Dietary Guidelines Emphasize Exercise

Just in time to bolster a nation’s New Year’s resolutions, the government released an updated prescription for a healthy lifestyle last week.

The word from Washington:

Eat a variety of foods, concentrating on grains, fruits and vegetables.

Exercise to maintain weight.

A vegetarian diet can be a viable alternative to a meat-based one.

A little wine is OK, provided it is drunk “in moderation, with meals and when consumption does not put you or others at risk.”

Those are among the recommendations highlighted in the latest edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, released by the departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services.

The message of moderation and variety echoes the previous guidelines released in 1990.

But, written in a more food-positive light than before - “eating is one of life’s greatest pleasures,” it says - the revision “shows how easy it is to make good nutrition changes,” says Martin Yadrick, a spokesman for the American Dietetic Association.

One of the biggest changes is the emphasis on physical activity. The new guidelines advocate 30 minutes or more of moderate activity on most days of the week.

For the first time, a diet without animal products is recognized by the guidelines. But vegetarians should take vitamin B-12, found only in animal foods, and incorporate good sources of calcium and vitamin D in their diets, the update adds.

And whereas earlier guidelines stated that there was “no net health benefit” from alcohol, the revision allows that “moderate drinking … is associated with a lower risk for coronary heart disease in some individuals.”

Not everyone thinks the new guidelines go far enough in advancing the cause of better eating for better health.

“Are they telling people what they think they’ll eat or what people should eat?” asks Margo Wootan, a scientist with the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

Four of the leading causes of death - heart attack, cancer, stroke and diabetes - can be traced to diet, Wootan argues.

“I’d like to see (the guidelines) include specific advice regarding salt and sugar,” she says, “so people have a target to shoot for.” The current guidelines simply suggest choosing diets moderate in sugars, salt and sodium.

Here are some suggestions the ADA offers for incorporating the revised dietary guidelines into a daily routine:

Eat a variety of foods. Incorporate new foods into your eating plan. At the market, buy one new fruit or vegetable a week. At home, try one new recipe or prepared food a week.

Balance the food you eat with physical activity to maintain or reduce your weight. Start with small steps, such as taking stairs instead of an elevator. If healthy body weight is your goal, pay special attention to portion sizes.

Choose a diet low in fat, saturated fat and cholesterol. Again, make small changes you can live with. One way is to choose foods in the same category with less fat. For instance, opt for 2-percent, low-fat or skim milk instead of giving up milk altogether.

Keep in mind that the guideline is for your total diet. Foods with higher and lower amounts of fat should balance each other as part of a healthful eating plan.

Choose a diet with plenty of grain products, vegetables and fruits. Think of your plate as a pie. Seventy-five percent of the pie should be made up of fruits, vegetables and grains, and 25 percent of other foods, such as dairy products or protein foods.