Being aware of food portion size, the kinds of foods and beverages you consume, and how often you have them may be a step to help you make healthier food choices.

What kinds of foods and drinks should I consume?

Visit ChooseMyPlate.gov to learn more about what kinds of food and drinks to consume and what kinds to limit so you can have a healthy eating plan.

Consume more nutrient-rich foods. Nutrients—like vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber—nourish our bodies by giving them what they need to be healthy. Adults are encouraged to consume some of the following foods and beverages that are rich in nutrients

• fruits and vegetables
• whole grains, like oatmeal, whole-grain bread, and brown rice
• seafood, lean meats, poultry, and eggs
• beans, peas, unsalted nuts, and seeds
• sliced vegetables or baby carrots with hummus
• fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products

If you’re sensitive to milk and milk products, try substituting

• nondairy soy, almond, rice, or other drinks with added vitamin D and calcium
• lactose-reduced fat-free or low-fat milk
• dark leafy vegetables like collard greens or kale

Consume less of these foods and beverages. Some foods and beverages have many calories but few of the essential nutrients your body needs. Added sugars and solid fats pack a lot of calories into food and beverages but provide a limited amount of healthy nutrients. Salt does not contain calories, but it tends to be in high-calorie foods. Adults should aim to limit foods and drinks such as

• sugar-sweetened drinks and foods
• foods with solid fats like butter, margarine, lard, and shortening
• white bread, rice, and pasta that are made from refined grains
• foods with added salt (sodium)
• whole milk

Easy snack ideas. Instead of sugary, fatty snacks, try

• fat-free or low-fat milk or yogurt
• fresh or canned fruit, without added sugars

How can I follow a healthy eating plan?

These tips may help you stay on track with your plan to eat healthier.

• Reduce the overall calories you consume. If you consume more calories than you use through daily living, exercise, and other activities, it may lead to weight gain. If you consume fewer calories than you use through physical activity, it may lead to weight loss.
• Have healthy snacks on hand. Whether you are at home, at work, or on the go, healthy snacks may help combat hunger and prevent overeating. Look for snacks that are low in added sugar and salt. Your best bets are whole foods—like baby carrots, fresh fruit, or low-fat or fat-free yogurt instead of chips, cakes, or cookies—rather than packaged or processed foods.
• Select a mix of colorful vegetables each day. Choose dark, leafy greens—such as spinach, kale, collards, and mustard greens—and red and orange vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes, red peppers, and tomatoes. If you have had kidney stones, be aware that some vegetables, like spinach and sweet potatoes, are high in oxalate, a chemical that combines with calcium in urine to form a common type of kidney stone. So, if you have kidney stones, you may need to watch how much of this you eat. But for others, these are great choices. Eat a rainbow of food colors!
• Choose whole grains more often. Try whole-grain breads and pastas, oatmeal, or brown rice.
• Shift from solid fats to oils. Try cooking with vegetable, olive, canola, or peanut oil instead of solid fats such as butter, stick margarine, shortening, lard, or coconut oil. Choose foods that naturally contain oils, such as seafood and nuts, instead of some meat and poultry. And use salad dressings and spreads that are made with oils rather than solid fats.
• Switch from frying to baking or grilling. Instead of fried chicken, try a salad topped with grilled chicken. Instead of ordering fries when eating out, ask for a side of steamed veggies.
• Limit foods and beverages that are high in sugar and salt. Avoid snack foods high in salt and added sugars; and keep away from sugary soft drinks.
• Read the Nutrition Facts label on packaged foods. The Nutrition Facts label tells you how many calories and servings are in a box, package, or can. The label also shows how many ingredients, such as fat, fiber, sodium, and sugar—including added sugars—are in one serving of food. You can use these facts to make healthy food choices.

How much should I consume?

How much you should consume each day depends on your weight, sex, age, metabolism, and how active you are. In general, men need more calories than women. Younger adults need more calories than adults in midlife and older. At all ages, adults who get more physical activity need more calories than those who are less active.

Keeping your food and beverage portions in check may help you reach or stay at a healthy weight. To learn more about a healthy eating plan and the amounts of food and beverages that are right for you, visit ChooseMyPlate.gov.

(NAPSI)—For many Boomers, retirement may involve taking vacations, taking up a new hobby, and spending more time with family, friends and the grandchildren.

