The best way to ensure fire fighters provide the highest level of service to the communities they serve is to take care of their own health and safety, because a healthy and fit fire fighter can perform more effectively and safely.
An important part of keeping fit and healthy is eating a healthy and nutritious diet. Understanding the importance of adequate nutrition -- especially with the stress and physical activity the job demands – is key. By following U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) MyPyramid, fire fighters can be sure they are getting adequate and proper nutrition.
In 2005, the USDA updated its Food Guide Pyramid with the sleek, brightly colored MyPyramid, an interactive and customizable food guide for Americans. Each “rainbow” in the pyramid represents one of six food groups. The wider rainbows for grains, vegetables, fruits and milk products are designed to encourage you to eat more of these. In addition, a figure climbing along one side of the pyramid emphasizes the importance of physical activity as part of a healthy lifestyle.
A MyPyramid plan is an interactive tool that helps you choose foods in the right amounts based on age, gender and activity level. Another tool, the MyPyramid tracker, offers an in-depth assessment of your diet quality and physical activity level.
MyPyramid is a great tool for fire fighters to use to find the right balance between food and physical activity, make smart choices from every food group and get the most nutrition out of a day’s calories.
For more information, visit www.MyPyramid.gov.
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