According to the USDA’s Choose My Plate website, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans provide science-based advice on food and physical activity choices for better health.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans describe a healthy diet as one that:
- Emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products
- Includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nut
- Is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars
MyPlate (image below) helps individuals use the Dietary Guidelines to:
- Make smart choices from every food group
- Find balance between food and physical activity
- Get the most nutrition out of calories
- Stay within daily calorie needs
Maintaining a Healthy Weight
This is one of the keys to a long, successful career. The Air Force recognizes abdominal circumference (AC) as one of the most specific indicators of disease risk in adults. Excessive body weight is an issue, harming physical performance and increasing the risk of consequences due to military appearance standards.
Being overweight or obese hinders physical performance in the short term and contributes to long-term health risks such as high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, arthritis, breathing problems, and certain types of cancer.
Weight loss, if indicated, should be a gradual process; one to two pounds per week is considered to be a healthy and safe weight loss goal. Rapid weight loss (more than 2 lbs per week) can increase risk of injury and illness during BMT. Being underweight also hinders physical performance and increases risk for stress fractures and it is recommended not to increase weight too rapidly.
Maintaining a healthy energy balance is key! Controlled calorie intake, less than requirements will generate weight loss. Active individuals should never go below 1200 calories per day (women) or 1500 calories per day (men). Small changes do add up, start by making incremental changes and commit to them for the long-term, such as eating 100 fewer calories each day (less than a container of peanut butter).
Choose the most nutritionally rich foods from each food group every day. Read these sections to find modifications you can make during BMT. Daily recommendations of food are described in portions measured in ounces, cups or tablespoons. Measuring cups/containers can be used to ensure the accurate amount of portion is attained.