Pyramid Power

Figuring out a healthy lifestyle

A better understanding of nutrition

Are we really too young to worry about our health? Absolutely not. In fact, a common misconception on college campuses is that a quick fix diet will lead to a healthy life. Au contraire - just stick to the facts: give your body the maintenance and attention it needs. The most effective means of obtaining a fit/healthy body starts with a balanced diet filled with nutrients, vitamins, and minerals, and maintaining regular exercise habits that best fit your schedule. It may sound monotonous, but is easy and will be rewarding. It's time to move your body on up; you've got to feel it! Here's how.

Where to start?

The typical American diet has been found to consist of high levels of calories, simple sugars, fat, cholesterol and salt, and lack complex carbohydrates and fiber. Research has shown that in the U.S.A., this diet contributes to high rates of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and some cancers. Improving your diet is only one way to improve your lifestyle. The next level of good health is exercise and healthy habits (such as not smoking, responsible alcohol consumption and no drug use). Three essential guidelines that will help bring the body and mind to a new level are balance, moderation and exercise.

Balance your diet

Everyone could agree that they eat some foods more frequently than others. This causes the unbalanced diet trend, experienced by more than half of the population around the world. Some cases of an unbalanced diet are not easy to correct; however, most cases are.

Within the past few years, research has created a new shape for nutrition: the Food Guide Pyramid. Many new developments have proven that every aspect of the pyramid is essential for good health. The phrase balance your diet is used to stress the importance of each and every component from top to bottom.

For instance, the small portion of fats found at the top of the pyramid are responsible for that satisfied feeling after a complete meal. Also, fats function as carriers of essential vitamins and minerals to aid in blood absorption. If fortified, this food group is also a good source of iron. The next level is comprised of meat and dairy products. These foods are filled with thousands of vital nutrients such as proteins, fats, calcium, and iron. Proteins help maintain muscle structure and are important for cell growth. Calcium helps maintain strong bones and iron helps prevent fatigue. The third level is comprised of fruits and vegetables, which are filled with many naturally occurring sugars, complex carbohydrates, and fiber, not to mention mega-doses of vitamins and minerals. These compounds enhance the digestive tract, help lower blood cholesterol levels, and also help prevent some cancers.

The base of the pyramid is composed of many different forms of grains. Bread, cereal, pasta, and rice are in this group. These foods are filled with complex carbohydrates, which are important for long-term energy stores. Once the body has used up all of its energy (for example when you have not eaten for 4-5 hours), it will resort to these carbohydrate stores in the body. If fortified, this food group is also a good source of iron.

In all, every element in the food guide pyramid is essential for a healthy mind and body. However, anything that disturbs the balance of the pyramid disturbs the balance of your diet. That is where moderation comes into play.

Moderation is the key

We often see that when food acquires a pleasing taste, the portion sizes often expand. Keep track of the portions you are eating.

What Counts As One Serving? Here are some serving size examples for each food group. If you eat larger portions, count it as more than one serving. Eat at least the lowest number of servings each day.

bread, cereal, rice, and pasta group (6-11 servings)

1 slice of bread
1 ounce of ready-to-eat cereal (check labels: 1 ounce = 1/4 cup - 2 cups, depending on the cereal)
1/2 cup cooked cereal, rice, or pasta
1/2 hamburger roll, bagel, or English muffin
3 - 4 plain crackers (small)

vegetable group (3-5 servings)

1 cup of raw leafy vegetables (e.g., lettuce)
1/2 cup cooked or raw vegetables
3/4 cup of vegetable juice

fruit group (2-4 servings)

1 medium apple, banana, orange, nectarine, or peach
1/2 cup chopped, canned, or cooked fruit
3/4 cup of fruit juice

milk, yogurt, and cheese group (2-3 servings)

1 cup of milk or yogurt
1 1/2 ounces of natural cheese (about 1 thin slice)

meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs, and nuts group (2-3 servings)

2-3 ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry, or fish
(1 ounce of meat = 1/2 cup of cooked dry beans, 1 egg, or 2 tablespoons of peanut butter)

Each group contains macro-nutrients, including fats, proteins and carbohydrates, as well as micro-nutrients, including vitamins, minerals and water. Each food group contains a mixture of those vitamins and nutrients needed for daily living. No single food or food group contains all of the nutrients you need. The pyramid calls for eating a variety of foods in order to get the necessary nutrients while eating the right amount of calories to maintain a healthy weight. With the help of the Food Guide Pyramid and recommended serving sizes, you can achieve balance and moderation.

