The Food Guide Pyramid

If you live in the West, the chances are you've heard of the Healthy Food Pyramid. The Food Pyramid is a prescription for a healthy diet - according to various government sources.

The Food Pyramid has been around for a generation, being taught in schools for about 15 years. Yet after 2 decades the Western world is more obese than ever. We must conclude that something is not right.

An increasingly sedentary lifestyle and increasing portion size must surely contribute to this 'growing' problem. The USDA Food Guide Pyramid is too simplistic. Bread could be whole grain or white - one is better for you than the other. It's time for a new look at the Food Pyramid.

NOTE: The USDA Food Pyramid has now been revised. A new graphic has been developed complete with a new website. The new food pyramid is called "MyPyramid" .

The New Food Pyramid

The new pyramid (MyPyramid) acknowledges that there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Their website includes a section where information can be entered, and the food recommendations will be customized.

Each colored band indicates a different food group:

• Orange: Grains
• Green: Vegetables
• Red: Fruit
• Yellow: Oils
• Blue: Milk
• Purple: Meat and beans

To read more about the new food pyramid see www.mypyramid.gov.

The Old Food Pyramid

The old USDA Food Pyramid splits food up into the following basic groups:

Fats, Oils, Sweets - Generally covers foods containing high levels of fats or high calories, such as cookies, pastries, dressings, etc.

Dairy - Milk, cheese, eggs, yogurt.

Fruits & Vegetables.

Grains - Breads, rice, noodles, pasta

What's Wrong With The Original Food Pyramid ?

The old USDA Food Pyramid was based on carbohydrates - lots of them. However research over the last 10 years has shown that some carbohydrates are much better than others. The Glycemic Index has shown us that different carbs can make a dramatic difference to our blood sugar levels and insulin response.

Refined carbs (such as white breads and pastas), could be the reason why people are putting on weight more than ever before. Our modern processed foods contain less nutritional quality, yet are increasingly more accessible and cheaper. Also note that the Healthy Food Pyramid was published by the Department of Agriculture - essentially the grain industry - it should come as no surprise that this makes up the base of the pyramids.

The Food Pyramid also began a whole anti-fat movement. But we've since discovered that some fats are good and some not-so-good. Going on a very low (or no) fat diet can deprive your body of many Essential Fatty Acids.