Remember the nutrition pyramid from years ago: the one that divided the basic food groups into nice, even horizontal bars? Chances are you wouldn’t recognize it today.

The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans have turned that pyramid on its side – and added steps to help you climb to the top! MyPyramid, which replaces the familiar Food Guide Pyramid introduced in 1992, is part of an overall food guidance system that recognizes that our food choices should be based on our unique lifestyles.

The new MyPyramid symbol from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) represents a personalized approach to healthy eating and physical activity. This simple design has been developed to remind consumers to make healthy food choices and to be active every day.

Recognizing that we’re all individuals, the USDA has developed not one, but several different pyramids. This allows everyone to find the pyramid that is right for him or her based on age, gender, and physical activity level.

As you look at the new pyramid, the first change you’re likely to notice is the vertical bars, which represent the basic food groups. The widths of these bars are a general guide to how much from each food group a person should eat. The USDA now advocates a lesser share of meat and beans (proteins), and places far greater emphasis on grains (whole grains in particular), fruits, and vegetables.

The area in which this pyramid most dramatically differs from the previous version is its emphasis on physical activity. This is indicated by the steps, which have been added to the far left of the pyramid. Like the food groups themselves, they grow wider at the base to illustrate how increased physical activity (indicated by the larger steps) increases the number of calories you are allowed.

Of course, the USDA recognizes that everyone’s dietary requirements are different, and cautions that the current food pyramid is merely intended as a guide to help people make informed decisions when eating. But for those looking to control their weight and lead a healthier lifestyle, there’s no better way to get started than by exercising your pyramid power.

For more information on the new food pyramid, or to create a personalized nutrition plan, please visit the USDA’s convenient Web site: www.mypyramid.gov. Be sure to consult with your physician before embarking on any significant change in diet or exercise.

A healthier lifestyle can be yours, just by reading – not the latest self-help book, but the nutrition labels found on most food products. The most important factor to consider when reading nutrition labels is your own individual needs. Every person has different nutritional requirements, and the recommended daily amounts listed by the USDA are to be used only as a guideline – they are based on the needs of a healthy, active adult who exercises regularly. You should moderate the recommended amounts according to your own habits and lifestyle. In that way, nutrition labels can provide valuable information to help you make smart, informed dietary decisions.

Serving Size: Serving sizes are usually provided in familiar units, such as cups or pieces. Because all nutritional information is based on a single serving, it is important to note that there may be more than one serving per package. If you eat more, or less, you will need to calculate accordingly.

Calories: In most cases, two calorie figures will be displayed: the first indicates the total number of calories per serving, and the second indicates the total number of calories from fat. As a general rule, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that the average serving should fall somewhere between 40 and 400 calories. And for healthy, active adults, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that fat intake be limited to no more than 30 percent of the day’s total calorie intake. Saturated fat intake should be limited to no more than 10 percent of the day’s calories.

Nutrition Information: Below the calories information comes a listing of the items the FDA recommends you limit in your diet: fats, cholesterol, sugar, and sodium (salt) – and those items that you want to include: fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Daily Values Footnote: The last item on the nutrition label is the Daily Values Footnote. This chart, which may be excluded on smaller packages of food, provides recommended levels of nutrients based on a moderate diet (2,000 calories per day). Again, be sure to take your own dietary needs and practices into consideration when reading these labels. Your diet and activity level may require more or fewer calories, so be sure to figure your Daily Value accordingly. These figures provide a helpful guideline when evaluating the merits of each food item. The overall goal should be to select foods that do not exceed 100% of the Daily Value for fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium, but that will meet or exceed 100% for other nutrients (e.g., calcium, vitamin A, or vitamin C).

Ingredients: Outside the "Nutrition Facts" box is the list of ingredients. The ingredients in each food are listed from greatest to least amount. Also pay attention to the number and type of ingredients in the item.

There’s a great deal more to the average food label than many people realize. So the next time you are looking for something good to read, reach for the nutrition label. It’s good to read and good for you!

For additional information on nutrition and nutrition labels, please visit the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition Web site at www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/foodlab.html.

The annual ranking of the largest U.S. companies by revenue puts New York Life Insurance Company at number 68, in the company of other respected companies such as Walt Disney (54), American Express (62), J.C. Penney (74), and The Coca-Cola Company (92).

New York Life is also ranked as the largest mutual life insurance company in the United States. As a mutual company, we focus on creating long-term financial safety and stability for our policyholders, rather than returning immediate gains to investors. Our commitment is that we’ll be here for you, decades from now – strong and solvent.

