She does love her girly things. She doesn't really look like a girly type of dog, but she certainly is.
So we always hear about what is too much of this and too little of that so I thought to myself "Self we should provide our people with the information." So here it is.
The Recommended Daily Allowances (RDA) are based on a 2000 calorie daily intake. For most of us that is more than we should really take in. Men trying to lose weight should use about 1800 and then can add some calories based on exercise. Women in the same boat should be looking at 1600 with the same adjustments for exercise. That being said, the following numbers need to be adjusted based on what you target for your own program. If you are trying for 1600 calories a day then use 80% of the numbers that follow.
Another thing to keep in mind is the idea that you will likely want to adjust the fat and sodium down no matter what. Those numbers are a ceiling - not a recommendation. Currently, doctors are using 1500 milligrams of sodium as their ceiling and as far as fat goes it should be under 30% of your total caloric intake with an emphasis on good fats like olive oil and fats in fish, etc.
Based on a 2000 calorie diet you should have:
Fat 60 grams with no more that 15 grams of saturated fat
Cholesterol 300 grams
Sodium 1500 milligrams
Potassium 3500 Milligrams
Carbohydrates 55-60% of total caloric intake
Fiber 25 grams
Protein 40 - 175 grams If you are sedentary 40 - if you exercise a lot 175
Fats are necessary for many body functions. The trick is to limit bad fats and eat mostly good ones. Here is a list of good and bad.
Monounsaturated fats are good. They lower bad cholesterol and raise good. They are found in nuts, avocado, olive and canola oils.
Polyunsaturated fats are also good. They are found in fish as well as corn, sunflower, soy, and safflower oils. They work the same on cholesterol and are the Omega 3 type of fats.
Bad fats are saturated and trans fats.
| Saturated fats are mainly found in animal products such as meat, dairy, eggs and seafood. Some plant foods are also high in saturated fats such as coconut oil, palm oil and palm kernel oil. |  |
Transfats are a food industry invention and are found in processed foods.
Carbohydrates, contrary to Dr. Atkins and others are not the enemy. Like fats there are good and bad carbs and the trick is to eat good and avoid bad. Simply put, good carbs tend to be higher in fiber and more whole foods, and less processed. Bad carbs are highly processed items like white sugar, white flour, anything that is "enriched" or has added sugars.
Pasta has gotten a bad rap, but IF YOU COOK YOUR PASTA AL DENTE IT IS A GOOD CARB. If you cook it mushy it is a bad carb.
Sodium is necessary in the diet because it balances the water in cells and also aids in managing reflexes. Excess sodium is very bad. It leads to high blood pressure and is part of the mix that has caused the current obesity problem in the US. 1500 mgs of sodium is less than one teaspoon. The average American man is eating between 3100 and 4700 mgs and women 2300-3100. The biggest issue with fast and processed foods is sodium content. When you process the flavor out of the stuff you need lots of sodium to make it palatable.
Fiber keeps you digestive system working properly which keeps virtually all of your systems working properly. It's like they say "What happens in the colon...." I'll let that go for now. 25 grams is a minimum. It won't hurt you to double that amount as long as you get a mix of soluble and insoluble fiber and STAY HYDRATED.
Protein is tricky. Raw foodies will tell you you need less than the 50 grams in the RDA. If you are an athlete you will need more. There are plant based ways to get protein including beans, pasta, nuts, seeds, and quinoa.
Now you know enough to be dangerous like me - well maybe not that dangerous, but armed anyway.
More soon....
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