Frequently
Asked Questions
What
is considered "healthy
eating?"
Healthy eating is
defined by the Dietary
Guidelines for Americans,
developed by the
US Department of
Agriculture. They
include these points:
Aim for fitness:
- Aim for a healthy
weight
- Be physically
active each day
Build a healthy
base:
- Let the Food Pyramid
guide your food
choices
- Choose a variety
of grains daily,
especially whole
grains
- Choose a variety
of fruits and vegetables
daily
- Keep food 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.
Source: Dietary
Guidelines for Americans,
2000 (USDA)
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What
are macronutrients?
How much of each
one do I need?
Protein, fat, carbohydrates
and water are considered
macronutrients:
Protein is
present in meats,
poultry, fish, eggs,
cheese, milk, legumes.
It should make up
15% of your daily
caloric intake.
Fat is present
in oils, butter,
margarine, mayonnaise.
It should make up
30 percent or less
of your daily caloric
intake.
Carbohydrates
are present in grains,
potatoes, breads,
cereals, fruits
and vegetables.
They should make
up 55% or more of
your daily caloric
intake.
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Should
I eat a variety
of foods?
Absolutely! By eating
a variety of foods
from each of the
five food groups
in the Food Guide
Pyramid, you can
get all the nutrients
your body needs.
Selecting a variety
of foods not only
increases the likelihood
that you'll get
the vitamins, minerals
and other nutrients
you need but also
adds pleasure to
eating by offering
new taste experiences.
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What
are the benefits
of eating at least
5 servings of fruits
and vegetables a
day?
When it comes to
fruits and vegetables,
more is better.
By eating five servings
of fruits and vegetables
each day, you'll
be helping your
body stay healthy.
Fruits and vegetables
are low in fat and
calories and are
cholesterol-free.
They provide vitamins,
minerals, antioxidants
and fiber -- all
of which help prevent
disease and maintain
good health.
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How
can food labels
help me eat well?
Food labels can
help health-conscious
consumers compare
products and purchase
items that offer
the nutrition they
are looking for.
Because health claims
on labels have standard
meanings, it's easy
to compare products
and feel confident
about the information
youíre getting.
Here are some common
definitions:
- "Fat free"- less
than one half gram
of fat per serving
- "Low fat"- 3 grams
or less fat in a
serving
- "Sugar-free"-
less than one half
gram of sugars per
serving
The terms "lite,"
"reduced," "high,"
"more" and "rich
in" also have universal
definitions.
Reading food labels
in itself may also
have an impact on
your food intake.
A study in the January
1999 Journal of
the American Dietetics
Association found
that people who
read Nutrition Facts
labels on packaged
foods tend to eat
up to 6% less fat
than those who don't.
Even a small reductions
are enough to decrease
your risk for diet-related
chronic conditions
such as obesity
and cancer.
Should
I pay attention
to serving sizes
and portions?
Yes! Choosing the
right serving size
is almost more important
than what you choose
to eat. It's the
quantity you eat
that racks up the
calories. You need
to keep your portion
sizes in check to
meet your nutritional
needs.
Also, health claims
on food labels are
based on a standard
serving size, so
if your portion
is a different size,
the fat, calories,
sugar and other
nutrients will also
be different. Here
are some standard
servings:
Grains
1 slice of bread
1/2 bun, bagel or
English muffin (size
of a hockey puck)
1/2 cup rice or
cooked cereal (equal
to a cupcake wrapper)
1/2 cup pasta (an
ice cream scoop)
1 small roll, biscuit
or muffin
Fruits
1 medium piece (tennis
ball size)
1/2 cup (size of
a light bulb)
XX cup fruit juice
Vegetables
1 cup of raw leafy
vegetables
1/2 cup of other
vegetables, cooked
or raw
Meat
2-3 ounces cooked
meat, fish or poultry
(this measures up
to a deck of cards)
1 egg or 2 tablespoons
peanut butter equals
1 ounce of meat.
Dairy products
(milk, yogurt, cheese)
1 cup of milk
1 1/2 ounces natural
cheese (1 ounce
of cheese is about
the size of 4 dice)
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Do
I need to eat breakfast
every day?
