Nutrition TIPS
Protect yourself from fat: Consume less than
30 percent of your total daily calories form fat. Too
much fat, especially saturated fat from meats and dairy
products, can raise your cholesterol level, increasing
your risk of heart disease.
Protect yourself from cholesterol: Your blood cholesterol
is the amount of cholesterol found in your bloodstream.
It should be kept at a low level to prevent heart disease.
Since dietary cholesterol is obtained mostly from fats
and other animal-based foods, eat a low-fat diet to prevent
excessive blood cholesterol.
Protect yourself from sugar: Limit
intake to less than 6 teaspoons per day for a 1,600
calorie diet, 12 teaspoons per day for a 2,200 calorie
diet, and 18 teaspoons at 2,800 calories. Avoid excessive
use of sweetened soft drinks, candies, syrups and other
sugary foods and drinks. These add empty calories with
no nutrition.
Protect yourself from salt: One teaspoon
provides about 2,000 mg. of sodium. Total intake should
not be more than 2,400 mg. per day. Look for no-salt
added products and avoid canned vegetables and soups
and cured meats that are high in salt.
Consumers beware: Some fad diets can
be harmful to your health. Be sure to consult government
resources and studies before making a drastic change
in your dietary habits. For long term health benefits,
follow a nutritious diet based on the food guide pyramid
below then reduce portions and increase exercise for
weight loss.
Eating a balanced diet is easier, thanks to improved
nutrition labeling. The new nutrition fact label reveals
a lot about the products you buy.
Serving sizes are larger and more
realistic. They are also more consistent among products
in a category, making comparison shopping easier.
Calories from fat are figured so you
can evaluate fat content along with nutritional content
Total fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrate
and protein are broken out by grams and by their percentage
of the daily amounts recommended in a 2,000 calorie
diet.
Recommended daily amounts of fat,
saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrates and
fiber are listed for 2,000 calorie and 2,500 calorie
diets.
Just have a look at
the Food pyramid to get an idea about the food habits.
Click on the image to view the larger image.
|
