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Take a look at this plate of food.
✦
Tis is
what a healthy meal looks like, according to
the American Institute for Cancer Research
(AICR). Two-thirds—or more—of the plate is
covered with nutritious plant-based foods like
vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans.
And the remaining one-third—or less—is made up of
animal protein like fsh, poultry, meat or low-fat dairy.
Following that healthy proportion could improve this
one: Two-thirds of American adults are overweight, with
almost one-third of them falling into the obese category.
Our weight problem is good news for the diet indus-
try, for sure. But diets don’t work for most of us over the
long-term if we want to lose weight and keep it of. What
does work is slowly changing our eating habits. And that’s
where this plate of food can help—not only with weight
control but also with lowering the risk for chronic disease.
Here’s why: What’s on our plate can make us either
more or less likely to develop cancer, heart disease, type 2
diabetes and other serious illnesses.
Red meats and processed meats, for example, have
been linked to colon cancer. Animal fats are associated
with heart disease. Plant-based foods, on the other hand,
can help you avoid disease. Fruits and vegetables con-
tain vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals—natural
substances that have been found to help protect against
many types of cancer. Beans and whole grains contain
healthy fber, which aids digestion.
And plant-based foods are naturally low in calories. Eat
a lot of them, and you gain healthy benefts—not weight.
Unfortunately, healthy plant foods are ofen a side dish
to the typical American plate piled high with meats and
fats. According to the AICR, it’s time to reverse that and
create a new, healthier way of eating.
So study this plate. Read about the ingredients that
make each portion a part of its healthy whole.
Additional sources: American Dietetic Association; Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention
Let us help you stay healthy! Visit
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SALMON WITH PINEAPPLE SALSA
Fish is lower
in saturated fat than other meats. And, unlike red or
processed meats, neither fsh nor poultry is linked
to cancer.
Fish is also high in heart-protecting omega-3 fatty
acids. Tat’s especially true of fatty fsh like salmon.
BROWN RICE WITH BLACK BEANS
Whole grains are
higher in fber and fabulous phytochemicals than refned
grains. Tat makes brown rice a much more nutritious
choice on your plate than white rice. Other good grains:
barley, quinoa, whole wheat and oats.
Black beans are legumes. Tey’re a good source of pro-
tein and the B vitamin folate, which may also play a role
in preventing disease. Legumes also are valuable sources
of fber. In addition to keeping your digestive system in
good working order, fber can help control blood sugar in
people with diabetes and may help prevent heart disease.
THIS WAY
A healthy plate to
satisfy your palate
EAT
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H E A L T H B E A T