Healthbeat
WBAMC licensed dieticians there to help eat healthy
1st Lt. Megon Carter
MS, RD, LD WBAMC
This month the American Dietetic Association celebrates National Nutrition Month to emphasize the benefits of good nutrition, exercise and following a healthy lifestyle. This year’s theme is “Nutrition from the Ground Up.”
Most Americans would agree that a healthy diet is important; however, many people are unsure of what a healthy diet consists of and have difficulty making appropriate food choices. “Nutrition from the ground up” focuses on going back to the basics; start with a good nutrition foundation and then build from the “ground up.”
A good nutrition foundation starts with knowing which types of foods are healthier. The Food Guide Pyramid, www.mypyramid.gov, is a great tool for learning these basics, and it illustrates the food groups important for good nutrition.
For example, fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats and protein, low-fat and reduced-fat dairy products, whole grains, and small amounts of healthy fats (i.e. canola and olive oils, nuts) are essential for healthy eating. They provide essential nutrients, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants your body needs to prevent disease and stay energized.
Next, learn how to use healthy cooking and food preparation techniques. Cooking methods can make or break the healthiness of your meal. A menu that includes chicken, potatoes, and broccoli appears to be a well-planned, healthy meal, but frying the chicken, buttering the potatoes and adding bacon and cheese sauce to the broccoli will make it a very high-fat and high-calorie meal. Avoid adding extra fats or salt, and try boiling, steaming, baking, grilling, or poaching as alternates to frying. Also, choose lean cuts of meat like tenderloins, white meat poultry without the skin, and round steak, while trimming fat off the meats before cooking.
Another good standard is choosing appropriately sized portions. Pasta and lean ground beef are both healthy foods, but not if you eat it in excess. Use the food “tracker” at www.mypyramid.gov to determine your individual portion needs based on your age, weight goals and activity.
Another good tool is using the “healthy plate method” when building your meal. Fill one-fourth of your plate with a starch or grain, one-fourth with a meat or protein, and fill the rest of your plate with vegetables. Be sure not to let your meat or starch portion take up more room than your vegetable portion.
Finally, exercise is at the top of the pyramid. A healthy diet combined with physical activity is the best way to lose or manage weight while improving fitness and reducing risk of chronic disease.
Approximately 22 percent of people diagnosed with heart disease have it simply because they don’t get enough exercise. Even if you have to break it down into short intervals to meet your busy schedule, strive for at least 30 minutes of activity a day for heart health, and 45 to 90 minutes a day if you’re trying to lose weight.
There are many tips for eating healthy, but if you just remember to start “from the ground up” you’ll be on your way to a lifetime of healthy eating.
If you’d like help improving your diet, have special dietary needs, or need help losing weight, contact William Beaumont Army Medical Center nutrition clinic’s licensed dieticians at 569-2575, or visit them in Bldg. 7777.