In anticipation of these activities, Boomers work diligently to build up their next egg. But as Boomers age, and as healthcare costs rise, one item they must account for is care in retirement. Unfortunately, too many are failing to prepare.

According to the Center for Secure Retirement and Bankers Life, 79% of middle-income Boomers have no money set aside specifically for their retirement care needs.

With this in mind, they should take the following steps to help protect their nest eggs:

1.Keep moving. Good physical health can lead to a more active life, improved mental and emotional health, and reduced medical expenses. By keeping yourself healthy and fit, you may be able to lower your premiums and potential future costs. Set time aside each day to stay active—your health and your bank account will thank you.

2.Save, save, save. It’s never too early to start financially planning for retirement care. Recent data from the Center for a Secure Retirement and Bankers Life shows that more than half (54%) of working adults say their retirement planning has taken a hit amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Protect yourself from further unforeseen impact by taking advantage of tools and resources that can help you better prepare for the high costs of long-term care.

3.Talk to your children and family members. Although it can be difficult, it’s important to have conversations about how you want to be cared for as you age. You may want to stay in your home and receive care in-place, or you may expect loved ones to provide this care. It’s helpful to include a financial planner in these conversations to provide an unbiased answer to your family’s questions. Sharing preferences and developing a plan can help make the transition easier and give you and your loved ones peace of mind.

It’s never too late—or too early—to seek help and to better understand your financial plan and current healthcare coverage to try to prepare for unforeseen situations in the future.

Learn More

For further facts and tips on planning for retirement, visit www.bankerslife.com.

(NAPSI)—Diabetes is not just an adult disease. It’s one of the most common chronic conditions affecting children and teens in the United States. Today, it affects about 193,000 youth under 20 years of age and rates of newly diagnosed cases in young people are increasing.

When a young person has diabetes, it can be difficult to determine whether the disorder is type 1 or type 2. In either case, managing the diabetes is very important for long-term health.

Children and teens need support from their parents or other adult caregivers to manage their diabetes. Research shows that managing diabetes best works when adults and youth work as a team. The young person can gradually take on more responsibility, with the adult monitoring from a distance and making changes as needed.

Here are the main tasks that need to be covered in a diabetes plan:

• Manage blood glucose levels. An important goal for youth with diabetes is to take medicines as prescribed, at the right time, and in the right dose—even when they feel good or have reached their suggested target for blood glucose goals. Research shows that health complications can be greatly reduced, delayed, or possibly prevented by keeping blood glucose levels near normal. It’s also important to consistently take prescribed blood pressure or cholesterol medicines.

• Adopt healthy habits. Youth with diabetes should follow a healthy eating plan that allows enough calories for growth but avoids added sugar and fat. Getting enough sleep is also important. Some strategies that parents and youth can negotiate are to turn off electronics before bedtime and to keep a regular sleep schedule. A third important healthy habit is regular physical activity. If possible, youth should check blood glucose levels before, during, and after a game or a sport, to help monitor blood glucose levels.

• Stay prepared for emergencies. A “go kit” that young people can assemble with help from adults includes at least a week’s worth of medical supplies and equipment, a three-day supply of food, emergency and health care professional contact lists, a medication list including doses and dosing schedules, and an allergy list. During the COVID-19 pandemic, face coverings, hand sanitizer, and disinfecting wipes can be added to the go kit. Adults can reinforce with young people the value of social distancing, along with use of these go kit supplies, to prevent spread of infection.

• Monitor for diabetes complications. Early diagnosis and treatment can help reduce risk for heart disease, vision loss, nerve damage, and other related health problems.

• Seek mental health support. It can be very helpful for young people with diabetes to connect with others their own age who also have diabetes. This can help reduce stress and anxiety and boost motivation for sticking to a plan to manage their diabetes. The young person’s health care team should have information on youth support groups (online or in-person) and other mental health resources.

The National Institute on ­Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) spearheads research to help improve diabetes management and treatment in children and teens. “Our understanding of how type 2 diabetes affects youth is still maturing,” says NIDDK Director Dr. Griffin P. ­Rodgers. “We must continue to explore treatments to ensure that these young people can live long, healthy lives.”

For more information on managing diabetes, visit the NIDDK website, www.niddk.nih.gov.

(NAPSI)—If you’ve ever been the parent of a school-aged child, you know the drill. A new school year means a new list of required school supplies. And these days the list is definitely different.

Hoping to prevent the spread of coronavirus this year, most schools sent parents shopping for items such as face masks, hand sanitizers and personal water bottles.

