Maudene Nelson, RD, CDE has been a nutrition educator at the Columbia University Institute of Human Nutrition for the past thirty years.  She is also a diabetes educator at the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center.  She tells us how exercise and eating well are linked.

Q: What does exercise have to do with nutrition?

A:  For the majority of us, exercise and nutrition boils down to trying to keep the right balance of calories.  Our goal is to continue to eat the same amount of calories (in meals, beverages and snacks) as the number of calories we burn by being active.  That means having a good calorie balance.

For many of us our calories are out of balance.  We burn fewer calories nowadays than people did in the past when their jobs were more physically demanding-who farms, hunts, and builds cabins in the city? -and we have an abundance of calories in our environment (through fast food, junk food, high-calorie drinks like soda etc.).  Our lives-thanks to modern inventions like better transportation, video games and television-require us to sit still instead of moving around.  When we stop moving but we keep eating, it turns around and bites us in the fanny. 

The body's kind of like a seesaw.  So when the calories you eat are equal to the calories you burn through exercise, your seesaw is perfectly level.  If you eat too many calories and don't burn the same amount of calories through exercise, body fat goes up.  We have so much more food that's cheap, easy to get and filled with calories than we used to, so we tend to eat more.  And the food that we eat is usually unhealthy!  No one pigs out on broccoli, but we all reach for a third, fourth or fifth cookie or a second donut because it tastes so good!

After a while, your body gains weight and gets bigger, the amount of exercise you get decreases even more and your seesaw is off-balance.  And it is not so easy to fix that imbalance.  We need to force ourselves to make new habits - get up and say, "I'm going to do this type of exercise"-or-"I'm not going to eat that."

Q: So people who exercise a lot don't have to watch what they eat?

A: If someone is a regular exerciser - whether amateur or professional - the foods they choose are also important for the best possible athletic performance.  The most important nutritional factor is to get enough energy (calories).  (That's the best part about having an exercise habit, you can eat more!)  Water (fluid) and other nutrients are also important.  Contrary to popular claims, you do not need a lot of extra salt or protein.  One or two serving of fish, meat or poultry the size of the palm of your hand plus the protein in other foods is all you usually need.  And the amount of salt (sodium) in the usual foods on your daily menu is almost always enough for exercisers.  In heat and with lots of sweating, fluids and a pinch of salt should take care of higher needs.

Q: What can people do to exercise more if they have limited time or physical problems?

A: Since our bodies are meant to be in motion-and it feels good-it is important to find activities that are enjoyable.  If you have problems with joints, you should work out another part of their body.  If you have bad knees or ankles, then work your upper-body or do things that don't involve too much pounding on your joints like water exercises, cycling, and yoga.  For almost everyone, a thirty-minute walk everyday is the best activity.

Making time to exercise is a challenge.  We are busy-whether we work out of our homes or out in a distant place.  But it's important to find the time to be active.  You add a little wiggle around your chair during the day; you take a little walk during lunchtime.  Thirty minute walks a day-whether they're three ten-minute walks or two fifteen-minute walks are linked with better A1C levels for people with diabetes and tons of other improvements in well being for all people: better mood, weight loss, better bowel habits, better sleep, and lots more.

If you are interested in working with Maudene Nelson and bringing nutrition into your community, please e-mail her at mln2@columbia.edu.

Harlem Word is a series of interviews with community health experts written by HHPC and reviewed by our Health Advisory Board.