The Food Pyramid, first introduced to the US in 1992, just experienced a major overhaul. Why? Perhaps proper education about nutrition isn't as easy as picking out food from a colorful chart. Last month, The New England Journal of Medicine reported that childhood obesity was causing a retreat in average lifespan. That report seems to only cover part of the picture as chronic disease, such as cardiac dysfunction and Type II Diabetes have been on a steady rise in recent years. Because many people seem to be unwilling to learn how to make better lifestyle choices, it is only the toxic pharmaceutical drugs that seem to be extending the lives of these people.
Agriculture secretary Mike Johanns described the old food pyramid as being "quite familiar" to most Americans, "but few Americans follow the recommendations." The solution, found at www.mypyramid.gov, is apparently more colors and to make the bands travel downwards instead of horizontally. Yes, that counts as a solution where french fries and catsup count as two servings of vegetables in the school lunch program.
Well, some progress is better than no progress. On a positive note, the new dietary guidelines do recommend daily physical activity. If even a few people get out of their chairs because their government tells them too, these changes, and the expense of the marketing for all of this will be well-worth our tax dollars.
What is left out of these dietary guidelines is any source of education on timing of food intake. For example, how many of you are late-night eaters? Perhaps you have a bowl of cereal before bed? What do the cells do with all the extra starch and glucose as you sleep? The answer is they store it in the fat cells. If you think of a caveman, or woodland creature, bulking up before hibernation, you get the picture.
A better diet doesn't have to be entirely about sacrifice. It's more about better decisions. I'm not saying to stop eating ice cream. Consider some Wheat Germ or Grape Nuts as a toping. Both are excellent sources of dietary fiber and essential nutrients like Vitamin E, folate (folic acid), phosphorous, thiamin, zinc and magnesium. You get to have a tasty snack and sneak some nutrition through the teeth. Just don't eat it as a midnight snack!
Dave Saunders is a certified nutritional educator, wellness coach, member of the American International Association of Nutritional Education (AIANE) and author. He is also the host of a weekly, nation-wide telephone lecture on health and nutrition. For additional information, please visit http://www.glycoboy.com or http://www.glycoboy.com or email Dave at http://www.glycoboy.com
tidy up service Northbrook ..I am going to share with you possibly the most... Read More
In health circles there has been much recent talk about... Read More
A frequent misunderstanding about macrobiotics is that it is a... Read More
Our diet is an essential factor for the formation of... Read More
America's major dietary deficiency - EFA a panacea for good... Read More
Unhealthy eating is a harmful problem in America, and contrary... Read More
Every day we are bombarded with information about food products... Read More
Do you need omega 3 fatty acid in your diet?... Read More
You're always hungry right? The last thing you have time... Read More
Cholesterol. What images come to mind when you see this... Read More
Food nutrition factsFinding food nutrition facts and dietary nutrition used... Read More
You can eat whole flax seeds but you need to... Read More
Americans are literally running out of time. Achieving a work-life... Read More
Carbohydrates have gotten a lot of bad press in the... Read More
We sometimes hear about ways that we can take care... Read More
Constipation is a condition whereby the fecal matter traveling through... Read More
You really are what you eat. You are also very... Read More
Eating healthy and taking care of yourself is essential to... Read More
Hormonal changes during pregnancy, and quite normal fat gain often... Read More
Are Your Cells Talking To Each Other?Communication! It permeates our... Read More
What Ever Happened to the Basic FourThe USDA was originally... Read More
People are obsessed with dieting and weight loss! Don't believe... Read More
With today's time constraints, stressful jobs, and "thin is in"... Read More
Your Non-Conscious Mind is 98% of your full power. Over... Read More
It is believed that cane sugar was discovered before the... Read More
reliable home cleaners Buffalo Grove ..In parts 1-4 of this series of articles titled "Take... Read More
Water is the single most important element for human existence,... Read More
"The physician who knows only medicine, knows not even medicine."... Read More
If you drop a bomb, you kill not only your... Read More
Carbohydrates have gotten a lot of bad press in the... Read More
Spring in New York City is a really magical time.... Read More
With the array of different diets and diet foods available... Read More
Although many realize that the liver has its own cleansing... Read More
The research in support of dietary omega-3 fatty acids (such... Read More
People want to get the very best they can when... Read More
Protein is one of the basic building blocks of the... Read More
Have you ever thought about where your drinking water comes... Read More
A hundred years ago, life was very different here on... Read More
It is often taken as a given fact that soy... Read More
Here's a conundrum: While experts agree that high cholesterol and... Read More
What ancient tribes and people of the Amazon have known... Read More
The Benefits of SnackingYou may feel regretful about snacking, but... Read More
The egg, the symbol of birth, of life and, therefore,... Read More
Strict "no carb" phases of low carb diets have developed... Read More
I'm going to be a bit radical here, but know... Read More
When we think about the benefits of being ensuring a... Read More
In today's world, there's a definite need to be proactive... Read More
We all need fat in our diet on a daily... Read More
These are questions we have to ask ourselves? because after... Read More
Protein must be a part of a healthy diet for... Read More
Nutrition |