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snowy · 04-04-2009, 06:57 AM

According to my nutrition instructor, who is an RD, you need a balance of macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein, lipids) to function at your best. There are ranges for each of these that tell us what percentage of our diet each macronutrient should take up (the Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range, or AMDR). For carbohydrate, the range is 45-65% of intake. For fats/lipids, it's 20-35%, and for proteins, 10-35%. These ranges are found in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which are science-based guidelines for nutritional professionals. MyPyramid.gov (the consumer-friendly website that uses the Dietary Guidelines for Americans) has a calculator that will provide a better idea of what needs to be eaten based on personal factors; click on the link that says "Get a personalized plan" in the "I want to..." box.

It isn't carbohydrate that's bad--it's the kind of carbohydrate people choose to consume. More often than not, people choose refined carbohydrates over and over again. Whole grains are a really important part of the diet and need to be a significant part of carbohydrate consumption.

Why do Americans like extremes so much? My nutrition instructor related an anecdote in class yesterday; she was at lunch on Thursday and overheard two women discussing nutrition. Being a professional, she eavesdropped, and heard them talking about their carbohydrate choices. One of the women started going off about how she had stopped eating white rice because it was unhealthy, and was only eating brown rice now. That's not how to approach eating, even eating for nutrition. No one's saying that people can't eat white rice or even fried rice (once in a while). The key thing is to make sure that at least half (if not more) of one's carbohydrate choices are whole grain choices that are high in fiber.

I think people would be a lot more successful with changing their lifestyles if they stopped eliminating whole food groups. The fact of the matter is that for optimum nutrition, we need to eat a variety of foods from every food group, and get 30-60 minutes of physical activity a day.

P.S. Thanks for helping me study for nutrition! All of the information found here is from my class notes or the MyPyramid.gov website.

04-04-2009, 06:57 AM	#7 (permalink)
snowy Kick Ass Kunoichi Location: Oregon	According to my nutrition instructor, who is an RD, you need a balance of macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein, lipids) to function at your best. There are ranges for each of these that tell us what percentage of our diet each macronutrient should take up (the Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range, or AMDR). For carbohydrate, the range is 45-65% of intake. For fats/lipids, it's 20-35%, and for proteins, 10-35%. These ranges are found in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which are science-based guidelines for nutritional professionals. MyPyramid.gov (the consumer-friendly website that uses the Dietary Guidelines for Americans) has a calculator that will provide a better idea of what needs to be eaten based on personal factors; click on the link that says "Get a personalized plan" in the "I want to..." box. It isn't carbohydrate that's bad--it's the kind of carbohydrate people choose to consume. More often than not, people choose refined carbohydrates over and over again. Whole grains are a really important part of the diet and need to be a significant part of carbohydrate consumption. Why do Americans like extremes so much? My nutrition instructor related an anecdote in class yesterday; she was at lunch on Thursday and overheard two women discussing nutrition. Being a professional, she eavesdropped, and heard them talking about their carbohydrate choices. One of the women started going off about how she had stopped eating white rice because it was unhealthy, and was only eating brown rice now. That's not how to approach eating, even eating for nutrition. No one's saying that people can't eat white rice or even fried rice (once in a while). The key thing is to make sure that at least half (if not more) of one's carbohydrate choices are whole grain choices that are high in fiber. I think people would be a lot more successful with changing their lifestyles if they stopped eliminating whole food groups. The fact of the matter is that for optimum nutrition, we need to eat a variety of foods from every food group, and get 30-60 minutes of physical activity a day. P.S. Thanks for helping me study for nutrition! All of the information found here is from my class notes or the MyPyramid.gov website. __________________ If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau