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New Prescription For a Healthy Body

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Maureen McCarthy takes great care of herself. She eats well and works out regularly at her neighborhood gym. But new guidelines calling for an hour of daily exercise-up from 30 minutes-have left this Florida pediatric ICU nurse feeling discouraged. It was hard enough to fit half an hour of exercise into a week filled with long shifts and overtime. How much is enough?

Published last fall, the Institute of Medicine's 1,000-page report radically changed the rules for maintaining health and a normal body weight. In addition to doubling the Surgeon General's 1996 recommendations for daily exercise, the panel of 21 experts recommends adults get a range of macronutrients-proteins, fats, and carbohydrates-and more dietary fiber. (Prior to the report, only levels of vitamins and minerals had been recommended.) These new Dietary Reference Intakes have spurred debate among nutritionists, but provide enough flexibility for just about anyone to tailor a plan that fits her lifestyle, tastes, and preferences.

An Hour a Day
How realistic is it to expect a population fueled by online chat and must-see TV to exercise for an hour every day?

It may be difficult to find an entire hour in your schedule, but the good news is, energy expenditure is cumulative throughout the day. That means you can break it down into manageable blocks of time and still derive all the benefits. Ten minutes of climbing the stairs at work, a 15-minute walk after dinner, 20 minutes of energetic housework, and 15 minutes of mowing the lawn or weeding the garden, and presto: You've exercised for an hour.

Remember, these are guidelines for optimum health, so don't expect to achieve this level of activity overnight. Look for ways to incorporate more movement into your everyday life: Park several blocks from your workplace. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. And try to have fun-the more enjoyable your chosen activity, the more likely you are to stick with it.

In the Zone
The secret to getting the greatest benefit from exercise is knowing your target heart rate. Target heart rate depends on your age and level of fitness, and is what your pulse rate should be to allow you to exercise safely while deriving the greatest cardiovascular benefits from your workout.

Exercise within 50-75 percent of your maximum heart rate (220 minus your age) for best results. Take your pulse periodically during exercise, and adjust the level of intensity to stay in this range. Strive for longevity over intensity-a long walk at the lower end of your target heart rate is more beneficial than a shorter one in a higher zone. Don't forget to cool down after strenuous activity, and be sure your pulse rate drops below 100 before you stop moving.

Early to Bed
One of the keys to getting and staying healthy is establishing a regular bedtime and getting enough sleep.

According to a University of Chicago Medical Center study, the average night's sleep in the early part of the 20th century was about nine hours. Today, the average is about 7.5 hours of sleep each night, with shift workers averaging fewer than five hours. Why should we care? Researchers have linked sleep deprivation to increased risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Lack of sleep mimics the aging process in its effect on the body, hastening the onset and increasing the severity of age-related illness.

In addition to making you irritable and less productive, a chronic sleep deficit alters hormones and metabolism, making weight loss more difficult. And because it's hard to have energy when you're sleepy, it's nearly impossible to stick to an exercise plan.

Smarter Food
Giving your body the right fuel is crucial to a healthy lifestyle. The Dietary Reference Intakes have changed nutritional guidelines considerably, reducing added sugars (simple carbohydrates) and including specific fiber recommendations for the first time.

The designers of the original USDA Food Guide Pyramid intended for us all to eat leaner meats; they didn't account for Snackwell's. But many people decided that low-fat carbohydrates fit nicely into their diet plans, conveniently overlooking the fact that many of these foods contain tons of sugar-one of the prime reasons for the explosion in new cases of diabetes over the last decade.

What it all boils down to, according to the Institute of Medicine recommendations, is simply a common-sense, balanced approach to diet and fitness:

• Enjoy your favorite foods-but in moderation.
• Eliminate the foods that add nothing but fat and calories to your diet.
• Experiment with meatless recipes. (You're bound to find some your family likes!)
• Eat more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. (Fiber is your friend.)
• Drink plenty of water.
• Go to bed at the same time every night, and wake up at the same time every morning.
• Get moving!