Healthy eating is essential to being mission ready Published Aug. 1, 2007 By Senior Airman Tiffany Colburn 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey -- A healthy lifestyle is vital to Air Force service. Physical activity is half of the healthy living equation - the other half is a proper diet. "Healthy eating extends an individual's life and lowers their risk of heart disease, diabetes and obesity," said Tech. Sgt. Charles McLean, 39th Medical Group nutritionist. "Healthy eating and staying in shape are part of the military lifestyle now. Being mission ready is essential, that is why these are being pushed so much." While most Americans focus on breakfast, lunch and dinner for their daily food intake, smaller, more frequent meals are the way to go. "An individual should try and eat five to six meals daily - every two to three hours, and eat snacks between meals," said Sergeant McLean. "Eating snacks, such as fruits and vegetables, keeps your body feeling healthy." A good diet plan should also include plenty of fiber. Fiber helps the body digest food and helps people feel full longer. Starting a meal with a salad, a nutrient dense food, provides an ample amount of fiber. "Another good idea when you are eating dinner is to divide your plate in three; half with vegetables, one quarter with meat and the last quarter with starch," said Sergeant McLean. How much a person should eat depends on their weight and workload. People can logon to www.mypyramid.com and type in their weight and find out how many calories per day they should consume to maintain a healthy weight and how many they should consume if they are trying to lose weight. When dieting, losing less than two pounds a week is the ideal healthy amount. "A good thing for people to remember is to read food labels, eat five servings of fruits and vegetables per day, and eat fresh fruit rather than fruit juices," said Sergeant McLean. Eating healthy amounts of foods, keeping fat intake down and paying attention to how many calories are eaten per day will help people reach their ideal body weight. "For one-on-one attention, Incirlik members can schedule an appointment with the dietician," said Betul Onat, 39th MDG administrative assistant. "Topics discussed could include diabetes, cholesterol problems, loosing weight, maintaining weight and healthy eating tips. But, we also have a 'mandatory' healthy eating class called the Healthy Living Program for military people who are required to attend." Military members required to attend are those who received a composite fitness score below 75. Healthy Living Program consists of three educational components - behavioral change, nutrition and exercise. If you have questions or want to schedule an appointment with the nutritionist on base, call the Health and Wellness Center at 676-4292.