Food and nutrition.pdf

Diet and Health 39is unlikely to achieve the dietary goals. Even if the patient does reduceintake of fat and cholesterol from the obvious dietary sources, he or shemay continue to eat other notable, but perhaps somewhat hidden, sourcesof saturated fat (eg. baked goods, tropical oils, organ meats).An additional advantage of dietary over drug therapy is that dietsimultaneously ameliorates several cardiovascular risk factors(hyperlipidemia, hypertension, obesity, and diabetes) whereas drugtherapy usually deals with only one. In fact, drug therapy for one riskfactor often exacerbates another (eg. beta blockersfor hypertension mayincrease serum lipids, and niacin may accentuate glucose intolerance).Dietitians are the best-qualified health professionals to help patientslower their cholesterol levels. With the impetus of the NCEP behind them,RDs should be aggressively promoting their services to physicians andthe public, devising methods to obtain reimbursement, and makingthemselves visible as the best-qualified authorities on diet.The public is increasingly interested in dietary control ofhypercholesterolemia, as evidenced by the widespread media attentiondevoted to cholesterol. A major, but clearly surmountable, obstacle isinadequate referral to dietitians by physicians in their communities, abouttheir knowledge, skills and availability to counsel clients on the dietarytreatment of hypercholesterolemia. Via these mechanisms, dietitians willbecome increasingly recognized as the best sources of nutritioninformation, with ultimate benefit to the public.Milk, Yogurt andCheese Group2-3SerViogsFruit Group2-4 ServingsInfo'rmation on Vegetarian DietsFig. Food Guide Pyramid"Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survivalof life on Ea rth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet."- Albert Einstein