Proper weight loss nutrition means reducing calories while providing all of the nutrients that the body needs to operate efficiently: protein, carbohydrates, essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals and electrolytes. As long as it’s given an adequate supply of nutrients, the body will thrive by burning calories and fat for energy.

Don’t Eat Less: Eat Smarter

Weight loss nutrition doesn’t mean that you need to starve yourself or give up all of the foods you love. It just means that you need to be smarter about the quality and quantity of foods that you consume. It’s important to eat a wide variety of foods to reap all of the nutrients that you need.

Sufficient quality protein is necessary to limit loss of lean body mass when losing weight. Lean body mass helps to keep the metabolism stimulated so that calories are burned more efficiently.

Plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds contain a whole host of vitamins and minerals as well as nutrients such as phytochemicals, isothiocynanates, and flavanoids that can fend off disease and help you lose weight.

In particular, be sure your diet includes an adequate supply of vitamins B and C. Many of the B vitamins are required for the optimum functioning of the metabolism. Therefore, if you don’t have enough vitamin B in your diet, your metabolism may not be working hard enough to burn up excess calories. In addition, vitamin C helps to repair and maintain muscle tissue and blood vessels, stimulating the body’s ability to burn calories for permanent weight loss.

Great Weight Loss Foods

Based on the latest research, the following foods are great choices for those looking for weight loss nutrition. These foods are low-fat, low calorie fruits and vegetables that fill you up and provide the maximum amount of vitamins, minerals and nutrients with each bite. So if you are interested in losing weight include more of these foods in your diet:

• Spinach
• Avocado
• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Kale
• Carrots
• Mango
• Kale
• Grapefruit
• Garlic
• Red grapes
• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Red pepper

Weight Loss Nutrition Tips

Here are a few more tips that you can incorporate into your diet to help you get the most from the foods you eat.

• Don’t Shop Hungry: Avoid the grocery store at times when you know you will be hungry and susceptible to temptation. This will keep you from buying foods that are not part of your weight loss nutrition plan.
• Eat Slowly: Eat food slowly so that you will have a better idea when you are full. This will help you consume less food and calories and subsequently lose weight.
• Get a To Go Box: When eating at out at a restaurant, get a to go box when you order your drink. When your meal arrives place half of it in the to go box. Your food consumption is less and your lunch is ready for tomorrow.
• Be Prepared: Make your refrigerator your fast food station. Have plenty of freshly washed, cut up fruits and vegetables ready to go in bags or containers. This will keep you on track with making the best choices when you are in a hurry.
• Try Something New: Weight loss nutrition does not have to be boring. Try out a few new wholesome recipes to keep your diet interesting.
• Be a Calorie Detective: Look for hidden calories when buying and preparing foods. Choose low calorie soft drinks or unsweetened fruit juices instead of their high calorie counterparts. Steer clear of sauces and toppings; use herbs and lemon for flavor instead. And remember, alcohol contains lots of calories, so use it in moderation or not at all.
• Give Yourself A Boost: Try adding a weight loss supplement, such as Slimirex™, to your diet to boost your chances of success. Slimirex’s™ all natural formula gives you the nutrients you need to safely and effectively lose weight. Slimirex™ is an excellent addition to any weight loss nutrition program.
• Start Small: Try reducing your calorie intake by just a few hundred calories per day in the beginning. This is the equivalent of just one soft drink or high calorie snack. You will probably begin to see results after just one week that will motivate you to go further with your weight loss program.
• Be Realistic: Don’t set your goals too high or you will never be able to achieve them and you will just be giving yourself an excuse to quit. Aim for small simple short -term goals that lead you towards one achievable long-term goal.
• Don’t Give Up: Above all, remember that you are only human. If your weight loss nutrition falters, just try to get back on the program and don’t give up.

About the Authors

Dr. Edward F. Group III continues to develop, sell and evaluate exclusively high-end natural and organic healthcare products to support a wide range of health conditions. The products we promote are free of toxic tag-along herbicides, insecticides, pesticides, heavy metals, fumigants, irradiation, liver-toxic glues, binders, or gelatin capsules with animal-source risk and toxic preservatives.

Dawn Hall is a well known Health, Weight Loss and Fitness Expert who has partnered up with Dr. Group. By combining their knowledge and efforts they will continue to keep people educated and in the know when it comes to making the best choices daily for a lifetime of success.

According to a recent poll performed by the Opinion Dynamics Corporation, as many as 100 million Americans are currently following some type of low-carb diet. Bookstores offer a myriad of books and magazines detailing the latest low-carb and weight loss diet. Grocery stores and restaurants are scrambling to offer meals that cater to low-carb and weight loss meal plans. But is the latest low-carb trend destined to become part of the American mainstream or is it just a passing fad? Read on to learn more about the low-carb marketplace and its role as a weight loss diet.

