Proposals for the New Food Guide Pyramid - please forward

[Guest guest]

Food Guide Pyramid Reassessment Team

USDA Center for Nutrition Policy & Promotion

3101 Park Center Drive, Room 1034

Alexandria, VA 22302

 

 

Jackie Graff

1085 Lake Charles Drive

Roswell, GA

Ph: 770-992-9218

Email: gideongraff

Web: www.sproutrawfood.org

 

By Jackie Graff, R.N., B.S.N.

 

The present food pyramid along with high powered advertising are part of the

reason we are the fattest and most unhealthy we have ever been in this

country. Immigrants from other countries who adopt our way of eating become

overweight and get many diseases not common in their countries. The change

is long overdue. People are getting diseases in their youth that they used

to get as they aged. I see this in my work as a nurse.

 

The American public should know the truth. We do not need just a few tweaks

to the present pyramid. We do not need small changes that allow

manufacturers to spin new products and consumers to gradually change their

diets. The public needs guidance for changes NOW! The U.S.D.A. needs to get

it right this time, our lives are depending on honest information.

Individuals can make their own choices- just give us the truth. Enough

studies are out there that prove the following proposed guidelines.

 

The TRUTH is needed- some will follow and some will not. We cannot change

everyone. Some will eat what they want with no consideration of their

health. People that want to improve are confused and need guidance, they

need the truth. There are many diet books out there that do not work long

term, this is why there are so many- because they do not work. With all of

our intelligence and knowledge it is embarrassing to be the most overfed,

overweight, malnourished country in the world. We have to stop letting the

food industry and diet books, whose interest is dollars, affect the health

of our nation.

 

This change in the food pyramid should not be influenced by any special

interest food groups. It should be based on how we should eat to get the

most nutrition out of our food choices. Our most nutritious foods are whole

fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds that do not come in packages. These

contain a large amount of antioxidants, phytonutrients, omega 3 fatty acids,

vitamins and minerals. These nutrients and antioxidants are protection for

plants and will also protect us from chronic disease.

 

The nutrients we need to get from our food cannot successfully be obtained

from a pill. The nutrients we get from food work synergistically with each

other. To get enough of these nutrients we need to be eating a lot of fruits

and vegetables.

 

The Following Pyramid Is Proposed

 

The base should be the maintenance of energy, having an exercise program

and controlling calories and weight.

 

The next level should be a variety of organic healthy whole carbohydrates

such as fruit and vegetables having color: green, yellow, orange, red,

blue, purple, with a large portion of this uncooked to preserve the

nutrients.

 

The next level should be whole grains and starchy vegetables.

 

The next level should be legumes, beans, peas, sprouted nuts and seeds.

 

The next level should be limited amounts of fats from fruits, vegetable, nut

and seed sources. With no more than 20-30% of our calories coming from these

healthy fats.

 

6. A strong notation should be made on the pyramid of foods that should

be eaten rarely and eventually eliminated completely from the diet. These

should be: salt ( no more than 1000 mg /day or less), sugar, high fructose

corn syrup, and other processed sugars, refined grains, trans-fatty acids,

and saturated fat (all animal products have saturated fat). All of these

foods need to be eliminated completely from the diet, not cut in half as

proposed by the USDA.

 

7. What professional in the health and nutrition field is telling us that we

are deficient in saturated fat, sugar, refined grains, or trans-fats and

need to get them into our diet? These foods cause inflammation and can lead

to many of the chronic diseases that plague our society. If these unhealthy

foods are eaten then there would not be enough calories left for the fruits

and vegetables containing a large amount of antioxidants, phytonutrients,

vitamins and minerals which can keep the body healthy.

 

8. If enough of the levels two through five are eaten to maintain energy and

a healthy weight there will be more than adequate protein, folate, calcium,

omega 3 fatty acids, and other nutrients in the diet. (refer to the WHO’s

recommendations for protein needs). Animal protein and fat are not

necessary for a healthy diet.

 

9. A plant based vegan diet with a healthy variety of uncooked fruit,

vegetable, nuts, and seeds is the healthiest way to eat.