Whole grains
It’s recommended to consume 3 servings a day.

What counts as a serving?
A one ounce serving equals one slice whole-wheat bread, 1/2 cup brown rice, 5 whole-wheat crackers, 1/2 cup oatmeal.

Healthiest choices?
Whole grain or whole wheat products, oatmeal, brown rice, etc. It’s recommended that at least 1/2 of all the grains eaten should be whole grains.

Vegetables
It’s recommended to consume 2½ cups a day

What counts as a serving?
One serving equals 1 cup chopped or florets of raw/cooked broccoli, 2 medium carrots, 2 cups of raw, leafy greens = 1 cup cooked, leafy greens

Healthiest choices?
Any fresh vegetable is going to be the best and healthiest choice.  Try to avoid adding any sauces or salt which will take away from its nutritional benefits.

Fruit
It’s recommended to consume 2 cups a day

What counts as a serving?
One serving equals 1 cup sliced, chopped or cut-up fruit; about 8 large strawberries, 1 large orange, 32 seedless grapes.

Healthiest choices?
Any fresh fruit is going to be the best and healthiest choice and provide you with the most nutrients. Obviously eating an apple is better for you then eating a slice of apple pie or drinking the juice!

Dairy
It’s recommended to consume 3 cups a day.

What counts as a serving?
One serving equals 1 cup milk, 1 container (8 oz.) yogurt, 1-1/2 oz. cheese.

Healthiest choices?
It’s best to choose low-fat (2% or 1% products) or fat-free (skim milk) dairy products. These products are significantly lower in calories and fat.

This information simply provides you with the basics of having a healthy diet. For more information on eating with the food groups as your guide, check out the food guide pyramid at MyPyramid.gov.

Via EatRight

Post from: Diets in Review Blog

How to Use the Food Guide Pyramid to Eat Healthier

What is the NRF?

The Nutrient Rich Foods Coalition website describes this group as “a partnership that brings together leading scientific researchers, communications experts and agricultural commodities. Our members are composed of 12 food commodity associations that represent the five basic MyPyramid food groups.” Meaning, this group consists of experts in each of the five food groups (milk, grains, vegetables, oil, fruits). The website offers several tools that the public can understand and incorporate into their lives with the focus being on making calories count by choosing nutrient rich foods.

What are Nutrient Dense Foods?

Nutrient dense foods are foods that pack a punch. Unlike empty calories, calories that provide little to no nutrients and a lot of calories; nutrient dense foods provide tons of vitamins and minerals and only a few calories. These type of foods are the foods needed to help you lose and control your weight and help reduce your risk of poor diet associated diseases.

Examples of Nutrient-Rich Foods

The list below was taken from the NRF website:

• Brightly colored fruits and 100% fruit juices
• Vibrant colored vegetables and potatoes
• Whole, fortified and fiber-rich grain foods
• Low-fat and fat-free milk, cheese and yogurt
• Lean meat, skinless poultry, fish, eggs, beans and nuts

I was excited learning about the NRF. I think it offers great tools, tactics, and insight that one needs to lead a healthy lifestyle. I encourage you to look and see what new information you can learn and incorporate into your life!

Post from: Diets in Review Blog

Nutrient Rich Foods: Learn Them and Eat Them!

Exercising or staying physically active should be your second main focus. If you are sitting for more than thirty minutes at any one setting, you are doing something wrong. I understand that your everyday life makes it difficult to do so, but do the best you can and go from there.

I also recommend hitting the cardio for at least an hour a day for five days a week. Before cardio, hit the weights for a total body weight training session to deplete the glycogen stores to help burn fat during your bout of cardio. Below is a total body work-out that you can follow. I recommend hitting the weights three days a week right before you do cardio. Try and hit two set of 20 repetitions. Good luck!!

Post from: Diets in Review Blog

How To Lose 15 Pounds

1. Gym membership: Most gyms have remarkable nurseries or youth programs for your kids. I know it is costly, but it is definitely worth the investment.
2. Find a partner: Having a partner with the same goals and fitness level is tough, but the motivation aspect of it is outstanding.
3. Push yourself: After each bout of exercise, you should be dripping with sweat and your muscles should feel fatigued.
4. Extra activity: Try adding in short bouts of exercise after each meal or whenever you are bored. This could include walking, jumping rope, push-ups, crunches, or stairs. Anything to get the heart rate up a little bit.
5. Set a goal: Set a short-term and long-term goal and focus on reaching them. Have a reward available after you achieve each goal. This will help keep you accountable and motivated.
6. Diet: Stick to a strict diet Monday through Friday and cheat a little on the weekends. The Food Pyramid is a great guide to follow.
7. New workouts: Try different styles of exercising that you haven’t tried before. The human body adapts to its surroundings, thus you need to constantly change up your workouts.
8. Group fitness: These classes are nice because the instructor runs you through a structured exercise routine and you are surrounded by people with the same motivation and goals.

See the rest of Matt’s How to Lose Weight at Any Age series:

Lose Weight at 20, Lose Weight at 40, Lose Weight at 50, Lose Weight at 60, Lose Weight at 70 and Beyond

Post from: Diets in Review Blog

How to Lose Weight at 30