Low-Carb and Weight Loss

Low-carb and weight loss diets traditionally involve eliminating certain “forbidden” foods from the diet. They are all based on the premise that consuming too many carbohydrates causes the body to over-produce insulin, which triggers feelings of hunger and leads people to overeat. Low-carb diets restrict foods such as bread, pasta, sugar, and other refined foods.

Initially, low-carb and weight loss diet products were quite limited, consisting of eggs and bacon for breakfast, a salad for lunch and steak for dinner. Today, however, there are literally thousands of low-carb and weight loss diet products available. Food manufacturers have found that by replacing sugar and other high carbohydrate ingredients, they can make almost any product into a “low-carb” item. And it’s no wonder that some of the biggest low-carb sellers are products, such as low-carb chips, breads, and pastas that have managed to take the carbs out of carbs.

Many Americans have touted the weight loss they have achieved as a result of low-carb diets such as The Carobhydrate Addicts Diet and the Atkins Diet. These diets call for a fairly drastic change to the average American’s diet. For example, foods such as sweets, fast food meals, and soft drinks are almost completely restricted. In this sense, following a low-carb diet can help one see significant weight loss results.

Low-Carb Caution

While there are a lot of low-carb and weight loss products currently available, it’s best to use caution if you’re really trying to stick to a low-carb diet. Some food labels are misleading and many consumers are easily overwhelmed by the selection of foods that are “carb-free,” or “low-carb.” In addition, even though many foods claim to have reduced carbs, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is quick to point out that they have not yet defined any terms to describe the amount of carbohydrates in a food.

Low-Carb for Good?

Even as the low-carb craze continues to grow, many skeptics have labeled low-carb diets as a passing fad. In the 1980s, consumers sought out low calorie foods to help them lose weight. In the 1990s, the focus was on foods that were low fat. And now, low-carb is just the latest trend to follow. There are many people who have become dedicated to low-carb dieting. For these folks, the low-carb diet lifestyle isn’t one they’re likely to give up soon.

The Low Down on Low-Carb

So are low-carb diets really able to help you lose weight? Of course, it depends upon the diet you choose and your determination in sticking with it. Most low-carb diets suggest that you limit foods that are high in sugar as well as carbs, such as cakes, soft drinks, and other sweets. In this sense, low-carb and weight loss diets offer practical advice for weight loss. But these diets can also be quite restrictive, and therefore difficult to maintain. Before you embark on a low-carb and weight loss diet, ask yourself if you will really be able to give up foods like bread and pasta.

Whether or not you choose to try a low-carb weight loss diet, you may want to consider supporting your weight loss efforts with a supplement such as Slimirex™. Slimirex™ is a powerful weight loss supplement that helps your curb your appetite, burn fat, build lean muscle mass, stimulate your metabolism, and lose weight quickly and easily. So go ahead, have your cake and eat it too, with Slimirex™.

About the Author

Dr. Edward F. Group III continues to develop, sell and evaluate exclusively high-end natural and organic healthcare products to support a wide range of health conditions. The products we promote are free of toxic tag-along herbicides, insecticides, pesticides, heavy metals, fumigants, irradiation, liver-toxic glues, binders, or gelatin capsules with animal-source risk and toxic preservatives.

Losing weight means making changes to your diet and behavior patterns. But these weight loss nutrition changes don’t have to be drastic. Here are four simple steps to the weight loss nutrition that will help you lose weight and feel great.

Take Care of Yourself

So many diet plans focus only on shedding pounds. And while some actually accomplish this goal, more often than not they leave you feeing exhausted, hungry, irritable, and possibly even sickly. If you don’t take care of your body, it won’t have the resources it needs to take care of you. Make sure your diet includes weight loss nutrition that will supply adequate amounts of organic high quality vitamins and minerals. Drink plenty of purified water (aim for 8-10 glasses) each day. Take steps to reduce stress in your work environment, at home, and in your social relationships. And make sure you are getting enough quality sleep each night. Take care of yourself and your weight loss efforts will be more likely to see results.

Curb Your Appetite

There’s just no way around it…in order to lose weight, you will have to either cut back on calories or burn them up through exercise. The healthiest way to lose weight is to make sure your weight loss nutrition includes a little of both. But reducing your caloric intake doesn’t mean you have to starve yourself or give up all of your favorite foods. In fact, being chronically hungry or completely avoiding a certain food can lead to strong cravings that derail your diet. A smarter approach is to just eat a little smarter.

The easiest way to cut back on calories is simply to reduce the size of your portions a bit and to search out and eliminate the hidden calories in your diet. Try to keep track of your food intake in a journal for about a week. This may seem like a drag at first, but you don’t have to do it forever, and this type of diary will give you a much better idea of your caloric intake and the easiest places you can cut back.

