How can my choices affect my health?

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Eat healthy! If you thought the food pyramid was confusing, you are not alone. The new Choose My Plate program makes it easy to choose healthy foods and know how much to eat. It was created by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

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Live healthy!  Let's Move, shares tips for getting active, eating right, and more. There are lots of simple things you can do—or do more of—in your regular day.

Many things shape your health. Your genes are outside of your control, but you make choices about other things that can influence your health. What you eat, what kind of exercise you do, and what you do for a living—they all make a difference. To make the best choices, you need to understand your current health, your risk for getting certain diseases, and your environment.

Your healthcare provider can help you figure out your risk for certain diseases based on your family history. For example, if certain cancers run in your family, your provider may recommend that you start to have screening tests at a younger age. If heart disease or diabetes is common in your family, they may recommend changes in the foods you eat or in how much exercise you get.

It’s important to know what you can do to stay healthy, and there are a few basics that can help everyone.

General Health Guidelines:

  • Eat a healthy, balanced diet.
    • Eat less salt.
    • Eat more fruits and vegetables.
    • Limit sugar, fat, and alcohol.
  • Get active and exercise regularly.
    • It is important to maintain a healthy weight. Obesity increases your risk for heart disease, diabetes, and other health problems.
  • Do not smoke, and avoid second-hand smoke.
    • If you already smoke, you should talk to a healthcare provider about quitting.

Do Something Good for Yourself

Watch how a group of people with Parkinson's disease use dance to help relieve their symptoms. What healthy choices are you going to make?