The best diet plan for life is different for each individual life. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has set accurate and important guidelines for leading a healthy lifestyle. Rather than strictly following set recommendations, it is important to know your own needs and desires for a healthy lifestyle that will lead to personal feelings of wellness.
Background
When determining the best diet plan for your life, many factors must be considered. Often, diet plans tend encompass many lifestyle changes that are not appropriate for each individual. The USDA has developed the MyPyramid tool, which outlines five food groups, each of which is needed in a balanced diet. While the USDA's recommendations are based on strict scientific research, the specifics are not appropriate for everyone, and should be followed based on individual needs and preferences.
Features
The MyPyramid plan includes food and physical activity recommendations. This plan achieves the ideal diet for preventing chronic diseases. Food groups are based on foods that are similar in origin and nutrient content. Each food group offers valuable nutrients and is expressed in the number of servings, recommended as ranges. Serving sizes are different per each group. Varying foods from each food group every day creates a diet plan that is easily balanced. Recommendations are based on 2,000 and 2,500 calorie diet plans. Dietary needs, on average, range from 1,200-3,500 per day, based on body mass, age and gender. It is best to get your dietary caloric needs from a dietician.
Food Groups
The five food groups are grains, vegetables, fruit, meat, and dairy. One serving of grain is 1 slice bread or ½ cup pasta or ½ a bagel. It is recommended to consume six to 11 servings of grain per day. One serving of vegetables or fruit is ½ cup vegetables or ½ cup fruit. It is recommended to get three to five servings of vegetables per day and two to four servings of fruit per day. One serving of meat is 2 or 3 ounces. It is recommended to consume two or three meat servings per day. One serving of dairy is 1 cup milk or 2 ounces of cheese. It is recommended to eat at least two servings of dairy per day.
Physical Activity
Physical activity is essential to the effectiveness of any diet plan. The USDA recommends a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate physical activity every day. Moderate activities include walking or biking at a medium pace. To increase muscle mass and metabolism, it is important to practice more intense physical activities, such as jogging or mountain biking.
Considerations
While diet plans often are followed with the intention of weight loss, weight loss is not an indicator of a healthy lifestyle. The factors most influential toward preventing disease are a balanced, varied diet and regular physical activity.
References
- USDA MyPyramid
- Understanding Nutrition Tenth Edition; Ellie White & Sharon Rady Rolfes; 2005.
- The Fat Studies Reader; Ester Rothblum & Sandra Solovay; 2009.
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