Nutrition - Eating for Life
Chapter 9. Staying Well

The old saying "You are what you eat" seems to be more true now than ever before. Eating right plays a pivotal role in good health and in disease prevention. The foods you "chews" can help lower your risk for heart disease, stroke, diabetes, osteoporosis, and certain cancers.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have stated what defines eating well in their "Dietary Guidelines for Americans."

These guidelines cover the most up-to-date advice from nutrition scientists and are the basis of federal nutrition policy.

Dietary Guidelines for Americans
Aim for fitness. Aim for a healthy weight. (See "Weight Control - "Chewsing" Well" on page 47.) Be physically active each day. (See "Fitness- Get Fit, Stay Fit" on page 41.) Following these two guidelines will help keep you and your family healthy and fit. Healthy eating and regular physical activity enable people of all ages to work productively, enjoy life, and feel their best. They also help children grow, develop, and do well in school.

Build a healthy base. Let the Pyramid guide your food choices. (See The Food Guide Pyramid on page 44.) Choose a variety of grains daily, especially whole grains. Foods made from grains (like wheat, rice, and oats) provide vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates (starch and dietary fiber), and other substances that are important for good health. Grain products are also low in fat, unless fat is added in processing, in preparation, or at the table. Choose a variety of fruits and vegetables daily. Choose different kinds of fruits and vegetables to get essential vitamins and minerals, fiber, and other substances that are important for good health.

Keep foods safe to eat. Wash your hands before you handle food. Use clean utensils and clean surfaces when you prepare foods. Separate raw, cooked, and ready-to-eat foods while shopping, preparing, or storing. Cook foods to a safe temperature. Check and follow the label or recipe. Keep hot foods higher than 140°F and cold foods at 40°F or below. Do not eat these foods when kept for more than 2 hours between 40°F and 140°F. Refrigerate perishable foods promptly. When in doubt, throw it out.

Choose sensibly. Choose a diet that is low in saturated fat and cholesterol and moderate in total fat. Limit animal fats, hard margarines, and partially hydrogenated shortenings. Use vegetable oils. Choose fat-free or low-fat dairy products, cooked dried beans and peas, fish, and lean meats and poultry. Choose beverages and foods to moderate your intake of sugars. Choose and prepare foods with less salt. If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation. (Note: See "Use Sugar, Salt, Sodium, and Alcohol in Moderation" on page 45.)

To order a single copy of Nutrition and Your Health: Dietary Guidelines for Americans, Fifth Edition (2000), send your name, address, and 50 cents by check or money order to:
Consumer Information Center 
Department 378-C
Pueblo, CO 81009
You may also obtain a copy through the website: www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/.

What is the Food Guide Pyramid?
An easy way to follow the Dietary Guidelines for Americans is to choose foods daily, using the Food Guide Pyramid. It is not a rigid prescription but a general guide that lets you choose a healthful diet that's right for you and members of your family.

The pyramid calls for eating a variety of foods from each group to get the nutrients you need. At the same time, you can get the right amount of calories (and grams of fat) you need to lose or gain weight or maintain a healthy weight by adjusting the number of servings you eat from each group.

What Counts as a Serving?
Bread, Cereal, Rice and Pasta Group
1 slice of bread
About 1 cup of ready-to-eat cereal
1/2 cup of cooked cereal, rice, or pasta
Vegetable Group
1 cup of raw, leafy vegetables
1/2 cup of other vegetables - cooked or chopped raw
3/4 cup of vegetable juice
Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs, and Nuts Group
2-3 ounces of cooked, lean meat, poultry or fish
2 1/2 ounce soyburger or 1 egg counts as 1 ounce of lean meat.
1/2 cup of cooked dry beans or 1/2 cup of tofu counts as 1 ounce of meat. Two
tablespoons of peanut butter or 1/3 cup of nuts counts as 1 ounce of meat.
Fruit Group
1 medium apple, banana, orange, pear
1/2 cup of chopped, cooked, or canned fruit
3/4 cup of fruit juice
Milk, Yogurt, and Cheese Group
1 cup of milk or yogurt
1 1/2 ounces of natural cheese
2 ounces of processed cheese
1 cup of soy-based beverage with added calcium

FYI - Key Nutrition Issues
Balance is the key. Know what to say yes to, what to moderate, and what to go easy on. Say yes to 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day to get vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, and anticancer substances.

Say Yes to Dietary Fiber
Dietary fiber comes from plant foods only. (The part that goes undigested and unabsorbed.) Animal foods have no fiber. Aim to get between 20 and 35 grams of dietary fiber per day. Food labels list the grams of dietary fiber per serving. Read them.

