Keeping a Healthy Lifestyle

Dear Dr. Cory:

I brush my teeth twice a day. I exercise at school. And I play safely. Do you have to eat good food every day?

Caitlin
Colorado

Dear Caitlin:

Congratulations on taking such great care of yourself! Choosing healthy foods every day helps you to be strong, avoid getting sick, and keep a healthy weight. If you make not-so-healthy food choices at one meal, you can make it up by making better choices at the next meal. But try to make choosing healthy foods a daily habit. Your body uses food for energy, growth, and repair. It gets the right mix of vitamins, minerals, and fiber it needs from eating a wide variety of foods such as low-fat or nonfat dairy foods, whole grain cereals and breads, and colorful fruits and vegetables. Eating a variety of foods also provides the proteins, carbohydrates, and fats that you need to grow and develop as you are meant to.

You have probably noticed that you feel your best on days when you have been active, slept well, and eaten more nutritious foods.  To stay healthy and keep a healthy weight:

• Be active for an hour or more each day

• Get ten to twelve hours of sleep each night

• Eat a variety of high-fiber foods such as orange and leafy green vegetables, colorful fruit, and whole grain breads and cereals.

• Eat three to four servings a day of low-fat or nonfat dairy products such as milk, yogurt, or cheese.