Achieve and maintain a healthy weight. Carrying around excess body fat increases your risk for several chronic conditions, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, certain types of cancer, and pregnancy complications. The more you weigh, the greater the risk.
Avoid excess sodium. Sodium, found in salt and other seasonings and preservatives, is a major culprit in high blood pressure, which is a risk factor for heart attack and stroke. You may be among a number of Americans who consumes far more than the recommended sodium every day. It’s not difficult to overdo it. Nearly 75% of the sodium we eat is found in restaurant fare, and in packaged foods including bagels, cheese, cereal, canned soups, frozen dinners, and pasta sauce.
Limit saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol. Diets low in saturated and trans fatty acids and cholesterol reduce the risk of heart disease. Full-fat animal foods, such as cheese, whole milk, and fatty meats, tend to contain the highest levels of saturated fat and cholesterol. Trans fats are found primarily in partially hydrogenated fats used to prepare fried and baked products.
Get regular physical activity. Regular physical activity offers many benefits, including helping to achieve and maintain a healthy weight over time. In addition to weight control, exercise is linked to a lower risk for early death, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, breast cancer, and colon cancer, among other health conditions that can take a toll of your quality of life.
Eat more nutrient-rich foods. The term nutrient-rich may be new to you, so here’s an explanation. Nutrient-rich foods offer the biggest bang for your caloric buck. In choosing foods such as fat-free and 1% low-fat milk and yogurt, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and lean sources of protein, you include the foods that provide more nutrients for the calories they contain than other, more processed choices. A diet packed with nutrient-rich foods helps you meet the suggested daily intakes for calcium, vitamin D, fiber, and potassium, and helps you to limit sodium, and added solid fats and added sugars. According to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, we don’t get enough calcium, vitamin D, fiber, and potassium, and we eat too much sodium, and too many calories as added fats and sugars, mainly because our diets are rich in processed foods and restaurant fare.
Choose a variety of protein sources. According to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA), the best approach to getting the protein you need is by choosing protein-packed foods that minimize calories from unhealthy fats. Including an array of protein-rich foods, such as dairy products, nuts and seeds, legumes, and lean meat, in your diet improves your nutrient intake, as each protein source offers different nutrients, including iron, zinc, calcium, and fiber. In an effort to direct people toward a more plant-based diet, the DGA recommends replacing some meat and poultry with plant proteins, such as legumes. They also suggest that adults consume at least eight ounces of seafood weekly. Pregnant women are encouraged to eat eight to twelve ounces of safe seafood, such as salmon, pollock, and canned light tuna.
Limit alcohol consumption. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans defines moderate alcohol consumption as up to 1 drink per day for adult women and up to 2 drinks per day for adult men. Drinking more than these amounts of alcohol can be harmful to the body. Excessive alcohol may increase blood triglyceride (fat) levels and elevate blood pressure, which are risk factors for heart disease. Alcoholic beverages may also contribute unnecessary calories that prevent you from achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. Pregnant women should avoid alcohol.
Add Multivitamins. Nobody eats an exemplary diet every day, and many people have gaps in their intake of nutrients that help to support general health. In addition, certain groups are at risk for nutrient deficiencies that can affect health, even when their diet is balanced. According to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, women in their childbearing years may not be getting the folic acid and iron they need in their diet and people over the age of 51 often have difficulty absorbing the naturally-occurring vitamin B12 found in foods. Multivitamins are useful for these groups to help satisfy the recommended intakes for important nutrients, and for others. For example, vegans, and those who skip on skimp on animal foods may not be getting the iron, zinc and vitamin B12 they require. People who don’t consume the recommended milk every day may be short on vitamin D, and those on low-fat diets may not be getting the suggested vitamin E.
Add Phytonutrients. If you don’t eat the suggested five servings of fruits and vegetables every day, your diet may be low in several vitamins and minerals, and phytonutrients, plant compounds that protect your cells from damage. A dietary supplement that provides nutrients found in fruits and vegetables may be beneficial to add to your dietary intake. Dietary supplements are not intended to replace your daily intake of fruits and vegetable, so make sure to aim for 5 servings of fruits and veggies every day.
Increase your fiber intake daily. People who don’t eat adequate amounts of foods that are naturally rich in fiber, such as legumes, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, may need a fiber supplement to support general health. Older adults and people who have chewing or swallowing problems who favor softer, lower-fiber foods often do not consume the suggested daily fiber. Commonly available forms of fiber supplements include psyllium, inulin, wheat dextrin, guar gum, calcium polycarbophil, and methylcellulose. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about the best choice of fiber supplement to suit your needs, its affect on the medications you take on a regular basis, and your general health.
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