For example: watch your drinks and condiments. What you drink during the day can have a major impact on the number of calories that you consume each day. If you frequently drink high calorie juices and soft drinks, this may be one of the easiest places to improve your diet. Switch to water, herbal tea, or fresh juice to reduce calories. Condiments and toppings are another large source of hidden calories. Butter, mayonnaise, and a lot of the “special sauces” used by restaurants are very high in calories. Try using lemon juice, soy sauce, salsa or different spices instead.

Boost Your Metabolism

In an effort to lose weight quickly, many dieters make the mistake of drastically reducing their caloric intake. Unfortunately, your body responds to this by lowering your metabolism and slowing down your weight loss efforts. To keep your metabolism revved up, make smaller changes to your eating habits. Make sure your weight loss nutrition includes the vitamins and minerals your body needs each day. And add a bit of exercise to your program. Regular exercise will increase your energy levels, boost your basal metabolic rate, and improve your overall health.

Supplement Your Efforts

Nutritional supplements are not necessary for weight loss, but they can enhance your weight loss efforts and optimize your chances for success. For example, it’s always a good idea to include a multivitamin and mineral supplement to your diet. And this is especially true when you are dieting. A multivitamin and mineral supplement will ensure that you are getting an adequate supply of the basic nutrients you body needs each day.

In addition, consider adding Slimirex™ to your diet to boost your weight loss efforts. Slimirex™ is a weight loss supplement that contains nine of the most popular and effective weight loss ingredients currently available.

About the Author

Dr. Edward F. Group III continues to develop, sell and evaluate exclusively high-end natural and organic healthcare products to support a wide range of health conditions. The products we promote are free of toxic tag-along herbicides, insecticides, pesticides, heavy metals, fumigants, irradiation, liver-toxic glues, binders, or gelatin capsules with animal-source risk and toxic preservatives.

For all of your weight loss and obesity needs, natural remedies, tips, products, support forums and more please visit us at www.weightlossobesity.com or www.slimirex.com.

Any weight loss or diet plan, including low-carb plans like the induction phase of the Atkins Diet will result in water loss during the first week or two. However, one of the real beauties of following a low carbohydrate eating plan is that most of the weight loss that extends beyond the initial induction phase of the diet is really from a drop in fat pounds.

How can this be? Well, when you follow a controlled carbohydrate eating plan like Atkins or the South Beach Diet, your body soon switches from burning carbohydrates (which the diet deprives the body of) to burning fat for energy. In other words, the majority of the weight loss that occurs beyond the initial induction phase is really loss of fat that has been stored in your body.

Contrary to what many skeptics and misinformed persons may report or say, even if your body sheds water during the first few days of a controlled carbohydrate diet plan like the South Beach Diet or Atkins, the body’s water balance soon returns to normal and the weight loss that follows is the depletion of fat pounds. This loss of fat reveals itself to one and all in the form declines in inches (your body measurements) and pounds – regardless which low-carb diet you follow.

About The Author

Craig Whitley is the Senior Editor of “Diets and Weight Loss Plans” – a daily blog for dieters. Visit his website daily to read the latest news and articles on diets, dieting, weight loss and obesity. The URL address for Diets and Weight Loss Plans is http://weightloss.blogdiets.com/blog. You have permission to publish this article electronically on your website or in print, free of charge, as long as this resource box with all links and author attribution are kept intact.

DISCLAIMER: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Information and statements made are for education purposes and are not intended to replace the advice of your treating doctor. Weight Loss & Obesity Center does not dispense medical advice, prescribe, or diagnose illness. We design and recommend individual nutritional programs and supplements that allow the body to rebuild and heal itself. The views and nutritional advice expressed by Weight Loss & Obesity Center are not intended to be a substitute for conventional medical service. If you have a severe medical condition, see your physician of choice. This Web site contains links to Web sites operated by other parties. Such links are provided for your convenience and reference only. We are not responsible for the content or products of any linked site or any link contained in a linked site.

5 Easy Steps to A Healthier Weight

Although different people have weight problems for different reason, these 5 tips address fundamental lifestyle habits that affect virtually everyone. The really good news is that these 5 powerful tips are easy to implement and can bring about great changes in your life and health once in place.

Eat a light evening meal with easy-to-digest foods.

Everyone dealing with weight loss issues needs to know that it is virtually impossible to make serious progress if you continue to eat large evening meals with heavy foods!

I cannot emphasize this point too much. Ayurveda describes that digestion is less strong in the evening, plus lying down to sleep a few hours later further slows down digestion, metabolism and circulation. The body simply cannot assimilate large evening meals properly. The result is that much of the food is digested poorly and eventually creates toxins, fat and excess weight. For most people using the approaches of eating less during the day, herbs, pills, special powders and drinks, and even exercise cannot overcome this most serious of all weight loss mistakes.

Especially avoid in the evening: cheese, yogurt, rich desserts, red meat, leftovers of any kind, cold foods, processed foods.

