Articles

Nutrition: Intelligent Choices to Health

1. Week One:  Introduction
1. What constitutes a Health Diet?
   Using the Food Pyramid
   Rationale for changing from the "Four Food Groups"
   Composition of the Ideal Diet for Americans
2. Nutrient Contributions of each Food Group:

   Breads, Cereals, Starches	Fruits & Vegetables
   Dairy Foods	Meats and Meat Analogues
   Fats, Sweets and Alcohol

3. Activity: Compare your actual diet tot he Food Guide Pyramid. Where to you Meet the Guidelines? Where Do You Need to Increase or Decrease Your Intake?



2. Week Two:  Eating to Lose Weight
   
   
   1. Why diets don't work: Diets cause a loss of lean tissue
      Other Causes of muscle loss: Again and Inactivity
   2. How Muscle Burns Fat
      The Importance of Exercise in Regaining Muscle Tissue
   3. The Importance of Eating in Rebuilding Muscle Tissue
      Guide for determining adequate calorie intake for fat loss.
   4. Guide for determining ideal fat intake
   5. Activity: Compare your actual fat intake to ideal levels for body fat losses. Where Can You Cut Back?
   
   
   
3. Week Three:  Grocery Shopping & Reading Labels
   
   
   Background on Standards for Percentages on labels:

   Calories	Total Fat	Saturated Fat
   Cholesterol	Sodium	Total Carbohydrates
   Fiber	Sugars	Protein

   1. How to Use these Percentages to Judge and/or Incorporate Favorite Foods into your diet.
   2. Activity: Read the labels of your favorite cereal or snack; How does it rate in contributing the above nutrients to your diet?
   
   
   
4. Week Four:  The Pillar of Salt is Crumbling
   
   
   1. Sodium: Required Amounts vs. Actual vs. Average Intakes
   2. Sodium's Role in Hypertension, Heart Disease
   3. Guidelines for Reducing your Sodium Intake

      Cooking Tips

      Seasoning Tips

      Eating Out

   4. Activity: Estimate your Actual Daily Sodium Intake.
      Try one or more of the tips for reducing your sodium intake
   
   
   
5. Week Five:  Cholesterol and Arterial Corruption
   
   
   1. Cholesterol & Lipoproteins: The Good, The Bad & the Ugly
   2. Total Fat and Saturated Fat Intake: Their role in endogenous cholesterol production, intake guidelines.
   3. Finding the Saturated Fats in your diet: comparing various animal & vegetable products.
   4. Which Fat is Best: Monosaturated vs. Polyunsaturated
   5. Activity: Estimate your daily intake of saturated fat. How Does It Compare to Recommended Levels?
   
   
   
6. Week Six:  Fiber: The Good Carbohydrate
   
   
   1. The Role of Fiber in Preventing Cancer & Heart Disease
   2. The Different Types of Fiber & Their Sources
   3. Guidelines for Increasing Dietary Fiber
   4. Sugar & Its Role in a Healthy Diet
   5. Activity: Estimate your Intake of Dietary Fiber.
      How Does It Compare to Recommended Levels?
   
   
   
7. Week Seven:  Eating on the Run
   
   
   1. Comparing Choices at Deli's, Fast Food Chains and Various Restaurants.
   2. Strategies for Helping in Difficult Situations:

      Choosing the Restaurant

      Eating Before Your Leave

      Party Tactics

   3. Activity: Pick up a Menu From Your Favorite Restaurant or Fast Food Chain. What Choices are Lower in Fat?
   
   
   
8. Week Eight:  Nutrition Facts & Fallacies
   
   
   1. Vitamin Supplementation: When is it Necessary?
   2. Fad Diets & Their Danger:

      High Protein Diets

      Food Combining

   3. Successful Fat Loss Survivors: What Works Long Term?
   4. Activity: Evaluate Your Diet Today vs. Seven Weeks Ago. What Positive Steps Have You Taken in Your Diet? Where Would You Like To Go From Here? Fat Loss Goals or A Healthier Diet Overall?