The 80%-20% Goal To Help You Make Good Food Choices

A healthy diet supplies enough calories to meet your energy needs, plus all the protein, essential fats, vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and fiber you need to stay healthy and help to prevent diseases.

To get everything your body needs from the food you eat, without taking in too many calories, MOST of your food should be full of nutrients. This can be hard when you are bombarded with “junk” foods that are loaded with calories and have very little other nutritional value.

This is not another diet book – it’s an explanation and listing of all the nutrient-rich foods available in your supermarket and restaurants. Use it to help you make good food choices. The 80% - 20% Goal.

A reasonable goal for anyone who wants a healthy diet is to try to fill 80% of your plate with foods from the Food Lists: mostly fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans and other seeds; what you do with the remaining 20% is entirely up to you.

Special Situations

Almost everyone can use these Food Lists and follow the 80%-20% goal. See the section on Special Situations for extra helpful tips if you are diabetic, need to lower cholesterol or blood pressure, or want to lose weight.

You'll also find tips for seniors, children, active teens and athletes; and people who eat in restaurants often or are just too busy.

You can read Dr. Mirkin's Good Food Book online - you can turn the pages and read any chapter you are interested in...I think that is so great!

Or you can subscribe to Dr. Mirkin’s FREE weekly newsletter on fitness, health and nutrition.

Copyright 2006 http://www.drmirkin.com/

Metabolic Syndrome

What is metabolic syndrome?
Metabolic syndrome is a combination of medical conditions that increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. It is a very common and dangerous medical problem.

Metabolic syndrome is defined as the presence of 3 or more of the following health conditions:
excess weight around the waist (waist measurement of more than 40 inches for men and more than 35 inches for women)
triglycerides blood level of 150 mg/dL or more HDL cholesterol levels below 40 mg/dL for men and below 50 mg/dL for women blood pressure of 130/85 mm HG or higher prediabetes (a fasting blood sugar between 100 and 125) or diabetes (a fasting blood sugar level over 125 mg/dL).

Other terms used for metabolic syndrome are insulin resistance syndrome and syndrome X.

How does it occur?
Overweight, poor diet, a lack of exercise, and other unhealthy lifestyle habits, such as smoking, appear to be factors that contribute to metabolic syndrome. It tends to run in families, so the genes you inherit also play a role.

What are the symptoms?
Usually there are no symptoms.

How is it diagnosed?
Your health care provider will examine you. You will have lab tests, including tests that measure the levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and sugar in your blood.

How is it treated?
The most important part of treatment is lifestyle change: exercise to improve fitness and lose weight. Eating a healthier diet is part of this change. Your health care provider may prescribe medicines to treat other risk factors.

These medicines may include aspirin, blood pressure medicines, and cholesterol drugs. Aspirin may help prevent blood clots, strokes, and heart attacks. Blood pressure medicines can reduce your blood pressure. And cholesterol drugs can bring down high triglyceride levels and raise your HDL, or "good" cholesterol, levels.

How long will the effects last?
If metabolic syndrome is not treated, you are much more likely to have a heart attack, stroke, or diabetes. Increasing your physical activity and losing weight can help prevent development of diabetes. Blood glucose levels may return to normal.

These improvements in lifestyle, including a healthier diet plus medicines if needed, can also improve blood pressure and cholesterol levels, thus reducing your risk for heart disease. Making lifestyle changes and taking medicines as prescribed can add years to your life.

How can I take care of myself?
Get regular aerobic exercise (like walking at a good pace) according to your health care provider's recommendations. Being more active can help improve every one of the risk factors for metabolic syndrome.
Replace some of the animal fats, sugars, and white flour products in your diet with more olive and canola oil, nuts, avocados and fish (especially salmon, mackerel and tuna), fruits, vegetables and whole-grain breads and cereals.

Lose weight.

Take all medicines according to your provider's instructions.
If you are a smoker, quit.

Developed by McKesson Provider Technologies.
Published by McKesson Provider Technologies.
Last modified: 2006-05-23
Last reviewed: 2006-03-01
This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information is intended to inform and educate and is not a replacement for medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.
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