Finding Your Way to a Healthier You US Department of Agriculture

Vary your veggies. Eat more dark green veggies, such as broccoli, kale, and other dark leafy greens; orange veggies, such as carrots, sweetpotatoes, pumpkin, and winter squash; and beans and peas, such as pinto beans, kidney beans, black beans, garbanzo beans, split peas, and lentils.

Get your calcium-rich foods. Get 3 cups of low-fat or fat-free milk—or an equivalent amount of low-fat yogurt and/or low-fat cheese (1½ ounces of cheese equals 1 cup of milk)—every day. For kids aged 2 to 8, it's 2 cups of milk. If you don't or can't consume milk, choose lactose-free milk products and/or calcium-fortified foods and beverages.

Make half your grains whole. Eat at least 3 ounces of whole-grain cereals, breads, crackers, rice, or pasta every day. One ounce is about 1 slice of bread, 1 cup of breakfast cereal, or ½ cup of cooked rice or pasta. Look to see that grains such as wheat, rice, oats, or corn are referred to as "whole" in the list of ingredients.

Go lean with protein. Choose lean meats and poultry. Bake it, broil it, or grill it. And vary your protein choices—with more fish, beans, peas, nuts, and seeds.

Know the limits on fats, salt, and sugars. Read the Nutrition Facts label on foods. Look for foods low in saturated fats and trans fats. Choose and prepare foods and beverages with little salt (sodium) and/or added sugars (caloric sweeteners).

Find your balance between food and physical activity.

Becoming a healthier you isn't just about eating healthy—it's also about physical activity. Regular physical activity is important for your overall health and fitness. It also helps you control body weight by balancing the calories you take in as food with the calories you expend each day.

Be physically active for at least 30 minutes most days of the week. Increasing the intensity or the amount of time that you are physically active can have even greater health benefits and may be needed to control body weight. About 60 minutes a day may be needed to prevent weight gain.

Children and teenagers should be physically active for 60 minutes every day, or most every day.

CONSIDER THIS:

If you eat 100 more food calories a day than you burn, you'll gain about 1 pound in a month. That's about 10 pounds in a year. The bottom line is that to lose weight, it's important to reduce calories and increase physical activity.

Get the most nutrition out of your calories.

There is a right number of calories for you to eat each day. This number depends on your age, activity level, and whether you're trying to gain, maintain, or lose weight.* You could use up the entire amount on a few high-calorie items, but chances are you won't get the full range of vitamins and nutrients your body needs to be healthy.

Choose the most nutritionally rich foods you can from each food group each day—those packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other nutrients but lower in calories. Pick foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products more often.

* 2,000 calories is the value used as a general reference on the food label. But you can calculate your number at www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines.

NUTRITION: To know the facts…

Most packaged foods have a Nutrition Facts label. For a healthier you, use this tool to make smart food choices quickly and easily. Try these tips:

• Keep these low: saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, and sodium.
• Get enough of these: potassium, fiber, vitamins A and C, calcium, and iron.
• Use the % Daily Value (DV) column when possible: 5% DV or less is low, 20% DV or more is high.

Check servings and calories. Look at the serving size and how many servings you are actually consuming. If you double the servings you eat, you double the calories and nutrients, including the % DVs.

Make your calories count. Look at the calories on the label and compare them with what nutrients you are also getting to decide whether the food is worth eating. When one serving of a single food item has over 400 calories per serving, it is high in calories.

Don't sugarcoat it. Since sugars contribute calories with few, if any, nutrients, look for foods and beverages low in added sugars. Read the ingredient list and make sure that added sugars are not one of the first few ingredients. Some names for added sugars (caloric sweeteners) include sucrose, glucose, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, maple syrup, and fructose.

Know your fats. Look for foods low in saturated fats, trans fats, and cholesterol to help reduce the risk of heart disease (5% DV or less is low, 20% DV or more is high). Most of the fats you eat should be polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. Keep total fat intake between 20% to 35% of calories.

Reduce sodium (salt), increase potassium. Research shows that eating less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium (about 1 tsp of salt) per day may reduce the risk of high blood pressure. Most of the sodium people eat comes from processed foods, not from the saltshaker. Also look for foods high in potassium, which counteracts some of sodium's effects on blood pressure.

Play it safe with food.

Know how to prepare, handle, and store food safely to keep you and your family safe:

• Clean hands, food-contact surfaces, fruits, and vegetables. To avoid spreading bacteria to other foods, meat and poultry should not be washed or rinsed.
• Separate raw, cooked, and ready-to-eat foods while shopping, preparing, or storing.
• Cook meat, poultry, and fish to safe internal temperatures to kill microorganisms.
• Chill perishable foods promptly and thaw foods properly.

About alcohol

If you choose to drink alcohol, do so in moderation. Moderate drinking means up to 1 drink a day for women and up to 2 drinks for men. Twelve ounces of regular beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1½ ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits count as a drink for purposes of explaining moderation. Remember that alcoholic beverages have calories but are low in nutritional value.

