About John J. Porterfield Expertise I can answer questions if you are a student in the grade range of preschool through 12th. I can answer questions about your school health class assignments. I can help you with your school health class homework. I can answer general health questions you might have on the topics of Abuse & Addiction, Anatomy, Death & Dying, Diet & Nutrition, Emotional Development, Exercise & Lifestyle Choices, Fitness & Nutrition, Genes & Inherited Risks, Illness & Disease, Medicine & Treatments, Workplace Health, World Health, Safety, Social & Emotional Health, Social Skills, and The Body. I can also make arrangements to help you with your school health class assignments and homework via live chat, if you prefer. IF YOU NEED HELP WITH YOUR SCHOOL HEALTH CLASS ASSIGNMENTS OR HOMEWORK, PLEASE TYPE THE ENTIRE QUESTION YOU NEED HELP WITH.
Experience I am a School Health Education Major studying to obtain degrees in School Health and Education and plan to teach in the preschool through 12th grade range, and eventually work my way up to the college/university level. I have attended The University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, PA; Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA; Slippery Rock University in Slippery Rock, PA; and am currently studying at Allegheny County Community College in Pittsburgh, PA. I plan to transfer to Youngstown State University in Youngstown, OH in the Spring of 2005 and complete my education there.
Expert: John J. Porterfield Date: 9/22/2004 Subject: Teenagers' Food Choices
Question What would it be like to eat healthily?
Answer Hi!
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John
Dinnie--
You ask about diet. When it comes to nutrition education, be prepared to spend a lifetime studying. The basics are explained below so you can feel confident about your food choices. You will need to do some research on the information I give you so you know what I am talking about.
General Characteristics of the Optimum Diet:
Variety. Cover all nutritional bases and minimize the intake of any harmful elements in foods.
Freshness. The higher the percentage of fresh foods in the diet the better.
Unprocessed foods. The lower the percentage of processed foods in the diet the better.
Abundance in fruits and vegetables. The more fruits and vegetables you eat, the more protective phytochemicals you take in.
Calories
Depending on sex, body size, and activity level, most adults need to consume between 2,000 and 3,000 calories a day. Women, and smaller and less active people, need fewer calories; men and bigger and more active people need more. If you are eating the appropriate number of calories and not varying your activity, your weight should not fluctuate greatly. The recommended distribution of calories is 50 to 60 percent from carbohydrates, 30 percent from fat, and 10 to 20 percent from protein.
Carbs
Adult women should eat about 225 to 270 grams of carbohydrates a day, while men should eat about 288 to 345 grams. The majority of this should be in the form of whole, unprocessed foods with a low (i.e., below 60) glycemic index, and everyone should try to eat some low-GI carbohydrate with each meal (whole grains, beans, vegetables, and nontropical fruits). If you eat high-GI carbohydrates, try to include them in meals that also contain some low-GI foods. Try to reduce your consumption of foods made with wheat flour and sugar and increase your consumption of beans.
Fat
On a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet, 600 calories can come from fat, which is about 67 grams. Ideally, this should be in a ratio of 1:2:1 of saturated to monounsaturated to polyunsaturated fat, meaning that no more than 100 calories should come from saturated fat. You should reduce saturated fat by eating less butter, cream, cheese, and other full-fat dairy products, unskinned chicken, fatty meats, and products made with palm and coconut oil. Use olive oil as a principal oil in cooking. Limit your consumption of polyunsaturated vegetable oils (safflower, sunflower, corn, sesame) and avoid margarine, vegetable shortening, and all products made with partially hydrogenated oils. Also, avoid fried foods in restaurants, especially fast-food restaurants. Be sure to eat sources of omega-3 fats: oily fish, fortified eggs, soy foods, walnuts, flax, and hemp seeds.
Protein
Your daily intake should be between 50 and 100 grams on a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet. Eat less protein if you have liver or kidney problems, allergies, or an autoimmune disease. Eat more vegetable protein, especially from beans, in general, and soybeans, in particular, and less animal protein, except for fish and reduced-fat dairy products. Avoid protein supplements.
Vitamins and Minerals
Eating a diet high in fresh foods with plenty of fruits and vegetables will provide most of the micronutrients you need. In addition, depending upon your personal needs, you may also benefit from adding vitamins minerals and herbs into your daily intake.
Fiber
The optimum diet should provide 40 grams of fiber a day. You can achieve this by increasing your consumption of fruits (especially berries), vegetables (especially beans), and whole grains. Ready-made cereals can be good fiber sources, but read labels to make sure they give you at least 4, and preferably 5, grams of bran per one-ounce serving.
Protective Phytochemicals
To get the maximum natural protection against cancer, degenerative diseases, and environmental toxicity, eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, and mushrooms, and drink tea, especially green tea.
Water
Try to drink six to eight glasses of pure water a day or drinks that are mostly water (tea, very diluted fruit juice, sparkling water with lemon). Use bottled water or get a home water purifier if your tap water tastes of chlorine or other contaminants or if you live in an area where the water is suspected of being contaminated. I recommend that you drink tea regularly for its antioxidant effects, especially green tea. Decaffeinated forms are available.
