DIETITIAN’S VIEW by Nancy M. Ouhib, MBA, RD/N, LD/N Eat Your Way to Health The 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans were recently released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services. The purpose of the guidelines is to provide health professionals and policymakers with the information they need to help the public make informed choices about their diets at home, work, school, and in their communities. The updated guidelines encourage Americans to improve how they eat to reduce obesity and prevent chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus 2, hypertension, and heart disease. The guidelines were first published in 1980. This edition focuses on healthy eating choices and health outcomes over a lifetime. The guidelines provide sciencebased recommendations on food and nutrition so Americans can make manageable, healthy decisions and changes to help keep their weight within an acceptable range and prevent chronic conditions at the same time. Eating right is one of the most powerful tools we have to reduce the onset of unwanted disease. A healthy intake makes for a healthy body. The new recommendations will help people to develop a healthy eating pattern that is adaptable to a person’s taste preferences, traditions, culture, and budget. Most everyone can benefit from making small shifts in their daily eating patterns to improve their overall health in the long run. New Guidelines List What You Need to Know Foods to Watch Out For A healthy eating pattern limits: A) Added sugars should make up less than 10 percent of your caloric intake. Added sugars are sugars and syrups that are added to foods or beverages when they are prepared or processed. This does not include naturally occurring sugars such as those in milk or fruits. B) Less than 10 percent of your calories should come from saturated fats. Foods that are high in saturated fat include butter, whole milk and cream, meats that are not labeled as lean, and coconut and palm oil. Replace saturated fats with unsaturated fats such as canola or olive oil. C) Limit your sodium intake to less than 2,300 mg per day. Children under fourteen years should consume even less. Be careful on the sodium in processed foods. Read food labels as processed foods can be very high sources of sodium. P Everyone has a role and can play a part in working toward a healthier, more nutritionally sound and fit population. Ask yourself what you can do today to make a smart start toward a healthier lifestyle by making a change in your diet and a change in your physical activity level. WHAT TO EAT A healthy eating pattern includes these foods: 1. A variety of vegetables: dark green, red and orange, legumes (beans and peas), starchy and other vegetables. 2. Fruits, especially fresh, whole fruits. 3. Grains, at least half of which should be whole grains. 4. Fat-free or low-fat dairy, including milk, yogurt, cheese, and fortified soy beverages. 5. A variety of protein foods, including seafood, lean meats and poultry, eggs, legumes, soy products, and nuts/seeds. 6. Oils, including those from plants: canola, corn, olive, peanut, safflower, soybean, and sunflower. Oils are also naturally present in nuts/ seeds, olives, and avocados. KEEPING ACTIVE Physical activity is one of the most important things Americans can do to improve their health. Adults need at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity weekly and should perform muscle strengthening exercises two or more days each week. Children six to seventeen years need at least 60 minutes of physical activity daily including aerobic, muscle strengthening, and bone strengthening activities. 106 MAY 2016
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