Energize

	 Yourself

and your family!

Did	you	know?

Being healthy and active can help give you the energy 

to keep up with the demands of your busy life, take better 

care of yourself, and be there for the people who depend on you.

If you are overweight and inactive, you are more likely to get:

 • type 2 diabetes (high blood sugar)

 • heart disease

 • high blood pressure

 • stroke

 • certain forms of cancer

You may improve your health if you Move More and Eat Better!

This booklet gives you tips on how to get moving 

and eat well even when your life is busy.
Energize yourself...



Why Move More 

and Eat Better?

Being active and making healthy food 

choices is good for your health. But that is 

not the only reason to move more and eat 

better. You can:

• Have more energy and less stress.

• Feel better about yourself.

• Tone your body (without losing your 

curves).

• Look better in your clothes.

• Set a good example for your children 

and your friends.

Your family and friends can be great sources of motivation and 

support as you take on a healthier lifestyle. Ask them to join 

you in healthy eating and physical activity, since these activities are 

important for them too. By making healthy choices together, 

it may seem 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 days of the week. It 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 get past things that 

keep you from being active.
...and your family



“I don’t have time for 

physical activity.”

You can “sneak” it into your day, a few minutes at a time. Get started by making these 

small changes in your daily routine:

• Get off the bus or subway one stop 

 early and walk the rest of the way 

 (be sure the area is safe). 

• Take the stairs instead of the elevator 

 (be sure the stairs are well lit).

• You do not have to do your entire 

 workout in one block of time. Break 

 it up— taking three 10-minute walks 

 during your day may be easier than 

 taking one 30-minute walk.

•

•

TIP

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Energize yourself...



“I’m going to ruin my hairstyle.”

If you avoid physical activity because you do not want to ruin 

your hairstyle, try:

 • a natural hairstyle

 • a style that can be wrapped or pulled back

 • a short haircut

 • braids, twists, or locs

“It’s too expensive.”

There are lots of ways to be physically active that are free or 

low-cost. You can:

• Find a local park or 

 school track where you 

 can walk or run. 

• Walk around a mall. 

• Work out with videos in 

 your home—you can 

 find workout videos at 

 book stores or your local 

 library. 

• Join a recreation center 

 or fitness center at work 

 or near your home. 

• Walk your dog. If you 

 do not have a dog, 

 pretend that you do.

TIP

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...and your family



“Physical activity is a chore.”

It can be fun! Try to:

 • Do things you enjoy, like walking, dancing, swimming, 

 or playing sports.

 • Walk or take an exercise class with a friend or a group. 

 This way, you can cheer each other on, have company, 

 and feel safer when you are outdoors.

 • Be active with your kids—ride bikes, jump doubledutch, 

 toss a softball, play tag, or do jumping jacks. Physical 

 activity is good for them too.

 • Use your daily workouts as time-outs just for yourself.

Tips on Eating 

Better

It may be hard to eat healthy if 

you do not have time to cook or 

your kids want fast food. Try these 

tips to eat better, save time, and 

stretch your food budget.

Help Your Family 

Eat Well

Here are some ways that you and 

your family can eat better:

 • Eat breakfast every day. Try a 

 whole-grain cereal like raisin 

 bran with fat-free or low-fat 
Energize yourself...



 milk, or whole-wheat toast spread with jam. Enjoy some 

• Snack on fruits and 

 vegetables. Keep a 

 bowl of fruit on the 

 table, bags of mini 

 carrots in the 

 refrigerator, and 

 boxes of raisins in the 

 cupboard.

• Do not keep a lot of 

 sweets like cookies, 

 candy, or soda in the 

 house. Too many 

 sweets can crowd out 

 healthier foods.

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...and your family



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.

 •

 •

 • Buy fresh fruits 

 and vegetables that 

 are in season. Buy only 

 as much as you will use so they will not go bad.

TIP

Keep 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 

track of food portions, read WIN’s 

brochure Just Enough for You: 

About Food Portions.
Energize yourself...



