HHS HealthBeat (February 01, 2008)

A program to live with

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

Go from soft living to hard exercise, and from overeating to strict dieting, and the result? Usually, nothing because that approach to being healthier doesn’t last long.

But there is another – a program people can live with. And it’s simple – a moderate, well-balanced diet that emphasizes whole grains, with fruits and vegetables, lean-meat protein and low saturated fats.

Add to that physical activity, to burn some of those calories. At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Isa Miles says you should do 30 minutes of moderate physical activity most, preferably all, days of the week to receive overall health benefits:

``Moderate physical activity includes brisk walking, bicycling, vacuuming, gardening, or any other activity that causes some increase in breathing or heart rate.’’ (10 seconds)

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: January, 31 2008