[...]... recommendation to lower total fat, which places all high-fat foods at the tip of the Pyramid, and the Mediterranean practice of including monounsaturated fats but limiting saturated fats (see Chapter 2, page 26) You also may have heard of other Pyramids, such as a Vegetarian Pyramid and an Asian Pyramid Like the Mediterranean Pyramid, these pyramids were constructed to illustrate dietary practices of groups... help you to control your weight and to reduce the risk of heart disease and some types of cancer The arrangement of the food groups in a pyramid shape calls attention to the kinds of foods to eat more of and those to eat in moderation 12 Part I: A Guide to Healthy Nutrition SIZING UP YOUR SERVINGS Even if you eat a variety of foods, serving sizes are an important part of maintaining a healthful weight... disaccharide, lactose, the sugar that gives milk its slightly sweet taste, consists of glucose linked to yet another simple sugar called galactose The inability to digest lactose to its constituent sugars is the cause of lactose intolerance, a condition common to adults of Asian, Mediterranean, and African ancestry The table sugar that we purchase is processed from sugar cane or sugar beets As an additive... United States These include heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes (see sidebar: Top 10 Causes of Death, this page) In Health Statistics, 1997 †Causes of death in which diet plays a part ‡Causes of death in which excessive alcohol consumption plays a part Chapter 1: Optimizing Health 7 HEALTHY PEOPLE 2010 Overall Health Goals: Increase quality and years of healthy life and eliminate health disparities... Food Guide Pyramid and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, several private health organizations (the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society, and the American Institute for Cancer Research) have issued their own nutritional guidelines When the guidelines of all the major health organizations are compared, they are similar Recognizing this, experts from the American Heart Association,... will also learn about: • The new Dietary Reference Intakes and how they are used • Health Goals—The importance of nutrition • Dietary Guidelines—Your gateway to nutrition knowledge • The Food Guide Pyramid: A guide to eating well C H A P T E r o n e OPTIMIZING HEALTH W e are surrounded by a vast array of foods to eat and activities to pursue Every day we make choices among those foods and activities based... structure and flavor at oven temperatures more than 390° Fahrenheit and under a wide range of storage conditions Like saccharin and aspartame, acesulfame K lacks bulk, so its use in home baking requires recipe modification The flavor of acesulfame K has been described as Foods contain a variety of carbohydrates, from simple to complex Fruits, vegetables, grains, and dairy products all contain carbohydrate... important, learn to identify the sources of fats, saturated fats, and cholesterol, and make healthful food choices (See Chapter 2, Fats, page 26, and Chapter 3, Coronary Artery Disease, page 61.) Choose beverages and foods to moderate your intake of sugars Some foods that contain natural sugar (such as fruits, vegetables, and milk products) also contain essential nutrients Others, such as table sugar,... carbohydrates, in the form of foods such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes These foods are good sources of fiber, essential vitamins, minerals, and other phytochemicals and are also more likely to be low in fat The average American today consumes only about a third of the recommended amount of fiber To obtain as many of the potential benefits as possible, you need to obtain complex carbohydrates... nation's health status and to eliminate health disparity among segments of the U.S population One of the priorities of this initiative is to foster a change in America's eating TOP 10 CAUSES OF DEATH* (U.S POPULATION) Many of the leading causes of death in the United States are directly related to diet and excessive alcohol consumption RANK 1† 2† 3† 4 5‡ 6 7† 8‡ 9 10‡ CAUSE OF DEATH Heart disease Cancer . security Increase access to nutritionally adequate and safe foods for an active, healthy life HEALTHY PEOPLE 2010 Overall Health Goals: Increase quality and years of healthy life and eliminate health.