 
by Walid Gellad
The reason we need the 70,000+ food and nutrition professionals that exist is because there is so much information, and it is all so confusing. We hear one thing about butter one day, and the opposite thing the next day. Margarine good, margarine bad. All the contradicting information tends to confuse the public, and for that reason registered dieticians are a great resource to the public and to healthcare providers.
The one idea that has survived all the bouncing back and forth is the idea of balance and moderation. These concepts transcend cultural boundaries, and the American Dietetic Association stresses that moderation and balance are the key to any eating plan. In addition, 'portion control' is another important aspect of proper nutrition.
For specific serving information of what to eat from different food groups (what exactly IS one serving of pasta?), check out some nutrition web-sites. For example, from the Dietetic web site:
What you need:
Bread and Grain Group: 6-11 servings
Vegetable Group: 3-5 servings
Fruit Group: 2-4 servings
Meat and Protein Group: 2-3 servings
Milk Group: 2-3 servings
Fats, Oils and Sugars: eat sparingly
How to get there (the layperson's guide to kitchen measurements):
One ounce of meat (what you might want) - a match box (its approximate size)
Three ounces of meat - a deck of cards or a bar of soap
Eight ounces of meat - a thin paperback book
A medium apple/orange (what is 'medium,' exactly?) - a tennis ball (now you know)
A medium potato - a computer mouse
One cup of lettuce - four green leaves
A slice of bread - a cassette tape
An average sized bagel - a hockey puck
One ounce of cheese - four dice
One cup of fruit- a baseball |
The ideal dietary balance to strive for consists of 30 percent or less of your daily calories from fats, 10-15 percent from proteins, and 55-60 percent of daily calories from carbohydrates. Most nutrition experts agree that a healthy fat intake should be 20-30 percent of the total calories consumed in a day. The average American's diet has been reported to be about 37-42 percent fat, and that is why we constantly hear the 'eat less fat' message, and not because we all need diets that are 1 percent fat. Fat is in fact one of the body's major sources of energy.
My advice to any of you who may still be confused is to eat a balanced meal, with reasonable portions, and try to stay away from too much saturated fats, such as coconut oil, palm oil, and beef/lamb/pork fat. If you're looking for a quick way to start eating less fat, go from whole milk to 1 or 2 percent milk, and cut out those oils I mentioned above. I'm far from being an expert, but I know well the ways of moderation and balance (and it's not because I'm still living at home). Feel free to talk about nutrition to your health care professional, and ask about local dieticians if you want more information that your doctor, nurse, etc. cannot provide.
Be reasonable, splurge once in a while, develop a simple exercise program, and you'll do fine. I suppose if it were that easy, we really wouldn't need 70,000 registered dieticians, but I can guarantee you that moderation and balance are a good place to start.
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