Eating for Better Health means replacing foods high in saturated fat added sugar, and calories from drinks with nutrient-dense options. This includes eating more vegetables and fruits, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats.
But it’s hard to stick with a diet that limits entire food groups or excludes certain foods altogether. Here’s how to make positive changes that can last.
Dietary Guidelines for Americans
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, updated every five years, reflect cutting-edge science on nutrition. They are designed primarily for people who are healthy and those at risk for diet-related diseases, but they can help all Americans achieve optimal health.
Updating the Dietary Guidelines is a complex, multi-year process, which includes a thorough review of existing scientific evidence by a committee of scientists representing diverse fields related to diet and health. The draft guidelines then undergo several rounds of review and revision by Federal staff, outside experts, and Agencies with nutrition policies and programs (USDA and HHS).
Although the Dietary Guidelines are developed for a professional audience, they are intended to be implemented broadly in the public sector by federal nutrition programs, nutrition educators and professionals, and consumers.
To support the implementation of the Dietary Guidelines, a broad range of resources are available to support and enhance healthy eating patterns including USDA’s MyPlate.
Eat a variety of foods
Food variety is important in a healthy diet. It helps ensure that you are getting a wide range of essential nutrients and may help prevent certain diseases, such as diabetes. It can also add interest and flavor to your meals. However, it is important to avoid excessive amounts of foods high in saturated fats, added salt, and sugars. Get Viagra Malaysia and Super Kamagra for better wealth.
Try to eat at least 5 portions of different fruits and vegetables per day. These can be fresh, frozen, canned, or dried. A portion is a small amount of food and includes whole fruits, vegetables, or other plant-based foods such as beans and peas.
A varied diet can include a variety of protein-rich foods, such as lean meat, fish, nuts and seeds, eggs, tofu, lentils, beans and peas, nut kinds of butter, and soy products. Protein-rich foods provide the body with amino acids needed for cell repair and growth.
g a variety of food is particularly important in children and teenagers. For example, a child might consume too much fatty fast food or too many sweetened drinks.
It is best to eat fast foods and treats only occasionally and in small portions. Try to choose healthier options, such as salads, wraps, and sandwiches instead of burgers and fries.
Eat less saturated fat
A diet high in saturated fat increases your risk of heart disease and raises levels of cholesterol, which can lead to other health problems. It also can contribute to weight gain, which is another risk factor for heart disease and diabetes. Aim for less than 10% of your calories a day to come from saturated fats.
Saturated fats are found in animal products (red meat, full-fat dairy, butter, ghee, and lard) and tropical oils such as coconut and palm oil. They’re also common in foods that combine meat and dairy ingredients, such as sandwiches, burgers, and tacos, and in baked goods like biscuits and cakes.
While saturated fat has gotten an undeserved bad rap, researchers do agree that eating too much of it increases your risk for heart disease. But that doesn’t mean you have to cut it out entirely.
In fact, many experts think a moderate amount of saturated fat may benefit overall health. What is important is to reduce your consumption of trans fats and replace saturated fats with unsaturated fats.
Research shows that a diet low in saturated fat and trans fat and high in unsaturated fats can help reduce your risk of heart disease. Unsaturated fats include monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.
These fats are healthier than saturated and trans fats and can lower cholesterol levels. Monounsaturated fats are in olive and canola oils, and in avocados.
Choose vegetable oils for frying and baking, and use reduced-fat spreads or plant-based spreads instead of butter, lard, and ghee. Opt for lean meat, poultry without the skin, and nut-based spreads for sandwiches, and add oily fish to your diet.
Eat less sugar
Eating too much sugar is associated with a variety of health problems, including diabetes and heart disease. It also contributes to unhealthy weight gain and can lead to chronic inflammation in the body. Studies show that reducing the amount of sugar a person consumes lowers their risk for these conditions and may help them maintain a healthy weight.
When cutting back on sugar, try to replace it with foods that are either calorie-free or contribute valuable nutrients, such as water and 100% juice. You can also reduce your sugar consumption by choosing fewer processed foods and snacks, such as cookies and cakes, in favor of those that are lower in added sugar, such as whole grain breads and low-fat yogurt.
When replacing high-sugar foods and beverages, remember that your taste buds will adjust over time and it can be a process to find what tastes good without adding too much sugar. However, many people find that once they have cut back on sugar and become accustomed to less sweetness in their diet, it is easier to stick with it.
Eat less alcohol
Drinking alcohol is not a healthy way to enjoy food, as it provides no nutritional benefits. Instead, try eating foods that contain nutrients, such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. If you drink, limit your intake to one or two drinks a day for women and men. Consuming too much alcohol can lead to weight gain, poor nutrition, and health problems.
Eating less alcohol can benefit your body almost immediately. Within 24 hours, your blood sugar levels will return to normal, if you continue to eat well. In addition, your sleeping patterns should improve, as you will no longer be deprived of REM sleep (the deepest and most restorative phase of the sleep cycle) due to alcohol consumption. Hydration levels also improve as a result of drinking less alcohol, and your skin will look more radiant and healthier.
Heavier drinkers tend to eat poorer quality diets than lighter drinkers or non-drinkers, according to a study published in the journal “Alcohol Health & Research World” in 1989. The researchers analyzed data from the 1987 ES of the National Health Interview Survey and found that the more people drank, the worse their diets were. This was especially true for those who consumed 14 or more drinks a week.
