Mayo Clinic states, “If you’re like many people, independence is the bedrock upon which you’ve built your life. More than virtually anything else, you treasure your freedom from the control of others – the opportunity to act according to your will and to make decisions for yourself as you see fit.” Come with me to explore two critical choices we need to make to maintain our independence through establishing good health in 2016!
In their 2015 booklet on Tips for Healthy Aging, the clinic repeats the old adage, “You are what you eat.” Although most of us would prefer to gulp down our favorite foods that satisfy our taste buds with no significant nutritional gain in mind, Mayo tells us “Your health is greatly influenced by the interaction of nutrients and genes – a continual interplay in which certain foods enhance the action of protective (or harmful) genes…” In other words, making a practice of regularly enjoying meals with healthy ingredients will put you at lower risk for many life challenging diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, and digestive disorders.
Your body will also operate at its best through a variety of food choices.
“All foods contain a certain number of calories (energy) within a given amount (volume),” the clinic continues. The Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid establishes the smallest portion for sweets/sugars (up to 75 calories daily), and slightly larger area for fats (3 to 5 daily servings), in its pyramid’s top two layers. These two categories contain a high number of calories in just a small portion of food intake. As a result, they are referred to as high-density foods with often less nutritional value.
However, not all fats are bad for you. Fish and shellfish help lower your triglycerides when they contain omega 3 fatty acids. Avocados, olives, seeds, and nuts, as well as certain cooking oils (canola and olive oils), are healthy to consume. Nuts keep harmful deposits from accumulating in your blood vessels, thus protecting against coronary events. Eating enough of these fats to gain their health benefits, but still control your calorie intake, is recommended here.
Mayo Clinic tells us that we should eat much more of the low-density foods found at the very bottom of their food pyramid. Full of nutritional value and low in calories per serving, this group consists of vegetables (unlimited/minimum 4) and fruits (unlimited/minimum 3). It is a known fact that veggies help you fight off heart disease, our number one killer of American adults. Research also has found that vegetables appear to offer protection against cancer. They contain no cholesterol (low in fats), a huge amount of vitamins and minerals, and are rich in fiber and at times calcium. Fruits, like vegetables, have an abundance of vitamins, minerals and fiber. They also contain a long list of antioxidants, some of which protect against aging, such as macular degeneration. Researchers have found that many fruits contain flavonoids that help lower blood cholesterol and your risk for cancer and heart disease.
Above fruits and vegetables in importance on this pyramid are carbohydrates (4 to 8 daily servings), which can be rich in fiber. This food group, when wisely chosen, also protects against developing cancer and digestive problems. Mayo Clinic does instruct us to purchase whole grains rather than refined carb food products in this category.
Immediately above carbs on the pyramid appears protein/dairy (3 to 7 daily servings). The clinic states, “Protein is essential to human life.”
Today’s scientists are discovering that there are other ways of gaining protein other than just eating meat, often high in saturated fat and cholesterol. Low fat dairy products, seafood, and many plant foods such as beans, lentils, and peas contain large amounts of protein. Containing no cholesterol and little fat, the fiber in beans helps lower bad cholesterol and control blood pressure.
Don’t forget to control your salt intake to protect your kidneys. Learn about each food’s serving size to control your daily calorie intake. Read food labels carefully when purchasing edibles. Serving sizes in the Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid are based on calories. Mayo hastens to tell us that all selections within each food group are equal in calories per serving. To learn more about the clinic’s choices, check out www.MayoClinic.org. Part 2: Challenge Your Body With Exercise in the January 28 edition.
