The traditional food pyramid has been revised and updated in 2005 by the USDA and do you know who modified the food pyramid? The USDA paid $ 2.5 million to a PR/marketing group to help design this new food guide pyramid, and that group is best know for doing work for the dairy industry. In fact, historically, the food guide pyramids that the USDA has created have always been about eating more food, drinking more milk and basically consuming larger and larger quantities of everything that the American food industry has produced.
Since the food pyramid was published, the rates of obesity have only continued to climb in the United States. The traditional food pyramid suggests that the “healthy” diet consists of a liberal amount of grains in the form or breads, rice, and pasta. Then you should eat a healthy amount of vegetables(3 servings) and fruits (2 servings) Third tier,lean meats,eggs and beans (3 servings) and dairy (3 servings). Eat sparingly, fats, oils and sweets.
This model is extremely misleading to the general American population as generally eating a diet high in grains and carbohydrates, is not the best for maintaining a lean, healthy mind and body.
Myth of Fat
The biggest mistake that many of us are making in our diets is we have cut out all fat, and substituted it with “low” fat substitutes. We have sacrificed many of the “good” fats, such as olive oil, buts, avocados, flax seed and fish oils, that our bodies and brain need for healthy functioning and have replaced them with “low” fat processed substitutes.
Wheat and Gluten
The standard diet is full of wheat and gluten. A typical American diet consists of toast, pancakes, a muffin, scone for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch and pizza and pasta for dinner.
Today, wheat is not what it was a hundred years ago. What has been genetically modified which has increased its gluten content to 90 percent. In their book Dangerous Grains, James Brady and Ron Hoggan, describe gluten as a protein that the immune system reacts to pathologically, producing inflammation. Their assertion is that gluten destroys healthy tissue through molecular cross reaction.
Empty Calories
We live in the land of plenty, we have plenty of food and plenty of calories, but what we have are foods that are nutrient deficient and full of empty calories. If you take corn or wheat out of the field and refine it, you strip away all the good nutrition. You’re left with this empty carbohydrate, and it still fits the food guide pyramid to say, “Eat more grains.”
The science of food is big business, and many companies have invested millions if not billions of dollars to create foods that #1 filled with preservatives so have a longer shelf life so they don’t need to be replaced as often, #2 are filled with additives to entice the taste buds and actually create an addictive quality. Companies are figuring out how to rearrange the molecular structure of food to make you the consumer what to buy it over and over again. They are pouring extra salt, refined sugar, and chemical taste enhancers into food as to give it an enhanced addictive flavor.
We need to stop buying into the notion that our government is taking good care of us. It is time to become aware of what you are putting into your body on a daily basis.
The Caveman Diet
I also recommend going back to the cave man days. When you think about eating something, ask yourself, “did this come directly from nature?” None of us are perfect and change happens slowly over time. Be gentle with yourself and start making small changes in your diet. Do you eat scones and coffee for breakfast? Try eggs and turkey bacon instead. Rather than have a sandwich for lunch try the salad, or have them take off the bread. I still have my moments, but in general I try to be good 80% of the time. Good health is about making good choices, but not feel like you are depriving yourself. Start where you are at and just become aware of what you are eating.
Resources:
The Anti-Inflammation Diet and Recipe Book, by Jessica Black
The Honest Food Guide: Honestfoodguide.org