Avoid or reduce in evening meals: fowl, fish, desserts.

Evening meals should be vegetarian, hot, light and liquidy. If you are significantly overweight the foundation of the evening meal should be 1) non-cream soups, 2) grains cooked in water (for example rice, quinoa, cous cous, barley), and 3) vegetables either steamed, roasted or sauteed with small amounts of extra virgin olive oil. If you must have dessert, I recommend cooked fruit desserts made with only small amounts of organic sugar.

Eat the largest meal of the day at lunch with a wide variety of warm, cooked food.

Lunch is the time our bodies can best digest and properly assimilate larger quantities of food due to the fact that digestion is strongest at noon and we have many active hours to metabolize the food before we sleep. Lunch is the most important meal of the day and the meal we most need to plan and prepare for.

Lunch should be warm, cooked foods with a wide variety of tastes and dishes. Warm food is essential as it can be more easily digested and assimilated. Cold foods suppress digestion (remember your chemistry- cold temperature suppresses chemical reaction, and digestion is chemistry!) The result of regular meals of cold foods is indigestion, the accumulation of ama (undigested molecules that clog the channels,) and weight gain.

Having a wide variety of foods is essential for nutrition and to prevent the body from developing food cravings-the downfall of many a well-meaning diet plan. Food cravings often occur because of imbalanced diets that included only a few food types. Diets restricted to mostly carbohydrates or protein or fat eventually lead to undernourished tissues that rightfully send hunger messages to our brain. Even though we have just finished eating a large quantity of food, parts of our body are still truly malnourished and hungry. Unfortunately if we don’t realize this when the hunger signals come we may reach for even more carbohydrate rich and dense foods like desserts when actually we need green vegetables and legume soups.

A good, balanced lunch also helps us feel less hungry in the evening, making it easier to stick to that all-important light evening meal.

Drink hot water frequently throughout the day.

By sipping hot water throughout the day you help cleanse the digestive tract and entire body of blockages and impurities. Hot water drinking improves digestion and assimilation of food and helps prevent the body from becoming toxic and clogged. It also is a great aid in reducing food cravings between meals. I have known people who lost over 50 pounds by following only this single recommendation.

Most people can accomplish the hot water recommendation by getting a good thermos and having a cup sitting on a small cup-sized hot plate. You can pour your hot water in the cup, put it on the warmer and sip it throughout the day as you work.

The most purifying and cleansing water is water that has been boiled for about ten minutes. Boiling water for ten minutes reduces its heaviness (you will usually see a fine powder at the bottom of the pan that consists of precipitated materials from the water) and energizes the water. Drinking water from your hot water dispenser at work is better than not drinking any at all, but is not as effective as boiled water.

Avoid leftovers

Maharishi Ayurveda holds that putting food back in the refrigerator after it has been cooked seriously deteriorates the quality of the foods and their digestibility. Even if you heat it up after you take it out of the refrigerator, it has lost its life giving freshness.

We get more than molecules from food. We also get freshness, life force (prana) and nature’s intelligence from our foods. Physics tells us there is a classical world of molecules but also a quantum mechanical world of vibration. The vibration of the deeper fields which comprise nature’s life-force and intelligence get destroyed by cooling cooked food. As a result leftovers easily lead to improperly digested waste products called “ama” that accumulate in the body causing toxins, blockages, excessive weight gain and lead to many diseases.

The converse principle sums up the essence of Ayurvedic food guidelines.

“Eat fresh food, freshly prepared”.

Because of the activity of our lives, and logistics of shopping and cooking, this simple statement can be difficult to achieve but every step in this direction will help us with weight management and overall good health.

A convenient way to get a home-cooked, nearly fresh meal of pure, wholesome ingredients for lunch each day, is to cook barley and lentils (a good fat-busting combination) overnight in a crock pot. In the morning, add chopped vegetables and some spices saut饤 in olive oil (try cumin, black pepper, fresh ginger root, coriander and turmeric.) Put in a wide-mouth thermos and bring for lunch. Add some rye crackers (another fat busting grain according to Ayurveda,) and fresh fruit for a well-balanced, pure and nutritious lunch.

Get Moving!

I saw a headline in a health paper some time ago that made a good point “Stop Dieting and Start Moving”.

Exercise is an antidote for almost everything that ails us. It improves digestion, metabolism, elimination, complexion, body tone and strength, bone density, and helps us normalize weight. It is also emotionally positive as it can be enjoyable, increase self-worth and bring us greater energy, freshness and success throughout the day.

At least take time every day to get out and walk. Evaluate your schedule and take walks whenever you can squeeze them in. Be vigilant to take opportunities to walk. It is especially good to walk after meals and especially healthy to take a walk after the evening meal.

