by Matt Coughlin
assistant news editor
National Nutrition Month is March and hopefully if you go in looking like a lamb you can come out built like a lion.
National Nutrition Month is a nutrition education and information campaign sponsored by the American Dietetic Association and Foundation. The theme for this year is “Food & Fitness: Build a Healthy Lifestyle.” This theme incorporates the three major guidelines of the ADA: aiming for fitness, building a healthy base, and choosing sensibly.
“I had no clue it was National Nutrition Month, but I eat healthy and watch my carbohydrates to stay in shape for lacrosse,” Kelli Romano said. Romano is a sophomore psychology major who plays for the Cabrini woman’s lacrosse team.
In aiming for fitness, the ADA recommends selecting a healthy weight and being moderately physically active for a half-hour each day. They define moderate physical activity as walking two miles in that time period.
“Having a healthy base” really just means eating right. The ADA offers a Food Pyramid guide link at their website www.eatright.org. People should make grains, fruits and vegetables the foundation of meals. The Food Pyramid will help an individual select the right balance of vitamins, minerals and other substances each day.
“I eat healthy every chance I get,” Georgia Potter, a Computer Science first-year student said.
While some may take eating right to be important, others are planning on going on as-is.
“I don’t care if it is National Nutrition Month,” junior Katie Burlingame said.
But having a healthy base is not just about eating right; hygiene is also a concern. Washing your hands, keeping food stored at the right temperature and cooking food thoroughly are also essential components to maintaining a healthy base.
“Sing two choruses of `Happy Birthday’ while you lather up – cleaning your hands for 20 seconds,” the ADA recommends.
The ADA recommends not only washing your hands before eating, but also whenever handling food or even switching from handling raw meat to making a salad. Tips on keeping your food safe in the home can be found at www.homefoodsafety.org, another ADA site. The bacteria on a meat product may crossover to a vegetable and vice versa. They further suggest using one cutting board for meat and another for fruits, breads and vegetables.
