|
2/03/2005 The new Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005 are out! Rose Stoia EdD,RD helps to make these guidelines practical and useful! Rose believes these guidelines are a combination of good science and common sense. In the late 1960s I took a graduate summer class in nutritional microbiology. Our very astute professor, as we reviewed for the final said, “Come back next year. The TEST will be the same. The ANSWERS will be different!”
Scientific knowledge changes and expands. Accompanying my first community nutrition classes, I gave away copies of the Seven Basic Food Groups. Later, I used the Four Food Groups. Today, as of January 11, 2005, the United States Health and Human Services and the United States Department of Agriculture have released the document, which took five years of research, “The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005.” (To review the entire document, go to www.health.gov. On the home page, under “Features” you will see the document title. Key Recommendations for the General Population is a two-page summary covering the key points in print-friendly format.
These guidelines are a combination of good science and common sense. Instead of contradicting earlier recommendations, they enlarge and enhance the old ones. Again, they advocate a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy and whole grains. In addition, regular physical exercise is urged. It sounds to me the same advice my Mother gave.
The Guidelines are for people over 2 years of age needing 2,000 calories a day. If you need LESS than 2000 calories per day and are a normal, healthy adult – you probably are not getting enough PHYSICAL ACTIVITY.
Read labels:
1. Labels tell the serving size recommended – don’t over eat by eating three times the serving size.
2. Notice how many calories per serving.
3. Note the “% Daily Value” per serving – these also are for a 2,000-calorie diet
Recommended foods which are new to the Guidelines:
EVERY DAY -
1. Eat 2 cups of fruit.
2. Eat 2.5 cups of vegetables.
3. Eat a colorful variety of vegetables.
4. Eat 2 servings of whole grains from the bread and cereal group.
5. Eat 3 cups of low-fat dairy or equivalent.
Reduce fats:
1. Keep cholesterol intake below 300 mg per day.
2. Avoid saturated fats and trans fats as much as you possibly can.
3. Choose fats from nuts and vegetable oil, and fish if you eat fish.
Keep your weight the same if you are an adult:
1. Do not eat or drink more calories than you burn in one day.
2. Keep a food diary to discover how many calories you eat.
3. To lose weight, eat a little bit less every day and --
Do a little bit more physical activity every day.
4. Gaining only a pound a month is 12 pounds a year – in 10 years that GRADUALLY adds up to 120 pounds
Get your daily calorie requirement from good, healthful foods:
1. Eat a variety of food from all the major food groups.
2. Avoid focusing on one kind of food from one major group.
3. Do not avoid food from one major group, such as bread and cereal.
4. Consume little or no alcohol.
5. Reduce sugar, keeping it to less than 10 teaspoons a day – the amount in one 12-ounce soft drink
Get regular exercise:
1. Most adults need about 30 minutes of physical activity a day, above and beyond their normal activities.
2. For maximum advantage, most need vigorous or exercise of longer-endurance – like walking briskly, swimming or bicycling.
3. To lose weight, eat smaller portions and get 60 minutes of vigorous activity most days of the week.
Decrease salt, Increase potassium:
1. Get less than 1 teaspoon of salt a day – most salt comes from salty snacks, processed food and salt added at the table.
2. Eat many potassium-rich fruits and vegetables, such as potatoes, raisins, legumes, prunes, tomatoes, bananas, dried fruit.
Eat plenty of fiber:
Fiber-rich foods are;
a. Legumes
b. Whole grain cereals and bran
c. Fruit with the skin
d. Vegetables with the skin
Actually, if you look closely, you will see that the menus and recipes on this web site follow these Guidelines. Drink 8-10 cups of water a day, add exercise and you will be NUTRITIONALLY ON THE ROAD TO GOOD HEALTH IN 2005!
Written By: Rose Stoia EdD, RD
|