Additional Tips

:

1. Go to bed by 10:00 PM. Metabolism of waste products takes place after 10 PM and is reduced by being awake and active, or eating the proverbial “midnight snack,” at this time.
2. Add digestive enhancing, fat-busting spices to your meals like fresh ginger, cumin, black pepper, turmeric and fenugreek.
3. Keep GOOD snacks around to prevent you eating bad snacks. Examples of good snacks are fresh fruits, dried fruits, nuts, fresh squeezed vegetable juices and whole grain crackers.
4. Practice meditation and yoga daily to keep mind and body balanced reduce the mental cravings for food. (Based on hundreds of scientific studies documenting its health benefits, I recommend the TM technique for my patients).
5. Take a walk in the morning. Exercise of some type outdoors in the morning sun has a powerful positive influence on mind, emotions and energy throughout the day.
6. Take Panchakarma treatments twice a year. Maharishi Ayurveda recommends panchakarma (the massage, heat treatments and internal cleansing therapies of Ayurveda) be done twice a year to prevent impurities from accumulating and eliminating their buildup in bodily tissues. (A recent study published in Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine documented the reduction by 50% of the cancer causing chemical PCB in the blood after five days of Maharishi Rejuvenation Treatment, a specific program of panchakarma.).
7. Ingest mainly organic extra virgin olive oil. Organic ghee is also acceptable in small quantities (1-2 tsp. per day)or not at all if you are overweight and/or have high cholesterol. Avoid any non-organic vegetable oils especially corn and soy oil. Oils are perhaps the most important food group to get right, as impure oils can contribute to so many diseases if not used properly.

Summary

Health is won or lost in how we live day-to-day life. I encourage everyone with weight management issues to take initiative and get on an upward spiral of healthy activity. Your quick reward will be greater freshness, happiness and a lighter, healthier body.

About The Author

Nancy Lonsdorf M.D. received her M.D. from Johns Hopkins and did her postgraduate training at Stanford. She has studied Ayurveda with some of the world’s most renowned Ayurvedic physicians in India, Europe and the U.S. Dr. Lonsdorf has 18 years of clinical experience with Ayurveda and is currently the Medical Director of The Raj Ayurveda Health Center in Vedic City Iowa.

Dr. Lonsdorf has authored two books on Ayurveda and women’s health:

A Woman’s Best Medicine (Penguin/Putnam 1995 ; ISBN 0-87477-785-2) describing the Ayurvedic approach to the major issues in women’s health.

The Ageless Woman: Health and Beauty after Forty with Maharishi Ayurveda (MCD Century Publications 2004 ISBN#: 0-9721233-5-0) on anti-aging recommendations and longevity for women.

Doctor Lonsdorf’s contact information is:

Nancy Lonsdorf M.D.
1734 Jasmine Avenue
Vedic City, IA 52556
641-472-8246
web site url: http://www.ayurveda-ayurvedic.com/
e-mail address: info@ayurveda-ayurvedic.com
Dr. Lonsdorf photo for web at: http://www.ayurveda-ayurvedic.com/images/ayurveda%20physician.jpg

“…Those desiring to lose weight should perform hard work before food. They should take their meals after exertion and while still panting from fatigue…They should, moreover, eat only once a day and take no baths and sleep on a hard bed and walk naked as long as possible.” –Hippocrates, the father of medicine, on his philosophy about dieting

Theories on the weight-loss benefits of walking around naked and not bathing have not proved out, but Hippocrates’ other dietary advice isn’t completely off the wall. While perhaps not the healthiest advice, Hippocrates’ recommendations do show that even 2,400 years ago, the relationship between food intake and energy expenditure was recognized.

Today, insight into the relationship between eating and exercise still plays a significant role in determining dietary recommendations. The new “Dietary Guidelines for Americans,” which President Clinton first announced in his radio address to the nation in the spring, rely on current knowledge about weight, nutrition and physical activity. Calling them the “gold standard of nutritional information,” Clinton said the guidelines are part of the federal government’s efforts to “empower Americans with the latest and best information on food and nutrition.”

The President’s speech kicked off the release of the new dietary guidelines, the 5th edition, at the National Nutrition Summit held in Washington, D.C., on May 30 and 31. The first national nutrition meeting in more than 30 years, the summit was co-sponsored by the two federal departments that produced the guidelines: the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture.

DHHS Secretary Donna E. Shalala, Ph.D., said the new guidelines “offer more practical advice and scientific information than ever before to help American consumers make the smartest possible decisions when it comes to what we eat.”

The Food and Drug Administration is a major user of the guidelines, according to Elizabeth Yetley, Ph.D., lead scientist in FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. “We use them to address food labeling issues as well as to develop FDA’s nutrition policies and guidelines.”

The guidelines give 10 recommendations, compared to seven in past editions. For ease of understanding, the recommendations are grouped within three areas that the guidelines call the ABCs of good health:

• Aim for fitness
• Build a healthy base, and
• Choose sensibly.

