Did You Know?

Being physically active and eating well may help you stay 

fit and feel fabulous over the years. If you are overweight 

or inactive, you may have a higher risk for:

• type 2 diabetes (high blood sugar)

• high blood pressure

• coronary heart disease

• stroke

• certain forms of cancer

No matter what your age, you may be able to improve your 

health if you Move More and Eat Better! This booklet gives you 

tips on how to get moving and eat well throughout your life.
2 Fit and Fabulous as You Mature

Why

	 	 Move More and Eat Better?

Being physically active and making smart 

food choices are good for your health. In 

addition to improving your physical health, 

moving more and eating better may also: 

• Give you more energy.

• Reduce stress.

• Help you feel better about yourself.

• Relieve boredom or depression.

• Set an example for your family.

Your family and friends can be great sources 

of motivation and support as you adopt a 

healthier lifestyle. Ask them to join you in 

healthy eating and physical activity—it is 

important for them, too! By making healthy 

choices together, it may be easier to eat right 

and be active.

Tips

 on Moving More

Try to do at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical 

activity (like brisk walking) on most or all days of the week. 

Also try to do strengthening activities two or three times a week. 

These activities are important because older adults—especially 

women—lose muscle and bone every year. Strengthening 

activities may help prevent or lessen this loss.
3

Fitting in physical activity is not as hard as 

you may think, and you do not have to do 

the whole 30 minutes at one time. Try these 

tips to overcome things that may keep you 

from being active.

“It’s too late for me to get 

physically active.”

It is never too late to start moving more. 

Physical activity may help you manage 

health problems like arthritis, osteoporosis 

(bone loss), and coronary heart disease. 

It may also help: 

• Keep your body flexible.

• Keep your bones and muscles strong.

• Keep your heart and lungs healthy.

• Control high blood sugar, especially 

if you lose weight.

• Let you keep living in your own home 

without help. 

“Physical activity is a chore.”

Physical activity can be fun—you just need to figure out which 

activities you enjoy. The more enjoyable it is, the more likely 

you are to stick with it. Some ideas include:

• Walking or taking an exercise class with a friend or a group—

that way, you can cheer each other on, have company, and 

feel safer when you are outdoors.

Tip

If you are over age 50 

or have chronic health 

problems such as coronary 

heart disease, high blood 

pressure, diabetes, 

osteoporosis, or obesity, 

talk to your health care 

provider before starting 

a vigorous physical 

activity program. You 

do not need to talk to 

your provider before 

starting a less strenuous 

activity like walking.
4 Fit and Fabulous as You Mature

• Starting a small garden in your yard or in a community 

garden.

• Breaking physical activity into short blocks of time—taking 

three 10-minute walks during your day may be easier than 

taking one 30-minute walk.

• Doing different activities throughout the week to stay 

interested. 

• If you are not comfortable being active outdoors because 

of safety concerns, consider joining your local recreation or 

fitness center or going to a relative’s neighborhood to walk.

“It’s too expensive.”

There are lots of ways to be physically active 

that are free or low-cost. Consider:

• Finding a local park or school track where 

you can walk.

• Walking around a mall.

• Being active with your grandchildren—

take a walk, toss a softball, or ride bikes. 

• Walking your dog or meeting up with 

a neighbor to walk together.

• Checking out a fitness video from the 

library and following along at home. 
5

“I don’t have enough time.”

No matter how busy you are, there are ways 

to fit in 30 minutes or more of physical 

activity each day. Try:

• Spreading physical activity throughout 

the day, rather than doing it all at once.

• Setting aside time to be active. For 

instance, if you make it part of your 

daily routine to walk after breakfast, 

you may not think twice about doing it. 

• Walking to do your errands when 

possible.

• Being active while doing other things. 

For example, you can lift weights or 

march in place while watching TV, or 

walk around your home while talking 

on a cordless telephone.

“I’m not an athlete, so why strength train?”