Whether you live in the northern states or call the south your home, winter is just around the corner … and very often with it is a decrease in normal physical activity, an increase in food consumption, and exposure to dangerous weather conditions. How do you prepare and protect yourself?

WEIGHT CONTROL: Reduced daylight hours and colder weather often make it difficult to engage in fat-burning exercises, such as jogging, walking, or biking. In addition, many people tend to eat more as they spend more time indoors. And, of course, there are all those holiday get-togethers and parties. All these things have the potential to add “winter weight” to your waistline. But there are ways to combat these unwanted pounds:

Watch What You Eat: Pay close attention to the number of calories you ingest; you may not be able to eat the same things you did while you were more active.

Move Indoors: If the thought of outdoor activities gives you a chill, consider purchasing a treadmill or exercise machine that will allow you to continue your exercise routine indoors. Or go for a brisk walk in the mall. A seasonal health club membership may be available, or you can try at-home stretching, calisthenics, or yoga.

Switch to Cold-Weather Activities: Consider taking up cross-country skiing or ice skating. With the right precautions, shoveling snow or chopping firewood can also be good exercise. If those activities are too strenuous, you might try bundling up in layers and going for a walk. Even building a snowman can burn off a few extra calories.

Protect your Health: Changes in temperature can impact your health if you’re not properly prepared. A few commonsense steps can protect you from hypothermia, pneumonia, and an assortment of other cold-weather ailments.

Cover Up: Be sure to cover your feet, hands, and head to keep body heat from escaping. Most of your body heat is lost through the head, so a hat is especially important.

Avoid Overexertion: Beware of activities that require a great deal of effort. Overexertion often leads to sweating and the extra dampness can accelerate the effects of cold weather.

Dress Properly: Try dressing in multiple layers. Layers will provide an extra barrier between your skin and any wet garments you may be wearing. Several loose-fitting clothing items will keep you warmer than one large parka.

Keep Dry: To prevent moisture from penetrating your clothing, be sure to close off any openings with drawstrings or rubber bands. An outer layer of wind proof and waterproof materials can also help eliminate dampness; however, their nonporous material may result in additional perspiration. Always have a change of clothes available.

Snow Shovel Safety: For those AARP members who are faced with the daunting task of shoveling snow, there are safety procedures that should be followed.

Stretch: Remember that your muscles are just as cold as the rest of your body. Be sure to stretch your back and legs before starting, and warm up for a good 5-10 minutes before digging into all the heavy stuff the snowplow left behind!

Pace Yourself: Shoveling snow can place a serious strain on your heart, particularly if you are unaccustomed to the activity. Start slowly, take breaks whenever you feel fatigued, and try not to let the snow pile up too high. Remember, it’s easier to handle a lighter load more often than it is to struggle through several heavy loads.

Dress Properly: In addition to wearing several layers of loose-fitting clothes to keep yourself warm, you need to remember that proper footwear is also essential to prevent a potentially dangerous fall. Check to make sure your boots or shoes have slip-resistant soles, that the shell continues to hold your foot snugly, and that the tread hasn’t been worn smooth over the years.

One of the most common requests we receive from our contract owners is to provide information on cash value and face value – and the difference between them.

The face value of an insurance contract is the death benefit payable on your life insurance. (Note that this is not necessarily the same as the actual death benefit to be received by beneficiaries. The payable death benefit may be lower if loans against the contract were taken and were not repaid, or accelerated death benefits, a.k.a. living benefits, were received.)

Permanent life insurance plans offer lifelong protection and have the potential to slowly accumulate cash value. As the contract owner, you can access the available cash value at any time and for any purpose. (Note that borrowed cash value will reduce the death benefit of your insurance or otherwise negatively impact overall policy values.)

In some cases, when our contract owners apply for government benefits, they are asked about the cash value of their insurance. If your contract is a term life insurance contract, it may not accumulate cash value. If you have either permanent or term life insurance and would like to know if your insurance builds cash value, give us a call at 1-800-695-5164. Our customer ser- vice representatives will mail you a written statement indicating the current cash value of your insurance.

My Soul Looks Back in Wonder: Voices of the Civil Rights Experience

Now in paperback – A compilation of stirring, thought-provoking accounts of the civil rights movement from people with firsthand experience of that tumultuous period in history.

AARP members receive 35% off AARP book titles at the AARP online bookstore: offers.aarp.org/books3.