On Thursday, the United States Department of Health and Human Services announced the new, highly-anticipated Dietary Guidelines (for 2015-2020).
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But they recommend steep reductions in sugary snacks and sodas – no more than 10 percent of your daily calories should come from sugars – and reductions in saturated fats – also no more than 10% of your daily calorie intake.
The new guidelines are rewritten every five years, and obviously not everyone will agree with all of the recommendations, but the dietary standards are all based on sound science, according to Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell.
Most nutrition experts agree people consume far too much sugar, which is linked to an increased risk for heart disease and Type II Diabetes.
New dietary guidelines released by the government say that some Americans may not have to cut back on eggs and salt as much as they once thought.
The Obama administration released new dietary guidelines – something done every five years – and they want you to lay off the sugar, sugar. Labels require not only the amount of these ingredients in a food but also how much that counts toward your recommend daily calorie intake.
After months of debate and political pressure, the federal government is out with an updated set of dietary guidelines to try to help Americans eat healthier.
Instead, the guidelines avoid incriminating red meat but suggesting that Americans get their protein from “a variety of protein foods, including seafood, lean meats and poultry, eggs, legumes (beans and peas), soy products, and nuts and seeds”.
Federal officials said, however, the basics of the guidelines – eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains while reducing saturated fat, sodium and sugar – have not changed all that much in the decades since the government started producing them. That panel suggested calling for an environmentally friendly diet lower in red and processed meats and de-emphasized lean meats in its list of proteins that are part of a healthy diet.
The Erie County Health Commissioner explained why the guidelines have changed. The guidelines continue to reveal that eating lean meat is OK. “One of the things we are steering people to is small changes”.
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The guidelines also remind Americans that the most important factor to improving their health is doing regular physical activities like walking, aerobic exercises and other muscle and bone-strengthening activities. As for sodium, it should be kept under 2,300 milligrams per day. About 90 percent of Americans consume too much sodium, an average of 3,400 milligrams daily, the report said.
