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From foodconsumer.org H.eart & B.lood
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 June, (foodconsumer.org) - The new American Heart Association diet and lifestyle recommendations released on Monday stress the importance of a healthy diet and lifestyle in preventing heart disease. These guidelines are intended for Americans age 2 and older and replace those issued in 2000. The recommendations, which appear in the journal, Circulation, urge a specific limit on trans fats in the diet. Additionally the guidelines focus on lifestyle practices including getting adequate exercise and giving up smoking. These recommendations are included for the first time in the organization's dietary guidelines, which are updates once in five years. The guidelines were framed by panel of specialists in nutrition and heart disease who reviewed more than 90 studies before coming out with the new recommendations. “The previous recommendations stressed a healthy dietary pattern; the new ones broaden that concept to include the importance of a healthy lifestyle pattern. The two go together — they should be inseparable,” said Alice Lichtenstein, D.Sc., chair of the American Heart Association’s Nutrition Committee. She added that the main message "is to focus on long-term, permanent changes in how we eat and live. The best way to lower cardiovascular risk is to combine physical activity with heart-healthy eating habits, coupled with weight control and avoiding tobacco products.” Other recommendations include: * Further reducing saturated and trans fatty acids in the diet; * Minimizing the intake of food and beverages with added sugars; * Emphasizing physical activity and weight control; * Eating a diet rich in vegetables, fruits and whole-grain foods; * Avoiding use of and exposure to tobacco products; and * Achieving and maintaining healthy cholesterol, blood pressure and blood glucose levels. The recommendations touch on the trans fat issue, which has been dominating headlines for some time now. Trans fat is made when manufacturers add hydrogen to vegetable oil--a process called hydrogenation. Trans fat-laden oil is mainly used to make cookies, crackers, breads, cakes, French fries and other fried foods. This conceivably increases the shelf life of foods and makes them crisp, but contributes to increasing the levels of "bad" cholesterol or LDL in the body as well. "The point is not to calculate the amount of saturated and trans-fatty acids in the diet, but to choose foods that minimize your intake," Lichtenstein said. "For example, you can choose leaner cuts of meat and lower-fat dairy products, smaller serving sizes, avoid foods made with hydrogenated fat and include more fruits, vegetables, vegetarian options and fish in the diet." The AHA has called on Americans to limit saturated fats to no more than 7 percent of daily calories, down from the 10 percent formerly recommended and the 11 percent most Americans consume. Trans fat, like saturated fat and dietary cholesterol, raises the LDL cholesterol that increases the risk for Coronary Heart Disease. Americans consume on average 4 to 5 times as much saturated fat as trans fat in their diets. The guidelines also stress that it is vital to balance the number of calories consumed and the number of calories burned. These calculations are based on based on age and physical activity level and whether one is trying to gain, lose or maintain weight. Broadly these dietary guidelines include * Choose lean meats and poultry without skin and prepare them without added saturated and trans fat. * Select fat-free, 1 percent fat, and low-fat dairy products. * Cut back on foods containing partially hydrogenated vegetable oils to reduce trans fat in your diet. * Cut back on foods high in dietary cholesterol. Aim to eat less than 300 milligrams of cholesterol each day. * Cut back on beverages and foods with added sugars. * Choose and prepare foods with little or no salt. Aim to eat less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day. * If you drink alcohol, drink in moderation. That means one drink per day if you’re a woman and two drinks per day if you’re a man. * Instead of frying or sautéing meats and fish, try grilling, baking, or broiling them. * Instead of fruit juices, eat whole fruits. * Try using meat substitutes in your favorite recipes. "It is the whole-package approach that really is necessary. Don't think about diet without thinking about physical activity," Lichtenstein said. "Don't fall into the trap of just focusing on one food. We're always hearing about the benefits of this or that specific food, but when we talk about diet and lifestyle, we really have to talk about the whole package. You cannot sprinkle wheat germ on a hot fudge sundae and get good results." She also said that the guidelines did not recommend that Americans give up all that they enjoy; "they just may have to make a few modifications in their current habits." An interesting point to note in the guidelines is that it has been made simple for consumers. There is no use of unnecessary numbers and the stress in on modifying current lifestyle practices than making any drastic changes. Almost 80 percent of heart disease can be prevented by making minor changes to lifestyle: eating good food, maintaining fitness, and normal weight. As Lichtenstein says, "Nobody says you have to get all your exercise at once; you can do it a little at a time." © 2004-2005 by foodconsumer.org unless otherwise specified. |
