New Dietary Guidelines: Nutrition Advice That You Can Act On...One Step At A Time (NAPSA)—Whetherit’s a lowcarb, low-fat or high-protein approach, no matter whom you talk to today, just about everyone has a different opinion on how to maintain a healthy body weight and be nutritious. The bottom line is, everyone has different needs and the same approach will not work for everyone. The recently released 2005 Dietary Guidelines provide the foundation upon which to base unique dietary needs and food choices. Based on a scientific body of research, the Guidelines suggest that the best diet for long-term weight management and overall health is one that includes more nutrient-rich foods such as nonfat and low-fat dairy products, whole grains, fish, fruits and vegetables and that allows for diets to be “tailored” or customized to meet individual needs, lifestyles and goals. The basis of the new Guidelines is simple: people need to eat fewer calories, engage in more physical activity and make wiser food choices. For the first time in 25 years, the Dietary Guidelines recommend moredaily servings of dairy foods for bone health. In addition, research shows that people do not need to avoid dairy products because of concerns that these foods lead to weight gain. When cutting calories to lose weight, three servings of milk, cheese or yogurt each day actually help people burn more fat and lose more weight than just cutting calories alone. According to the Guidelines, for weight loss we need to cut the calories we take in and boost the * Consumethree or more servings of whole grain products per day, with the rest of the recommended grains coming from enriched products. * Consumea sufficient amount and variety of fruits and vegetables. Two cups of fruit and 24% cups of vegetables per day are recommended for a reference 2,000- Three servings of milk, cheese or yogurt each day mayactually help people burn more fat and lose more weight than cutting calories alone. calories we burn through physical activity. The new Guidelines say 30 minutes of physical activity is the minimum we need and is effective in warding off diseases such as osteoporosis and diabetes. However, to help manage body weight and keep from gaining weight in the future, you may need to increase your activity to 60 minutes a day. Sixty to 90 minutes is recommended to keep from regaining weight lost. A wide variety of activities count toward this physical activity goal, such as walking, bicycling and gardening. The report specifically recommends increasing numbers of foods that recent research has found ward off disease and improvehealth. Consumethree cups per day of low-fat or nonfat milk or equivalent milk products. calorie intake. The Dietary Guidelines serve as a practical plan for achieving good health and disease prevention through diet by offering two eating patterns for people to follow—the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Guide and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) Eating Plan, an eating plan rich in low-fat dairy products, fruits and vegetables. If the recommendations outlined in the Dietary Guidelines represent a major lifestyle shift for you, consider making small changes over time. It could be as simple as snacking on low-fat string cheese instead of chips or walking on lunch breaks rather than reading the paper. Be creative and find lifestyle changes that you can stick with. To make the 2005 Dietary Guidelines actionable in your kitchen, and learn more about simple steps you and your family can take to achieve better nutrition and physical activity, log on to www.mealsmatter.org for quick and easy meal and snack ideas. You can also find out more about the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) Eating Plan by visiting http://www.dairycouncil ofca.org//asp/stream.asp?File=1.
