Dairy industry officials are celebrating new dietary guidelines from the U-S-D-A that are designed to help people choose the right foods and stay healthy. The guidelines essentially recommend the obvious: eating less and exercising more. They also recommend three cups a day of fat-free dairy products and Kim Polzin, spokeswoman for the Midwest Dairy Association, says that shows the benefits of dairy. “There has been some study to indicate that getting at least three servings a day of milk, cheese and yogurt can help you, together with a reduced calorie diet, in weight loss efforts. Consuming dairy products does not contribute to weight gain.” Other federal recommendations include eating more whole grains and exercising at least an hour a day. Polzin says the key to weight loss is burning more calories than you take in. She says “I think that is the key and it’s all a matter of balance. The new dietary guidelines are all about choice, they’re very science based and they help people understand which foods are the power foods that have the most nutrients packed into them.” The U-S-D-A also says people should limit alcohol to one drink a day.
