The Dietary Guidelines for Americans

Aim for Fitness

Aim for a healthful weight

Research clearly shows that being overweight greatly increases your risk for many diseases, including heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. If you are overweight, combining a healthful eating plan with regular physical activity is the most effective way to lose weight and to sustain the loss (see sidebar: Diet and Exercise—The Perfect Pair, page 10). If you are at a healthy weight, your goal is to maintain that weight.

Be physically active each day

Everyone—young and old—can improve their health by being more active. Choose activities that you enjoy and can do regularly. Although you will gain more health benefits with high-intensity exercise that lasts 30 minutes or more, low-to-moderate activities can be part of your routine. For some people, this means fitting more activity of daily living into your usual routine. This could include using the elevator less and using the stairs more, parking farther from rather than closer to your destination, gardening, or golfing without a cart. For others, a more structured program might be preferred, such as at a worksite or health club. Whichever you choose, the goal is to include at least 30 minutes of activity every day.

The need for regular physical activity is so important that the Surgeon General of the United States has issued a report entitled Physical Activity and Health, which has its own guidelines for achieving activity. They are the following:


• Physical activity should be performed regularly. Include a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate physical activity (such as brisk walking) on most, if not all, days of the week. For most people, greater health benefits can be obtained by engaging in activity that is more vigorous or of longer duration.

• Previously sedentary people should start with short durations of moderate activities and gradually increase duration or intensity.

• Physical activity should be supplemented with strength-enhancing exercises at least twice a week to improve musculoskeletal health, maintain independence in performing the activities of daily life, and reduce the risk of falling.

• Consult with a physician before beginning a new physical activity program if you have—or are at risk for—a medical condition (such as heart disease, high blood pressure, or diabetes), or if you are a man older than 40 years or a woman older than 50.

Build a Healthy Base

Let the Pyramid guide your food choices

Your body needs more than 40 nutrients and other substances for good health. No one food can give you all the nutrients your body needs, no matter how much you enjoy it or how nutritious the food is. By eating a wide variety of foods each day, you will keep your meals exciting and you will achieve the balance of nutrients that best ensures good health. (See page 11 for more information on the Food Guide Pyramid.)

Dietary Guidelines for Americans

The ABCs of good health

aim for Fitness

• Aim for a healthful 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 foods safe to eat

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

Choose a variety of grains daily, especially whole grains

Choosing a diet rich in grains, especially whole grains, reduces your risk of many diseases. These foods provide different types of vitamins, minerals, and fiber, as well as phytochemicals—important plant substances that may be beneficial to health. Rely on a wide variety of these foods rather than supplements as your source of nutrients, fiber, and phytochemicals. Aim for 6 servings each day—more if you are very active—and include several servings of whole-grain foods.

Choose a variety of fruits and vegetables daily

Fruits and vegetables are essential in your diet. They provide many vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and fiber, and they are low in calories and provide no fat. The goal is to have at least 2 servings of fruit and 3 servings of vegetables every day. Variety is important. Choose different colors and kinds of fruits and vegetables.

Diet and Exercise—The Perfect Pair

Diet along with exercise is the most effective way to lose weight. A deficit of500 calories daily can add up to a loss of1 pound a week. Here are some suggestions for skimming approximately 250 to 300 calories off your daily diet and for burning an additional 250 calories through increased physical activity.

Diet

Exercise

Decrease usual meat intake by 3 to 4 ounces daily

Walk at a moderate pace for 60 minutes daily

Cut butter, margarine, or oil by 2 tablespoons daily

Garden for 50 minutes daily

Eliminate two 12-ounce cans of sweetened carbonated beverages daily

Swim laps for 30 minutes daily Jog 25 minutes daily

Decrease beer intake by two 12-ounce cans daily

Bike briskly for 25 minutes daily

Do not eat a candy bar

 

Keep foods safe to eat

Food safety is vital. It starts well before you purchase food. However, the steps you control also make a difference. They include making sure you have clean hands and work surfaces—before and during the handling of food. Take care to separate raw, cooked, and ready-to-eat foods at all times. Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. Make sure to cook food to the proper temperature. Refrigerate perishable foods and leftovers promptly. Follow the dates on containers. And finally, when in doubt, throw it out.

Choose Sensibly

Choose a diet that is low in saturated fat and cholesterol and moderate in total fat

Fat is a nutrient that is essential for health, but too much fat in your diet, especially saturated fat, increases your risk of several diseases, including heart disease. Most important, learn to identify the sources of fats, saturated fats, and cholesterol, and make healthful food choices.

Choose beverages and foods to moderate your intake of sugars

Some foods that contain natural sugar (such as fruits, vegetables, and milk products) also contain essential nutrients. Others, such as table sugar, sugar-sweetened carbonated beverages, candy, and some baked goods, supply calories but few other nutrients. When consuming sugar, moderation is key.

Choose and prepare foods with less salt

Sodium, a nutrient, is a major part of table salt (sodium chloride). It is found naturally in many foods in small amounts. Salt and sodium compounds are also added to processed foods, and salt may be used in cooking or added at the table. Reducing sodium intake lowers high blood pressure in some individuals. Moderation in sodium intake is recommended.

If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation

Alcoholic beverages (beer, wine, and hard liquor) are a source of extra calories. When consumed in excess, alcohol can impair judgment, result in dependency, and lead to several serious health problems. However, evidence suggests that a moderate intake of alcohol is associated with a lower risk of disease of the heart and blood vessels (cardiovascular disease) in some individuals. Discuss the consumption of alcohol with your health care provider. (See sidebar: Alcohol and Health, page 387.)

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