The New and Improved Food Pyramid You Should Be Following

There's a new food pyramid that you should be following instead of the traditional food pyramid that we all know too well. The new and improved food pyramid that I'm referring to is called the Harvard food pyramid and yes it sounds just as smart as it is. As opposed to the traditional American food pyramid, the Harvard food pyramid emphasises exercise and daily physical activity in order to maintain a healthy and consistent weight. The older food pyramid on the other hand, emphasises carbs...hmmm which one do you think is correct so far? Next the Harvard pyramid suggests that people should consume more good oils such as canola and extra virgin olive oil along with whole grains. The older pyramid simply states that you should eat carbs, but what you should really be consuming are whole grains paired with good and heart healthy oils. I believe that people are becoming more and more confused with the old food pyramid because they think that eating carbs (white and empty) are healthy and should be consumed throughout the day. The first thing that people have to pay attention to is maintaining a healthy weight through daily exercise and not so much on eating their 6-11 servings of "carbs". The Harvard pyramid places the white/empty carbs at the very top of the pyramid instead of at the very bottom. The bad carbs are just as evil as fats and sweets and should only be eaten in moderation.

Another good piece of advice to follow from the Harvard pyramid is the next section which is fruits and vegetables. I really like the fact that they don't give you a serving suggestion to vegetables, they simply state in abundance. The pyramid does suggest eating only 2-3 servings of fruit a day which I also agree with because as opposed to vegetables fruit can pack a lot of natural sugar but don't worry because if you eat the skin from the fruit you'll counteract some of that sugar with the fiber from the skin. Tropical fruits such as bananas, mangoes, and coconuts possess more natural sugars when compared to other fruits such as apples. The Harvard pyramid then suggests the importance eating of nuts and legumes. Nuts are essential for heart health and they possess a great amount of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (good fats), along with protein and antioxidants.

One of the most important and biggest difference between the two pyramids is how much meat, poultry, and fish a person should consume on a daily basis. The Harvard pyramid suggests that you should consume 0-2 servings a day while the traditional pyramid suggests that you should eat 2-3 servings of both meats and dairy products. Now your mouths are probably wide open with shock because you believe with all your heart that you should follow the traditional food pyramid because you've always been told that eating meat, poultry, fish, milk, and cheese was essential to achieving a healthy diet. The truth is that you can obtain a healthy diet without eating meats and dairy products everyday. Now I'm not saying to completely rid yourself of these products but just have them every once and a while instead of having 2-3 servings a day. You'll find that if you consume more whole grains (also see quinoa in earlier blog entries) and vegetables you won't have to eat meats and dairy products everyday.

The Harvard food pyramid also places some interesting categories outside of the pyramid. It suggests that alcohol should be consumed in moderation, given the statistics that drinking a glass of wine a day can lead to better heart health and has shown weight loss success in women. The other category outside of the pyramid is the use of multivitamins, this can include a variety of different vitamins and fish oil pills. I believe that the Harvard food pyramid is a great start to achieving a healthy lifestyle. The traditional food pyramid has some good information, but I think it lacks more information when compared with the Harvard pyramid. The traditional food pyramid can also be confusing to people (all the carbs being at the bottom of the pyramid) and it doesn't offer how to achieve a healthy lifestyle with daily exercise and weight management.