The new guidelines place more emphasis than in previous editions on being physically active and maintaining a healthy weight. At the nutrition summit, Shalala stated that nearly 55 percent of all adults and 10 percent of all children in America are overweight. Being overweight increases a person’s risk for many chronic conditions and diseases, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, arthritis, breathing problems, high blood pressure, and certain types of cancer.

The current guidelines contain a Body Mass Index (BMI) chart, which replaces the weight-for-height chart found in previous editions. A calculation based on weight and height, BMI is used by health professionals to help determine if a patient is overweight, obese, or at a healthy weight.

For the first time ever, the guidelines address food safety, particularly the need to store and prepare foods safely in the home. FDA works in concert with USDA and other federal agencies to combat foodborne illness, an important public health concern.

As in previous editions, the guidelines continue to emphasize balance, moderation, and variety in food choices. They recommend eating whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and choosing a diet low in saturated fat, cholesterol and salt. They also advise moderating sugar and total fat intake. The guidelines give specific examples of foods that provide certain nutrients, and include choices for vegetarians.

First published in 1980 and revised every five years by law, the guidelines are based on the recommendations of a scientific advisory group of 11 non-government experts. The guidelines are used by federal agencies to determine, among other things, standards for the nutritional content of the lunches served every day in school to 26 million children.

The dietary guidelines give consumers the information they need to select the right kinds and amounts of food. But, ultimately, it is up to consumers to take action and follow the guidelines’ advice. “Government can shine the spotlight and direct resources to solving the problems of obesity and poor nutrition,” says USDA Secretary Daniel Glickman, “but only individuals can commit themselves to good nutrition and good health.”

Consumers can download the “Dietary Guidelines for Americans” from the Internet at www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/. For a printed copy, send your name, address and 50 cents by check or money order to: Consumer Information Center, Department 378-C, Pueblo, CO 81009.

Article syndicated from U.S. Food and Drug Administration:

http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2000/500_diet.html

FDA Consumer magazine: September-October 2000

DISCLAIMER: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Information and statements made are for education purposes and are not intended to replace the advice of your treating doctor. Weight Loss & Obesity Center does not dispense medical advice, prescribe, or diagnose illness. We design and recommend individual nutritional programs and supplements that allow the body to rebuild and heal itself. The views and nutritional advice expressed by Weight Loss & Obesity Center are not intended to be a substitute for conventional medical service. If you have a severe medical condition, see your physician of choice. This Web site contains links to Web sites operated by other parties. Such links are provided for your convenience and reference only. We are not responsible for the content or products of any linked site or any link contained in a linked site.

Why should I try to have a healthy diet?

Having a healthy diet is one of the most important things you can do to help your overall health. Along with physical activity, your diet is the key factor that affects your weight. Having a healthy weight for your height is important. Being overweight or obese increases your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, breathing problems, arthritis, gallbladder disease, sleep apnea (breathing problems while sleeping), osteoarthritis, and some cancers. You can find out if you’re overweight or obese by figuring out your body mass index (BMI). Women with a BMI of 25 to 29.9 are considered overweight, whereas women with a BMI of 30 or more are considered obese. All adults (aged 18 years or older) who have a BMI of 25 or more are considered at risk for premature death and disability from being overweight or obese. These health risks increase as the BMI rises. Your health care provider can help you figure out your body mass, or you can go to www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/bmi/calc-bmi.htm.

Having a healthy diet is sometimes easier said than done. It is tempting to eat less healthy foods because they might be easier to get or prepare, or they satisfy a craving. Between family and work or school, you are probably balancing a hundred things at once. Taking time to buy the ingredients for and cooking a healthy meal sometimes falls last on your list. But you should know that it isn’t hard to make simple changes to improve your diet. And you can make sense of the mounds of nutrition information out there. A little learning and planning can help you find a diet to fit your lifestyle, and maybe you can have some fun in the process!

How can I start planning a healthy diet for me and my family?

You can start planning a healthy diet by looking at the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines) by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). These guidelines contain the Food Guide Pyramid, which shows how different food groups can come together to form your total diet. Eating is one of life’s greatest pleasures. Because there are many foods and many ways to build a healthy diet, there is lots of room for smart, healthy choices. But you can use the pyramid as a starting point. Choose the recommended number of daily servings from each of the five major food groups.

Food Pyramid: Bread, cereal, rice and pasta group 6-11 servings. Fruit group 2-4 servings. Vegetable group 3-5 servings. Meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs and nuts group 2-3 servings. Milk, yogurt and cheese group 2-3 servings. Oils, fats and sweets use sparingly.

