Barksdale Joins in on National Nutrition Month

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Samuel O'Brien
  • 2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs
BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. --  March is National Nutrition Month and this year's theme is "Get Your Plate in Shape."

Every year the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics runs a campaign promoting a vital nutrition and health message. To help with this mission, health educators at the Health and Wellness Center here offer several nutrition conscious programs, pamphlets and guidance to Team Barksdale members by teaching them what to put on their plates.

"A lot of people think of weight loss when they consider nutritional awareness," said Patty McGruder, HAWC health educator. "Believe it or not, several people want to gain weight."

No matter what the objective, the HAWC staff can assist people in ensuring they are eating the correct foods to reach their goals of leading healthier lifestyles.

Nutrition awareness programs are designed to help people understand the value in the foods they eat. The HAWC staff hopes people will gain interest in improving their diets by taking advantage of these nutritional programs.

The My Plate program replaced the long-standing food pyramid as the guideline for portions and food types Americans should be eating. The four-sectioned plate represents fruits, vegetables, grains and proteins, and next to the plate is a smaller circle representing dairy products.

"Proper portions can help with maintaining, losing or gaining weight," McGruder said. "People just want to make sure they're eating the right things."

The program not only helps people get into the shape they'd like to be, but eating the right foods can also help prevent diseases such as diabetes and hypertension.

"Everything you eat can impact you in a positive or negative way," said Capt. Lorna Blodgett, HAWC health care integrator. "If people don't eat right that's when they become susceptible. Some good tips for everyone to maintain a healthy diet are eating whole grains, drinking plenty of water and staying away from sugars. Paying attention to fats is also helpful."

While the focus of this month is on food consumption, it's also important to remember the role exercise plays in staying healthy.

"If you take in more calories than you burn off, you're going to gain weight," said McGruder. "At the same time, if you exercise and you don't consume as many calories, then you're going to lose weight."

Taking the time to make a positive change in one's diet is a personal decision that can impact both long term health and military readiness.

For more information on National Nutrition Month contact the HAWC at 456-8046 or visit www.choosemyplate.gov.