Did you know?

Fat info:

Excessive intake of fat, simple sugars and alcohol will cause a rise in triglycerides and storage of fat. Triglycerides are fats found in the blood and stored in body fat. Those fat stores are responsible for the formation of adipose tissue, more commonly recognized as those flabby, undesirable areas on the body. Fats, carbohydrates and proteins all contain a specific amount of calories.

Fats contain the most: 9 kcal/gram of fat. Fat provides the most calories, therefore less amounts are necessary. (That is why they are at the top portion of the Food Guide Pyramid and should be limited throughout the day.) The body does not respond well if fat is ingested in abundance before exercising, because it requires a great deal of energy to break down. Fats exist as solids or as oils. Some examples are butter, margarine, vegetable oil, olive oil and the visible fat around various meat and poultry cuts.

There are 3 types of fats: saturated, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated.

Saturated fats raise blood cholesterol and are identified by their solid state at room temperature. Some examples are butter, coconut oil, palm oil, and the fat in meats and whole milk dairy products. Polyunsaturated fats tend to lower LDL blood cholesterol levels. However, excess polyunsaturated fats may also lower protective HDL cholesterol, which is considered an undesirable side effect. These types of fats are liquid at room temperature and can be found in vegetable oils including corn, safflower, and soybean.

Monounsaturated fats also lower LDL levels in the blood, but they have not been found to negatively affect the HDL levels. These fats are also liquid at room temperature, but are found in foods such as olives, olive oil, canola oil, peanuts and peanut oil.

There is a fat-like substance found in all animal products, meats and eggs - called cholesterol. Cholesterol is used to build cell membranes and produce hormones, vitamin D, and other important enzymes in our bodies. However, too much cholesterol in the blood can lead to clogged arteries and heart disease. There are two major types of cholesterol that circulate throughout the blood in protein packages: LDL and HDL. High levels of Low Density Lipoproteins (LDL) can result in arteriosclerosis -clogged arteries- and coronary heart disease. High Density Lipoproteins (HDL) are often recognized as the good cholesterol because they are responsible for the transport of excess cholesterol back to the liver for removal from the body. With the help of exercise, the levels of HDL in the blood will increase, thereby preventing clogged arteries and heart disease.

Protein and carbohydrate facts

Protein facts:

The best sources of protein are found in meat, fish, and eggs. Even though proteins are responsible for muscle growth and maintenance, high protein intake could easily lead to dehydration of the body, and long-term, kidney damage.

When the body breaks down protein, a compound called urea is formed. The kidney must excrete the urea contained in the body because high levels can cause toxicity in the blood. The extra work needed to excrete the superfluous amounts of urea is what causes kidney damage. This process does not occur overnight; however, long-term effects include kidney damage.

Carbohydrate update

Abnormally high levels of carbohydrates most often lead to water retention and/or fat storage because carbohydrates attract water. Compare your intake to recommendations from the Food Guide Pyramid.

There are two types of carbohydrates: simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates are table sugars, candies, or even natural sugars in fruits. These sugars only provide temporary energy that drastically drops once used by the body.

Complex carbohydrates, on the other hand, provide more long-term effects because they are the main energy storage products. However, some people load up on carbo-hydrates in order to gain quick energy stores. This behavior, also known as carbohydrate loading, leads to a bloated feeling because carbohydrates attract water.

Exercise for the mind & body

Exercise provides many benefits.

Exercise increases energy and relieves stress. Research has shown that physical activity releases negative tension, provides peace of mind, and results in better sleep because the muscles are more relaxed when in a resting state.

Exercise also increases flexibility, which allows muscles to grow and function at their optimal levels.

When performing strenuous exercises (e.g., weight training, high energy aerobics), several different hormones, such as adrenaline, are released. This is commonly recognized as a feeling of a natural high. Also, muscles need more energy than fat to function, therefore, more calories are used when training them.

Exercise alters body composition by increasing lean muscle mass and decreasing fat mass. This will create a toned body. Body composition varies between men and women. The recommended percent of body fat for women and men is 18.5% - 24.9% (although men naturally have more muscle mass than women).

