March is a month of change. The tender green shoots popping out of the snow brings us the first glimmer of spring! Which means the end of winter is just around the corner. With warmer days ahead – we can look forward to spending more time outdoors enjoying our favorite sports and activities. More sunshine and daylight hours also means we can anticipate more fresh fruits and vegetables in the market. 

March is also National Nutrition Month. Which can also be an opportunity for change – change to good eating habits. Remember those New Year’s resolutions we all made a few months ago, well March is a golden opportunity to put them into practice. 

The Food Guide Pyramid is a great guide to healthy eating. The pyramid shape can help guide us in food choices. Even better news is that the food guide pyramid is the perfect match for a gluten free diet! The largest portion of the pyramid consists of the food that should form the base of our diet, whole grains, hearty breads, and starchy vegetables. The foods in the narrowest section of the pyramid; sugars, fats, and sweets should make up the smallest portion of our diet. In addition to helping us make the right choices in the types of foods we eat the pyramid also recommends that part of our healthy lifestyle includes daily activity. Let’s look more closely at the pyramid to see how it can help us eat and live smart. 

Let’s start by looking at the “Activity and Fluid Intake” step of the pyramid.
We often do not think of activity when we think about our daily food choices, but our daily serving of activity is as important as our food. Activity and exercise provide the body with the needed movement to keep our muscles and skeleton strong. Activity actually helps our body use the nutrients we ingest in our food. The food we eat and our daily activity work together to keep our bodies healthy and strong. Like many of our food groups – variety is also vital in the area of exercise. We should have a variety of exercise or activities during the week. Everything counts from a good brisk walk to a game of tag with the kids to a nice jog or bike ride. What matters most is not the type of activity you do, but rather, that you do it on a routine basis. 

Fluid intake is also vital. Fluids help regulate our body’s temperature, keep our joints lubricated, and help transport the nutrients we need to various parts of the body. The old rule of eight glasses of fluid a day is still a good one to live by.

Now on to the food section;
Fruits and vegetables - 5 or more servings per day.
Occupying the second largest section of the pyramid reflects how important the fruit and vegetable group is to our health. This group provides not only a wide variety of vitamins, such as folate, Vitamins A, C, E, and minerals, such as potassium, magnesium, and chromium but also provides us with nutrients called phytochemicals. Phytochemicals are naturally occurring plant compounds that have many beneficial functions in the body, such as acting antioxidants, stimulating the immune system, and interacting with hormones that may help prevent certain cancers. The best way to ensure that you will get all the nutrients from this fruit and vegetable group is to make sure you eat a rainbow of colors. The deeper the greens, the richer the reds and the brightest oranges and yellows in this group will not only make you smile – but will make you very healthy!

Grains, cereals, and flours – 6 or more serving per day.
Although 6 or more servings of grains may seem like a lot – it is important to remember that foods from the grain group provide important nutrients. Grains provide B complex vitamins, fiber, minerals such as iron, calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium from whole grains. Naturally gluten free grains, cereals, and flours that provide a powerhouse of nutrients like quinoa, millet, buckwheat, and sorghum also add great taste and texture to the diet.
The third section of the pyramid is our protein group. This section is divided into two sub groups 

Dairy 2- 3 servings per day
The dairy group provides a wonderful variety of food choices that make sure our bones, teeth, and joints stay healthy and strong. Foods like yogurt, cheeses, milk, even ice cream are all rich sources of protein, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. Dairy foods are also rich sources of vitamins D, A, B 12, and riboflavin. 

Lean meat, poultry, fish, legumes and nuts - – 2-3 servings per day.
Again rich in protein these foods also provide a variety of vitamins and minerals, such as niacin, thiamin, Vitamin B6 and B12, iron, magnesium, copper, and calcium. It is important to choose lean cuts of meat and poultry to minimize excess calories from fats. Including fish at least three times a week also provides the important essential fatty acids that help maintain our immune system, lower cholesterol, and are essential for normal growth and development. 

Fats and oils
Although this group represents the smallest section of the pyramid, these foods provide essential nutrients. From oils such as olive, sunflower, and safflower we get the essential fatty acids our bodies need. It is important to include some fats in our diet – but often the most important thing to remember is the type of fat. Hard fats like the fat on meats, butter or cream are the types of fats associated with heart disease. However there are many fats that have positive effects on our health. 

Summary
We have included a food pyramid to help you visualize the steps to health. The US Department of Agriculture also uses a pyramid to help guide our food and activity choices. There is also a web site so you can personalize your own pyramid and be on the road to a healthier you. The web site is www.MyPyramid.gov.
So as we see a bit more sun each day, a few more fresh greens in the market think of March as the best month to make those changes in your life for a healthy lifestyle.