•

Reading Food Labels

Food labels may help you make healthy food choices.* But 

they can be confusing. Here 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 tells 

you if 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. 

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* For more information on reading nutrition labels, visit http://www.cfsan.fda.gov.
...and your family



Saturated Fat: 

Saturated fat is not healthy 

for your heart. Compare 

labels on similar foods and 

try to choose foods that 

have a 5-percent DV or less 

for saturated fat. Most of 

the fats you eat should be 

polyunsaturated and 

monounsaturated. Keep 

total fat intake between 

20 percent to 35 percent 

of 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. 

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, 

fruits, and vegetables. 

Sugar: Try to choose foods with little or no added sugar (like 

low-sugar cereals). 
Energize yourself...

Calcium: Choose foods that are high in calcium. Foods that 

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

For information about the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 

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

Eating on the Go

In real life, you cannot always cook your meals or eat at the 

table. Here are some ways to make healthy choices when you 

are on the go:

• Choose a salad or a grilled chicken sandwich (not fried) 

 instead of a burger at fast food restaurants.

• If you really want a burger, make it a small 

 one without sauce. Skip the fries or share them 

 with a friend.

• Take healthy snacks with you to work. Try graham crackers, 

 pretzels, baby carrots, or a small amount of raisins or nuts 

 (but remember that nuts and raisins are high in calories).

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

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...and your family

Keeping Track of Serving Sizes

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

to value-sized portions in restaurants that it is 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 servings:*

* Adapted from National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) sample menus.

Breakfast

1/2 cup cooked oatmeal

1 English muffin with 

1 tablespoon low-fat cream cheese

1 cup low-fat or fat-free milk

3/4 cup orange juice

Lunch

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2 teaspoon tub or t/2 cup whi e rice seasoned with 1/ 1

liquid margarine

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Energize yourself...

Dinner

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TIP

Use margarine instead of 

butter. Choose a soft 

margarine that has no more 

than 2 grams of saturated fat 

per tablespoon and that lists 

 “liquid vegetable oil” as the 

first ingredient on the 

ingredient list. 

(American Heart Association)

You can do it!

Set goals. Move at your own pace. Celebrate your successes. 

Allow for setbacks. Let your family and friends help you. And keep 

trying—you can do it!
...and your family

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 AfricanAmerican dishes in ways that will help protect you and your 

family from heart disease and stroke, and includes 20 tested 

recipes. Available from NHLBI for $3; call (301) 592–8573 or 

(240) 629–3255 (TTY).

Down Home Healthy Cookin’ 

National Cancer Institute (NCI), reprinted 2000. This pamphlet 

features 12 recipes for traditional African-American foods 

modified to be low in fat and high in fiber—but still tasty. 

Available free from NCI; call 1–800–4–CANCER or 1–800–

332–8615 (TTY).
Energize yourself...

Additional WIN Publications

The following WIN publications offer more information on 

weight-loss programs, healthy eating, and physical activity.

Celebrate the Beauty of Youth is a tip sheet on moving more and 

eating healthy. September 2008.

Walking...A Step in the Right Direction is a brochure on the benefits of walking that includes suggestions on how you can safely 

start your own walking program. March 2007.

Just Enough for You: About Food Portions is a brochure that shows 

you how to use serving sizes to help you eat just enough for you. 

August 2006.
...and your family

Additional Resources

National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP) 

Publications from 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

MyPyramid 

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

has detailed information about healthy eating and physical activity. The site allows you to create a personalized eating and activity 

plan. Information and tips are provided for both adults and children.

Internet: http://www.mypyramid.gov

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

* Participants in clinical trials can play a more active role in their own health care, gain 

access to new research treatments before they are widely available, and help others by 

contributing to medical research. 
Energize yourself...

Weight-control	Information	Network

1 WIN Way

Bethesda, MD 20892–3665

Phone: (202) 828–1025

Fax: (202) 828–1028

Toll-free number: 1–877–946–4627

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., Professor, Department of Exercise 

Science, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South 

Carolina, 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.

NIH Publication No. 08–4926

September 2008