Understanding Popular Diet Lingo: Seven SummerDiet Terms Defined In Everyday Language (NAPSA)—If getting into a bathing suit doesn’t always go swimmingly, you’re not alone. It’s something that presents a daunting challenge for the 45 million Americans who diet each year. Adding to that challenge is deciphering the ever-changing diet lingo. With terms like glycemic load, volumetrics and satiety currently floating around, it’s no wonder that many dieters get lost in the shuffle—or waste precious time and money on ineffective weight-loss techniques. To ease the confusion, here’s a real-world translation of seven popular diet terms from the nutrition experts at the United States Potato Board (USPB). They, along with the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans and most of thescientific community, have long advocated a diet rich in fruits and vegetables as the key to healthy weight loss and to help ward off chronicillness. DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension)—DASHis an eating plan that is low in total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol and encourages the consumption of lots of fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products. The DASH plan grew out of research supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, which showed that blood pressure could be reduced by consuming foods high in certain key nutrients, namely potassium, magnesium,calcium andfiber. Macro- and Micronutrients—Theprefix macro generally refers to “large or big,” thus, a macronutrient is a nutrient required by the body in relatively large amounts. The macronutri- fe Your svelte future self starts with a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, including America’s favorite vegetable—the healthy potato. ents include carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Conversely, the prefix micro means “small,” thus, a micronutrient is one that is required by the body in relatively small amounts. The micronutrients include all vitamins and minerals. Nutrient Density—The amount of nutrients relative to the calorie value (nutrient density=nutrients per calorie). Foods that are high in nutrient density, such as fruits and vegetables, provide substantial amounts of vitamins and minerals for rela- tively few calories. Satiety—The physiological and psychological experience of “fullness” that comes after eating and/or drinking. Foods that have a high water and/or fiber content, such as fruits and vegetables, have been shown to promotesatiety. Australian researchers examined the satiety value of 38 different foods representing all the basic food groups and found that potatoes ranked highest. Other foods ranking high in satiety were fish, oat porridge, oranges, apples and whole-wheat pasta. Glycemic Index (GD—Originally developed as a tool for the dietary managementof diabetes, the GI generally describes the impact that 50 grams of a carbohydrate-rich food has on blood glucose levels relative to a reference food (typically either white bread or glucose). The GI has been gaining popularity amongdieters, although research does not sup- port its use as a planning tool for weight loss. Thus, it remains a highly controversial concept amongnutrition professionals. Glycemic Load—tTheglycemic load (GL) was developed as a way to place glycemic index (GI) in the context of an actual serving size vs. a 50-gram carbohydrate portion. The GL is calculated by multiplying the GI of a carbohydraterich food by the amount (grams) of carbohydrate in a servingsize. Volumetrics—Volumetrics is an eating plan for losing and main- taining body weight that emphasizes consuming low-calorie foods that “fill you up.” The USPB’s registered dietitians are educating the public about sensible nutrition and the importance of consuming plenty of fruits and vegetables including potatoes. Potatoes are an excel- lent source of potassium, a good source of vitamin C and fiber, and contain no fat, cholesterol or sodium. Potatoes fit into the new Dietary Guidelines and healthy weight management. For healthy recipe ideas and additional nutrition information about the defined terms, go to www.healthypotato.com.
