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A Healthful Diet
Meeting Daily Nutritional
Guidelines - Tips
Servings and Serving Sizes
Calcium and Iron
Fruits and Vegetables
Grains
Fats
Alcohol
Alcohol
The most important thing to remember about alcohol is to enjoy
it in moderation. Alcohol is usually high in calories and low in nutritional
value. Excess alcohol consumption can lead to many serious health risks, such as
high blood pressure, stroke, some types of cancer and cirrhosis of the liver.
Suggested safe alcohol consumption is no more that one alcoholic beverage a day for
women, and two drinks a day for men.
What counts as an alcoholic beverage?
This is an excellent question, as alcoholic beverages come in
many flavors and sizes. Experts agree that the following
provides examples of what equals one drink.
-
12 ounces of regular beer (150
calories)
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5 ounces of wine (100 calories)
-
1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled
spirits (100 calories)
Alcohol consumption for better
health?
Recent research has pointed out
some health benefits to moderate drinking. These health
benefits are applicable only to those drinking in moderation.
Evidence has shown that drinking in moderation may lower the
risk of developing coronary heart disease. Evidence suggests
this is particularly true in men over the age of 45 and women
over the age of 55. Always remember that maintaining a
healthful diet, a healthy weight and getting daily physical
exercise also greatly lowers the risk of developing coronary
heart disease.
The U.S. Government's Food and
Nutrition Information Center offers extensive information about
nutritional guidelines for Americans. The National Institute of
Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases offers excellent resources on
nutrition and
other health issues. |
