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Fats, Meats and Dairy

  • People are not fat because they eat too much fat! Increased consumption of processed grains has led to increased obesity in the US.
  • Diets focused on reducing fat or total carbohydrate do not produce significant long-term weight loss. But diets with a focus on healthy fats, whole grains and other nutritious foods do.
  • Trans fats cause heart disease and diabetes.
  • Countries with the highest red meat consumption (including the U.S.) have the highest rates of colon cancer.
  • Too many servings of dairy products may increase the risk of prostate cancer.

Eating Habits

  • Good nutrition leads to better health and wellbeing. Proper eating habits can boost your energy level, strengthen your immune system, help maintain desired body weight, and provide a feeling of well being.
  • Many people eat too much and make poor choices in the types of food they eat. Few people know how best to shop for and prepare healthy foods, as there are too many choices and much confusion.
  • Eating healthy food decreases hunger by increasing satiety (feeling full).
  • Breakfast is a very important meal. It prevents hunger and excessive eating later in the day. Eating a healthy breakfast helps manage weight, and breakfast eaters keep weight off. Breakfast is also an opportunity to introduce more food groups in your diet, and provides more energy for exercise.
  • Most Americans consume only one half the daily recommended amount of fiber. Recommended amounts depend on your age, sex, and other needs.
  • Consumption of added sugars should be very limited. Added sugars are those incorporated into foods and beverages during production which usually provide insignificant amounts of vitamins, minerals, or other essential nutrients. Major sources include soft drinks, fruit drinks, pastries, candy, and other sweets.

Disease Prevention and Treatment

  • In-home dietary counseling has been shown to significantly improve diabetes control in medical research trials.
  • For every extra serving of fruits and vegetable you eat, you decrease your risk of heart disease by 4%.
  • Increased intake of vitamin D decreases bone fractures and may decrease risk of colorectal cancers.
  • Healthy eating and exercise together can decrease the risk of diabetes by 50%, and can decrease the risk of dying from heart disease by over 50%.
  • To maintain cardiovascular health, regardless of weight, adults and children should achieve a total of at least 30 minutes of moderately intense physical activity each day (not necessarily all at once). Even if this is not possible, exercise should be a part of daily life.

Children/Teens

  • The decrease in US children/teens eating breakfast correlates with the increase in childhood obesity.
  • Obesity in a child can lead to fewer years of education, higher risk of poverty, and lower marriage rates.
  • Adolescents spend less than 12 minutes per day in vigorous activity on average, but more than 6 hours in sedentary activities like watching television and playing video games.

Exercise and Stress Reduction

  • Stress reduction practices can improve many aspects of health including improvement in many chronic problems such as diabetes, excess body weight, high blood pressure, insomnia, and can improve health for the rest of a person's life.
  • Exercise improves weight management, physical and emotional well being, and preserves long-term functional capacity and independence (better quality of life in old age).