Better Explanation About The Food Guide Pyramid
The food guide pyramid is a real benefit when it comes to helping you to incorporate whole foods into your diet. You can find information about it just about anywhere these days. What is really interesting is how very in depth the food guide pyramid attempts to be.
In truth, the food guide pyramid is a much generalized thing that will be good to no one who intends to follow it like a mindless drone, no matter which they are; however there really is a good reason why the food guide pyramid has changed into the My Pyramid instead.
Our pyramid attempts to be far less general and lets you take into account your own specific needs and still lets you have a clearer understanding of how to get your daily vitamins and minerals. The old pyramid is still worth having a look at in regards to your health. They are simple eating guidelines that will get you ready for life every day. Just for your reference, the new pyramid has a staircase running up one of the dimensional sides.
The recommendations are generalized but they are still useful. Here is what the food guide pyramid recommends:
Whole Grain Foods (to be eaten at most meals). The body needs carbohydrates which are eaten mainly for energy. The best sources of carbohydrates are whole grains such as oatmeal, whole-wheat bread, and brown rice. Since the body can't digest whole grains as quickly as it can highly processed carbohydrates such as those that you will find in white flour. This keeps blood sugar and insulin levels from rising, as well as falling, too quickly. It helps you to better control of blood sugar and insulin can keep hunger at bay and may prevent the development of type 2 diabetes.
Plant Oils. Although most people believe that this recommendation goes against everything we have been taught, it's exactly in line with the evidence and with common eating habits. The average American gets one third or more of their daily calories from fats. Good sources of healthy unsaturated fats include olive, canola, soy, corn, sunflower, peanut, and other vegetable oils, as well as fatty fish such as salmon. These healthy fats not only improve cholesterol levels but it can also protect the heart from sudden and deadly problems.
Vegetables and Fruits. A diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables can decrease the chances of having a heart attack or stroke; protect you against a variety of cancers; lower your blood pressure; help you avoid the painful intestinal problems; guard against cataract, the major cause of vision loss among people over age 65; and don’t forget that they taste great.
Fish, Poultry, and Eggs. These are important sources of protein in your diet. Most research suggests that eating fish can reduce the risk of getting heart disease. Chicken and turkey are also good sources of protein and can be low in saturated fat. Eggs, is a much better breakfast than what we usually eat.
Nuts and Legumes. Nuts and legumes are excellent sources of protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Legumes include black beans, navy beans, garbanzos, and other beans that are usually sold dried. Many kinds of nuts contain healthy fats in them.
- Dairy or Calcium Supplement. Building bone and keeping it strong takes calcium, vitamin D, exercise, and a lot of other stuff. Dairy products have traditionally been Americans' main source of calcium. But there are other healthy ways to get calcium than from milk and cheese, which can contain a lot of saturated fat and be costly to those who are intolerant to dairy. If you don't like dairy products, calcium supplements offer an easy and cheaper way for you to get your daily calcium.
Red Meat and real Butter: These sit at the top of the Healthy Eating Pyramid because they contain lots of saturated fat. If you eat red meat every day, switching to fish or chicken several times a week can improve cholesterol levels. And so can switching from butter to olive oil.
White Rice, Bread, Potatoes, Pasta, and Sweets: these foods can quickly cause fast and huge increases in blood sugar that can lead to weight gain, diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic disorders. Switch to whole grain breads. It still hurts, but it happens slower.
Multiple Vitamin: A daily multivitamin, multimineral supplement offers a kind of nutritional backup if you can’t meet them with foods. While it can't in any way replace healthy eating, or make up for unhealthy eating, it can fill in the nutrient holes that may sometimes affect even the most careful eaters.
Alcohol: believe it or not there are many studies that suggest that having an alcoholic drink a day lowers the risk of heart disease. Moderation is clearly important, since alcohol has risks as well as benefits. For men, a good balance point is 1 to 2 drinks a day. For women, have about one drink a day.