Home
>
Nutrition
>
Surrender To The Spell Of The Pyramid

Surrender To The Spell Of The Pyramid

Food in general has the distinction of being probably the first thing we all think about in the mornings before our feet hit the floor. The main reason for this is we cannot survive without it. There are four major food groups arranged in what is commonly called the food pyramid. At the base of the food pyramid lies the group that contains breads, grains, pastas and cereals. These foods provide complex carbohydrates, which are an important source of energy, especially for a low-fat meal plan. You can make various low-fat choices from foods in this group.

You will need 6 to 11 servings of these foods in a day. Try to eat whole-grain breads, cereal and pasta for most of your servings from this group. Whole-grain foods are less processed and retain more valuable vitamins, minerals and fiber than foods made with white flour. When you purchase whole-grain foods look for breads and pastas with "stone ground whole-wheat flour" as the first ingredient, because some "wheat" breads may be white breads with only caramel coloring added.

The next group in the pyramid is fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are rich in nutrients. Many are excellent sources of vitamin A, vitamin C, folate or potassium. They are low in fat and sodium and high in fiber. The Food Pyramid suggests 3 to 5 servings of vegetables, and 2 to 4 servings of fruits each day. Count only 100% fruit juice as a fruit, and limit juice consumption. Many commercial bottled juices come in containers that hold more than 2 servings - which can add lots of sugar and calories to your daily diet. Punches, ades and most fruit "drinks" have only a bit of juice and lots of sugar. Fruit sodas are sugary drinks and they do not count as fruit, either.

Up next on the pyramid are proteins such as beans, eggs, fish, and meat. Meat, poultry and fish supply protein, zinc and iron. Non-meat foods such as dried peas and beans also provide many of these nutrients. The Food Pyramid suggests 2 to 3 servings of cooked poultry, fish or meat. Each serving should be between 2 and 3 ounces. Pick lean meat, fish and dry beans and peas often because these are lowest in fat.

Continuing on we come to dairy products. Products made with milk provide protein, vitamins and minerals, especially calcium. The Food Pyramid suggests 2 to 3 servings each day. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, a teenager or a young adult age 24 or under, try to have 3 servings. Most others should have 2 servings every day. Go light on high-fat cheese and ice cream. Choose non-fat milk and yogurt and cheeses made from skim milk because they are lower in fat.

Lastly are sweets and fats. These make up the Food Pyramids smallest part, so the fats and sweets in the top of the Food Pyramid should comprise the smallest percentage of your daily diet. The foods at the top of the food pyramid should be eaten moderately because they provide calories but not much in the way of nutrition. These foods include salad dressings, oils, butter, cream, margarine, sugars, soft drinks, candies and sweet desserts.

The author teaches people how to eat in a healthy manner and nurture their bodies without feeling deprived.

Rose Marie Allesando is passionate about food and is the webmaster of food a to z

eco-friendly cleaning service Bannockburn ..

In The News:

New AI road monitoring system uses sensor-embedded fabric to predict infrastructure problems, potentially reducing maintenance costs and traffic disruptions for cities.

Holiday charity scams target retirees through lookalike organization names, untraceable payment requests, and data broker information to steal donations.

The Federal Trade Commission says criminals are posing as IRS agents, law enforcement officers or other officials, often over the phone or online, to steal thousands of dollars at a time.

AI phishing scams now use voice cloning and deepfake technology to trick victims, but Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals warning signs to watch for.

Inversion Space unveils Arc, a reusable reentry vehicle that can deliver up to 500 pounds of cargo from orbit to anywhere on Earth in under an hour.

Red flags like processing fees, urgent countdowns and requests for full Social Security numbers expose fraudulent settlement sites targeting consumers.

Comprehensive analysis of Google Maps, Waze and Apple Maps examines usability, routing accuracy, data handling and features across the top navigation platforms.

Expert analysis reveals whether wired Ethernet or wireless Wi-Fi connections are safer for home internet use, plus practical steps to secure your network from attackers.

Australian construction robot Charlotte uses sand, crushed brick and recycled glass to 3D print fireproof, floodproof homes with reduced carbon footprint.

Cybercriminals are using fake invitation emails to trick recipients into downloading malware and stealing personal information and data.

Flying drones could help retailers fight a 93% increase in theft rates as Flock Safety promotes airborne security systems to track suspects and deter crime.

The Fox News Artificial Intelligence Newsletter brings you the latest news on the emerging technology every Saturday, highlighting top stories.

Hacker group Radiant stole data from 8,000 children at Kido nursery chain, demanding ransom and directly contacting parents with intimidation tactics.

As 18 states implement bell-to-bell cell phone bans, creative students use Google Docs, iMessage on MacBooks and Post-It notes to stay connected in class.

A sheriff's captain says deputies often spend hours writing reports between calls, but Axon's AI program, Draft One, helps them save crucial time in the field.

Sora 2, OpenAI's new video-generation app, can create AI-generated videos based on a singular prompt. The results are both mind-blowing and terrifying.

iPhone and Android users can reduce Wi-Fi calling battery drainage through settings adjustments, background app limits and stronger Wi-Fi connections.

Work email scams are becoming harder to detect as criminals use AI and spoofed addresses to trick employees into opening malicious attachments and links.

From her Arizona living room, Christina Chapman ran a covert hub that helped North Korean operatives infiltrate U.S. firms, netting $17 million in stolen salaries.

UC Santa Barbara researchers developed a soft robotic intubation system that achieved 100% success rates for experts and 96% for paramedics with minimal training.

Scammers exploit probate filings to target grieving families with fake fees and debts, Kurt "Cyberguy" Knutsson reports.

Automotive giant Stellantis becomes latest victim of widespread Salesforce breaches affecting companies like Google, Cisco and Adidas this year.

A woman from Washington reunited with her missing Maine Coon cat Louie after 11 days using Love Lost, a free AI-powered pet recovery platform.

Expert cybersecurity tips help Mac owners remove malware infections and strengthen defenses with antivirus software, password managers and system updates.

Meta's AI chatbot training rules bans sexual roleplay with minors and block access to child abuse material as regulators scrutinize its safety measures.

Surrender To The Spell Of The Pyramid

Nutrition