The Food Pyramid Finale

There is paleo, vegan, vegetarian and (gluten-free). I look at all of it and wonder why not indulge in all, once or twice a week. Has the food pyramid been consulted? Decades ago, a nutrition body determined how often and what food should be eaten for a healthy long life. The food pyramid came into being.

History has a vivid story to tell as well. Our predisposition to meat occurred 500,000 years ago: our genetic affinity to carbs, 2 million. Gluten-free is not a grain but a classification of grain, devoid of the 'modern' gluten that mimics our thyroid hormone. Gluten-free identifies other grains that are missing the 'protein' responsible for our ill health. Are we going to blame Mother Nature for growing the wrong thing? Blame us for tinkering with wheat to perhaps speed up the growing process before harvest. (And just prior, to it) There is a price to pay and we're paying for it! Chemicals abound in our food supply, but to a lesser extent in the NON-GMO, organic world. And we're in a hurry, too. (Even two minutes is too long!)

Protein is necessary for health and weight loss. Its contribution to immunity and the creation of strength and new cells cannot be underestimated. 'It' and fiber are found in foods such as green peas. Whoever thinks of green peas, anyway. I love tossing it in with cubed rutabaga or butternut squash or both with added melted butter, just a smidgen, then oil, lightly draped over the mixture. Such a cute mix! Oh, Yum! If eating dried legumes is nefarious with the Plant Paradox author/cardiologist then where do we go? Are a consensus of healthy offerings becoming suspicious now? Let our pressure cooker do the 'walking.'

Dried foods such as beans have been touted, historically, as a means for long term health. It has kept people alive. But the lectin doctor says be careful. Oh where is that Italian rum cake. I need it now. I will have it! ... Eating my radishes, homemade noodles, salmon, egg or hot pepper sandwiches on sourdough. Such a delight. Oops! Those are the good carbs. Sourdough is fermented bread that devours it's gluten and sugar ingredients making them digestible in the gut. Food must be digestible to be digested. 

 

Bakeries are making organic sourdough bread. Good bread does take more than day to make, after all. There is a price to pay for 'in a hurry', I believe. Chewing on the crust of bread, especially the end slices gives our jaws a workout. Could that help with wrinkles, too?

We now have companies bringing food ingredients to our door, hoping to make meal preparation a breeze. Shopping for weekly groceries, online, might be a cheaper alternative, however. Have we come full circle? In the 50's the food pyramid was all aglow. T.V. dinners gave us time. We took those short cuts, occasionally, if at all. Microwave ovens helped make it easy. And so the inventory grew and grew. Now dining out has never been so easy, with many brand name menu items now available in the freezer section of the grocery store. Does the food pyramid even rate consideration? Is taste the only criterion for eating? Does the body have a say or is it only about food taste and appeal?

The body needs the macronutrients, protein, fat and carbohydrates in play for health. Too much protein  can place a burden on the organs responsible for its complex breakdown. Certain vitamins are fat soluble while others are water soluble. When highly processed foods are consumed on a daily basis, the body reacts, having been thrown into disarray, understandably. The liver, it seems will do all the talking as the body packs on the pounds. Enter the food pyramid. It helps in keeping us on a path to health.  Though its interpretation is subjective, it forms an important part of the discussion: what to eat, how often and how much. We must pay attention. Books have been written over the past several years highlighting our addiction to sugar, starches and the many 'triggers' in the food we eat. We ignore these facts and the food pyramid's directive at our own peril. We see its results and feel it, too.!

Be considerate of the mitochondria, telomeres and DNA of our bodies. Our gut must be healthy to eat wheat and dairy. Fruits and vegetables, the main truths in our diet, make the eating of organic wheat possible. Grass fed beef is better than animals fed the other way. Less meat perhaps? Easy access to food is not a good thing. Fruits and vegetables are generally not included, it would seem. An apple a day is a very good start. The lungs will thank you. and dogs love them. Mine do.

