Big health news this week is the release of the 2015 U.S Dietary Guidelines. These guidelines get revised every five years and there are some big changes coming our way. A couple of changes to point out:
Recommendation of less than 2300 milligrams/d of sodium for everyone. This is truly hard to do with all of the processed and convenience food we consume. Take a look at how much sodium you consume in one day and compare!
Keep added sugar to less than 10% of total calories. We know the effect that large amounts of sugar have on our body, so it is important to be aware of our intake and try to limit it.
Limits on food sources of cholesterol have been removed- due to studies showing that cholesterol from eggs and seafood is not as much of a health concern as we thought. However, dietary cholesterol should still be limited to lower the risk of heart disease.
Keep saturated fat to less than 10% of total calories. This used to be a strict number of less than 7g saturated fat per day, but now it is more a balance of total caloric intake. Decreasing meats high in saturated fat (bacon, sausage, etc.), hydrogenated oils and cream will help bring this intake down.
Recommendation of less than 2300 milligrams/d of sodium for everyone. This is truly hard to do with all of the processed and convenience food we consume. Take a look at how much sodium you consume in one day and compare!
Keep added sugar to less than 10% of total calories. We know the effect that large amounts of sugar have on our body, so it is important to be aware of our intake and try to limit it.
Limits on food sources of cholesterol have been removed- due to studies showing that cholesterol from eggs and seafood is not as much of a health concern as we thought. However, dietary cholesterol should still be limited to lower the risk of heart disease.
Keep saturated fat to less than 10% of total calories. This used to be a strict number of less than 7g saturated fat per day, but now it is more a balance of total caloric intake. Decreasing meats high in saturated fat (bacon, sausage, etc.), hydrogenated oils and cream will help bring this intake down.
Some people are excited about the changes, while others believe that we still have a long way to go. Obviously, a diet balance with lean meats, vegetables, fruits, low-fat dairy and whole grains is going to be our best bet for tackling weight and health concerns.
What do you think about the changes to the dietary guidelines?
What do you think about the changes to the dietary guidelines?