Eating Healthy…..Where does it All Begin?

Low carbohydrate.  High Protein.  South Beach. Mediterranean. The Zone.  Atkins.  Paleo. Volumetrics.  Raw Food.  Macrobiotic.

Do these words look familiar?  For many, these “diets” offer fast weight loss, but are they safe?  Are they feasible?  Are they sustainable?  Where does one really begin to know how to eat healthier? 

Eating healthy begins with knowing what healthy eating is.  To be successful at sustained weight loss and weight management, one must realize that “diets” do not work.  Instead, lifestyle changes must occur that directly target eating habits and nutrition decisions.  The United States Department of Agriculture [USDA] (2010) formulates the Dietary Guidelines for Americans approximately every five years.  These guidelines promote two main concepts:

·         Maintain calorie balance over time to achieve and sustain a healthy weight.

·         Focus on consuming nutrient-dense foods and beverages.

The first concept of sustained caloric balance is designed to promote maintaining a healthy weight by consuming only the necessary calories from healthy foods that meet basic health needs (USDA, 2010).  Additionally, this structure is designed to curb obesity and overweight in order to improve health and decrease the risk for chronic disease (USDA, 2010).

USDA’s promotion of consumption of nutrient dense foods and beverages aims to decrease the consumption of foods high in sodium, fats, added sugars, and refined grains (USDA, 2010).  Furthermore, this concept encourages replacing these unhealthy choices with foods rich in nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, fiber, and complex carbohydrates.  This concept also encourages the consumer to meet nutrient needs through nutrient-dense foods and relying less on nutrient supplements; however, in certain dietary cases, such as vegetarian diets, supplements may still be necessary (USDA, 2010). 

The Dietary Guidelines also offer key recommendations which are designed for the consumer to understand and utilize on a daily basis.  Employing these healthy eating habits can help the consumer begin and maintain positive eating habits for a lifetime.  The recommendations include:

·         Build a healthy plate.  A healthy plate should follow the USDA MyPlate suggested profile.  Utilizing a nine-inch plate, one should fill that plate with one-half of fruits and vegetables; low-fat or skim dairy products; whole grains; and lean proteins (USDA, n.d.). 

·         Cut back on foods high in solid fats, added sugars, and salt

·         Eat the right amount of calories for you

·         Be physically active your way.  USDA and other research suggests that being physically active 60 minutes daily will help curb overweight and obesity, while increasing heart health.  Physically activity should be enjoyable and varied for increased health. 

Although these recommendations may seem simple when viewed, many Americans have a difficult time changing behaviors related to these recommendations.  The important thing to remember is that change must occur in small steps in order for long-term success to happen.  This means one should start making a simple change related to the recommendations and add minor changes each week until healthy eating becomes a reality and a healthy lifestyle becomes permanent!

References

United States Department of Agriculture (2010, December).  Dietary guidelines for Americans 2010.  Retrieved from http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/sites/default/files/dietary_guidelines_for_americans/PolicyDoc.pdf

United States Department of Agriculture (n.d.).  Home page.  Retrieved from http://www.choosemyplate.gov/index.html