| Fat Calories, Fat percentage, Fat-Fat-Fat Total fat intake should be no more than 30 percent of calories. At 2,200 total calories per day, your suggested upper limit on fat intake would be about 660 fat calories. At 1,400 calories per day, just 420 should be from fat. Fats supply energy and essential fatty acids, and they help absorb the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, and carotenoids. You need some fat in the food you eat, but choose sensibly. Some kinds of fat, especially saturated fats, increase the risk for coronary heart disease by raising the blood cholesterol. In contrast, unsaturated fats (found mainly in vegetable oils) do not increase blood cholesterol. Eating lots of fat of any type can provide excess calories. At 2,200 total calories per day, your suggested upper limit on fat intake would be about 73 fat grams. Foods high in saturated fats tend to raise blood cholesterol. These foods include high-fat dairy products (like cheese, whole milk, cream, butter, and regular ice cream), fatty fresh and processed meats, the skin and fat of poultry, lard, palm oil, and coconut oil. Keep your intake of these foods low. At 2,200 total calories per day, your suggested upper limit on saturated fat intake would be less than 24 grams. Cholesterol ? Foods that are high in cholesterol also tend to raise blood cholesterol. These foods include liver and other organ meats, egg yolks, and dairy fats. The U.S. recommended daily allowance suggests no more than 300 milligrams of cholesterol. Sodium (salt) ? Since there is no RDA for sodium, the Committee on Dietary Allowances of the National Academy of Sciences recommends a minimum of 500 milligrams per day. In the body, sodium - which you get mainly from salt - plays an essential role in regulating fluids and blood pressure. Many people can reduce their chances of developing high blood pressure by consuming less salt. Several studies in diverse populations have shown that a high sodium intake is associated with higher blood pressure. Oh those carbohydrates ! Sugars are carbohydrates and a source of energy (calories). Dietary carbohydrates also include the complex carbohydrates starch and dietary fiber. During digestion all carbohydrates except fiber break down into sugars. Foods that are high in sugars but low in essential nutrients primarily contribute calories to the diet. The U.S. recommended daily allowance suggests approximately 310 grams of carbohydrate. How much protein should be consumed daily? The U.S. recommended daily allowance is 45-63 grams of protein for men and 44-50 grams of protein for women. |
| OK, now that I'm reading the labels, what do they mean? |
| What about Fibre ? Plant material that cannot be digested by human digestive enzymes. It consists largely of cellulose, a carbohydrate found in plant cell walls. Fibre adds bulk to the gut contents, assisting the muscular contractions that force food along the intestine. A diet low in fibre causes constipation and is believed to increase the risk of developing diverticulitis, diabetes, gall-bladder disease, and cancer of the large bowel conditions that are rare in nonindustrialized countries, where the diet contains a high proportion of unrefined cereals. Animals are unable to produce the enzyme necessary to break down cellulose. However, cellulose still forms a necessary part of the human diet as fibre (roughage) because it is not broken down it acts as a signal that the gut needs to contract to move the contents on. Any undigested plant material acts as fibre. Soluble fibre consists of indigestible plant carbohydrates (such as pectins, hemicelluloses, and gums) that dissolve in water. A high proportion of the fibre in such foods as oat bran, pulps, and vegetables is of this sort. |
 |
| The typical American eats only about 11 grams of fiber a day, according to the American Dietetic Association. Health experts recommend a minimum of 20 to 30 grams of fiber a day for most people. |
| Food & Drug Administrations (FDA) findings and report on Fibre. How to get it - where and how much |
 |