HEALTH AND MEDICINE

16.Planning a Day's Food

There are five basic food groups:

1. Milk, yogurt, and cheese group.

2. Meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs, and nuts group.

3.Vegetable group.

4.Fruit group.

5.Bread, cereal, rice, and pasta group.

When you choose among various foods, keep in mind that some are more beneficial to your health than others. For example, skim milk is better for you than whole milk because it contains less fat and also has a slightly higher calcium content.

Purchasing Food Wisely

New government legislation requires that labels on all food products contain specific information on dietary content. The guidelines cover nearly every health and nutrition claim that could be made by a food manufacturer, and detail what information food labels should contain, down to the size of the print.

For example, food can be described as "light" or "lite" on the label only if it has 50 percent less fat than other foods to which it is compared. The word "more" can be used only if a food product contains 10 percent more of a given ingredient than other goods of the same type.

The back panel of the label must tell you the number of grams of components,such as fat or cholesterol, a product contains, and also express that number as a percentage of the recommended total amount of fat or cholesterol the average consumer should eat in a day. Each label must list percentages of suggested fat and cholesterol daily intakes for both 2,000-calorie daily diets with 65 grams of fat and 2,500-calorie diets with 80 grams of fat.

The new labels also contain information on vitamins A and C, along with the minerals iron and calcium. Information regarding other vitamins and minerals, however, is no longer required.

Eating Out

"Fast food" has become a national favorite. Fortunately, you can make healthful choices even when you go out to eat.

In "sit-down" restaurants, the choice is a bit more difficult, because of the different types of menu items from which to select. In deciding what to order, try to pick the items that are lowest in grams of fat and milligrams of sodium.

Suggestions for Those Who Want to Lose Weight

If you are trying to lose weight, here are a few helpful suggestions:

1. Record everything you eat, including snacks, so that you can keep track of your calories.

2. Don't eat while you are doing something else. In this way you can avoid eating when you are not actually hungry.

3. Sit down while eating.

4. Don't eat too fast. Give your body a chance to notice that it has had enough to eat.

5. Eat meals and snacks only in the parts of your home intended for eating.

6. Don't try to lose weight too fast. A sensible goal is one pound a week.

7. Don't try to lose too much weight. Be aware of the danger of anorexia nervosa.

Suggestions for Those Who Want to Gain Weight

If you are very much underweight, you should see your doctor and/or a registered dietitian before starting any type of a diet. Choose familiar foods that appeal to you. If you prefer, eat regular meals at the same time each day. Instead, you may find that frequent, small meals or between-meal snacks along with regular meals work better for you. In any case, eat more of the higher calorie foods. Take larger portions of foods, and enjoy seconds (as long as you are hungry).