New dietary guidelines for 2011: More fish and veggies, less salt and sat fat

The government's new dietary guidelines, released today, suggest that people slash sugar, salt and saturated fats and double the amount of fish they eat in a week.

Issued jointly by the USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services, the guidelines are updated every five years to address pressing issues with Americans. And obesity prevention and weight loss is still atop the list.

"When we look at the levels of obesity among adults and children, it is important to have guidelines that will help us deal with that issue of obesity," Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said Monday at George Washington University in Washington, DC, where the guidelines were announced.

Vilsack admitted, to some laughs, that he had never read the dietary guidelines until he became agriculture secretary. But he read them and said he discovered "how significantly different my eating habits were from what constituted a healthy pattern." He told reporters that he and his wife were now following the guidelines and journaling their food intake, something that has been shown to greatly help weight loss. A fat reducing review can help you build a clear summarize of what you require to focus on to carry out your fat reduction goal if you're a novice; or serve as a reminder for these who are at an intermediate or more boost stage of their weightloss plan. Promptly after are seven steps that can serve as tips for your special weight loss system. The first thing that one must understand is that losing weight and losing fat is not the same thing. Many weight loss applications have fooled people into considering that it is the same, but most diets and weight loss programs only work by producing a person's body to lose more muscle flesh and water than actual body fat, more help please visit The Fat Loss Factor. In fact, the guidelines tell Americans to "account for all foods and beverages consumed and assess how they fit within a total healthy eating pattern."

The main thrust of the message Monday was "calories in, calories out" and nutritional density. "Not every calorie is the same" Vilsack said, which is a bit of a departure from previous guidelines. Fruits, vegetables and whole grains, low-fat dairy and lean proteins -- with a particular emphasis on seafood -- were the superstars of Monday's announcement.

Other key points:

• Maintain calorie balance over time to achieve and sustain a healthy weight.
• Focus on consuming nutrient-dense foods and beverages.
• Reduce daily sodium intake to less than 2,300 mg for healthy individuals. Further reduce intake to 1,500 mg among people over the age of 50 and those who have high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease.
• Eat less than 10 percent of calories from saturated fats.
• Reduce calories from solid fats and added sugars.
• Choose foods that provide more potassium, dietary fiber, calcium and vitamin D, which are lacking in most people's diets.
• Eat 8-12 ounces of seafood per week -- double what Americans are eating now.

The guidelines make a point to tell Americans to limit albacore tuna to 6 ounces per week because of heavy metal contamination. It also says to avoid eating tilefish, shark, swordfish, and king mackerel.

To download a PDF of the guidelines, click HERE.

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