Lets talk about the food pyramid

[ValidRouge]

So, I've been over at the www.usda.gov site looking at the "My Pyramid" section. The recommendations for a 34 year old female who exercises 30 to 60 minutes a day are as follows:

6 oz of grains
2.5 cups of vegetables (WHAT???)
2 cups of fruits
3 cups of milk
5.5 ounces of meat

One of the things that stands out for me right from the get-go is the 2.5 cups of vegetables. Wow. We get that during induction. So, what is it with all the anti-Atkins "health nuts" complaining that we don't eat fruits and vegetables? There are days that I eat, on this unhealthy eating plan , about 6 cups of vegetables a day.

So I don't eat the 6 servings of grains. I more than make up for it in vegetables...and most of those in higher fiber vegetables. today I had 23 grams of fiber through my vegetables. I just can't imagine our foraging ancestors...or even our ancestors in eras past where it was hard to come by raw whole grain sources, let alone refined grain sources having access to that much raw whole grains. And even if they could, did their diet really consist of 6 servings a day? I'd think that the bulk of their diet came from vegetables that could be picked and immediately consumed. How many of the whole grains can be taken from their source and consumed immediately?

5.5 ounces a day TOTAL of meat and legumes (also included in this category is eggs and nuts)? I plugged their menu into fitday, it's terribly low in protein as a percentage of total calories (19%). As someone who does weight lifting from time to time, I can't help but be surprised at the low amount of protein in this diet.

What I was VERY surprised at was that even following the food pyramid, % of calories coming from fat is 46% on my choices from their lists. I chose both skinless chicken breast and lean beef. So, is atkins really that much higher in fat as a percentage of calories compared to what Mypyramid is showing?

If I make two small changes in fitday to this diet--substituting vegetables for the grains serving for serving, and increase my meat (protein/fat) or add in a serving of nuts, my ratios immediately get closer to an Atkins Ongoing Weight Loss phase ratio at 48/22/33 (increasing the meat) or 54/19/27 (adding 1.5 ounces of walnuts)

So, I would love to know what the argument for our bodies NEEDING that much whole grain per day. How does the government figure that?


BTW, After clicking around, some of those "cups" are actually servings. 1.5 ounces of natural cheese counts as a cup of milk.

[2big4mysize]

USDA diet has been a 60% carbs 30% fats and 10% protein for a long time. the fats and proteins went up slightly and the carbs camew down a bit with the new version after the cholesterol skyrocketed in america

[Adena]

What great research -- and evidence supporting this WOE, Joy. It's data like this that is hard to refute. I know that, personally, my eyes have really been opened to how healthy this WOE is. It's one those things that if people would just live it for a very short time, it would totally change their way of thinking...

Frankly, I might even agree that more whole grains ARE the right choice for some -- for many even. But, for those of us who have issues with our weight -- or sugar or whatever -- lower carb eating is the right choice. If the naysayers could simply concede that low carb IS a healthy option, among others -- for me, that would be enough.

Thanks for sharing this info, Joy. I think it will help alot of folks as we try (again and again and again) to explain this lifestyle....

[cleochatra]

The food pyramid is funded by companies like Kelloggs.

Run away! Run away!

[ValidRouge]

Originally Posted by cleochatra

The food pyramid is funded by companies like Kelloggs.

Run away! Run away!

LOL that would explain a LOT wouldn't it?

[ValidRouge]

2big, so they conceded a little bit? Maybe thats one step on a long and difficult journey for them.

[cleochatra]

Valid-- That's what cheeses me off. It's treated like (making finger quotes) science, and it's really like PAC money from Boeing saying that airplanes are healthy eating for a (more finger quotes) scientific study.

By the way, you look amazing! Great job!

[ValidRouge]

This is a little bit related to the whole grain propoganda etc.

http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.c...ad.php?t=36649 (Food for Thought) This thread was posted and there is another post about the same study on another site.

But this post in the thread on that particular site just boggles my mind:

"THis is ridiculous! Bread doesnt cause cancer, people have been eating bread for thousands of years.......this is more anti-bread propaganda, stop the bread-phobia. Bread is life!!
Posted at 11:28PM on Oct 20th 2006 by kaitlin Hess 0 stars"

Highly processed refined flours certainly haven't been available for thousands of years. And I'm sure the breads of thousands of years ago were not the same as breads of today full of preservatives, refined white flour and sugar.

As an Atkineer, I don't have a problem with eating healthy whole grains such as oats, wheat, brown rice etc.....but certainly not 6 servings of them a day.

And thank you for the compliment, your pictures have been an inspiration to me!

[not2late]

Valid, see if your library has a copy of What to Eat by Marion Nestle. Nestle is a premiere nutritionist. Anyhow, she says that the reason why nutritionists love grains is due to the fiber it provides. Since the average american doesn't eat enough vegetables and fruits to provide that fiber, nutritionists stress grains.

As for the new food pyramid...yeah, I eat more vegetables than it recommends for me. I eat maybe 1 serving of grains a day (if that at all), but I average about 25 grams of fiber daily from my veggies, fruits and nuts.

Cleo...welcome back girlie!!!!

[not2late]

Oh, since Kelloggs was mentioned....Did you all know the Kellogg company was founded by the Kellogg brothers? They were members of an extremist Christian sect that promoted vegetarianism. They hawked their flakes in order to support their religious commune.

One of the interesting things about them is that one brother was a physician and he wrote a few medically-related books for the general public. In one of them he mentioned that corn syrup was unwholesome and unhealthy to consume. He also promoted whole foods.