That’s right. Many Americans completely ignore this part of their health care regimen. You may be very good about seeing the doctor and taking your medication, but when it comes to nutrition and diet, you just don’t think much about it. Maybe you don’t know what to think about it. March is an excellent time to focus on nutrition, because it is National Nutrition Month.

As it turns out, diet and lifestyle play an integral role in our health. Six of the top ten causes of death in the U.S. are related to diet and lifestyle. Included in this group are such chronic diseases as heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Complicating matters further is the disturbing trend of increased obesity in this country. Currently two-thirds of American adults are overweight. If this trend continues the entire country could be overweight by the year 2058.

Fortunately, improved diet can decrease the likelihood of developing obesity and chronic diseases.

That makes sense, but with all the conflicting information out there, how is the average consumer to know what to believe? There are many good sources of information available, but unfortunately there is much misinformation out there as well. Most Americans are familiar with the Food Guide Pyramid. You may not be aware that the government recently redid this tool to include the most recent recommendations. For the average American, this includes eating six servings of grains daily, at least half of which are whole grain. Whole grains are a good source of fiber. Also recommended, as you might expect, are plenty of fruits and vegetables. These can be a good source of fiber, as well as vitamins, minerals and disease preventing antioxidants. Also, about three cups of low fat dairy products should be consumed to help meet our calcium needs.

Rounding out the dietary recommendations is the protein group. It may surprise you to learn that the average adult needs only 5 1/2 ounces of meat per day. That is less than the size of two decks of playing cards. If you would like to learn more about the new recommendations, there is a good interactive website at www.mypyramid.gov

If you decide that you could benefit from a nutrition check up, the very best source of information is a Registered Dietitian (RD). An RD is trained to help you with all your nutrition concerns. These nutrition experts can be found at area hospitals, doctor’s offices and through the American Dietetic Association. To learn more about the nutrition programs offered through Alpha Internal Medicine, contact dietitian@alphainternalmedicine.com

Submitted by Lisa Stillman M.P.H., R.D., L.D.
Alpha Internal Medicine

login to post comments