most people won’t read the new dietary guidelines that came out last week. And that’s ok – they are presented in somewhat of a confusing format and it takes a while to navigate through and yank out important details. Part of my job is to translate these details into my practice, and also to clear up the frenzy of misconception that usually occurs thanks to the media/social media world – you may have seen headlines to the likes of “cholesterol is GOOD” or “sugar is BAD.” Yeah, there’s a bit more to it than that.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
eggs and cheese – good?
But to make things more confusing, the dietary guidelines tend to go back and forth from recommending certain foods (e.g., leafy greens) to discussing more general nutrients (e.g., saturated fat). Marion Nestle and my friend Jackie said it best here and here – this is likely because the government is trying to protect their ($$$) relationships with the big soda, sugar, dairy, meat, etc. industries by not coming out and saying “stop eating/drinking X.” Lucky for them, though, I can say that, and with gusto. My takeaways:
replace soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages (like juice) with water, flavored seltzer, unsweetened iced teas, etc. the new guidelines suggest limiting intake of added sugars (so, not natural sugars like fruit) to ten percent of your total calorie intake for the day. This means that in a 2,000 calorie diet, only 200 should come from sugar. That’s about 50 grams of sugar, or about 12 teaspoons. To put it in perspective, one 12 ounce can of soda contains 10 teaspoons of sugar! So really, the recommendation here is to stop or severely limit the soda/sugar-sweetened beverage intake. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – soda is the one thing I think has no place in the diet as it has been linked to obesity and chronic disease and is void of any beneficial nutrients. Cutting out soda as well as other sugary beverages, packaged candies, cookies and cakes should be at the top of most Americans’ to do list.
some dietary cholesterol is ok, but keep red meat at arms length. I mentioned this in a recent post, but previous limitations on dietary cholesterol (300 mg/day) have since been removed from the recommendations due to the lack of sufficient evidence linking consumption to elevated serum cholesterol. That said, cholesterol is found in animal products, many of which contain high amounts of saturated fat – think whole milk, meats, cheese – which the guidelines continue to recommend limiting to ten percent of total calories. So the takeaway here is that cholesterol-containing foods that are not high in saturated fat – eggs, shellfish, for example – can be somewhat regulars in the diet and the foods higher in saturated fat – red meat, full fat dairy – should still be limited. I myself am warming to full fat dairy in moderation, but that’s probably a whole different post.
cut out the processed crap. The guidelines suggest limiting sodium intake to 2300 mg per day, which is about one teaspoon. Most Americans consume at least 50 percent more than this each day, largely due to a high intake of processed foods. In fact, more than half of the foods, period, in the average American diet are processed. Kale is crying somewhere, I’m sure of it. Or maybe that’s me… Anyways, the best way to stay within these sodium limits are to eat more real, whole foods, and if you’re picking up the occasional can of soup or frozen dinner (we’ve all been there), read the labels and try to choose ones that say “reduced” or “low” sodium.
let’s also look at the big picture. One thing I liked about the guidelines is the mention of “eating patterns” – or, the diet as a whole and food combinations we choose over time. There is no one food that is the sole cause of obesity, chronic disease, etc., but rather our typical eating patterns in the long haul. As it stands now, most Americans exceed the recommendations for added sugars, saturated fats, and sodium and about 75 percent do not eat enough fruits, vegetables or healthy fats. And what’s more, of the vegetables Americans do eat, 21 percent are potatoes (possibly in the form of French fries) and 18 percent are tomatoes (possibly in the form of tomato sauce on pizza and pasta). Which brings me to…
eat more vegetables, darn it. This is what so much of this boils down to, and probably the thing I say the most to my patients and clients. I’m talking spinach, swiss chard, arugula, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale, carrots, beets, sweet potatoes, squash, mushrooms, tomatoes, bell peppers – the more colorful your meal, the better. If you eat at least five of fruits and vegetables per day (or ideally, even more), you wouldn’t have so much room for the other crap (both literally on your plate and in your stomach – these fiber-rich foods are filling!).
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
my favorite veggie-palooza macro plate from souen