Kefir Kommunity

Eat more seafood, ditch the saltshaker and ease up on the portion sizes! (Starbucks Trenta, this means you!) Those are just three of the 23 just-released, highly anticipated 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The new guidelines emphasize calorie reduction and increased physical activity in light of the fact that more than two-thirds of U.S. adults and more than one-third of U.S. children are overweight or obese.

Some guidelines are simply updates of familiar advice: Eat a variety of vegetables, especially dark-green and red and orange vegetables and beans and peas; Reduce the intake of calories from solid fats and added sugars. Others are new, like the recommendation that pregnant or breastfeeding women consume 8-12 ounces of seafood per week (limiting albacore tuna to 6 oz/week and avoiding tilefish, shark, swordfish, and king mackerel, due to mercury content.) Previously, pregnant women were given very general guidelines about seafood consumption.

Chief among the 23 key recommendations:

-Reduce daily sodium intake to less than 2,300 mg; further reduce intake to 1,500 mg for individuals age 51 and up, all African Americans, or anyone with hypertension, diabetes, or chronic kidney disease. Make it a practice to scan food labels: You want less than 300 mg per serving. Common sodium culprits include frozen meals, breads, cereals, soups, and salad dressings.

 -Increase the amount and variety of seafood consumed by choosing seafood in place of some meat and poultry. This new step takes advantage of the heart- and brain-healthy omega 3 fatty acids found in seafood, as well as their naturally low saturated fat levels. Smart options include salmon, mackerel, herring, shrimp and crab.

Feeling overwhelmed? You needn’t memorize all 23 recommendations. Try to soak in the following key messages and you’ll be on the right path:

Enjoy your food, but eat less.

Avoid oversized portions.

Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.

Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk (kefir works, too!)

Compare sodium in foods like soup, bread, and frozen meals – and choose the foods with lower numbers.

Drink water instead of sugary drinks.