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Information on diseases and health concerns, including symptoms, treatment options, and prevention.

Healthy Eating

Overview

How can I start eating healthier?

Healthy eating means choosing a variety of foods from the basic food groups : meat and meat substitutes; dairy; fruits and vegetables; grains, such as breads and pasta; and a limited amount of fats and sweets. As simple as this sounds, it’s not always easy to get the nutrition you need. You may eat more of your favorite foods from only one food group, and as a result, get less of other food groups. Or perhaps you opt for convenience over quality when you are hungry.

Healthy eating requires some planning and purpose and an effort to include a variety of foods in your meals. If you look closely at how you eat, you might find you aren't getting enough nutrients because you don't get the recommended number of servings from each food group.

So, not only is it important to pay attention to what you eat but also to what food groups you may not eat enough of. To accomplish this, keep a food diary of everything you eat and drink for 1 week. Pay attention to serving sizes, and check to see if you are eating a variety of foods from each of the food groups. You don't need to meet the minimum number every day, but try to get the recommended intake on average over a week. If you are not getting the recommended amount of servings from each food group, you may be missing important nutrients. For example, if you rarely eat fruits or vegetables, you may not get enough vitamin C, beta-carotene, or potassium. Making a few small changes can help ensure that you're eating a variety of healthy foods.

Do I have to make dramatic changes in how I eat?

After you are aware of food groups that you may be missing or other ways that your eating is out of balance, you can begin to make a few small changes toward healthier eating habits. For example, simply adding a yogurt as a snack might be enough to meet your milk servings. Adding a sliced banana to your cereal will take care of a fruit serving.

Paying attention to serving sizes is also important. You may not know that a serving size of cereal is only 1 oz (28 g), which is ½ to 1 cup for most cereals. That means a typical bowl full of cereal is usually far more than a serving. So instead of a big bowl of cereal and milk for breakfast, have one or two servings (1 to 2 oz) of cereal with a sliced banana, and have a small glass (1 cup) of juice. Try low-fat or nonfat milk or soy milk instead of whole milk on your cereal to reduce the amount of fat you take in.

If you find that you rarely eat fruits or vegetables, make it a goal to include a serving or two at each meal. Only ½ cup of a cooked vegetable or 1 cup of salad greens counts as one serving. Drinking a small can of tomato juice, adding lettuce to your sandwich, putting tomato sauce on your pasta—these are all ways to boost your vegetable servings.

As you make changes, continue with your food diary. Set a weekly goal as you add or change what you are eating. For example, this week make it your goal to order a salad instead of french fries, add vegetables to your pizza, or bring a yogurt to work every day.

Just remember, food is one of life's greatest pleasures. All foods, if eaten in moderation, can be a part of healthy eating. If your favorite foods are high in fat, salt, sugar, and calories, limit how often you eat them, eat smaller servings, or look for healthy substitutes. Your key to healthy, balanced eating is moderation. Eat a wide variety of foods, especially those high in nutrients, such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products, lean meats, fish, poultry, cooked dry beans, nuts, and seeds.

Can eating healthier protect me from diseases?

Healthy eating can actually help you lower your risk for disease.

To prevent disease, the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend eating lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat or nonfat dairy products. The guidelines also emphasize balancing the food you eat with your activity to maintain your weight, drinking alcohol in moderation (no more than 2 drinks a day for men and 1 drink a day for women), and limiting foods high in salt, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, and added sugar.

Do I need to follow a low-salt, low-carbohydrate, or low-fat diet?

Everyone can benefit from eating healthy foods, but not everyone has the same nutritional needs. Pregnant women, growing children, and older adults will have different needs for certain nutrients. People who have high blood pressure need to watch how much salt they eat. Those who have high cholesterol may be on a cholesterol-lowering diet that restricts saturated and trans fats and cholesterol. And people who have diabetes will need to spread the carbohydrate that they eat throughout the day.

If you are generally healthy and don't have health issues that require a special diet, it's still wise to watch how much salt, fat, and added sugar you eat, in order to prevent diseases such as heart disease and high blood pressure. Limit the amount of salt you get by eating as many fresh foods as possible. Processed foods, fast food, and restaurant foods are the major sources of dietary sodium. Prepared foods, such as soups, snack foods, and canned foods, are also extremely high in salt. Also watch the amount of fat you eat. Replace saturated and trans fats with monounsaturated fats such as olive oil and canola oil. Include healthy omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, walnuts, flaxseed, and canola oil.

Low-carbohydrate diets may help some people lose weight initially, but they may not be healthy over a long period of time. Low-carb diets are high in total fat and saturated fat and are low in fiber. They also restrict grains, fruits, and vegetables, which protect against disease and provide important nutrients. The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans list fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat milk products as food groups to choose from, for the greatest benefit.

Does eating healthier mean I have to go on a diet?

Eating healthier does not mean that you need to go on a restrictive diet. Eating healthier means making changes that you can stay with over time. Consistently eating foods that are low in saturated fats and trans fats and that include whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats (such as olive oil) will lower your risk for disease.

Being physically active along with healthy eating will improve your health even further. Regular physical activity significantly reduces the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, type 2 diabetes, obesity, anxiety, depression, and cancers of the breast and colon.¹

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