I am so excited to be writing the first ever Tennessee Dietetic Association (TDA) blog post! TDA has taken some great strides this year in making dietitians and their evidence-based knowledge more accessible to Tennesseans! This new TDA website, with it's blog and easy to use design is one great thing. TDA's presence on facebook and twitter is another. This year TDA also has 3 media spokespersons throughout the state (I am honored to be serving as one) to promote dietitians and good nutrition to Tennesseans.
And it's a good thing too with recent reports that Tennessee is second only to Mississippi as the fattest state in the nation. This saddens me both professionally and personally. As a dietitian who gre up in Mississippi and now calls Tennessee home, I want to encourage people to take small steps to getting healthier and losing the "biggest" title that no state wants to have. Tennesseans, I want to challenge us all do the following three things starting today to help us become a healthier state.
Challenge 1: Don't skip breakfast! Research shows that people who skip breakfast weigh more than those who eat it! An energizing breakfast that will rev up your metabolism includes: a good source of protein like low-fat dairy, nuts, lean meats, or an egg; a whole grain like whole wheat bread, oatmeal, or whole grain cold cereal; and a fruit or veggie. Yes, you can eat vegetables for breakfast!
Challenge 2: Get active for at least 1 hour everyday! Encourage your whole family to stay active together, and you don't even have to go to a gym! Even a game of freeze tag or capture the flag in the back yard counts!
Challenge 3: Fill half your plate with colorful fruits and vegetables at lunch and supper. Not only will you be cutting calories if you do this, you will also be adding powerful disease-fighting nutrients! Just make sure to cook your veggies in a healthy way like grilling, steaming, roasting, or just eat them raw! Taking these small steps can lead to a big change for each of us and for the state of Tennessee as a whole! Let us know if you are one of the Tennesseans fighting for our health by taking this challenge and how it's working for you! And keep coming back to the TDA website for more nutrition information you can trust from Tennessee's own nutrition experts, registered dietitians! Here's to a healthier Tennessee!
Submitted by Sarah-Jane Bedwell, RD, LDN
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