Yes. Breakfast is
an important start
to your day. Studies
of school children
show that students
have better attention
spans and are better
able to learn new
information when
they've eaten breakfast.
Also, eating three
meals a day can
help you stick to
your healthy eating
goals. It's been
found that if you
go long periods
-- greater than
8 to 12 hours --
without food, your
body prepares itself
to starve. In this
situation, people
are physiologically
attracted to higher
calorie, sugar and
fat foods and less
able to control
the impulse to indulge.
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How
much water do I
need every day?
Most healthy people
need 2 to 2 1/2
liters of fluid
per day. And many
people don't get
enough.
The Nationwide
Food Consumption
Surveys indicate
that a portion of
the population may
be chronically mildly
dehydrated. Factors
that may increase
the likelihood of
dehydration include,
poor thirst mechanism,
dissatisfaction
with the taste of
water, common consumption
of natural diuretics
like caffeine and
alcohol, participation
in exercise and
environmental conditions.
Losing as little
as 2% body weight
from dehydration
can result in impaired
physiological performance
and response.
A good rule of
thumb is to try
to consume eight
8 oz glasses of
water per day to
be adequately hydrated.
Fruits and vegetables
also contain substantial
amount of water.
In addition, people
who are dieting
find that drinking
plenty of water
helps curb appetite.
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Do
you recommend a
daily multivitamin?
Good food choices
can provide the
variety and balance
of vitamins, minerals
and other nutrients
you need for good
health. However,
sometimes making
healthful selections
is a challenge.
At times a multivitamin
and mineral supplement
may be beneficial.
A supplement might
help if you frequently
are not able to
eat the recommended
number of servings
from the food Guide
Pyramid, if you
are on a very low
calorie weight loss
diet (though be
sure to talk to
a doctor before
dieting), or if
you are a strict
vegetarian.
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How
important is exercise
for overall health?
Very important!
Appropriate exercise
helps to improve
and maintain health
in many ways. Exercise
is often prescribed
as the first line
of treatment for
many diseases and
helps to keep blood
pressure and stress
under control and
reduces your risk
of heart disease,
diabetes, and osteoporosis.
Exercise can improve
your mental outlook.
And it increases
metabolism because,
as you exercise,
you gain muscle,
which uses more
calories than fat
tissue but takes
up less space. Also,
your leaner body
uses extra energy
both while you are
exercising and for
24 hours afterwards.
Studies have shown
that people who
lose weight by restricting
calorie intake and
increasing activity
are able to maintain
that weight loss
longer than those
who lose weight
by dieting alone.
Energy from exercise
comes either from
food or body fat.
Even if burning
body fat is your
goal, your muscles
still need energy
from carbohydrates
to get moving, as
your body can only
store small amounts
of carbohydrates.
So be sure your
body has the carbohydrates
it needs for exercise
by eating plenty
of grain products,
legumes, vegetables
and fruits.
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If
you are under stress,
do you need extra
vitamins or nutrients?
It is a myth that
our bodies use more
nutrients when we
are under mental
or emotional stress.
Many people under
stress donít eat
well, but our bodies
do not use any more
or less essential
nutrients when under
stress. This is
not say, however,
that physiological
stress such as surgery,
certain disease
conditions or infection
does not affect
nutritional needs.
Physiological stress
can cause us to
require more protein,
calories or micronutrients.
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I
keep hearing about
diets in the news.
How can I tell if
they're OK or not?
Before starting
on a diet, be sure
to talk to your
health care provider.
Also, avoid fad
diets or plans that
eliminate entire
categories of foods.
By avoiding groups
of foods you may
be cheating yourself
of important disease
fighting nutrients
such as antioxidants.
"Everything in moderation"
are words to eat
by!
Finally, if you
are looking for
sound nutrition
advice, contact
a registered dietitian
(RD).
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Written by:
Lauren M. Hudson,
MS, RD, Clinical
Manager
Carolyn T. Spencer,
RD, CNSD, Clinical
Dietitian
Elizabeth Gordon,
MS, Dietetic Technician
Last updated on
June 7, 2000
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