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STAYING AHEAD OF THE NUTRITION GAME Published: 07/01/09
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Ahead of the Nutrition Game

If you're the kind of person who likes to keep an eye on the ball when it comes to health, take a look at this: The latest nutrition guidelines issued by the U.S. government suggest that, as a RealAge member, you may be ahead of the game.

Here's the Score

The most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans, updated in 2005, reshuffled the old food pyramid in such a way that it now more closely resembles the nutrition standards that have long been a part of the RealAge lifestyle.

Ready for the play-by-play? The 2005 government update raised the recommended vegetable intake to 2.5 cups per day -- the amount RealAge has been recommending from the get-go. It also upped the recommendation for fruit -- 2 cups per day -- same as RealAge. And for the first time, the government has started encouraging Americans to make whole grains the majority of their grain intake, something RealAge has long promoted. How well do you know your whole grains?

Another item that has only recently been added to the government guidelines -- but is old hat to RealAgers -- is dietary diversity. You heard it here first: Incorporating an array of colorful, nutrient-dense foods into your diet may help you live healthier longer.

Check out this chart to see how some of the RealAge nutrition recommendations compare with past and present U.S. guidelines.

Food group          U.S. 2000*                 U.S. 2005*          RealAge since 1998
Vegetables            1.5 to 2.5 cups/day      2.5 cups/day        2.5 cups/day
Fruit                     1 to 2 cups/day            2 cups/day           2 cups/day
Whole grains         No quantity given         3 servings/day      6 servings/day

Revisiting RealAge Basics

The U.S. guidelines aren't set to be updated again until 2010, so now's a good time for a refresher on some of the basics of RealAge nutrition:

In addition to the fruit, vegetable, and whole-grain recommendations above, aim to get about:

    * 25 grams of fiber per day
    * 2-3 servings of fish per week
    * 1 ounce of nuts per day
    * 10 tablespoons of tomato sauce per week
    * 1,000-1,500 milligrams of calcium per day

Limit saturated and trans fats in your diet. A little bit of saturated fat is okay -- even necessary -- for health, but trans fats should be avoided altogether, if possible. The good news: Many restaurants and food producers are moving away from trans fat, but it's still a good idea to check food labels, just in case.

Make sure most of your fats are the friendly kind: polyunsaturated or monounsaturated. About 25% of your daily calories should come from these healthy fats, with the majority being monounsaturated.

Finally, in addition to eating a balanced diet, a daily multivitamin can help ensure you get all the health-promoting nutrients you need to fight aging. Use the RealAge recommendations for essential vitamins and minerals to maintain your nutritional advantage.  RA

Here's a pure and natural whole mangosteen fruit based multivitamin/mineral for you.  Look under the products tab and click 3SIXTY5 at http://www.jbhealnutri7.mymangosteen.com

 

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