Happy Weekend everyone!
Updates since last time:
– I made a snow angel on Thursday night, as Nick and I were walking back from our treacherous trip to the grocery store.
– Nick and I were up really late on Thursday because he had a migraine (the first one he’s had since I met him 5 years ago) and we figured out it was from the bleach he used to clean our shower!
– I slipped a bit on one of my 2010 goals, but I got right back up the next day, and I’m not beating myself up over it. No biggie. I can, and will, still succeed!
Nutrition and Health Update
Do you know what this year is? It’s five years after the last Dietary Guidelines for Americans were released! What does that mean? Well this year they are releasing the new ones (they are updated every five years).
(The picture below is just an example of another food guide pyramid, not the one used for the Dietary Guidelines. I just thought it was pretty!)
The Dietary Guidelines are a combination of recommendations for healthy Americans to follow, which are based off of scientific evidence, and are meant to help promote health and prevent disease. The Dietary Guidelines are what are used to create MyPyramid.gov. They also include the latest evidence for fitness recommendations.
Anyone is allowed to publicly comment about the Dietary Guidelines (either positive or negative comments). Many Americans believe the guidelines are biased and that the food and pharmaceutical industries are too involved in the creation of the guidelines. As quoted in Today’s Dietitian, “The American Dietetic Association would like more focus on food-based recommendations and eating patterns over supplements and nutrients”. Another criticism is that 5 years is not enough time for good, thorough research. Some say it should be extended to every 10 years.
The biggest problem with the dietary guidelines is that there is so much information, and people don’t know how to use it. They get overwhelmed, and evidence shows that Americans don’t even understand how to use the MyPyramid.gov correctly (which was created to help make the dietary guidelines easier to follow!). Also, people don’t realize that these are goals that should be established gradually. You will burn out if you try to go from a fast food diet, to a Dietary Guidelines-based diet over night, it’s just not feasible.
It is estimated that only 3% of Americans follow the dietary guidelines. If you want to start following the Dietary Guidelines take baby steps. Also, meet with a dietitian to go over the guidelines and get a better understanding of how they pertain to you, and your personal needs and lifestyle.
Source: Today’s Dietitian, December, 2009
Question: What are your thoughts about the Dietary Guidelines for Americans? Personally I like them, but I do think 10 years worth of research would make for a much reliable and accurate list of recommendations. I also think that if America is going to work hard to put out these guidelines, they need to work equally as hard to make our society healthier (aka, do something about all the cheap and unhealthy food that gets served at restaurants and fast food restaurants, and all the high sodium and high sugar processed crap that is so easy to access at grocery stores and convenient stores!).
New Dinner
I made my second dinner for my 2010 cookbook. Check it out!
Recipe #2 Egged Spaghetti Squash
Ingredients
(makes 1 serving. Double or triple if desired)
Spaghetti squash (1-2 cups)
1/2 cup other vegetable
1/2 cup spaghetti sauce
1 egg
1 dollop of plain Greek yogurt
garlic and pepper
My Rating: 7 out of 10
This was really good, but sort of bland. If I make this again, I will add a tiny bit of salt (1/2 t) and maybe some red pepper flakes.
Possible Modifications
Use whole wheat spaghetti
Use light sour cream
Add any other vegetable you choose
Add different/more spices
Nutrition
The following nutrition facts are an estimate, and they will depend on which products you use (such as low sodium spaghetti sauce vs. regular) , and whether you add more or less vegetables!
1 serving
PLUS
– 225 grams of Omega-3 (I use Omega-3 enriched eggs)
– 2 servings of vegetable
Coming Up
Today I am doing a major grocery shopping trip and then tonight Nick and I are going to see Avatar! Stay tuned for my next post, which will contain another “Random Nutrition and Health Tidbit” about reduced fat vs. regular peanut butter, and a fun new gluten free product!
