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In order to keep yourself in the
best shape possible, it's
essential to eat a healthy diet.
Find out exactly what you should
be eating on a regular basis.
If you are what you eat, it
follows that you want to stick
to a healthy diet that’s well
balanced. “You want to eat a
variety of foods,” says Stephen
Bickston, MD, AGAF, professor of
internal medicine and director
of the Inflammatory Bowel
Disease Center at Virginia
Commonwealth University Health
Center in Richmond. “You don’t
want to be overly restrictive of
any one food group or eat too
much of another.”
Healthy Diet: The Building
Blocks
The best source of meal planning
for most Americans is the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA)
and U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services Food Pyramid.
The pyramid, updated in 2005,
suggests that for a healthy diet
each day you should eat:
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6 to 8 servings
of grains. These
include bread,
cereal, rice,
and pasta, and
at least 3
servings should
be from whole
grains. A
serving of bread
is one slice
while a serving
of cereal is 1/2
(cooked) to 1
cup
(ready-to-eat).
A serving of
rice or pasta is
1/2 cup cooked
(1 ounce dry).
Save fat-laden
baked goods such
as croissants,
muffins, and
donuts for an
occasional
treat.
-
2 to 4 servings
of fruits and 4
to 6 servings of
vegetables. Most fruits
and vegetables are
naturally low in
fat, making them
a great addition
to your healthy
diet. Fruits and
vegetables also
provide the
fiber, vitamins,
and minerals you
need for your
body’s systems
to function at
peak
performance.
Fruits and
vegetables also
will add flavor
to a healthy
diet. It's best
to serve them
fresh, steamed,
or cut up in
salads. Be sure
to skip the
calorie-laden
toppings,
butter, and
mayonnaise,
except on
occasion. A
serving of raw
or cooked
vegetables is
equal to 1/2 cup
(1 cup for leafy
greens); a
serving of a
fruit is 1/2 cup
or a fresh fruit
the size of a
tennis ball.
-
2 to 3 servings
of milk, yogurt,
and cheese. Choose
dairy products
wisely. Go for
fat-free or
reduced-fat milk
or cheeses.
Substitute
yogurt for sour
cream in many recipes and
no one will
notice the
difference. A
serving of dairy
is equal to 1
cup of milk or
yogurt or 1.5 to
2 ounces of
cheese.
-
2 to 3 servings
of meat,
poultry, fish,
dry beans, eggs,
and nuts. For
a healthy diet,
the best ways to
prepare beef,
pork, veal,
lamb, poultry,
and fish is to
bake or broil
them. Look for
the words “loin”
or “round” in
cuts of meats
because they're
the leanest.
Remove all
visible fat or
skin before
cooking, and
season with
herbs, spices,
and fat-free
marinades. A
serving of meat,
fish, or poultry
is 2 to 3
ounces. Some
crossover foods
such as dried
beans, lentils,
and peanut
butter can
provide protein
without the
animal fat and cholesterol you
get from meats.
A ¼ cup cooked
beans or 1
tablespoon of
peanut butter is
equal to 1 ounce
of lean meat.
-
Use fats, oils,
and sweets
sparingly. No
diet should
totally
eliminate any
one food group,
even fats, oils,
and sweets. It’s
fine to include
them in your
diet as long as
it’s on occasion
and in
moderation,
Bickston says.
Healthy Diet: Eat Right and the
Right Amount
How many calories you
need in a day depends on your
sex, age, body type, and how
active you are. Generally,
active children ages 2 to 8 need
between 1,400 and 2,000 calories
a day. Active teenage girls and
women can consume about 2,200
calories a day without gaining
weight. Teenage boys and men who
are very active should consume
about 3,000 calories a day to
maintain their weight. If you're
not active, you calorie needs
drop by 400 to 600 calories a
day.
The best way to know how much to
eat is to listen to your body,
says Donald Novey, MD, an
integrative medicine physician
with the Advocate Medical Group
in Park Ridge, Ill. “Pull away
from the table when you’re
comfortable but not yet full.
Wait about 20 minutes,” he says.
“Usually your body says, ‘That’s
good.’ If you’re still hungry
after that, you might want to
eat a little more.”
Healthy Diet: Exercise Is Part
of the Plan
At the bottom of the new USDA
food pyramid is a space for exercise.
Exercise is an important
component of a well-balanced
diet and good nutrition. You can
reap "fabulous rewards," says Dr
Novey, just by exercising and
eating “a healthy diet of foods
that nature provides.”
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