Strengthening activities are good for everyone—and there 

are ways to become stronger without lifting weights. Strength 

training may help you perform your daily activities with more 

ease. Consider:

• Doing step-ups or wall push-ups in the comfort of your 

own home. 

• Using canned foods or filled water bottles as weights.

• Walking up stairs—lifting your body weight strengthens 

your legs and hips.

Tip

To avoid injury, it is 

important to use good 

form when you do 

strengthening activities. 

You can learn about 

proper form in Growing 

Stronger, a strength 

training program for 

older adults. See the 

“Additional Resources” 

section at the end of 

this publication for 

more information.
6 Fit and Fabulous as You Mature

Simple Ideas

 for Eating Well

• Start every day with breakfast. Try oatmeal, a whole-grain 

cereal like raisin bran with fat-free or low-fat milk, wholewheat toast spread with jam, or fat-free or low-fat yogurt. 

Enjoy some fruit with your breakfast too.

• Try kidney or butter beans in hot dishes, on salads, or plain. 

Protein is important to your health as you age. Beans are 

loaded with protein and cost less than meat.

• Choose fat-free or low-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese instead 

of full-fat dairy products.

• Choose whole-grain foods like whole-wheat bread, oatmeal, 

brown rice, and whole-wheat pasta more often than 

refined-grain foods like white bread, white rice, and white 

pasta. Whole-grain foods offer dietary fiber, which helps 

keep you regular.

• Do not let sweets like cookies, candy, or soda crowd out 

healthy foods.

Make Healthy Meals That Taste Good

You may like the taste of fried foods and 

fatty meats, but if you eat them too often 

or in large amounts you may consume too 

much saturated fat, which is not healthy 

for your heart. There are other ways you 

can add flavor to your food. Try:

• Baking, roasting, broiling, grilling, or 

oven-frying chicken or fish—season with 

herbs, spices, lemon, lime, or vinegar 

(but not salt).
7

• Cooking collard greens or kale with 

onions, garlic, chicken broth, bouillon, 

smoked turkey, turkey bacon, or turkey 

ham (use broth, bouillon, and cured meats 

in small amounts because they are high 

in sodium, or buy low-sodium versions 

of them).

• Topping baked potatoes with salsa or 

low-fat sour cream.

• Making salads and casseroles with low-fat 

or fat-free salad dressing or mayonnaise, 

flavored vinegar like balsamic, or a small 

amount of mustard (but remember that 

mustard is high in sodium).

Save Time and Money When You Cook

You do not have to spend a lot of time in 

the kitchen or a lot of money to eat well.

• Cook enough to last. Casseroles, meat 

loaf, and whole cooked chicken may 

last for several days. (Be sure to freeze 

or refrigerate leftovers right away to keep them safe to eat).

• Buy frozen or canned vegetables (no salt added) and canned 

fruit packed in juice. They are just as good for you as fresh 

produce, will not go bad, and make quick and easy additions 

to your meals.

• If your local store does not have the foods you want or 

their prices are too high, go to another store. Start a weekly 

shopping carpool, share the cost of a taxi with friends, or 

ask a relative or neighbor for a ride. 

Tip

If you cannot digest lactose 

(the sugar found in milk) try 

fat-free or low-fat lactosereduced milk. Or try fat-free 

or low-fat yogurt or hard 

cheeses like cheddar, which 

may be easier to digest than 

milk. You can also get calcium from calcium-fortified 

juices, soy-based beverages, 

and cereals. Eating dark leafy 

vegetables like collard greens

and kale, and canned fish 

with soft bones like salmon, 

can also help you meet your 

body’s calcium needs.
8 Fit and Fabulous as You Mature

Reading

 Food Labels

Food labels may help you make healthy 

food choices, but they can be confusing.* 

Following are some quick tips for reading 

food labels:

Check Serving Size and Calories 

All the information on a food label is based 

on the serving size. Be careful—one serving 

may be much smaller than you think. If you 

double the servings you eat, you double the 

calories and nutrients, including the percent 

Daily Values (DVs).