Heart disease and strokes are prevented through cardiovascular training. The strength of the heart muscle and oxygen flow will help maintain normal heart rates and the recovery of many damaged cells throughout the body. Exercise helps increase the rate of metabolism and rates of excretion throughout the body. In other words, the energy from all the calories eaten and saved will gradually be used.

Note that the intensity levels, frequency, and duration of exercise should increase with time. Avoid starting to exercise at high intensity levels, since muscle and bone damage could occur.

Healthy tips for dining out

The Freshman 15 (as it is commonly known) is difficult for many college students to deal with. Some say it is a combination of leaving home, adjusting to the rigorous schedule of college life, and even the availability of free, tasty food. The facilities on and around most campuses, including Rutgers University, provide a variety of foods to choose from. Here are some nutrition tips for healthy dining:

Select broiled, baked, boiled, steamed, poached, roasted, grilled, or stir-fried foods instead of fried or creamed.

Consider salads with dressings on the side; avoid those salads and dressings made with mayonnaise.

Be aware of large portions. Do you really want that 2nd serving?

Choose broth-based soups like chicken noodle or bean soups; avoid cream soups.

Cut off visible fat from red meats and the skin of chicken.

Limit high-fat desserts to once or twice a week. There's also no harm in sharing!

Limit sweet beverages; if juices are chosen, add extra ice or water to dilute the sugar content.

Make the dish look colorful; that is usually a good sign of a variety of nutrients in the foods. For instance, carrots contain vitamin A whereas broccoli contains calcium and iron. A little of both is ideal.

Italian foods:

Choose pasta dishes with added meat, fish or chicken.
Include vegetables as toppings for pizza, pasta or rice dishes.
Order pizza with extra thick crust, not extra cheese.

Mexican foods:

Choose salsa as a flavor additive; limit or avoid high fat toppings such as sour cream, guacamole and cheese.
Limit sausage and beef; try beans or chicken.
Choose flour tortillas over tortilla chips.

Chinese food:

Choose dishes that are steamed and include vegetables.
Avoid fried foods such as dumplings, rolls and meats.
Choose clear soups.

French foods:

Avoid creamy dishes such as hollandaise, au gratin, or fondue.
Choose French bread over croissants.

Deli:

Turkey breast, ham, or roast beef sandwiches may be better than salads made with mayonnaise such as tuna or egg salad sandwiches.
Choose whole wheat, rye, or grained breads over Kaiser rolls or croissants.
Be aware of pasta salads with heavy oil contents or mayonnaise; choose bean salads with a vinegar base.
Add lettuce, tomato or any other vegetables from the salad area.
Beware of the amount of meat used to make the sandwich. More often than not, 2 or 3 sandwiches could be made with the amount of luncheon meat used for one sandwich.
Use mustard, ketchup or vinegar-based dressings as flavor additives instead of mayonnaise.

Fast foods:

Choose grilled chicken or hamburgers with no sauces or dressings.
Remove the fatty portions from chicken.
Choose a baked potato or side salad instead of fries.

And especially, taste everything on your dish before adding any flavor additives; hold the salt!

Overall

Develop a routine:

Eat nutritionally, balanced and in moderation

Eat breakfast. If you are on the run, grab a bagel, an orange and a cup of low fat milk.

Limit fat intake.

Balance the amount of food eaten to the amount of exercise performed.

Increase fluid intakes (especially water) because during exercise, your body is losing both essential electrolytes and water. Drinking eight 8oz. glasses of water/day is the most efficient way to regain those losses.

Start off light, and then work your way up to a comfortable exercise program. That may prevent frustration.

Find an exercise partner, but make sure the routine fits your abilities.

Try new activities to keep exercise interesting for you.

Push yourself for feelings of accomplishment, but know your limits.

Wrap-up:

A healthier lifestyle entails both eating right and exercising. Your diet plays a major role in the ability to achieve and maintain fitness. Exercising regularly will have only limited health benefits if your diet is not nutritious. Likewise, the benefits of good eating will lessen if you are a couch potato. Be cautious when selecting food and incorporate exercise into your life - make the time for both. Remember - overall nutrition is all about balance, moderation and exercise.

Last Modified 12/22/2005