You might have seen some of the other food pyramids by other groups of health care providers, or pyramids for different ethnic groups, like the Puerto Rican, “Soul Food,” Vegetarian style, or Latin American style pyramids. You could use any one of them for healthy eating, depending on the foods available to you and your culture’s traditions. No matter which diet you choose, be sure to talk with your health care provider first, before starting any type of eating plan. You might want to ask your provider for a referral to a registered dietician (RD) who can help you or go to www.eatright.org for a listing of providers. You might also want to enlist the help of a family member or friend to give you support and help you stay on track. Try to have some fun learning new recipes and different ways to cook!

What are the most important steps to a healthy diet?

Although there are different food pyramids for you to choose from, the challenge is to pick one, then create an eating plan that embraces healthy food. No matter which specific diet or pyramid you choose, the basic steps to good nutrition come from a diet that:

• helps you either lose weight or keeps your BMI in the “healthy” range
• is balanced overall, with foods from all groups, with lots of delicious fruits, vegetables, and grains
• is low in saturated fat and cholesterol and moderate in total fat intake (less than 10 percent of your daily calories should come from saturated fat, and less than 30 percent of your daily calories should come from total fat)
• includes a variety of grains daily, especially whole grains, a good source of fiber
• includes enough fruits and vegetables (a variety of each, five to nine servings each day)
• has a small number of calories from added sugars (like in candy, cookies, and cakes)
• has foods prepared with less sodium or salt (aim for no more than 2,400 milligrams of sodium per day, or about one teaspoon of salt per day for a healthy heart)
• does not include more than one drink per day (two drinks per day for men) if you drink alcoholic beverages

I know a healthy diet means I should control my fat intake, but I’m confused by all the different kinds of fats in foods! How do I know which ones are ok and which ones to avoid?

There are different kinds of fats in our foods. Some can hurt our health, while others aren’t so bad — some are even good for you! Here’s what you need to know:

• Monounsaturated fats (canola, olive and peanut oils, and avocados) and polyunsaturated fats (safflower, sesame, sunflower seeds, and many other nuts and seeds) don’t raise your LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels but can raise your HDL (“good”) cholesterol levels. To keep healthy, it is best to choose foods with these fats.
• Saturated fat, trans fatty acids, and dietary cholesterol raise your LDL (“bad”) blood cholesterol levels, which can lead to heart disease. Saturated fat is found mostly in food from animals, like beef, veal, lamb, pork, lard, poultry fat, butter, cream, whole milk dairy products, cheeses, and from some plants, such as tropical oils. Tropical oils include coconut, palm kernel, and palm oils that are found in commercial cakes, cookies, and salty snack foods. Unlike other plant oils, these oils have a lot of saturated fatty acids. Some processed foods (such as frozen dinners and canned foods) can be quite high in saturated fat — it’ s best to check package labels before purchasing these types of foods.
• Trans fatty acids (TFAs) are formed during the process of making cooking oils, margarine, and shortening and are in commercially fried foods, baked goods, cookies, and crackers. Some are naturally found in small amounts in some animal products, such as beef, pork, lamb, and the butterfat in butter and milk. In studies, TFAs tend to raise our total blood cholesterol. TFAs also tend to raise LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and lower HDL (“good”) cholesterol. One study found that the four main sources of trans fatty acids in women’s diets come from margarine, meat (beef, pork, or lamb), cookies, and white bread. At this time, TFAs are not listed on nutrition labels, but that will soon change. Although it might take a couple of years to begin seeing it, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is now asking food manufacturers to begin labeling TFA content. And some food manufacturers are announcing they are taking TFAs out of their food.

I’m concerned about heart disease. Is there a special diet to help prevent or control it?

Heart disease is the #1 killer of both women and men. Eating a heart-healthy diet is key to help reduce your risk factors for heart disease, like high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, overweight, and obesity. It also will help you control these conditions if you already have them.

Here are some general guidelines for heart-healthy eating:

