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Farmers arket
II CJ
www.crmc.orgTHURSDAYS
4-6 P.M.
CAPITAL REGION
SOUTHWEST CAMPUS
1432 Southwest Blvd.
In the upper parking lot
on the left of the Southwest
Campus Main Entrance.
Questions? Call (573) 632-5593.
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Capital Region
®
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11111
1
M E DI CAL CENTE R
An Affiliate of
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Health Care
Better. Every day.
crmc.org7
Eating vegetables and fruits
is
incredibly powerful in lowering the risk of
several chronic diseases. You don’t have to
become a vegetarian—just add several servings of
vegetables and fruit to your meals each day.
Vegetables and fruits are high in fiber, magnesium,
potassium and polyphenols. Fiber, magnesium and
potassium work wonders lowering cholesterol, blood
pressure and the risk of colon cancer while also
improving the function of the gastrointestinal tract,
such as reducing constipation.
The natural pigments that add beautiful colors
to food are known as polyphenols. The red-colored
lycopene, found in tomatoes and watermelons,
is known to decrease heart disease and cancer.
The yellow-green pigment lutein is found in green,
leafy vegetables and is known to reduce the risk of
macular degeneration, a major cause of blindness in
adults. Anthocyanidin, the blue pigment in berries,
has been shown to decrease blood pressure, lower
inflammation and improve brain health.
Moving every day
has a big impact
on health and longevity. Recent research
indicates that activity is a key to good
health. This movement does not need to be high-
level aerobic activity like running or jogging. Walking,
dancing, gardening and chores around the house all
help. Pick activities that interest you and get moving
for at least 30 minutes a day.
Research tells us that it is just as effective to split
up activity throughout the day. In fact, staying active
all day is best because sitting for prolonged periods,
all by itself, has been shown to reduce health and
longevity. If you have a sedentary job or watch a
lot of TV, get up every 60 minutes or so and move
around for a few minutes to reduce the negative
effects of being sedentary.
Maintaining a healthy body weight
throughout adulthood has a positive effect
on our health by lowering blood pressure
and cholesterol, reducing the risk of cancer and
protecting our joints. Medical research has shown
that we do not need to be slim—we simply need not
to become obese to enjoy these health benefits.
Body mass index (BMI) is the measure doctors use to
assess healthy body weight. BMI is calculated by dividing
weight in kilograms by height in meters squared. Online tools
make this calculation simple. A normal BMI is less than 25;
25 to 30 is considered overweight; and over 30 is considered
obese.
To gain health benefits, you need to have a BMI of less than
30—less than obese. For example, if you are 5
'
4
"
tall, to have
a BMI of less than 30, you need to weigh under 170 pounds;
and if you are 5
'
9
"
tall, a weight of under 200 pounds will get
you there—for most people, that is not too strict.
It is important to note that weight loss of just 10 pounds
can have measurable health benefits, particularly on blood
pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Aim for a BMI of
less than 30, but recognize that even modest improvements
in weight are quite helpful!
While high-tech medicine has many incredible health
benefits, current research tells us that low-tech lifestyle
changes and nutritional medicine offer even greater ones.
Let’s bring these wonderful health benefits to our lives by
quitting smoking, eating vegetables, moving every day and
maintaining a healthy body weight. In doing so, we will add
years to our lives and life to our years!
Reduce
risk of
cancer
by
50%
Reduce
risk of
strokes
by
36%