Generally, anything more than moderate drinking can be harmful to your health. And some people, or people in certain situations, shouldn't drink at all. If you have questions or concerns, talk to your doctor or healthcare provider.

These are the basic guidelines for eating a healthy diet and being physically active. For more information about the food groups and nutrition values, or to pick up some new ideas on physical activity, go to www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines.

This booklet, as well as Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005, 6th Edition, may be viewed and downloaded from the Internet at www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines.

Organic Food Standards & Labels: The Facts

US Department of Agriculture

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has put in place a set of national standards that food labeled "organic" must meet, whether it is grown in the United States or imported from other countries. After October 21, 2002, when you buy food labeled "organic," you can be sure that it was produced using the highest organic production and handling standards in the world.

What is organic food?

Organic food is produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations. Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation. Before a product can be labeled "organic," a Government-approved certifier inspects the farm where the food is grown to make sure the farmer is following all the rules necessary to meet USDA organic standards. Companies that handle or process organic food before it gets to your local supermarket or restaurant must be certified, too.

Is organic food better for me and my family?

USDA makes no claims that organically produced food is safer or more nutritious than conventionally produced food. Organic food differs from conventionally produced food in the way it is grown, handled, and processed.

When I go to the supermarket, how can I tell organically produced food from conventionally produced food?

You must look at package labels and watch for signs in the supermarket. Along with the national organic standards, USDA developed strict labeling rules to help consumers know the exact organic content of the food they buy. The USDA Organic seal also tells you that a product is at least 95 percent organic.

Single-ingredient foods

Look for the word "organic" and a small sticker version of the USDA Organic seal on vegetables or pieces of fruit. Or they may appear on the sign above the organic produce display.

The word "organic" and the seal may also appear on packages of meat, cartons of milk or eggs, cheese, and other single-ingredient foods.

Foods with more than one ingredient

The following photo shows examples of the labels that may be used on a wide variety of products that use organic ingredients.

The sample cereal boxes show the four labeling categories. From left: cereal with 100 percent organic ingredients; cereal with 95-100 percent organic ingredients; cereal made with at least 70 percent organic ingredients; and cereal with less than 70 percent organic ingredients. Products with less than 70 percent organic ingredients may list specific organically produced ingredients on the side panel of the package, but may not make any organic claims on the front of the package. Look for the name and address of the Government-approved certifier on all packaged products that contain at least 70 percent organic ingredients.

Will I find the USDA Organic seal on all 100 percent organic products, or products with at least 95 percent organic ingredients?

No. The use of the seal is voluntary.

How is use of the USDA Organic seal protected?

People who sell or label a product "organic" when they know it does not meet USDA standards can be fined up to $10,000 for each violation.

Does natural mean organic?

No. Natural and organic are not interchangeable. Other truthful claims, such as free-range, hormone-free, and natural, can still appear on food labels. However, don't confuse these terms with "organic." Only food labeled "organic" has been certified as meeting USDA organic standards.

For more detailed information on the USDA organic standards, visit our web site at http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop call the National Organic Program at 202-720-3252, or write USDA-AMS-TM-NOP, Room 4008 S. Bldg., Ag Stop 0268, 1400 Independence, SW, Washington, DC 20250.

Keep Your Food Safe

US Food and Drug Administration

Food that goes bad can make you sick. This is called food poisoning, or foodborne illness.

Sometimes when people think they have the "flu" or a "stomach bug," they really have a foodborne illness.

You can keep food safe. This booklet tells you how to:

• buy safe food
• keep it safe at home.

What makes food go bad?

Germs. They get on food and grow. You cannot see germs on food. You cannot always smell or taste them, either.

These are some of the foods germs like best:

• Milk and other dairy products
• Eggs
• Meat
• Poultry
• Seafood
• Fruits and vegetables

Foods that are likely to have germs that can make you sick include:

• Unpasteurized or untreated juices, such as apple cider
• Sprouts
• Raw eggs and foods that contain raw eggs, such as cookie dough and Caesar salad dressing

Safe Food At the Store

Do the cans have dents? Are the jars cracked? Do they have lids that are not closed tight? The food may have germs that can make you sick. Only buy cans and jars that look perfect.

Check eggs, too. Open the carton to see if any eggs are broken or cracked. Only buy eggs that are refrigerated in the store.

Raw meat, poultry, and seafood sometimes drip. The juices that drip may have germs. Keep these juices away from other foods. Put raw meat, poultry, and seafood into plastic bags before they go into your cart.

Pick up milk and other cold foods last. This will give them less time to warm up before you get home.

Save hot chicken and other hot foods for last, too. This will give them less time to cool off before you get home.

Safe Food At Home

After shopping, get home as soon as you can. Then put food into the refrigerator or freezer right away. Eggs always go into the refrigerator, but NOT in the door of the refrigerator.

Make sure that you and your kitchen are clean.

