USDA Food Group Recommendations
- Fruits: 2 cups of a variety of fresh, frozen, canned, or dried fruits. Limit juice consumption.
- Vegetables: More dark green and orange veggies. Eat more beans and peas.
- Calcium rich foods: 3 cups of low or fat free milk or calcium rich foods.
- Grains: At least 3 ounces of whole grains.
- Protein foods: Choose lean meats and poulty. Vary choices with more fish, beans, peas, nuts, and seeds.
USDA (2005) Dietary Guidelines for Americans
Average American Diet
The macronutrient content in the average American diet is equivalent to:
- 2/3 cup of sugar
- 1/2 cup of shortening
- 1 1/2 cup of flour
- 1 1/2 cup of cottage cheese
Average Sugar Consumption
- Average American consumes 43lbs (94.6 kg) of sugar per year
- Average Australian consumes 65 lbs (143 kg) of sugar per year
Breakfast
Those who eat breakfast almost every day experience better health than those whow eat breakfast some of the time
Brestow L, Enstom J, (1980). Persistence of health habit and their relationship to mortality. Preventive Medicine 9; 469-483.
Fiber
- Helps heart disease, cancer, obesity, diabetes, and blood
pressure
- Soluble fiber: reduction of serum cholesterol
- Insoluble fiber: decreases constipation and reduction of colon cancer
- 20-35 grams recommended
- Pinto bean and apple supplies soluble fiber requirements
- 40-50 may cause gas; may need to increase fluid intake
Fruit and Vegetable Shortage
If all Americans followed the federal guidelines, consuming 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day, there would not be enough fruits and vegetables available. (2007 CNN interview with Iowa Senator, America's Killer Diet)
Lactose Intolerance
Percentage of people with lactose intolerance by race.
- 90-95% Oriental
- 15-25% Caucasian
- 70% African
- 50-55% Mexican
- 60% Jewish
- Up to 95% Native Americans
People with lactose intolerance can usually tolerate a few ounces of milk at a setting, particularly when consumed with other foods. Milk based products such as cheese, yogurt, ice cream (limited amounts) are usually digested with no ill effects. Other sources of calcium include spinach, artichokes, broccoli, and canned fish, like salmon or jack mackerel (with small bone bits in meat).
Protein and Work Metabolism
A 4% higher work metabolism has been associated with a higher protein intake (149 verses 76 grams per day) in a controlled study of the effects of restricted protein on men working in the heat.
Morehouse LE, Augustus TM (1971), Physiology of exercise, The C.V. Mosby Company, Saint Louis, 6th Ed, pg 209.
Alcohol's Health Benefits
Having a drink at night seems to have a benifitial effect on your heart by raising HDL levels. See exchange list (lower page) for serving size.
- Women: 1 serving
- Men: Up to 2 servings
Resveratrol
Resveratrol is a compound (C-14, H-12, O-3) linked to a reduced risk of coronary artery disease and cancer, and is thought to activate sirtuin and the SIRT-1 gene. Resveratrol is found in some plants (eg: knotweed), fruits (eg: mulberry), and seeds (eg: peanut) and especially in the skin of grapes and certain grape-derived products (eg: red wine).
The health benifits of wine, including lower LDL and its antioxidant properties are greater when the skin of grapes makes contact with seeds for at least 3 weeks. Unfortunately for many wines, this time is less than a week. Greater resveratrol is typically found in grapes that are (1) smaller, (2) have more seeds, (3) grows in cooler climate. Paradoxically, muscadine grapes grown in southeast United States has several times more resveratrol than wine.
Isoflavones