The Real Dirty Dozen: The 12 Deadliest Lifestyle Factors

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The Real Dirty Dozen: The 12 Deadliest Lifestyle Factors

Postby JeffN » Mon May 12, 2014 8:26 am

The Real Dirty Dozen: The 12 Deadliest Dietary & Lifestyle Factors & What You Can Do About Them

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) publishes an annual rating of conventional foods with the most and least pesticide residues called "The Dirty Dozen" so that consumers "can have the health benefits of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables with less exposure to pesticides."

However, as I pointed out many years ago in my article, “The Flaw In The Dirty Dozen,” the methodology for the list is highly flawed...

http://www.jeffnovick.com/RD/Articles/E ... Dozen.html

There are other problems with the Dirty Dozen list, which are discussed here...

http://appliedmythology.blogspot.com/20 ... t.html?m=1

You can also find a discussion on my overall thoughts about organic food here...

http://www.drmcdougall.com/forums/viewt ... =22&t=6229

In response to the discussion of whether or not someone should choose organic food or which things are the most harmful and should be avoided, it often seems that we have our priorities mixed up. I often see well-meaning and good intentioned people who are trying to do the right thing and put tremendous amount of time, energy and effort into avoiding things that may not have much of an impact on them at all while, at the same time and without realizing it, indulge in things that are very harmful to their health.

To this end, I wrote the article “Triage Your Health Efforts” many years ago to help people prioritize their health efforts.

http://www.jeffnovick.com/RD/Articles/E ... _Ugly.html

The article was an outgrowth of this discussion on the same topic…

http://www.drmcdougall.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=7875

… and this discussion on the top 10 harmful chemicals causing health problems and death...

http://www.drmcdougall.com/forums/viewt ... =22&t=6502

All of the above-referenced articles and discussions were based on my presentation, “Lighten Up: Weighing In On The Weight Debate,” which also highlights this very important issue of focusing on what matters most.

The EWG has just released their newest list of the “Dirty Dozen.”

http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/list.php

In response, I have created my list, “The Real Dirty Dozen: The 12 Deadliest Dietary & Lifestyle Factors & What You Can Do About Them.”

The Real Dirty Dozen: The 12 Deadliest Dietary & Lifestyle Factors & What You Can Do About Them.

1. Smoking (including 2’nd & 3’rd hand smoke)
2. Excess Calories/Body Weight
3. Inadequate Diet (fruits, vegetables, intact starches)
4. Alcohol
5. Inactivity/Sedentary Lifestyle
6. Added Sodium/Salt
7. Saturated fat
8. Dietary Cholesterol
9. Added Sugars/Caloric Sweeteners
10. Added Fats/Oils
11. Refined Flours/Grains
12. Hydrogenated/Trans Fats

And one more...

13. Illicit Drugs & Prescription Drugs


What you can do...

1. Smoking (including 2’nd & 3’rd hand smoke)
- Don't smoke. If you smoke, quit. Avoid 2’nd & 3’rd hand smoke.

2. Excess Calories/Body Weight
- Maintain a healthy weight with a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 (a BMI of 18.5-22 may be optimal), and a waist circumference of <35 for women and < 40 for men, and a waist to height ratio of < .50

3. Inadequate Diet (fruits, vegetables, intact starches, fiber-rich foods)
- Eat a diet based predominately on a variety of minimally processed whole plant foods (fruits, vegetables, starchy vegetables, roots/tubers, intact whole grains and beans).

4. Alcohol
- Don't drink. If you drink and it is a problem, quit. If you do drink, limit the intake to occasional light drinking (<1 drink/day & <4 drinks/week).

5. Inactivity/Sedentary Lifestyle
- 150 to 300 minutes per week of moderate activity (or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous activity) that includes aerobic and resistance exercise. The inclusion of some balance, flexibility work is also recommended.

6. Excess Added Sodium/Salt (3)
- Keep total sodium from all sources to <1500 mg/day.

7. Excess Saturated Fat (1) (3)
- Keep saturated fat to <5% of total calories

8. Dietary Cholesterol (1)
- Keep total cholesterol to < ~25 mg/day.

9. Added Sugars/Caloric Sweeteners (2) (3)
- Keep added sugars/sweeteners (including fruit juice and natural sweeteners) to <5% of total calories.

10. Added Fat/Oils (2) (3)
- Keep added fats/oils to <4% of calories.

11. Refined Flours/Grains (2) (3)
- Less than 5% of calories.

12. Hydrogenated/Trans Fats (3)
- Avoid these.

13. Illicit Drugs and Prescription Drugs
- Avoid illicit drugs. Avoid prescription drugs except for short-term use when unavoidable. There are exceptions where Rx drug are often necessary, sometimes for life (insulin, thyroid, etc). In these situations, make sure the benefits clearly outweigh the risks and that you are informed and aware of the risks.

(1) While these are found in several places, that are mostly a marker for animal product consumption. Limit animal products to no more than 5% of calories, regardless of saturated fat and cholesterol.

(2) The total intake of added sugars, added fats/oils, refined flours, animal products, etc., if included, should not exceed 10% of calories on any given day.

(3) While these are found in several places, a large percentage of them comes from intake of Overly Processed foods, which should be avoided.

In Health,
Jeff
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