Give It A Try! New Dietary Guidelines Made Easy
Sometimes eating healthy can be a confusing concept. You may often ask yourself, "How do I know that I am receiving all of the right nutrients?" You may have heard that this food is extremely good for you, or that food is better for you, or don't eat too much of that or……." You get the picture. So how can you ensure that you are getting enough of the right nutrients to live a long and healthy life and maintain a healthy body weight? Is it as difficult as it sounds?
Don't worry, it's not as difficult as it sounds. Follow the simple tips below, and you will find yourself on your way to ensuring a healthier lifestyle.
The following tips are from the book Dietary Guidelines for Americans released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines
1. Feel better today. Stay healthy for tomorrow.
The science-based advice of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005 highlights how to:
- Make smart choices from every food group
- Find your balance between food and physical activity
- Get the most nutrition out of your calories
2. Make smart choices from every food group.
The
best way to give your body the balanced nutrition it needs is by eating
a variety of nutrient-packed foods every day. Just be sure to stay within
your daily calorie needs.
A healthy eating plan is one that:
- Emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products
- Includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs and nuts
- Is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium) and added sugars
Visit http://app1-ws1b-2.nci.nih.gov/9aday/what.html for more information on food group selection and advised daily eating habits.
3. Find your balance between food and physical activity.
Becoming a healthier you isn't just about eating healthy- it's also about physical activity. Regular physical activity is important for your overall health and fitness. It also helps you control body weight by balancing the calories you take in as food with the calories you expend each day.
- Be physically active for at least 30 minutes most days of the week.
- Increasing the intensity or the amount of time that you are physically active can have even greater health benefits and may be needed to prevent weight gain.
- Children and teenagers should be physically active for 60 minutes every day, or most every day.
4. Get the most nutrition out of your calories.
There
is a right number of calories for you to eat each day. This number depends
on your age, activity level and whether you're trying to gain, maintain,
or lose weight. You could use up the entire amount on a few high-calorie
items, but the chances are you won't get the full range of vitamins and
nutrients your body needs to be healthy.
Choose the most nutritionally rich foods you can from each food group each day- those packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber and other nutrients but low in calories. Pick foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products more often.
Follow these simple guidelines to making better choices on what you are putting into your body:
- When one serving of a single food item has over 400 calories per serving, it is high in calories
- Keep total fat intake between 20 % to 35 % of calories
- Also look for foods high in potassium, which counteracts some of sodium's effects on blood pressure
- If you choose to drink alcohol, do so in moderation. Moderate drinking means up to one drink a day for women and up to two drinks for men.
Try these new simple guidelines and you will find that eating healthy is not so difficult after all. In addition, by following these tips you will probably have more energy, avoid illness and even find yourself in higher spirits!
To view the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, click HERE (requires Adobe Acrobat)