Percent DV

This number tells you whether a food is high or low in nutrients. 

Foods that have more than 20-percent DV of a nutrient are high. 

Foods that have 5-percent DV or less are low.

Saturated Fat

Saturated fat is not healthy for your heart. Compare labels 

on similar foods and try to choose foods that have 5-percent 

DV or less for saturated fat. Most of the fats you eat should be 

polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. Keep total fat intake 

between 20 percent to 35 percent of your total daily calories.

Trans Fat

Trans fat is not healthy for your heart. When reading food labels, 

add together the grams of trans fat and saturated fat, and choose 

foods with the lowest combined amount.
9

Cholesterol

Too much cholesterol is not healthy for 

your heart. Keep your intake of saturated fat, 

trans fat, and cholesterol as low as possible.

Sodium (Salt)

Salt contains sodium. Research shows that 

eating less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium 

(about 1 teaspoon of salt) per day may 

reduce the risk of high blood pressure.

Fiber

Choose foods that are rich in fiber, such as 

whole grains, beans, fruits, and vegetables.

Sugar

Try to choose foods with little or no added 

sugar, such as low-sugar cereals.

Calcium

Choose foods that are high in calcium. Foods that 

are high in calcium have at least 20-percent DV.

* For more information on reading food labels, visit: http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/labelman. 

For information about the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, see: 

http://www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines.

Tip

Many food labels say 

“low-fat,” “reduced fat,” 

or “light.” These claims do 

not always mean the food 

is low in calories, however. 

Remember, fat-free does 

not mean calorie-free, 

and calories do count! 
10 Fit and Fabulous as You Mature

Keeping Track

 of Serving Sizes

Many people think that bigger is better. We are so used to 

value-sized portions—especially in restaurants—that it can be 

easy to eat more than our bodies need. Eating smaller portions 

will help you cut down on calories and fat (and might save you 

money too). Here is a 1,600-calorie per day sample menu with 

sensible portion sizes:*
11

Breakfast

1/2 cup oatmeal

1 English muffin with 1 tablespoon 

low-fat cream cheese

1 cup low-fat milk

3/4 cup orange juice

Lunch

2 ounces baked chicken without skin 

(a little smaller than a deck of cards)

Lettuce, tomato, and cucumber salad with 

2 teaspoons oil and vinegar dressing

1/2 cup rice seasoned with 1/2 teaspoon 

tub or liquid margarine

1 small whole-wheat roll with 1 teaspoon 

margarine

Dinner

3 ounces lean roast beef (about the size 

of a deck of cards) with 1 tablespoon 

beef gravy

1/2 cup turnip greens seasoned with 

1/2 teaspoon margarine

1 small baked sweet potato with 

1/2 teaspoon margarine

1 slice cornbread

1/4 honeydew melon

Snack

2 1/2 cups low-fat microwave popcorn

1 1/2 teaspoons margarine

Tips

Use tub or liquid margarine 

instead of butter. Choose a 

soft margarine that has less 

than 2 grams of saturated 

fat per tablespoon and has 

0 grams of trans fat. “Liquid 

vegetable oil” should be 

first on the ingredient list. 

(American Heart Association)

Try keeping a food diary. 

Writing down what you eat, 

when you eat, and how you 

feel when you eat can help 

you understand your eating 

habits. You may be able to 

see ways to make your eating habits healthier. You can 

also use your diary to plan 

weekly menus, make shopping lists, and keep track of 

recipes you would like to try. 

For more information about 

keeping a food diary, read the 

Weight-control Information 

Network (WIN) brochure 

Just Enough for You: About 

Food Portions. * Adapted from National Heart, Lung, and Blood 

Institute (NHLBI) sample menus.
12 Fit and Fabulous as You Mature

Eating

 Away From Home

In real life, you cannot always cook your meals. Here are some 

ways to make healthy choices when you are away from home: 

• Use a small plate at social functions to help keep you from 

eating too much.

