Eating for a Healthy Life

1. Eating for a Healthy Life By Sheila Jones, MS, RD, LD

2. Dietary Guidelines for Americans • Aim for Fitness • Aim for a healthy weight • Be physically active each day • Build a Healthy Base • Let the Pyramid guide your food choices • Choose a variety of grains daily, especially whole grains • Choose a variety of fruits and vegetables daily • Keep food safe to eat

3. Dietary Guidelines for Americans • Choose Sensibly • Choose a diet that is low in saturated fat and cholesterol and moderate in total fat • 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

4. Common Recommendations • Dietary Guidelines, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, American Diabetes Association, National Research Council: • Saturated fat < 10% of kcal • Polyunsaturated fat < 10% of kcal • Dietary cholesterol < 300 mg/day • Carbohydrates > 55% of kcal • Energy intake to achieve and maintain healthy weight • Sodium intake < 2400 mg/day (1)

5. American Institute for Cancer Research • 1997 - Expert panel of scientists reviewed > 4,500 research studies and published the most comprehensive report ever concerning diet, nutrition, and cancer • The report shows that 30-40% of all cancers could be prevented through changing how we eat and exercise

6. Diet and Health Guidelines for Cancer Prevention • Choose a diet rich in a variety of plant-based foods • Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits • Maintain a healthy weight and be physically active • Drink alcohol only in moderation if at all • Select foods low in fat and salt • Prepare and store food safely And always remember… Do not use tobacco in any form

7. The New American Plate • 2/3 or more of the plate should be covered by plant-based foods – vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and beans – 1 or more vegetables or fruits and not just grain products • 1/3 or less of the plate should be covered by meat, fish, poultry, or low-fat dairy

8. Vegetables and Fruits • 5 or more servings of vegetables and fruits each day • Research suggests this one dietary change could prevent as many as 20% of all cancers • Vegetables and fruits provide vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals • Variety is important to get the widest array – dark green, deep orange, citrus

9. Other Plant-based Foods • 7 or more servings of other plant-based foods such as whole grains and legumes • Whole grains are higher in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals than refined grains

10. Meat on the Side • Choose lean cuts of red meat and limit yourself to no more than 3 oz. per day • AICR’s report shows that diets high in red meat probably increase the risk of colon cancer • Poultry, fish, and game do not have the same impact and no limits have been set; keep portions small enough to be able to eat an abundance of plant-based foods

11. The Old American Plate

13. How Does It Look Again? • Stir-fry is the kind of meal that belongs on the New American Plate • Bursting with colorful vegetables, hearty grains, and cancer- fighting vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals • Red meat, poultry, or seafood is used as a condiment to add flavor and texture

14. How Does This Impact Weight Control? • It is about calories, not a magic protein vs. carbohydrate formula • Obesity became an epidemic in the U.S. at the same time portion sizes grew • Now “value meals” and “super sizes” are commonplace • Average calorie intake per day of Americans has risen from 1,854 to 2,002 over the last 20 years – 148 calories/day, which is estimated to add an extra 15 pounds per year (2)

16. National Weight Control Registry • Developed at Brown Medical School • Studied > 3,000 American adults who lost an average of 60 pounds and kept it off for an average of 6 years • How do they do it? • Successful losers report 4 common behaviors: • Eat a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet • They monitor themselves by weighing • They are very physically active (> 1 hour/day) • They eat breakfast (3)

17. Weight Loss • The 1st step is setting a realistic goal and determine what is a healthy weight for you • Weight reductions of 5-15% reduce risk factors for conditions such as heart disease, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension

18. Weight Loss • Remember the New American Plate? • It features more food and fewer calories (the real culprit) • Eating meals with plenty of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and beans will make you feel more satisfied and help keep your weight in a healthy range • A diet based on these foods can help prevent cancer, heart disease, diabetes mellitus, stroke, hypertension, and other debilitating conditions

19. Hallmarks of Unhealthy Diets • They promote quick weight loss – loss of muscle and water • They limit food selections and dictate specific rituals • They use testimonials from famous people and tie the diet to well-know cities • They bill themselves as cure-alls • They often recommend supplements • No attempts are made to change eating habits permanently • They are generally critical of and skeptical about the scientific community (4)

20. The Final Message • There is NO need to follow the latest diet trend • Keep an eye on the kinds of food on your plate and the size of portions • Enjoy the wonderful variety of healthy foods with which God has blessed us

21. References • 1. Lee RD and Nieman DC. Nutritional Assessment. 2003;33-40. • 2. American Institute for Cancer Research Newsletter, November 2000;3-22. • 3. FDA Consumer, January/February 2002; 18-25. • 4. Wardlaw GM and Kessel M. Perspectives in Nutrition. 2002;557.

22. Web Sites • USDA nutrition information – www.nal.usda.gov/fnic • Dietary Guidelines for Americans via the Nutritional Assessment web site – www.mhhe.com/hper/nutrition • American Institute for Cancer Research - www.aicr.org • American Dietetic Association – www.eatright.org • Web Dietitian – www.webdietitian.com • Weight-control Information Network – www.niddk.nih.gov/health/nutrit/nutrit.htm

23. Thank You!