• Choose foods low in saturated and trans fats. Foods low in saturated fat include fruits, vegetables, whole grain foods, and low-fat or nonfat dairy products. Try to avoid commercially fried and baked goods such as crackers and cookies.
• Choose a diet moderate in total fat. The good news is that you don’t have to eliminate all fat from your diet! A diet moderate in fat will give you enough calories to satisfy your hunger, which can help you to eat fewer calories, stay at a healthy weight, and lower your blood cholesterol level. To keep your total fat intake moderate, try to substitute unsaturated fat for saturated fat.
• Choose foods low in cholesterol. Try to eat fruit, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat or nonfat dairy products, and moderate amounts of lean meats, skinless poultry, and fish. Eat plenty of soluble fiber, which may help lower your LDL (“bad”) blood cholesterol. Good sources are oat bran, oatmeal, beans, peas, rice bran, barley, citrus fruits, and strawberries. Insoluble fiber will not help your blood cholesterol level but is still good for healthy bowel function. Good sources of insoluble fiber are whole wheat breads, kidney beans, almonds, beets, carrots, brussel sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, and apple skin.
• The American Heart Association also recommends that you try to eat at least two servings of fish per week (especially fatty fish like salmon and lake trout) because they are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which may help lower blood cholesterol. Some types of fish, such as swordfish, shark, or king mackerel, may contain high levels of mercury and other environmental contaminants that can damage the brain and nervous system, especially in developing fetuses. Children, pregnant, and breastfeeding women should limit how much fish they eat to no more than 12 ounces per week.
• You also can eat omega-3 fatty acids from plant sources, such as from tofu, soybeans, canola, walnuts, and flaxseed (these contain alpha-linolenic acid, a less potent form of omega-3 fatty acid).
• Cut down on sodium. If you have high blood pressure as well as high blood cholesterol — and many people do — your health care provider may tell you to cut down on sodium or salt. Even if you don’t have high blood pressure or cholesterol, try to have no more than 2,400 milligrams of sodium each day. The DASH Diet also recommends a lower level of 1,500 mg of sodium a day. You can choose low-sodium foods, which will also help lower your cholesterol, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat or nonfat dairy products, and moderate amounts of lean meat. To flavor your food, reach for herbs and spices rather than high-sodium table salt. Be sure to read the labels of seasoning mixes because some contain salt.
• Watch your body weight. It is not uncommon for overweight people to have higher blood cholesterol than people who are not overweight. When you reduce the fat in your diet, you cut down not only on cholesterol and saturated fat but on calories as well. This will help you to lose weight and improve your blood cholesterol, both of which will reduce your risk for heart disease.

Many diets say to limit my sodium to an amount measured in milligrams per day, but exactly how much salt is that?

Salt is also labeled as sodium chloride. Soda, sodium bicarbonate, and the symbol “Na” on food labels mean the product contains sodium. Here are some general guidelines:

1/4 teaspoon salt = 600 milligrams (mg) sodium
1/2 teaspoon salt = 1,200 mg sodium
3/4 teaspoon salt = 1,800 mg sodium
1 teaspoon salt = 2,400 mg sodium
1 teaspoon baking soda = 1,000 mg sodium

It’s hard to know if my portions are too big or too small for a healthy diet. Do I have to measure everything I’m eating?

It can be hard to learn if your portions of food are putting you over amounts of things you’re trying to control. It doesn’t help that sizes for everything from bananas to soft drinks have gotten larger in the past 20 years. It’s not enough to eat the right kinds of food to maintain a healthy weight or to lose weight. Eating the right amount of food at each meal is just as important. If you are a healthy eater, it is possible to sabotage your efforts by eating more than the recommended amount of food. A serving is a specific amount of food, and it might be smaller than you realize. Here are some examples:

• A serving of meat (boneless, cooked weight) is two to three ounces, or roughly the size of the palm of your hand, a deck of cards, or an audiocassette tape.
• A serving of chopped vegetables or fruit is 1/2 cup, or approximately half a baseball or a rounded handful.
• A serving of fresh fruit is one medium piece, or the size of a baseball.
• A serving of cooked pasta, rice, or cereal is 1/2 cup, or half a baseball or a rounded handful.
• A serving of cooked beans is 1/2 cup, or half a baseball or a rounded handful.
• A serving of nuts is 1/3 cup, or a level handful for an average adult.
• A serving of peanut butter is two tablespoons, about the size of a golf ball.

I’m confused by all of the labels I see on foods, like “fat free” and “low calorie.” What do these terms mean?

Terms like these are on many food packages. Here are some definitions based on one serving of a food. If you eat more than one serving, you will go over these levels of calories, fat, cholesterol, and sodium.

Calorie-free: fewer than 5 calories
Low calorie: 40 calories or fewer
Reduced calorie: at least 25% fewer calories than the regular food item has
Fat free: less than ? gram of fat
Low fat: 3 grams of fat or fewer
Reduced fat: at least 25% less fat than the regular food item has
Cholesterol free: fewer than 2 milligrams cholesterol and no more than 2 grams of saturated fat
Low cholesterol: 20 milligrams or fewer cholesterol and 2 grams or less saturated fat
Sodium free: fewer than 5 milligrams sodium
Very low sodium: fewer than 35 milligrams sodium
Low sodium: fewer than 140 milligrams sodium
High fiber: 5 grams or more fiber

How can I follow a healthy diet if I eat out a lot?

The American Heart Association gives these tips for a healthy diet, even when you aren’t cooking at home:

• Ask the server to make substitutions, like having steamed vegetables instead of fries.
• Pick lean meat, fish, or skinless chicken.
• Make sure your entr饠is broiled, baked, grilled, steamed, or poached instead of fried.
• Ask for baked, boiled, or roasted potatoes instead of fried.
• Order lots of vegetable side dishes and ask that any sauces or butter be left off.
• Ask for low-calorie salad dressing or a lemon to squeeze on your salad instead of dressing.
• Order fresh fruit or fruit sorbet in place of cake, pie, or ice cream desserts.