We know that exercise and healthy eating are keys to our weight management and general overall health. Now, a major health organization is issuing new recommendations to guide us in making wise lifestyle changes and eating choices - all to benefit our hearts.

"The key message of the recommendations is to focus on long-term, permanent changes in how we eat and live," said Alice Lichtenstein, chairwoman of the American Heart Association's nutrition committee. "The previous recommendations stressed a healthy dietary pattern; the new ones broaden that concept to include the importance of a healthy lifestyle pattern.

"The two go together - they should be inseparable."

For Americans 2 and up 

Designed for healthy Americans 2 and older, the guidelines, which update ones released in 2000, come after a panel of nutrition and heart-disease experts reviewed more than 90 studies. The guidelines recommend that we:

•  Add at least 30 minutes of physical activity each day;

•  Limit trans fatty acids in our diets to less than 1 percent of total calories;

•  Derive no more than 7 percent of total calories from saturated fat;

•  Cook with healthier oils, forsaking solid shortenings for liquid vegetable oils;

•  Grill, bake or broil rather than fry;

•  Keep track of calories consumed and calories burned;

•  Quit smoking;

•  Eat plenty of whole grains, fruits and vegetables;

•  Decrease daily salt intake from less than 2,400 milligrams to less than 2,300 milligrams a day;

•  Cut back on sugary foods and drinks;

•  Maintain normal levels of cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugars.

We can prevent 80 percent of heart disease by making healthy lifestyle choices regarding our exercise, eating and weight, association experts said.

"A good first step to improve your diet and lifestyle: start paying attention to portion size and liquid calories, such as those in soft drinks, and get at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day," said Lichtenstein, a nutrition expert and researcher at Boston's Tufts University. "It does not have to be done all at once - accumulating 30 minutes throughout the day is fine - and, of course, more is better.

"No one is too old or too out of shape to make small changes to increase physical activity."

Trans fat recommendations 

The association became the first major health organization to call for specific limits on trans fatty acids, which experts call the worst kind of fat. The organization recommends we limit our trans fatty acids in our diets to less than 1 percent of total calories.

Trans fats, which comes from the oil in which french fries, other fried foods, snacks and baked goods are made, are blamed for raising LDL "bad" cholesterol, leading to heart disease.

"The point is not to calculate the amount of saturated and trans-fatty acids in the diet, but to choose foods that minimize your intake," Lichtenstein said. "For example, you can choose leaner cuts of meat and lower-fat dairy products, smaller serving sizes, avoid foods made with hydrogenated fat and include more fruits, vegetables, vegetarian options and fish in the diet.

"In no way are we saying people will have to give up all the things they enjoy; they just may have to make a few modifications in their current habits."

Lichtenstein's panel also called for restaurants to offer smaller portion sizes and healthier foods, and use healthier cooking methods. They also want restaurants to list nutritional information on their menus as a way to guide patrons to making good choices.

Last week, a consumer advocacy group sued KFC, makers of Kentucky Fried Chicken, for frying its chicken in oil laced with trans fat. For the past three or four years, other fast-food restaurants have tried to come up with healthier oils in which to cook their fries and chicken.

The guidelines were published in the new Circulation, the Dallas-based American Heart Association's journal.

'Not your father's steak'

Already, other organizations are commenting on the recommendations. The National Cattlemen's Beef Association says the guidelines offer "realistic advice" for us, especially about leaner cuts of beef.

"It's easier than ever for people to enjoy leaner cuts of meat and follow the new AHA recommendations because the beef Americans love is leaner than ever before," said Mary Young, a registered dietitian and the beef association's executive director. "Today's lean beef simply is not your father's steak: There are now 29 cuts of beef that meet government guidelines for leanness."

But Foodconsumer.org says the new trans-fat guideline "misleads consumers to believe that they can safely consume 2.5 grams of trans fats daily.

"There is no safety threshold on trans fat," according to a news release on foodconsumer.org. "Any tiny amount could have an adverse effect on arteries. Many nutritionists and epidemiologists suggest consumers should avoid trans fats whenever they can."

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Nubella News, a division of Marketing Technology Solutions, Inc., offers content intended for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. We encourage our readers to seek prompt medical care for health issues and consult their physicians before starting a new diet, fitness regimen, or medical treatment.