A Healthy Diet: Your First Line
of Defense Against Disease

Your healthy diet lays the foundation for your overall well-being. And heart-healthy, cancer-fighting fruits and vegetables—between 21/2 and 61/2 cups each day—are the cornerstone.

Your healthy daily diet should also include at least three ounces of whole-grain and a small amount of fats and sweets.

Follow these tips to help prevent specific conditions:

• Heart-related problems, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, and stroke— Pump up your intake of omega-3 fatty acids by eating about a 3-ounce serving of salmon or tuna three times a week. Limit sodium to less than 2,300 milligrams. And keep daily cholesterol intake under 300 milligrams by avoiding high-cholesterol foods such as egg yolks and high-fat dairy products.
• Diabetes— One study suggests that a high-fat diet can triple your risk for type 2 diabetes. If you eat about 2,000 calories a day, limit fat to about 65 grams or less. Read nutrition labels to see how many fat grams are in foods.
• Osteoporosis— Take in 1,000 milligrams of calcium a day and 200 international units (IUs) of vitamin D, which helps calcium absorption and reduces risk for bone loss. Adults older than age 50 need 1,200 milligrams of calcium and 400 IUs of vitamin D. Good calcium sources include dark green leafy vegetables, low-fat dairy, or calcium fortified non-dairy products. Vitamin D is found in fortified milk and cereals and in eggs.
• Cancer— Fruits and veggies are key in helping to decrease your risk for many types of cancer. In addition, lycopene, an antioxidant whose best source is tomato products, may help protect men against prostate cancer. And experts continue to recommend a high-fiber diet to help prevent colon cancer.

March/April 2006 A Healthy Tomorrow

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