Say Yes to Calcium
Why? It is needed to strengthen bones and teeth, to help guard against osteoporosis, and to help your heart beat, your blood clot, your muscles flex, and your nerves react. Health experts recommend 1000 to 1500 milligrams of calcium a day for adults. Good food sources are:
Milk, yogurt, cheese (choose nonfat and low-fat ones)
Broccoli, collard greens, kale, spinach
Legumes, dried beans and peas
Tofu (if calcium is used in processing)
Salmon, sardines (with bones)
Calcium-fortified juices, cereals, breads, etc.

Use Sugar, Salt, Sodium, and Alcohol in Moderation
Sugar - Many foods that contain large amounts supply calories, are limited in nutrients, and can contribute to tooth decay.
Salt and sodium - Most Americans eat more salt and sodium than they need. (Salt contains 40% sodium, 60% chloride.) The recommended amount of sodium is 2400 to 3000 milligrams per day.
Alcohol - Moderate use means no more than 1 to 2 drinks per day, 1 per day for women, 2 per day for men. 1 drink = 12 oz. regular beer, 4 to 5 oz. wine, 1-1/2 oz. distilled spirits (80 proof). {Note: Women who are trying to conceive or are pregnant should not drink alcoholic beverages.}

Say No to Too Much Fat
Why? Populations with diets high in fat have more obesity and certain types of cancer (breast, colon, prostate). How much is too much? It is recommended that you get less than 30% of total calories from fat.

To figure out how to get less than 30% of calories from fat:
Take 30% of total calories.
Example: .30 x 1200 calories = 360 calories.
Divide the answer by 9 calories/gram (fat contains 9 calories per gram) to get the upper limit of grams of fat per day.
Example: 360 calories ÷ 9 calories/gram of fat = 40 grams of fat. 

Read food labels to find out how many grams of fat a food item contains per serving.

Say No to Saturated Fat
Why? Saturated fat raises blood cholesterol more than anything else in the diet. Saturated fats are generally solid at room temperature. Examples of foods that are high in saturated fat:
Coconut oil
Animal fats
Dairy foods with fat
Palm oil
Cocoa butter

Say No to Too Much Dietary Cholesterol
Why? Dietary cholesterol in excess can contribute to hardening of the arteries.

About Cholesterol
Cholesterol is an odorless, white, waxy substance. Cholesterol is made only by animals and is present in every cell in all parts of the body, including the brain and nervous system, muscle, skin, liver, intestines, heart, and skeleton. There are 2 sources of cholesterol: The cholesterol our body makes (mostly in the liver) and the cholesterol that is found in animal foods (dietary cholesterol). Plant foods have no cholesterol. Examples of foods with cholesterol are: Organ meats (e.g., liver and kidneys); eggs yolks, meats, poultry, and fish; and dairy products that contain fat.

It is recommended that we eat no more than 300 milligrams of dietary cholesterol per day (200 milligrams if your cholesterol is elevated).

Blood cholesterol can be measured using a blood sample. A fasting blood test reveals total blood cholesterol, triglycerides (another fatty substance in the blood) and LDL and HDL (lipoprotiens or "packages" in which cholesterol travels in the blood). The U.S. government has established the following guidelines for individuals: 

Total blood cholesterol
Less than 200 mg/dL	Desirable (Aim for)
200-239 mg/dL	Borderline High (Undesirable)
240 mg/dL and higher	High (Undersirable)

LDL ("bad") Cholesterol Deposits cholesterol in the artery walls
Less than 100 mg/dL	Optimal (Aim for)
100-129 mg/dL	Near optimal/slightly high
130-159 mg/dL	Borderline high (Undesirable)
160-189 mg/dL	High (Undesirable)
190 mg/dL and higher	Very high (Undesirable)

HDL ("good") Cholesterol Helps remove cholesterol from the blood
Less than 40 mg/dL	Low (Undesirable)
60 mg/dL and higher	High (Aim for)

A high LDL-cholesterol level and/or a low HDL-cholesterol level increases your risk for coronary heart disease.

To lower elevated triglycerides, do the following:
Lose weight if you are overweight.
Exercise regularly; eat a low-fat diet.
Limit alcohol, sugar, and foods with sugar

{Note: Some people may need medicine to help lower cholesterol and/or triglycerides in addition to dietary measures. Check with your doctor.}

HEALTH AT HOME - Your Complete Guide to Symptoms, Solutions, and Self-Care © 2001 by Don R. Powell. American Institute for Preventive Medicine. 

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Date updated 08/09/01