Fuel for good health and optimum performance.

there's no shortage of diet and nutrition information in the news. Newspapers, magazines, television and the Internet all provide a steady diet of new research findings on food and nutrition. The problem is sorting it all out and determining what you should--and shouldn't--be eating to optimize your health and athletic performance. Overall, a clear message isn't coming through. The percentage of Americans who are overweight has made a steady climb in recent decades (along with serving sizes, how often we eat out and how much fast food we eat). Type 11 diabetes has reached epidemic proportions, even among children, due to increasing obesity. And while the incidence of heart disease, stroke and many cancers has decreased due to advances in medications and treatment, we could lower these statistics even further with regular healthy eating habits.

What you eat really does affect your health. In a widely-cited study of 42,000 women covering 15 years, mortality rates for all causes were inversely associated with the total number of recommended foods consumed: The more high-quality foods you eat, the lower your risk of death. But even if you're among the diet-conscious, it's easy to get lost in the minutiae--sound bites touting the value of this or that food or nutrient. You are bombarded by "do" and "don't" messages that really miss the most important point about diet and health: it's your whole diet that counts.

Even the Food Guide Pyramid misses a few important points. These include portion control, the importance of including good fats, limiting bad fats, choosing whole grains, limiting processed foods, increasing fiber and calcium intake, minimizing sugar and salt, drinking enough water, including a folic acid supplement, and ensuring variety in all your choices.

Here's your guide to creating a whole diet for optimum health and performance.

Every Day:

* Eat five or more 1/2-cup servings of a wide variety of richly colored vegetables; 1 cup for leafy greens

* Eat three to five servings of a wide variety of fruits; this is 1/2 cup chopped, or 1 piece of whole fruit

* Eat three 1-cup servings of low-fat or nonfat dairy or calcium-fortified soymilk 

* Eat six to 11 1/2-cup servings of a variety of whole grain brown rice and whole wheat pasta (or 1-slice servings of whole grain bread)

* Eat three 3-oz servings of chicken, turkey or fish; or measure 1/2 cup per serving of beans and tofu and 1/3 cup for nuts

* Eat two servings of healthy fats (deepwater fish, nuts, avocados, olive or canola oil, or ground flaxseed)

* Take a multivitamin that includes 400 micrograms of folic acid

* Drink at least eight glasses of water (or more depending on your training needs)

Every Week:

* Choose beans, tofu or other meat substitutes for at least six to eight of your total protein servings

* Limit cheese, processed foods, trans fats (found in fried foods, crackers, doughnuts, etc.)

* Limit sugar and sodium

* Check your weight once a week and balance your caloric intake to match your caloric expenditure to maintain optimal body weight

For Your Workouts:

* Fuel your workouts. Eating before a workout improves endurance and performance. Running on empty sets you up for less effective training.

* Eat for recovery. You recover better and faster if you eat within half an hour of a completed workout.

* Avoid sports/energy bars if possible and choose whole foods. These bars are often an expensive, sugary alternative better served by fruits, nuts and whole grains.

(Dietary Guidelines for Americans, USDA, 2000; JAMA, 2000, Vol. 283, No. 16, pp. 2109-2115; Nutrition, 2000, Vol. 16, No. 9, pp. 767-773)