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American Morning
What to Eat in 2004
Aired December 31, 2003 - 08:45 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: If you're thinking about eating a little better in 2004 then this news is for you. With the new year at hand let's hear some ways to do it from Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Instead of going on a new year's resolution diet overhaul, how about making some simple eating choices that can make you healthier in the long run? Well here's some picks that you can easily work into your diet that you may not have even thought about as super-healthy foods.
We've all been told to cut down on carbohydrates, staying away from pasta and other refined sugars. The next time you're at the supermarket, eliminate pasta from that guilty pleasure list by choosing whole wheat fiber, instead, because of it's high fiber content.
Also picking whole wheat pasta contributes to a lowered risk of heart disease, reduced complications linked to diabetes, a lower likelihood of having cancer and better gastrointestinal health because of more fiber.
Also for snacking, pick out a whole wheat pretzel, whole wheat tortillas instead of white, have a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast or try whole grain crackers like Triskets instead of regular saltier, buttery choices.
Another favorite food of 2004 has to be salmon. It contains Omega-3 fatty acids which reduces the risk of heart attacks and helps lower blood cholesterol. Vitamin A and keratinoids may also prevent cancer. And there's much less saturated fat than in equal amounts of just about any meat or poultry protein source.
Beans and other legumes like lentils and peas are inexpensive, rich in protein, iron and folic acid and fiber. Unlike other vegetables, they can step in for meat, poultry, eggs or other protein foods, cutting down on the risk for heart disease and cancers that some of those meats might have.
Other winning choices include a cup of chili. That contains only two grams of saturated fat. Or bean dip or hummus. That's instead of cheese or cream based dips. Or how about throwing some garbanzo beans into your salad?
The sweet potato, that's been ranked continuously as the most nutritious vegetable source around. They're loaded with four times the recommended daily allowance of beta carotene which is critical for healthy vision, bone growth, tooth development and skin and hair.
And for you Atkins dieters who are cutting down on sugars and carbs, sweet potatoes are on the safe list as a great substitute for other starches like rice, potatoes and corn.
Bottom line from me to you is remember that eating healthy is not as much about carbs versus fat, but rather knowing enough to recognize good fat over bad fat. Good carbs over bad carbs. Pay attention to the calories, but also know which foods stand out for their high nutritional content.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: We need to mention that Sanjay will start his reports on a "New You" on Monday. That's right here on AMERICAN MORNING.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired December 31, 2003 - 08:45 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: If you're thinking about eating a little better in 2004 then this news is for you. With the new year at hand let's hear some ways to do it from Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Instead of going on a new year's resolution diet overhaul, how about making some simple eating choices that can make you healthier in the long run? Well here's some picks that you can easily work into your diet that you may not have even thought about as super-healthy foods.
We've all been told to cut down on carbohydrates, staying away from pasta and other refined sugars. The next time you're at the supermarket, eliminate pasta from that guilty pleasure list by choosing whole wheat fiber, instead, because of it's high fiber content.
Also picking whole wheat pasta contributes to a lowered risk of heart disease, reduced complications linked to diabetes, a lower likelihood of having cancer and better gastrointestinal health because of more fiber.
Also for snacking, pick out a whole wheat pretzel, whole wheat tortillas instead of white, have a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast or try whole grain crackers like Triskets instead of regular saltier, buttery choices.
Another favorite food of 2004 has to be salmon. It contains Omega-3 fatty acids which reduces the risk of heart attacks and helps lower blood cholesterol. Vitamin A and keratinoids may also prevent cancer. And there's much less saturated fat than in equal amounts of just about any meat or poultry protein source.
Beans and other legumes like lentils and peas are inexpensive, rich in protein, iron and folic acid and fiber. Unlike other vegetables, they can step in for meat, poultry, eggs or other protein foods, cutting down on the risk for heart disease and cancers that some of those meats might have.
Other winning choices include a cup of chili. That contains only two grams of saturated fat. Or bean dip or hummus. That's instead of cheese or cream based dips. Or how about throwing some garbanzo beans into your salad?
The sweet potato, that's been ranked continuously as the most nutritious vegetable source around. They're loaded with four times the recommended daily allowance of beta carotene which is critical for healthy vision, bone growth, tooth development and skin and hair.
And for you Atkins dieters who are cutting down on sugars and carbs, sweet potatoes are on the safe list as a great substitute for other starches like rice, potatoes and corn.
Bottom line from me to you is remember that eating healthy is not as much about carbs versus fat, but rather knowing enough to recognize good fat over bad fat. Good carbs over bad carbs. Pay attention to the calories, but also know which foods stand out for their high nutritional content.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: We need to mention that Sanjay will start his reports on a "New You" on Monday. That's right here on AMERICAN MORNING.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