Always wash your hands for at least 20 seconds before and after you touch food. Use warm water and soap.

Wash everything else before and after it touches food.

Wash your cutting board with hot soapy water before you go on to the next food.

For extra protection, you can clean the board with a kitchen sanitizer, such as a solution of one teaspoon chlorine bleach to one quart water. When the cutting board becomes worn or hard to clean, throw it out and get a new one.

Fresh fruits and vegetables also need to be clean. Rinse them under warm running water to wash dirt away. Use a produce brush when appropriate.

Raw meat, raw poultry, raw seafood, and raw eggs can spread germs in your kitchen. Keep these foods and their juices away from other foods. If you use cutting boards, it's best to set one aside that to use only for raw meat, poultry, fish, and eggs.

Did you wipe up the juices with a dish towel? Wash it before you use it again. Or use paper towels and throw them away. Meat, poultry, and seafood need to stay cold while they thaw.

Thaw them:

• In the refrigerator. Do it one or two days before you will cook the food.
• In the microwave. Use the "defrost" setting. Then cook the food right away.
• Raw meat, raw poultry, raw seafood, and raw eggs can make you sick. Cook them until they are done.

Use a meat thermometer for poultry and meat, if possible.

Use a meat thermometer, if possible, when cooking hamburger. Cook hamburger to a temperature of 160 degrees F. If you don't have a meat thermometer, don't eat hamburger if the meat is still pink.

Dig a fork into cooked fish. The fish should flake.

Cooked egg whites and yolks are firm, not runny.

If the food is left out for two or more hours, germs can grow.

So put leftovers into the refrigerator or freezer as soon as you finish eating. Put them into shallow dishes so that they cool faster. Eat them in the next few days, before they go bad.

Keep Your Food Safe

It is hard to tell if a food is safe. Foods that go bad may look, smell, and taste like safe foods. So be safe.

Buy safe food.

Keep food safe at home.

If you think a food might be bad, do not taste it.

For More Information

If you have questions, you can call your nearest FDA office. Look for the number in the blue pages of the phone book.

Or call one of the FDA's toll-free numbers: (888) SAFE-FOOD (723-3366), (888) INFO-FDA (463-6332).

Or look for the FDA on the Internet at www.fda.gov

The NHLBI supported the study, published in the Oct. 4 issue of the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.

"Our results, although not surprising, are worrisome," study lead author Dr. Ramachandran Vasan, associate professor of medicine at Boston University School of Medicine, said in a prepared statement. "If the trend continues, our country will continue to face substantial health problems related to excess weight."

Being overweight & obese increases the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, asthma & other breathing problems, osteoarthritis, gall bladder disease & some forms of cancer, experts say.

"We hope these results will serve as a wake-up call to Americans of all ages," Nabel added.

More information

The American Academy of Family Physicians has more about weight control (familydoctor.org ).

Obesity Runs in the Family

8/15/05

How America eats

Health Tip: Blueberries Are Healthy

They're high in fiber, low in fat

Food is glorious. It feeds us in every way,not only physically but emotionally.

If you've heard anything about foods' magical powers, it was likely linked to antioxidants.

They neutralize cell-damaging agents & possibly reduce your risk of disease. Antioxidants occur naturally in foods of various types such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, fish oil, tea & numerous others.

Still, "there's some excessive hype," says Walter Willett, M.D., Dr.P.H., Harvard School of Public Health nutrition department chair. Antioxidants aren't a cure-all.

"We're learning that foods have many more important functions than we'd recognized earlier. e.g., polyunsaturated fats do much more than lower blood cholesterol levels.

They can help prevent blood clots & lower the odds of developing fatal heart rhythms."

The role of essential fatty acids is another huge area of research. Says Weil, "They improve mental function & protect against heart disease & inflammation.

The average American diet is seriously deficient in omega-3 fatty acids & that has health consequences." Good sources for omega-3's include fish, certain seeds & walnuts.

Learning about foods is only "part of" the goal.

To live a healthier life, you may need to change your ways. Shopping for, preparing & eating foods differently may be in order. Making the switch from chips to veggies isn't easy, so how do we find the motivation?

For one thing, using the fear of death to motivate people doesn't work, says Ornish. However, "when you begin making changes in your diet & lifestyle, you start to feel better. You have more energy, you think more clearly, your brain & heart get more blood, you don't need as much sleep & you have more stamina."

But food is more than just delectable & sustaining. It can actually heal us. Nutrients fight diseases of the heart, help prevent cancer & even keep the brain sharp.

"Food has health benefits beyond basic nutrition," says Cheryl Toner, M.S., R.D., director of health communications at the International Food & Information Council Foundation (IFIC).

We know fruits & vegetables have vitamins & that unprocessed foods are best, but what do whole grains, fruits & vegetables really do for us?

Experts believe the foods we eat are a power source that helps our bodies resist disease as well as prolong cognitive function & improve mood.

Which Diet Is Best?

The One That Works for You

Weight-loss plans should be paired with success strategies, experts say