Five Food Groups Dietary Guidelines!

Here’s some information on the Five Food Groups Dietary Guidelines for Americans.   According to the American Medical Association and the National Academy of Science, consume at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day for good health and to avoid cancer, heart disease, and other health risks. According to the U.S. Surgeon General, 68% of all disease is diet related. The Standard American Diet is out of balance, consisting of far too much saturated fat, sugar, sodium, and cholesterol.

Fiber is lacking as is regular exercise and supplements of Vitamins, minerals, and other health supplements that you’ll read about that have benefited multitudes of Americans and healthy people throughout the world.  I put it a Q & A format for ease of reading and comprehending.

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What should Americans eat to stay healthy?

The Standard American Diet has too many calories, too much fat, too much cholesterol, and too much sodium.  The American diet has too little complex carbohydrates and fiber.  Such a diet is linked to America’s high rates of obesity and of certain diseases: heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, and some forms of cancer.

Food alone cannot make you absolutely 100% healthy.  Good health also depends on your heredity, your environment, and the health care you get.  Your lifestyle is very important: how much do you exercise, do you smoke, are you around second-hand smoke, do you abuse alcohol, do you abuse drugs.

The first guideline for eating to stay healthy is EAT A VARIETY OF FOODS.  The second guideline is to CHANGE YOUR DIET TO BE LOWER IN SATURATED FAT, HIGHER IN COMPLEX CARBOHYDRATES & FIBER.  The third guideline is MODERATE USE OF SUGARS, SALT, and if used at all alcoholic beverages and tobacco products.  You need more than 40 different nutrients for good health.

Essential nutrients include Vitamins, minerals, amino acids from protein, certain fatty acids from fat and sources of calories (protein, carbohydrates, and fat). One way to assure variety is to choose foods each day from five major food groups.  Individuals who do not eat foods from one or more of the food groups may want to contact a dietitian for help in planning how to meet nutritional needs.

FIVE FOOD GROUPS                                SUGGESTED SERVINGS

Vegetables                                                            03 to 05 servings

Fruits                                                                    02 to 04 servings

Breads, Cereals, Rice & Pasta                             06 to 11 servings

Milk, Yogurt & Cheese                                        02 to 03 servings

Meats, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans                         02 to 03 servings                                                                                              and Peas, Eggs and Nuts.

Consume saturated fats, hydrogenated oils, refined sugars, and sodium SPARINGLY (avoid completely if possible).  Choose a Diet Low in Cholesterol, Saturated Fat, Sodium, and Sugar.

Most health authorities recommend a diet with less saturated fat and cholesterol.  Populations like the American populace, which have diets high in fat, have higher percentages of obesity and certain types of cancer.  Diets that have higher levels of saturated fat and cholesterol are linked to increased risk for heart disease.

A diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may help to maintain a desirable level of blood cholesterol.  For adults, this level is below 200 mg/dl.  As blood cholesterol increases above this level, greater risk for heart disease occurs.  Heart disease risk may increase by high blood pressure, cigarette smoking, diabetes, history of heart disease in the family, obesity, and being male.  Table salt contains sodium and chloride.

Both sodium and chloride are essential in the diet.  However, most Americans eat far too much salt.  Many foods already contain the sodium needed in our diet.  In the U.S, one in three adults has high blood pressure.  If these people restrict their salt and sodium, usually their blood pressure will fall.  It is important for most people eat less salt and sodium.  Reduction will benefit those people with high blood pressure as well as a preventative for those who haven’t high blood pressure.

Americans eat sugars in many forms.  Both sugars and starches, which break down into sugars, can contribute to tooth decay.  Sugars and starches are in many foods that also supply nutrients-milk, fruits, some vegetables, breads, cereals, and other foods.

If You Have To Drink Alcoholic Beverages, Do So in Moderation.  Alcoholic beverages supply calories but little or no nutrients.  Drinking them has no health benefit, is linked with many health problems, is the cause of many accidents, and can lead to addiction.  Women who are pregnant or trying to conceive should AVOID consuming alcohol.

Major birth defects have been attributed to heavy drinking by the mother while pregnant.  There is no conclusive evidence that an occasional drink is harmful, but why take a chance and make a mistake that will last you and your baby a lifetime!

Individuals who plan on driving or engaging in other activities that require attention or skill should REFRAIN from consuming alcohol.  Most people retain some alcohol in the blood 03 to 05 hours after even moderate drinking.

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What’s moderate drinking?

Women:   No more than 01 drink a day.

Men:     No more than 02 drinks a day.

A drink:  12 ounces of regular beer or 05 ounces of wine or 01 1/2 ounces of distilled spirits (80 proof).

Note:  The ‘Five Food Groups Dietary Guidelines’ are just guidelines.  There are many alternative health care practice that succeed where conventional healthcare applications have failed.

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