to their level of
fitness.
Older adults with chronic conditions should understand whether and how their conditions affect
their ability to do regular physical activity safely.
a. Moderate-intensity physical activity: Aerobic activity that increases a persons heart rate
and breathing to some extent. On a scale relative to a persons capacity, moderate-intensity
activity is usually a 5 or 6 on a 0 to 10 scale. Brisk walking, dancing, swimming, or bicycling
on a level terrain are examples.
b. Muscle-strengthening activity: Physical activity, including exercise, that increases skeletal
muscle strength, power, endurance, and mass. It includes strength training, resistance
training, and muscular strength and endurance exercises.

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c. Bone-strengthening activity: Physical activity that produces an impact or tension force on

bones, which promotes bone growth and strength. Running, jumping rope, and lifting
weights are examples.
For further details on vigorous activity, see ChooseMyPlate.gov.

Background #8: Cent$ible Lifestyles Plan

The Cent$ible Lifestyles Plan is to balance food with physical activity, or balance calories
consumed with calories used. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans offers the following advice.

Focus on the total number of calories consumed.

Monitor food intake.
When eating out, choose smaller portions or lower calorie options.
Prepare, serve, and consume smaller portions of food and beverages, especially those high in
calories.
Eat a nutrient-dense breakfast.
Limit screen time.
More specifically to food groups:
Increase intake of whole grains, vegetables, and fruits.
Reduce intake of sugar-sweetened beverages.
Monitor intake of 100% fruit juice.
Monitor calorie intake from alcoholic beverages.
When updated to MyPlate, the handout 10 Steps to a Healthier Me! can be a tool to work with
participants on goal setting. The steps can also be developed into a display to use as a teaching
tool.

References:
Henneman, Alice. Food Safety, Nutrition and Preparation. University of Nebraska Lincoln
educational website. www.lancaster.unl.edu/food.
Tribole, Evelyn and Elyse Resch. Intuitive Eating. New York: St. Martins Paperbacks, 1996.
www.ChooseMyPlate.gov
Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010
WIN Wyoming Guiding Principles, www.uwyo.edu/winwyoming

Healthy Lifestyles; Background

Cent$ible Nutrition Program University of Wyoming Family and Consumer Sciences
Dept 3354; 1000 E. University Ave.; Laramie, WY 82071
Visit us on the web: www.uwyo.edu/centsible
This material was funded by USDAs Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program. provides nutrition assistance to people with low income. It can help you buy nutritious foods for a better diet. To
find out more, contact your local social services office. In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture
policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, political
beliefs or disability. To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence
Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800)795-3272 (voice) or (202)720-6382 (TTY). USDA is an
equal opportunity provider and employer. 10.2011

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