Answer to Question 1
1. Improve eating and physical activity behaviors.
2. Control total caloric intake.
3. Increase physical activity. Reduce sedentary time.
4. Maintain appropriate caloric balance during each stage of life.
5. Reduce daily sodium intake to less than 2,300 mg (ages 2-50 ) and 1,500 mg (ages 51 and older).
6. Consume less than 10 percent of calories from saturated fatty acids by replacing them with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids.
7. Consume less than 300 mg per day of dietary cholesterol.
8. Keep trans fatty acid consumption as low as possible.
9. Reduce intake of calories from solid fats and added sugars.
10. Limit consumption of foods that contain refined grains.
11. If consumed and legal, alcohol should be limited to 1 drink daily for women and 2 drinks daily for men.
Answer to Question 2
Functional foods are foods or food ingredients that offer specific health benefits beyond those supplied by the traditional nutrients they contain. Many functional foods come in their natural forms. A tomato, for example, is a functional food because it contains the phytonutrient lycopene, thought to reduce the risk for prostate cancer. Other examples of functional foods are kale, broccoli, blueberries, red grapes, and green tea.
The term functional food, however, has been used primarily as a marketing tool by the food industry to attract consumers. Unlike fortified foods, which have been modified to help prevent nutrient deficiencies, functional foods are created by the food industry by the addition of ingredients aimed at treating or preventing symptoms or disease. In functional foods, the added ingredient(s) is typically not found in the food item in its natural form but is added to allow manufacturers to make appealing health claims.