My Food Pyramid Dietary Guidelines

• The USDA has revised the basic Food Pyramid to include variations for vegans, vegetarians, pregnant women and adults trying to lose weight to reduce risk for chronic diseases. The basic dietary guidelines include the recommendation to eat a widely varied diet of whole vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean proteins, low-fat dairy foods and non-saturated fats.
  Women are advised to eat no more than 30 percent of their daily calories from fat and of that number, no more than 10 percent from saturated fats. Saturated fats are solid at room temperature and their consumption increases risk for heart disease and obesity.
  
  

Eat Heart-Healthy Fats

• "The most interesting statistic to come out of the USDA study was that the average fat intake of women is 37%. A 37% fat intake is quite high when you consider there has been a dramatic decrease in the consumption of products like red meat, eggs and whole milk over the past decade," says Gittleman. She recommends women stop eating "fake fats" such as margarine and trans fats found in fried or baked foods that increase harmful cholesterol.
  Instead, Gittleman says women can benefit from eating essential fatty acids found in flax, hemp seed, primrose and fish fats. These are all very low in saturated fats.
  "Studies now show that the addition of essential fats to the diet assists weight control, cardiovascular disorders and a host of hair, skin and nail conditions. Essential fat deficiencies are linked to a weakened immune system that offers a defenseless home for viral, parasitic and bacterial invaders that lead to many health problems," Gittleman says.
  
  

Eat Meat, Eggs, Magnesium and Zinc

• Gittleman also advises women to eat hormone-free, lean meat and eggs. "Meat is the only source of "heme" or blood iron, the kind that is most easily absorbed into the body. It also helps the body absorb the non-heme iron contained in enriched grains and beans," she says.
  Gittleman also counsels clients to eat eggs. "Eggs are a high source of the sulphur bearing amino acid L-cysteine--very important for hair, skin and nails. Sulphur is hard to find in our current food sources. Eating four to six eggs per week is recommended," she says.
  She also says women tend to be deficient in magnesium and zinc. Both can be consumed as supplements.