Nutrition - Back to the basics for healthy living

The five basic food groups are making a comeback! Four of the Nation’s top health organizations have banded together to endorse a common-sense eating plan based on the tried-and-true food pyramid. It seems common sense eating is, after all, the best way to combat disease --and lose weight in the process.


One-third of the U.S. population is overweight, yet we are also the most diet-obsessed nation in the world. We watch what we eat not just to lose weight or body fat but also for any number of medical reasons -- for heart health, for cancer prevention, for mental clarity, to lower our cholesterol, to ward off osteoporosis, to control diabetes etc. The lists are endless, and so are the dietary solutions offered up by doctors and diet gurus. There is so much contradictory information out there regarding what we should and shouldn’t eat to stay healthy and "buff" that it is enough to send one screaming to the nearest donut store!

In the past, different health organizations have published their own dietary recommendations for controlling whatever disease that they are dedicated to fighting. Recently, however, The American Heart Association’s Nutrition Committee, with the cooperation of the American Cancer Society, American Dietetic Association, American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Institutes of Health, came together to endorse one eating plan designed to help combat the four biggest killers of Americans --heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes. By working together to come up with uniform dietary guidelines that are easy to follow and consistent, these health organizations hope to clear up the confusion that keeps so many citizens from exercising healthy eating habits.


Most Common Dietary Mistakes

In compiling their new guidelines, the experts kept in mind what they considered to be the two most serious and prevalent dietary mistakes made by the average American -- consuming too much saturated fat and too many calories.

There is some good news with regard to the population’s consumption of dietary fat -- average overall fat intake is down to about 34% of total calories compared to about 40% a few years ago. The bad news, however, is that saturated fat makes up half or more of this total for the average American. This is far above the one-third or less recommended by doctors, dieticians, and nutritionists.

With regard to calories, the experts say that Americans simply consume too many -- more than they burn during physical activity. As a result, the prevalence of obesity has skyrocketed and currently one-third of the US population is overweight. Obesity is a major risk factor in heart disease and diabetes.

Keeping in mind the above problems as well as other nutritional "no-no’s" consistently committed by Americans, the agencies developed the following set of Dietary Guidelines along with a list of "tips" designed to make them simpler for the public to follow.


Dietary Guidelines

These guidelines should be followed on a daily basis:

• Fat intake from all sources should be restricted to 30% of total calories;
  
• No more than 10% of this total fat intake should be derived from saturated fats such as meat or dairy products;.
  
• 55% of total calories should be from complex carbohydrates such as cereals, grains, fruits and vegetables;
  
• Dietary cholesterol should be limited to 300 milligrams or less a day;
  
• Salt intake should be limited to one teaspoon a day or less; and
  
• Overall calories should be reduced to maintain a desirable body weight.
  

Tips for Adhering to the Guidelines

Authors offered the following tips in an attempt to simplify matters. By following them, you can also be assured that your diet will meet all the recommended daily allowances of vitamins, minerals, fiber and other essential nutrients.

• Choose most of what you eat from plant sources--especially green leafy vegetables that are high in antioxidants (elements that delay or prevent arteriosclerosis and protect against diabetes and some forms of cancer);
  
• Eat five or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day
  
• Eat six or more servings of bread, pasta and cereal grains each day;
  
• Eat high-fat foods sparingly, especially those from animal sources; and
  
• Keep your intake of simple sugars to a minimum;
  

Drafters of the guidelines recognized special needs and exceptions for the following groups of people:

• Women need calcium to prevent osteoporosis and should eat more low-fat dairy products;
  
• Pregnant women should eat folate-rich foods to prevent birth defects.
  

Summary

These are general, good-sense guidelines and, when adhered to will keep the average American healthy and fit. If you have a special consideration it is easy enough to alter the basic plan to meet your unique requirements --if you have high cholesterol, reduce saturated fats to 3% rather than 10%; if you are diabetic, cut out sugar altogether; if you are hypertensive remove salt from your diet. It is best to discuss these matters with your nutritionist or physician.