How many fruits and vegetables do you eat every day?
I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Chet Zelasko at a conference in Baltimore, MD, last month (January 2016). According to Dr. Chet, the recently published 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans are a reasonable way to eat, and we as a society will eat better than we do today if we follow them. Dr Chet recommends eating seven or more servings of fruits and vegetables every day because the health benefits far outweigh whether we like veggies or not.
According to the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, majority of the U.S. population can now anticipate a long and productive life. However, half of all American adults have one or more preventable, diet-related chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and overweight and obesity. The typical American diet is heavy in processed foods, refined grains, and added sugars and these are all linked to inflammation and chronic disease. The good news is that we can get most of the vitamins and minerals our bodies need daily by choosing the right foods and eating a wide variety of them. Vitamins and minerals offer us protection against a host of ailments.
The Guidelines also include a large body of evidence supporting healthy eating patterns and regular physical activity. This can help people achieve and maintain good health and reduce the risk of chronic disease throughout all stages of the lifespan. In the guidelines, the first recommendation is eating healthy over a lifespan.
- Vegetables and fruit are first and second on the list of achieving a healthy eating pattern.
- Protein, not meat, is fifth on the list.
- Fats are last on the list.
The guidelines also provide a list of things to be careful of such as too much sugar or sodium. You can read the executive summary of the guidelines here: Executive Summary
Overall, we need to find a healthy way of eating that fits in our lifestyle and maintain that lifestyle for good. Our bodies need many different vitamins and minerals to function properly, so get your daily servings of fruits and vegetables. If you’re unable to make dietary changes, or if you have a genuine deficiency in a particular nutrient, such as vitamin D, a supplement will be helpful. You should fill gaps if:
- Your diet doesn’t have 5–9 servings of fruits and vegetables every day.
- You get 5–9 servings, but don’t eat a wide variety to ensure full health benefits.
- You often don’t have time to make nutritionally complete meals.
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To Your Success,
Althea
Althea A. McLeish Wilson, RN, MSN
Educate . Empower . Encourage
Promoting inner health & outer beauty!
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