Source: The Dietary Guidelines Alliance
How many times have you read a bunch of articles about nutrition, health, physical activity and what foods to choose? Much of the time, these articles are usually very long and “boring to read”. I’ve been in those moments when you are desperate trying to find something interesting to read and useful but at that same time something that has the potential in relating to the audience, someone like you! No matter the age or sex. However, the booklet from The Dietary Guidelines Alliance found on the website http://www.foodinsight.org/Content/3840/ONLINE_FINAL-Its_All_About_You-booklet.pdf , is the perfect tool for achieving the necessary dietary guidelines. If you want to be healthy and feel happy about yourself, this booklet can solve all of your problems in less than 20 min! How amazing can that be!
What really surprised me about the booklet was the starting title “ IT’S ALL ABOUT YOU” because it grabs the attention of the reader from the beginning. This booklet provides tips and useful information on how to plan a healthy diet and at the same time how to obtain the right amount of physical activity. The overall conclusion is “it’s all about you!” This reminds me a lot of the phrase “you are what you eat” I once heard in a documentary film about nutrition. By saying phrases like “its all about you” or “you are what you eat”, the author has the potential of making the audience take conscious of what they are eating and what they are choosing because what they choose today or tomorrow, consequences will come in a good or bad way. In other words, this booklet has the potential of changing people’s idea about nutrition. It makes people believe they can make it.
Another thing that surprised about the booklet is that it is separated in different sections. Each section has a specific color stated as key elements for succeeding in obtaining healthy goals. Such key elements are: “ Be Realistic”, “Be Active”, “Be balanced”, “Be Adventurous” and finally “ Be Sensible”. Each one of them talks about the most common barriers that people can encounter when they try to change their lives into a healthier one. Moreover, it says how can people overcome barriers by following simple and realistic tips. For example, small steps you can commit in order to improve your health include “ I will decrease saturated fat and calories in my meals by using cooking spray instead of oil or butter”. These are only one of the many useful and powerful tips the booklet provides.
All in all, the most interesting thing about it is that it contains any type of information related to being healthy condensed into one single booklet that can be read in just one day! Topics can vary from healthy foods, dining out, physical activity recommendations, nutrition fact labels, how to cook healthy to achieving healthy goals not only as an individual but also in community as a family. In the future as an educator I would definitely use this booklet as a tool for my clients! For example, with every each new client that comes into my office I would give them the booklet after each session so that they can learn the basic information about how to be healthy or I could also use while I’m teaching others since it contains basic, essential and concrete information for succeeding in life!