• At restaurants, order a half portion, share a meal with a 

friend, or take half of your order home for another meal.

• Balance your meals throughout the day. If you have a 

high-fat or high-calorie breakfast or lunch, make sure 

you eat a low-fat dinner. If you know you will be having a 

higher fat dinner, make lower fat choices earlier in the day. 
13

You

 Can Do It!

Set goals and move at your own pace 

to reach them. Ask your family and 

friends to help you. They can encourage 

you, help you with setbacks, and be 

there to celebrate your successes!

No matter what, keep trying—

you can do it!
14 Fit and Fabulous as You Mature

Additional Reading From the 

Weight-Control Information Network

Energize Yourself and Your Family

NIH Publication No. 04–4926 

Just Enough for You: About Food Portions

NIH Publication No. 03–5287

Walking...A Step in the Right Direction

NIH Publication No. 07–4155

Additional Resources

Growing	Stronger:	Strength	Training	for	Older	Adults	

This exercise program, developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Tufts University, describes how 

to strength train safely. It illustrates and describes a variety 

of exercises that can be performed at home.

Internet: http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/physical/growing_stronger 

National	Diabetes	Education	Program	

Publications from the National Diabetes Education Program 

(NDEP) provide information about diabetes and obesity 

prevention and control. NDEP’s publications catalog also 

offers resources specifically for African Americans.

Internet: http://www.ndep.nih.gov/diabetes/pubs/catalog.htm 

Phone: (301) 496–3583
15

MyPyramid	

This interactive website from the U.S. Department of Agriculture 

has detailed information about healthy eating and physical 

activity and allows you to create a personalized eating and 

activity plan.

Internet: http://www.mypyramid.gov

Phone: 1–888–7–Pyramid; 1–888–779–7264 

Cookbooks

Heart-Healthy	Home	Cooking	African	American	Style	

National Institutes of Health (NIH) Publication No. 97–3792, 

1997. This pamphlet tells how to prepare your favorite 

African-American dishes in ways that will help protect you 

and your family from heart disease and stroke. It includes 

20 tested recipes. Available from NHLBI for $3; call 

(301) 592–8573 or (240) 629–3255 (TTY) or download for free at: 

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/other/chdblack/cooking.

pdf. 

Down	Home	Healthy	Cookin’

National Cancer Institute (NCI), reprinted 2006. This pamphlet 

features 12 recipes for traditional African-American foods modified to be low in fat, high in fiber, and tasty to eat. Available free 

from NCI; call 1–800–4–CANCER or 1–800–332–8615 (TTY).
16 Fit and Fabulous as You Mature

Weight-Control Information Network

1 WIN Way

Bethesda, MD 20892–3665

Phone: (202) 828–1025

Toll-free number: 1–877–946–4627

Fax: (202) 828–1028

Email: win@info.niddk.nih.gov

Internet: http://www.win.niddk.nih.gov

The Weight-control Information Network (WIN) is a service 

of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney 

Diseases (NIDDK) of the National Institutes of Health, which is 

the Federal Government’s lead agency responsible for biomedical 

research on nutrition and obesity. Authorized by Congress 

(Public Law 103–43), WIN provides the general public, health 

professionals, the media, and Congress with up-to-date, 

science-based health information on weight control, obesity, 

physical activity, and related nutritional issues.

Publications produced by WIN are reviewed by both NIDDK 

scientists and outside experts. This publication was also reviewed 

by Steven Blair, P.E.D., and Ellen Feiler, M.S., Health Education 

Director, Broward County Health Department, Florida 

Department of Health.

This publication is not copyrighted. WIN encourages users of this 

brochure to duplicate and distribute as many copies as desired.

U.S. Department of 

Health and Human Services

National Institutes of Health

NIH Publication No. 03–4927

January 2003

Revised July 2007