By Shelley Swenson Extension Agent III
UF-IFAS Wakulla County Extension
The following are some of the information requests I received this month. Phone calls and e-mails allow me to review topics with Wakulla County citizens that are of interest.
Special Event to be Held at the UF-IFAS Wakulla County Extension Office. Plan to attend our Open House to be held on March 5 from 10 a.m. to noon. We will have displays showing many of the activities that we are presenting involved.
What are the main recommendation changes in the new Dietary Guidelines recently released? A citizen who is concerned about her diet and her health contacted me to learn more about the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. This summary is published every five years and serves as dietary recommendations in response to an assessment of the general state of American’s health.
I have been publicizing the previous guidelines for 5 years. Remember hearing the suggestions: make half your plate fruits and vegetables, choose low-fat dairy products, make half your grains whole and so on?
The new Guidelines include the following. The researchers remind us that healthy eating is one of the most important disease-fighting tools we have available to us. The risk of acquiring chronic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and even cancer can be reduced by adopting a healthier diet. The first step in eating more healthfully is making informed choices about the foods we eat.
Don’t forget about physical activity. Adults need 150 minutes of exercise a week to stay healthy. Children between 6 and 17 needs 60 minutes of physical activity a day. Limit your family’s screen time and find ways to be physically active.
Less than 10% of your total calorie intake per day should come from saturated fats. How can you tell if a fat is saturated? With only a few exceptions, saturated fats are solid and unsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature.
Limit your sodium! Adults and children over 14 should limit their sodium intake to no more than 2300 mg. a day (about a teaspoon). Children under 14 should consume even less. This doesn’t include only added sodium, such as table salt, but the sodium naturally present in foods. Processed foods are the worst culprits. Be sure to read the food label Nutrition Facts to learn how much is in each serving.
One of the most interesting highlights in the new Guidelines is the focus on community ways to support healthy choices. It is only when we all work together for a healthier lifestyle that true success can occur.
Would you appreciate the entire summary of the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans? Visit http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/.
I have been spending some time with several families who are trying to get some semblance of a spending and savings plan. They admit that they have no idea where their money goes and they fully realize if an emergency arose, they would have nothing to fall back on. Let’s discuss some of the strategies for savings we have discussed.
Pay yourself first. Don’t give yourself a choice. We need to get beyond thinking that savings involves sacrifice. Think of it as a bill you owe yourself. Use a payroll deduction into savings or have the bank automatically transfer the money into a savings account.
Give yourself a raise every 3 months. Increase how much you regularly save by a minimum of $5 and watch your savings grow.
Save some or all of your tax return money. When filing, use IRS Form 8888 to have the money directly deposited into your savings account.
Save money earned from working overtime or bonus money.
Save your raise. When you get a raise at work save the increase rather than spending it.
Save coupon money.
Collect loose change. Check below the sofa pillows often and declare to your family that money found is going into a savings account.
Save your lunch money. Eat out two less meals a month and save approximately $30.00. Overtime this really counts up.
Savings insure a brighter future. Always start with small changes and build on them. It is important that a family determine why they should save money. If the family can agree on the importance of doing so, greater “buy in” will result. I encourage families to post their goals on their refrigerator door to remind them of why they are changing their money practices.
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