Nutrition guide for healthy eating
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This information is offered as a guideline and is designed to help a person choose a balanced and healthy diet. The Dept. of Health and Human Services and the Dept. of Agriculture initially created the food pyramid recommending servings of food group necessary to stay healthy. In 2005, the government, recognizing a potential health crisis, revised the food pyramid and the new guidelines are shown below.
WHOLE GRAIN FOODS (5 -7 servings per day) Carbohydrates provide the body with the fuel it needs for physical activity and for proper organ function. The best sources of carbohydrates - fruits, vegetables, and whole grains - deliver essential vitamins and minerals, fiber, and a host of important phytonutrients. Although the body can't digest whole grains as quickly as processed carbohydrates, whole grains keeps blood sugar and insulin levels from rising or falling too rapidly. Recommended servings of grains & starchy vegetables per day? 5 -7 servings per day, (preferably whole versus milled, processed or refined) What are whole grains? Grains are the seeds of plants. Whole grains contain all parts of the grain, including the bran, endosperm and germ. Bran forms the outer layer of the seed and is a rich source of niacin, thiamin, riboflavin, magnesium, phosphorus, iron and zinc as well as the seed's fiber. Germ contains protein and fats and is a concentrated source of niacin, thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin E, magnesium, phosphorus, iron and zinc. Endosperm, also called the kernel, contains most of the grain's protein and carbohydrate and has small amounts of vitamins and minerals. What are milled grains? Milled grains, such as white rice or white flour, have both the bran and germ removed during processing; therefore all of the nutrients are also removed Milled grains are often “enriched” whereby they add nutrients back that were lost during food processing but do not have as many nutrients as whole grains. It is important to combine milled grains with other high fiber, nutrient rich foods. What are starchy vegetables? Starchy vegetables include corn, potatoes (including sweet potatoes), winter squash, plantains and yucca. These vegetables are higher in starch than other vegetables and are metabolized in your body more like a grain. When used whole, they provide adequate fiber and nutrients. Why choose whole grains and starchy vegetables? They are a rich source of fiber and naturally low in fat as well as being an important source of vitamins and minerals, such as B vitamins, Vitamin E, folate, selenium, zinc and iron. They contain a variety of phyto-chemicals and antioxidants and usually have a low glycemic index, which helps to regulate blood sugar levels . Specific Considerations - The Glycemic Index (GI) is a scale that ranks carbohydrate-rich foods by how much they raise blood glucose levels. Choose wisely – try to choose low and medium GI foods more often than high GI foods. A GI of 55 or less ranks as low; a GI of 56 to 69 is medium, and a GI of 70 or more ranks as high. A high glycemic diet may result in: insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, weight gain, and heart disease Milled Grains, Starchy Vegetables and Low Fiber Diets: Adding fiber-rich foods to milled or processed grains can lower the Glycemic Index and Glyclemic Load. Therefore, foods such as pasta and white rice can be part of a healthy diet when combined with high fiber foods such as vegetables or beans.
OILS (3-9 servings per day) Most commercial oils come from plant sources, such as nuts and seeds. Oils are an important part of a balanced diet because, besides being a rich source of energy, they provide essential fatty acids, which are the building blocks for cell membranes, especially cells in growing brains. Oils help the body absorb certain vitamins, such as A, D, E, and K, and contribute to healthier skin. Most oils come from the seeds of plants, which are crushed and pressed to remove the oil. Heat can damage oils and alter the fatty acids, creating harmful substances Recent research shows that the total amount of fat in the diet, whether high or low, isn't really linked with disease. What is really important is the type of fat in the diet. Bad fats increase the risk for certain diseases and good fats lower the risk. A good source of healthy unsaturated fats include olive, canola, soy, corn, sunflower, peanut, and other vegetable oils, as well as fatty fish such as salmon. These healthy fats not only improve cholesterol levels but can also protect the heart. The bad fats consist of Saturated fats and Trans fats. Saturated fats are mainly animal fats. They are found in meat, seafood, whole-milk dairy products (cheese, milk, and ice cream), poultry skin, and egg yolks. Some plant foods are also high in saturated fats, including coconut and coconut oil, palm oil, and palm kernel oil. Saturated fats raise total blood cholesterol levels more than dietary cholesterol because they tend to boost both good HDL and bad LDL cholesterol. Trans fatty acids are fats produced by heating liquid vegetable oils in the presence of hydrogen. This process is known as hydrogenation. Trans fats are even worse for cholesterol levels than saturated fats because they raise bad LDL and lower good HDL. Recommended servings per day: 3-9 servings per day (on a 2,000 calorie diet, about 30% or 600 calories should come from total fat per day) What are the different types of healthy fats and oils? Mono-unsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) are found mainly in vegetable oils, nuts, seeds and some plant foods. They are known to have a beneficial impact on heart health and other chronic illness. Omega-3 fatty acids are a type of poly-unsaturated fatty acid (PUFA). They are an essential component of the human diet because our bodies cannot make them. These fats are necessary for proper brain growth and development. Omega-3s are most abundant in deep-water fatty fish and some plant foods. They are anti-inflammatory and may be helpful in the prevention and treatment of numerous conditions. Why choose healthy fats? Healthy fatty acids in the diet, in appropriate quantities, can be beneficial for the prevention and treatment of: diabetes, heart disease, cancer, obesity, musculo-skeletal pain and inflammatory conditions. Some healthy fats are a source of omega-3 fatty acids which may be helpful in the prevention and treatment of: heart disease, high blood pressure, inflammation, mental health disorders, diabetes, digestive disorders, autoimmune disease, and cancer. They also provide antioxidants such as vitamin E and selenium. Saturated Fat: Saturated fat is found mostly in animal fats. Saturated fat is the main culprit in raising total and LDL-cholesterol. In general, red meat (fatty beef, lamb, pork, ham, duck, and goose) has more saturated fat than white meat (turkey or chicken without skin) or fish.