Normally, students can quench their thirst at school water fountains. But there’s nothing normal about this school year. And after the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction recommended schools discontinue the use of shared drinking fountains, many did just that.

But that meant some schools didn’t have a convenient, affordable way to keep students hydrated throughout the day. That’s one of the reasons the Delta Dental of Wisconsin Foundation decided to offer more water refill stations to schools in need through its Cool Water program. The foundation is the charitable arm of Delta Dental of Wisconsin.

Today, more people understand the importance of adequate water intake to overall health as well as dental health. Drinking enough water can help increase energy levels, decrease headaches, and improve cognitive function. Water, especially when fluoridated, can help reduce cavities and protect tooth enamel by washing away harmful bacteria.

Youth who drink water during the day are also less likely to consume sugary beverages, which can help to reduce excess weight gain and diabetes. Yet over half of U.S.. children and teens are not properly hydrated.

Through its Cool Water program, the Delta Dental of Wisconsin Foundation provided grants to dozens of Wisconsin schools to help them replace existing drinking fountains with water-bottle filling stations. The program covers the cost of installation and a supply of reusable water bottles for students and staff.

This year, the Foundation paid for water bottle filling stations and their installation—valued at over $100,000—to dozens of schools across the state.

The touchless systems ensure that learners stay well hydrated while helping to prevent the spread of germs. Many schools also have fluoridated water, adding extra protection for teeth.

Almost all water contains some of the naturally occurring mineral fluoride, but the levels are usually too low to prevent tooth decay. That’s why most U.S. communities—and dozens of developed countries worldwide—add very small amounts of fluoride to their public water supplies.

“In optimal amounts, fluoride is proven to be a safe way to make teeth stronger and more resistant to cavities,” says Dr. Greg Theis, DDS, MBA, Dental Director at Delta Dental of Wisconsin.

“In fact, every $1 invested in fluoridation saves $32 in costs to treat dental problems,” he adds. “As a parent and a dentist, I’m pleased to know more of Wisconsin’s students will have the advantage of fluoridated drinking water during the school day, and I’m proud that Delta Dental of Wisconsin can help make an impact.”

(NAPSI)—Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common liver diseases in the United States. NAFLD is typically a silent disease with few or no symptoms, and most people have no complications. However, some people could develop serious complications such as cirrhosis or liver cancer.

Learn more about NAFLD, factors that increase your risk for NAFLD, and research that is leading the way toward new treatments.

What is NAFLD? 

NAFLD is a condition in which excess fat is stored in your liver and the buildup of fat isn’t caused by heavy alcohol use.

A more severe form of NAFLD called nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) also causes inflammation and liver damage. NASH can lead to liver cancer, permanent liver scarring called cirrhosis and liver failure. If you develop liver failure, you may need a liver transplant to survive.

Who is at risk for NAFLD? 

If you have certain conditions such as obesity, high cholesterol or type 2 diabetes, you might be at risk for NAFLD. As obesity rates have increased in the United States, NAFLD has also become more common. Research suggests that NAFLD currently affects 30% to 40% of U.S. adults and up to 10% of U.S. children.

Although NAFLD may occur in people of all races and ethnicities, it is most common among Hispanics, followed by non-Hispanic whites. NAFLD is less common among African Americans.

Are there treatments for NAFLD? 

Weight loss can improve NAFLD. For people who have NAFLD and are overweight or have obesity, doctors may recommend gradual weight loss through healthy food choices and physical activity.

At this time, no medicines have been approved to treat NAFLD or its severe form, NASH.

Progress in NAFLD Research 

Medical research is seeking to better understand and treat NAFLD. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), conducts and supports NAFLD research. In the past decade, NIDDK-supported researchers have discovered that specific genes play a role in causing NAFLD. These genes may help explain why NAFLD is more common in some racial and ethnic groups than in others.

NIDDK-sponsored studies are also testing possible treatments for NAFLD. For example, an early study suggested that the natural form of vitamin E and a diabetes medicine called pioglitazone may improve some aspects of NASH in adults. More research is needed to see if these treatments are safe and effective.

The Future of NAFLD Treatment 

The NIDDK, which marks its 70th anniversary this year, continues to invest in research that will deepen our understanding of NAFLD and may lead to new ways to treat this liver disease and prevent its complications.

To learn more about NAFLD and NIDDK’s liver diseases research, visit the NIDDK website.