Healthy Eating
Overview: Everybody wants to live a long life. Food plays an important role in achieving that goal. Most everyone likes to eat! Food is so ubiquitous in our culture that food choices can and are being made all day long. Some of those choices are no-brainers and others can present some questions. Where are you with ‘healthy eating’?
What plagues many people in making their food selections is the abundance of both scientific and anecdotal information about the value of foods and specific foods. Almost everyday a news bulletin comes out regarding some published research indicating a food is now either healthy or has lost favor with nutrition scientists and researchers. The result is a confused public who experience hunger for a particular food and don’t know what to believe(choose) especially when their favorite food is suddenly banished from the acceptable list.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans has been published jointly every 5 years since 1980 by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA). The Guidelines provide authoritative advice for people two years and older about how good dietary habits can promote health and reduce risk for major chronic diseases. They serve as the basis for Federal food and nutrition education programs.
Additional resources are listed below offering you a wide variety of reliable information in different formats.
What Thielen Student Health Center Can Do For You: The TSHC Wellness Center offers a number of reliable, online resources for you to leisurely check your own daily food choices. Included are links for menu planning, grocery shopping, introductory cooking, snacking, meals on the run and many other topics. If, after your net travels, you have questions, you may schedule an appointment with a registered, licensed dietitian by calling 294-1868. You can expect a one to two week waiting period and the initial appointment lasts 50-60 minutes with follow-ups of 15 to 30 minutes.
Resources
- US Dept of Agriculture: Dietary Guidelines
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Nutrition
- American Heart Assocation
- Mayo Clinic: Healthy Living Index
Last update: 09 Dec 2008
For more information, please contact:
Iowa State University
Thielen Student Health Center
515-294-5801