Trans Fats: Hydrogenated fats are liquid vegetable fats that have been processed to become solid at room temperature, through the addition of hydrogen atoms . Hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated fats contain harmful trans fatty acids as a result of the hydrogenation process. Trans fatty acids may act like saturated fats in the body and should be limited as much as possible. Beware of deep-fried food. A potential cancer-causing chemical has been found in some fried food items. Acrylamide is a potential human carcinogen that has been found in food with high starch content cooked at high temperatures, therefore lowering the cooking temperature is an easy and effective way to reduce Acrylamide in fried foods Keep in mind that deep fried foods may also say, “fried in vegetable oil”, but it is often hydrogenated vegetable oil.
FRUITS AND VEGETABLES (2 - 3 times): Recommended servings per day? Overall: more than 7 servings Vegetables: unlimited (minimum 5 servings) Fruits: 2-4 servings Specific Considerations: Phytochemicals: are a substance derived from a plant. The term the terms "phytochemical" and "phytonutrient" are being used interchangeably to describe those plant compounds which are thought to have health-protecting qualities. antioxidant, immune boosting and other health promoting properties of active compounds in plants are being investigated. Phytonutrients or phytochemicals that are being studied presently include but are not limited to terpenes, carotenoids, limonoids, and phytosterols. Antioxidants: are substances that allow the human body to neutralize unstable molecules, commonly called free radicals. They may also target and repair DNA mutations caused by oxidation. The most well known phyto-chemicals are the antioxidants, which are a chemical compound or substance that inhibits oxidation. A substance, such as vitamin E, vitamin C, or Beta-Carotene are thought to protect body cells from the damaging effects of oxidation. Antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables protect cells from damage caused by free radicals as well as toxic substances from food and the environment. As our bodies use oxygen to produce energy, these free radicals are formed. They damage cells, which may lead to cellular dysfunction and disease Colorful plant foods are loaded with antioxidants so eating a variety of fruits and vegetables is a great way to protect the body from oxidation Phytochemicals contribute to the pigments of fruits and vegetables, such as:
NUTS AND LEGUMES (1 - 3 times) Nuts and legumes are excellent sources of protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Legumes include black beans, navy beans, garbanzos and other dried beans. Many kinds of nuts contain healthy fats.
Recommended servings per day? 1-3 servings per day What are legumes? Legumes are a group of plants including alfalfa, clovers, beans and peas that are able to convert or "fix" atmospheric nitrogen into a form usable by plants and animals. Once "fixed", the nitrogen found in legumes becomes an essential building block for various proteins. Various foods in this category metabolize differently and provide different nutrients. For example, peanuts contain more fat and less carbohydrates than other legumes. Sugar snap peas contain less calories, carbohydrates, and protein per serving than other legumes. Soybeans are unique for their high isoflavone and essential amino content.
FISH, POULTRY, AND EGGS (0 - 2 times) Protein is an important component of every cell in the body. Hair and nails are mostly made of protein. Your body uses protein to build and repair tissues. You also use protein to make enzymes, hormones, and other body chemicals. Protein is an important building block of bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood. Along with fat and carbohydrates, protein is a "macro-nutrient," meaning that the body needs relatively large amounts of it. Vitamins and minerals, which are needed in only small quantities, are called "micronutrients." Experts are still not entirely sure how much protein we need. There are varying idea of protein intake suggesting that 56-68g of protein a day for a man, and 48-54g for a woman. It is recommended that eating 10% of our daily energy as protein will provide an adequate amount. People do not get enough protein. Protein malnutrition leads to the condition known as kwashiorkor. Lack of protein can cause growth failure, loss of muscle mass, decreased immunity, weakening of the heart and respiratory system, and death. Too much protein releases acids that the body which is neutralized with calcium and other buffering agents in the blood. Eating lots of protein takes a lot of calcium. Some of this may be pulled from bone.
DAIRY or CALCIUM SUPPLEMENT (1- 2 times) Building bone and keeping bones strong takes calcium, vitamin D and exercise. The body gets the calcium it needs in two ways. One is by eating foods that contain calcium. A good source include dairy products, which have the highest concentration per serving of highly absorbable calcium, and dark leafy greens or dried beans, which have varying amounts of absorbable calcium. The other way the body gets calcium is by pulling it from bones. This happens when blood levels of calcium drop too low. If you don't like dairy products, calcium supplements offer an easy and inexpensive way to get your daily calcium.
RED MEAT & BUTTER (Use Sparingly) Contain lots of saturated fat. Instead of eating red meat every day, switching to fish or chicken several times a week can improve cholesterol levels and so can switching from butter to olive oil.
WHITE RICE, WHITE BREAD & PASTA, POTATOES, SODA AND SWEETS (Use Sparingly): These can cause rapid increases in blood sugar that can lead to weight gain, diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic disorders. Whole-grain carbohydrates cause slower, steadier increases in blood sugar.
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