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Review all the Today's Tidbits below.

Women who gain over 44 pounds after age 18 have twice the risk for stroke compared to women who stay within 11 pounds of their weight at age 18. Source: http://www.justmove.org/fitnessnews/faqs.html

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) was responsible for 960,000 deaths in America last year, accounting for over 41.5% of all deaths. Source: American Heart Association

Studies show that being physically fit lowers heart disease risk even in people who have other health problems such as high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol. To minimize risk, however, you should be physically fit and avoid the other major modifiable risk factors: cigarette smoke, high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol. Source: American Heart Association

Children in the U.S. today are less fit than they were a generation ago and showing early signs of cardiovascular disease such as weight gain, higher serum cholesterol, and cigarette smoking. Source: American Heart Association

Only 22% of American Adults get enough exercise to achieve cardiovascular fitness. Twenty-five percent (25%) aren't active at all. Source: http://www.justmove.org/fitnessnews/faqs.html

Women who do not exercise have twice the chance of dying from heart disease compared to women who do exercise regularly. Source: www.justmove.org/fitnessnews/faqs.html

Studies show that people who have a low fitness level(do not exercise) are much more likely to die earlier than people who exercise 3 to 4 times per week for 30 to 60 minutes. Source: http://www.justmove.org/fitnessnews/faqs.html

To stay healthy it is best that you accumulate at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day.

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends getting 10,000 steps a day.

Physical exercise not only increases the metabolic rate so that more calories are burned during the activity, but for several hours after you have stopped. What is more, as you improve your muscle tone and enlarge your muscles, they will burn more calories even when you are engaged in sedentary activities.

Children spend an average of 17 hours a week watching TV in addition to the time they spend on video and computer games. Source: American Heart Association

National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) data from the NHANES III (1988-94 ) survey show that 14.7 percent of boys and 12.6 percent of girls ages 12 to 17 are overweight. These figures represent increases of 6.6 and 5.5 percentage points, respectively, compared with data from NHANES II (1976-80). Source: American Heart Association

A study with 30,000 women showed that women who ate at least one serving of grain a day had 60% less chance of having a heart attack. Source: Cooking Light, Nov 2002

DO NOT super size your meal! Chances are that a regular portion will be just fine to satisfy your hunger, and "super-sized meals result in super-sized you" !!

Six teaspoons of sugar in an eight ounce glass of water is equivalent to the concentration of sugar in some soft drinks.

One in four American children is overweight, and about 11% of 6- to 17-year-olds are obese. Children consume about 200 calories more each day than they did a decade ago. It takes about 40 minutes of brisk walking to burn 200 calories.

Don't mess with stress. During stressful times in your life, try to eat enough protein. Stress may cause your body's tissues to break down faster and mend more slowly. Protein is important because it helps to repair tissue. Foods that serve as good sources of protein include fish, poultry, lean meats, milk products, dried beans and seafood.

Young people are 7 times less likely to smoke if their parents disapprove strongly of smoking even if they themselves smoke. Source: http://www.roycastle.org/kats/parents.htm

Three out of four children are aware of cigarettes before they reach the age of 5 whether their parents smoke or not. Source: http://www.roycastle.org/kats/parents.htm

By the age of 11 one-third of children, and by age 16 two-thirds of children have experimented with smoking. Source: http://www.roycastle.org/kats/parents.htm

A 1998 study found that 3% of 12 year olds, 17% of 14 years olds and 24% of 15 year olds were regular smokers.

Source: http://www.roycastle.org/kats/parents.htm

Women who smoke are twice as likely to die from heart disease as those who do not smoke. Source: http://www.justmove.org/fitnessnews/faqs.html

Over 400, 000 Americans died each year from tobacco related diseases. Source: http://www.nicotinefreekids.com

A Brown University study of 300 smokers showed that those who exercise were twice as likely to quit smoking than their couch-potato counterparts. (Cooking Light, Nov. 2002)

Studies show getting support is one of the best ways to help you quit a bad habit like smoking. If you are planning to quit, tell someone! You might also want to visit www.smokingcontrol.com to enroll in the Committed Quitters Behavioral Support Program. (Cooking Light, Nov. 2002)

Smoking is the greatest environmental cause of death in the United States. Six times as many people die from smoking as from automobile accidents. Source: Health: Making Life Choices (Book)

Cigarette smoking accounts for one-third of all deaths from heart disease. (America's Number one Killer) Source: Health: Making Life Choices (Book)

An estimated 2.1 million adolescents age 12 to 17 are smokers. Nine million American children under age five live with at least one smoker and are exposed to second-hand smoke for virtually the whole day. It is estimated that 3,000 American young people become smokers every day. Source: American Heart Association

If you eat just 5 tablespoons of peanut butter a week, you may reduce your chances of developing Type II diabetes by nearly 20%, according to a Harvard study of 83,000 women.
Source: Fitness magazine, June 2003

Lack of sleep can cause weight gain. Researchers at the University of Chicago have found that sleep deprivation increases levels of a hunger hormone and decreases levels of a hormone that makes you feel full.

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, preteens absorb more than 7,600 commercials a year for candy, sugary cereal, and fast food.

For a lower risk of heart disease Men should strive for a waist size of 35� or under and women 32� or under. Source: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2002

According to the National Sleep Foundation, an estimated 63% of American adults do not get the recommended eight hours of sleep a night.

A 150 lb. person can burn about 375 calories per hour walking at a brisk 4 mph pace.

Recent studies have shown a link between dental health and coronary heart disease. Inflammation of the gums, a condition medically known as periodontal disease, has been found to significantly increase the risk of the development and progression of heart disease. Bacteria pass easily into the bloodstream through inflamed gums where they can also cause inflammation of the blood vessels encouraging heart disease. Source: Fox News February 27, 2007

Great news for dark chocolate lovers. According to a study at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, flavonol compounds in cocoa delay clotting in the same way aspirin does. This could help prevent the kind of blood clots that lead to heart attacks and strokes.

Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health followed the diets of almost 40,000 women and found that hose with the most lycopene in their blood had the lowest levels of cardiovascular disease. Lycopene is the disease fighting antioxidant found in bold red fruits and vegetables like tomatoes, red peppers, and watermelons.

According to researchers at Creighton University in Nebraska, populations that get the right amount of sun exposure, (vital for vitamin D production), appear to have fewer incidences of cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and autoimmune diseases. Source: Vegetarian Times July/Aug 2007

Daily fiber intake for children up to age 18 is calculated by adding five to the child�s age. For example a 12 year old would need 17 grams of fiber daily. Source: American Dietetic Association

You can count 1/2 cup of dried fruit as one serving toward your goal of five servings of fruits and vegetables daily.