| What recommendations does doctor Gold have to fish/seafood for lean protein in the Mediterranean diet? Tuna is ok? | This article from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health highlights the best recommendations for fish consumption to date. |
| I am a 48 yo female who is working hard to maintain my weight pre-menopause. Today's fitness trainers recommend a high protein diet. Is that compatible with your recommendations? | Consuming enough protein is important to prevent the loss of lean muscle mass that occurs naturally with age. Protein recommendations are generally 20% of total calories focusing on lean meats, eggs in moderation, and plant protein foods like beans, legumes, tofu, tempeh. There is really no need to focus on acquiring more protein, but as a premenopausal/menopausal woman, focusing on weight training and making sure you have a protein food with snacks is one way of assuring you are getting enough. Also, as we age our bodies change, so acknowledging that change and living with comfort in our bodies is an important mindset. |
| How about using this diet for someone who is 80? | There is no special diet for people in their 80s other than as you age you lose your hunger cues, so you may need to time your meals and snacks so you remember to eat regularly. You still need the same level of nutrients, but calorie intake might go down based on a reduction in activity level. So, making sure you eat foods that are vitamin and mineral packed like vegetables, beans, legumes, and fruits. |
| How do Food Guidelines for Adults change for those over the age of 59? | There is no special diet for people 59+ other than as you age you lose your hunger cues, so you may need to time your meals and snacks so you remember to eat regularly. You still need the same level of nutrients, but calorie intake might go down based on a reduction in activity level. So, making sure you eat foods that are vitamin and mineral packed like vegetables, beans, legumes, and fruits. |
| I am over 70 and retired. I have found that for me eating two meals a day, a late breakfast and early dinner work for me. What studies have been done on food/nutrient intake timing over populations? | Eating is very individual, hunger is very individual. We have to listen to our bodies and acknowledge what works best for us to maintain our health. If eating two times a day in that pattern serves your body well, then I wouldn't change what you are doing. If you find that you are hungry, or lack certain nutrients (like B vitamins or other vitamins/minerals) you may need to add a snack or a meal. |
| How would you recommend undergraduate students maintain a healthy diet when their food comes from dining halls, whose focus is on inexpensive but more often than not, unhealthy food options? | I like to walk around the buffet and spend some time thinking about what I want and what are the healthiest options. My personal experience with college dining settings is that there are healthy options, you need to be creative and think through what is best at a certain meal. |
| Do you have any recommendations for selective eaters? Particularly, selective eaters that are extremely rigid with only eating “safe foods”? | Some people create food rules (the extreme of this is called orthorexia). My advice is to be a good role model for the other person so they can see that eating a variety of foods and some occasional "forbidden" foods will not cause harm, but will also be enjoyable. Maybe there are other areas of rigidity in that person's life, so there are issues involving trust and fear of the unknown. There could be other areas of a person's life that are out of control and food is one way to maintain control. These issues must be explored with a person and they go beyond food and my expertise. |
| I’ve always thought that government recommendations for our diet are highly influenced by lobbyists from different food businesses. What do you think? | I know that the Dietary Guidelines are created with a specific process of reviewing the literature and many of the people I know who serve on the DG committee are not affiliated in any way with industry. That is not to say that industry doesn't weign in, in ways that they are allowed, but I don't agree with the premise especially since the DGs are plant forward and the majority of Americans don't even come close to meeting the Dietary Guidelines as we see with the Healthy Eating Index. |
| When recommending mediterranean diet to people, how can be better consider cultural practices and compatibility? | Many cultures have foods that are like the Mediterranean Diet, it's really about the components which include lean meats and plant proteins, monounsaturated fats for cooking, fruits, vegetables, low fat dairy, fermented foods. That is basically the pattern, many cultures have food choices that easily fit into this pattern. |
| Refined sugar - it is in everything! What are good alternatives? I have heard maple syrup, coconut sugar... others? | Some say sugar is sugar. Each type of sugar has a different flavor profile. When you make your own foods you can control how much sugar you use. Eating out or buying premade foods will increase fat, sugar, and salt. |
| Can you suggest pasta alternatives for people with Type 2 diabetes? | I would focus on some of the plant pastas like chick pea flour or lentil pasta. Also, portion sizes are important. One serving of pasta is 1/2 cup, that is equal to 15 grams of carbohydrate. So if you eat pasta, watch the portion size so you know how much carbohydrate you are consuming (especially if you count carbs). |
| Why does the USDA recommend consuming vegetable oil over other oils but also suggests to eat the medittereanean diet which is high in olive oil? | Olive oil is a monounsaturated fats, which are are healthier oils. Limit saturated fat and trans fat. You need some saturated fat, but only in small amounts. Eating too much saturated fat can raise your LDL (bad) cholesterol. A high LDL raises your risk of plaque buildup in your arteries (atherosclerosis). Trans fat has no health benefits. Both of these “unhealthy fats” can cause inflammation. Unsaturated fats promote healthy cholesterol levels, support brain health and combat inflammation. Plus, a diet high in unsaturated fats and low in saturated fat promotes healthy blood sugar levels. |