The New Dietary Guidelines

As most of us struggle with keeping our New Year's Resolution to lose weight and eat healthier, a committee of 13 appointed nutrition scientists are reviewing reams of scientific studies and holding arduous meetings in an effort to come up with the latest guidelines for healthy eating. Some find the process fascinating; some find it boring. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines will be released in the fall.

The first Dietary Guidelines were published in 1980 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. They must be re-evaluated and published every five years. They are designed to provide the basis for federal nutrition policy and nutrition education activities — and to provide advice for healthy Americans, ages 2 and over, about making food choices that promote health and prevent disease.

Since 1985, the USDA and the HHS have appointed, every five years, a new Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, which consists of nationally recognized experts in the field of nutrition and health. The charge to the committee is to review the scientific and medial knowledge current at the time as well as recommend any Dietary Guidelines revisions to the secretaries.

Currently, the committee is ready to hold its fifth of six meetings. By spring, the committee must issue its report. And by summer, the two agencies will consider the recommendations and then prepare the 2010 version of the Dietary Guidelines. The seventh edition will be released this fall.

Plan on salt being a major topic of the new guidelines, if New York has its way. The National Salt Reduction Initiative — a New York City-led partnership of cities, states and national health organizations — recently unveiled a voluntary reduction of salt levels in packaged and restaurant foods. The current 2005 Dietary Guidelines recommend Americans consume less than 2,300 mg (approximately 1 teaspoon of salt) sodium per day. They also say to "choose and prepare foods with little salt."

Sodium is just one area getting a look. Others may include vitamin D, sugar, fish and soy. Typically, industry representatives present testimony on why their food or nutrient has merit. For the latest on the process, go to www.cnpp.usda.gov/dietaryguidelines.htm.
And stay tuned.

Q & A

Q: Following exercise, does the increased calorie burning really last all day?

A: No. Reports that metabolism stays elevated for extended periods after exercise are untrue. Although metabolism speeds up briefly following moderate or vigorous activity, research shows that most people's metabolic rate returns to normal within 15 to 20 minutes after moderate activity and 30 to 45 minutes following vigorous activity. Beyond what is used during the activity itself, extra calories burned by a briefly increased metabolic rate add no more than 10 to 25 calories to the day's total. That's equal to the calories in five to 12 grapes.

Even in people with low physical fitness who show some differences in metabolic response to activity, post-exercise calorie burning is still unlikely to add up beyond this. In addition to planned exercise, focus on increasing activity throughout your day to increase the calories you burn. Remember that the biggest impact on the balance between calories in and calories out usually comes from adjustments in what and how much you eat. — American Institute for Cancer Research

RECIPE

Eating Well magazine's slow-cooker recipe for Barbecue Pulled Chicken replaces the traditional pork with chicken thighs.

Barbecue Pulled Chicken

1 (8-ounce) can reduced-sodium tomato sauce

1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained

3 tablespoons cider vinegar

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon sweet or smoked paprika

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons dry mustard

1 teaspoon ground chipotle chile

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

Stir tomato sauce, chiles, vinegar, honey, paprika, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, ground chipotle and salt in a 6-quart slow cooker until smooth. Add chicken, onion and garlic; stir to combine. Put the lid on and cook on low until the chicken can be pulled apart, about 5 hours.

Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and shred with a fork. Return the chicken to the sauce, stir well and serve. Serves 8.

Per serving: 184 calories, 20 g protein, 8 g carbohydrates, 8 g fat, 68 mg cholesterol, 1 g fiber, 257 mg sodium.

Charlyn Fargo is a registered dietitian from Springfield, Ill. For comments or questions, contact her at charfarg@aol.com.