 

The food pyramid is our friend, a reminder that 'fries with that' is not the intended target and not in our best interests all the time. But an occasional flirt with the dark side just might just help lift our spirits until next time. (Check out (Doughnuts for Dinner-May/2013)

 

The Food Pyramid!

We are told to eat whole grains not whole wheat. The better choice might be white bread. Hardly! Reminders to eat leafy greens, berries and whole fruit for maximum nutrition still hold true, I believe. Yuck to iceberg lettuce, I imagine, too. But tomatoes, those high in lycopene 'fruits', are now suspect. Remove their seeds and peel the skin, says this cardiologist /inventor/surgeon. Lectins are hiding in there. I doubt I will. It might happen.

The cardiologist/author of the Plant Paradox who says no to some fruits and vegetables we've come to love and enjoy is not concerned about gluten, however. Moderation is the name of the game somewhere in all of this. It is our gut that needs attention. The Eat Wheat guy says a similar thing. Healing our digestive tract is the name of his nutrition game. Makes sense to me. We've fallen in love with fast food, deli take-out, instant mixes and ready made and now are paying the price.

Look to NON-GMO or organic in our diet. Toxins are present, everywhere. The wheat belly doctor/author we all know about says gluten is our problem. But not so much says the Plant Paradox guy. Gluten is not the enemy. Years of eating processed food, drinks and sugars, under different given names, have put us here. After all, the gut microbiome is king! We all need to listen.

Excessive amounts of processed foods entered our lives decades ago and for some, at a very early age. Babies and toddlers' taste for foods are influenced by mommy's directive from the very beginning. The french fry is a great distraction for teaching baby something, whatever that is. Is it necessary? Stages of development require certain foods to be introduced in a certain way. Teeth need to be present while a respect for baby's immature digestive system and future health and the prevention of allergies, should be considered, too.

It is easy to let 'others' assume the role of our daily food director. And that is exactly what happens when we visit the dining out/fast food emporium, often, for a meal time break. Bringing a newly minted child there is allowing the intrusion of ingredients into a brand new body. What does the future hold for these brand new early humans? We are told to eat raw yet some foods are better assimilated when they are gently steamed, not interfering with thyroid function. That's me! (Broccoli and cauliflower come to mind). 

Celery has not been picked on yet with its juice, a detoxifying cleansing potion-in-waiting. Our dogs get celery sticks and carrot,too. I love these oft-ignored add-ins with my homemade sandwiches. Oh, yum.The ketone diet is high in fat with restricted protein making the food bill higher. It's a good bet for health we are told. The Eat Fat, Get Thin functional medicine doctor agrees. Stay away from grains, again. Yet we are told to eat whole grains, oatmeal for breakfast. I did, as a girl. So did our sons. White bread is better? I don't think so. Some say yes. Others say no. Organic is the way, too. What about farmer's market? Are they all the same? Probably not. Then there's grass fed beef, the better choice.

In every winning short cut to a glamorous body, we are told virtually the same thing: stay away from carbs (sugar), processed food while drinking water. Now grains. But when those tricks stall our weight loss, we look to another truth. All diet truths are basically the same. Eat a variety of simple ingredients meals using organic, NON-GMO in portion controlled amounts. Eat a bit of protein. Maybe go meatless a few times a week. Better for us and the animals, too.

Eating at home dials down hunger. Dining out does not. There are 'triggers' lying in wait. Where we eat is as important as what we eat. Carbs are still the enemy in many ways but if budgetary shortfalls exist then suitable carbs are a way of feeding many. Choose wisely. Whole grain, gluten-free, NON-GMO are out there. Bulk Barn can help. Whole grains are healthy. Yet we are told by the doctors to stay away from them. I will not! A grain called buckwheat kasha built the body of a 13-week premature baby which now houses a healthy strong man - 39 years later. Which truth should I embrace?...to be continued.