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New Federal Dietary Guidelines Released

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – The federal government released new dietary guidelines Thursday.

The latest report, which is revised every five years, backs off previous recommendations about cholesterol but gets tougher on sugar.

Anne Heausler cut back on sugar about six months ago.

"I lost about 20 pounds without trying , not doing anything else," she said.

For the first time the guidelines limit added sugar to no more than 10 percent of daily calories.

"We know that about half of the added sugars in people's diets come from sweetened beverages, usually sodas," said Assistant Secretary for Health Dr. Karen DeSalvo.

The updated recommendations also remove the limit on dietary cholesterol. It had been no more than 300 milligrams a day, which are about two eggs.

The panel made the change after studies showed there wasn't a clear connection between eating foods high in cholesterol and the amount of bad cholesterol that ends up in the blood.

"It's an excellent source of protein.There's about 70 calories in one egg and seven grams of protein," explained Lisa Cimperman, a registered dietitian with the University Hospitals Case Medical Center.

But the report says teenage boys and men eat too much protein and should cut back on eggs, meat and poultry. Instead they should eat more fruits and vegetables.

"If I get a steak and my salad comes and my steaks comes, I'm gonna go to my steak," joked 19-year-old Tom Finnegan. "Maybe tonight I'll eat some more vegetables."

The report also recommends limiting saturated fats to no more than 10 percent of daily calories and limiting less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium daily. That's the equivalent of one teaspoon of salt.

And there is good news for coffee lovers! The guidelines say three to five small cups a day are healthy – as long as you don't add the sugar, flavorings or toppings.

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