March is National Nutrition Month
By Jane Jones
Douglas County Health Department
Webster’s Dictionary defines nutrition as “the process by which a living being takes in food and uses it to live and grow.” So, good nutrition for a human would be a diet that promotes a healthy lifestyle and healthy aging ,and that also prevents diseases and helps the body to recover when ill.
Some points to keep in mind for healthy eating include:
- Eat a daily diet that helps you to either lose weight or maintain a weight that is appropriate for your height and sex
- Choose a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol
- Eat high fiber foods
- Reduce your diet calories that come from processed sugars
- Eat foods with less salt
- Drink eight to ten cups of water a day
- Drink no more than 1 (if you are a woman) or 2 (if you are a man) alcoholic beverage(s) per day
The nutrition pyramid developed by the USDA has these suggestions for each food group.
- Grains: Eat at least 3 ounces of whole-grain cereals, breads, crackers, rice, or pasta every day.
- Vegetables: Eat more dark-green vegetables, more orange vegetables and more dry beans and peas.
- Fruits: Eat a variety of fresh, frozen, canned or dried fruit, but limit fruit juices.
- Milk: Choose low-fat or fat-free dairy products when possible. If you can’t tolerate milk products, choose other sources of calcium.
- Meat and Beans: Choose low-fat or lean meats and poultry and prepare them by baking, broiling, or grilling them. Try getting your protein from a variety of fish, beans, peas, nuts, or seeds.
- Fats, sugars, and salt: Make most of your fat sources from fish, nuts, and vegetable oils. Limit solid fats and the foods that contain them. Choose food and beverages that are low in added sugars. Learn to read the Nutrition Facts labels so you can limit your saturated fats, trans fats and salt.
No matter who we are, we can all learn to choose our foods and beverages more wisely. That way we can live healthier, happier, and longer lives.
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