By Elaine Cannell, Reporter
A quick fix. That’s the American approach to a healthy lifestyle, culinary teacher Tara Wood said. “If you go on a diet, you will fail,” Wood said. “You have to make a complete lifestyle change.”
So how can the average person know how to complete a diet and lifestyle makeover? Enter the food pyramid, which was revised dramatically in 2005, as My Pyramid.
There are plans to revise the pyramid again this year, and the FDA met again this month to discuss adjustments. “My Pyramid” has a “one size does not fit all” mantra and incorporates exercise, unlike the original Food Guide Pyramid from 1992.
However, some still express concerns with “My Pyramid.” In his book Food Matters, New York Times food columnist and author Mark Bittman addressed “My Pyramid’s” vagueness. Also, the Harvard School of Public Health recently published findings critical of “My Pyramid.
” The original Food Guide Pyramid showed grains at the bottom, as the biggest amount of a group that should be eaten, and fats and sweets at the top, as the least, Wood said. “My Pyramid” has the pyramid sectioned off with symbolically colored ribbons that are thicker to show a larger diet portion and thinner to show a smaller one. Wood said a drawback to this approach is the lack of pictures and the necessity of going on the website, mypyramid.gov, in order to find personal dietary guidelines.
“My Pyramid” also doesn’t have specific serving sizes, but is more detailed about the types of foods that should be consumed from each group. It explains how to take advantage of the healthier fats, and encourages physical activity. Although many agree that “My Pyramid” is a vast improvement over the original Food Guide Pyramid, critics say that it can be developed further.
The Harvard study calls the U.S. Department of Agriculture biased in this case, claiming that it recommends amounts of certain foods in order to increase agricultural sales. The study also noted that “My Pyramid” still has several very old-fashioned ideas about nutrition, and although it does discriminate between refined (processed, like white bread) and whole (full of fiber) grains, it still says that it’s okay to consume half of daily recommended grains in a refined form.
Harvard also found that the best form of a food pyramid would include the mounting evidence that all proteins are not made alike. Many prominent figures in the nutrition field say that Americans should be replacing red meat with healthier proteins, such as beans, poultry, fish and nuts. Some of Bittman’s concerns in Food Matters included that “My Pyramid” “doesn’t discriminate among fats,” and “it doesn’t recommend that any food should be avoided or even minimized.
” Even if “My Pyramid” isn’t yet perfect, health teacher Kate Kania believes that staying healthy is a simple process. The secret “is definitely the integration of nutrition and exercise. A lot of people don’t really get that, if you work out enough, you can eat whatever you want. It’s a matter of putting the two together,” Kania said. Sandie Hunter, a registered dietician with Delnor Hospital, has a slightly more complex approach, one that is similar to what is recommended in Harvard’s pyramid.
“When I talk with patients, I do go more toward the Mediterranean type of diet, with fruits and vegetables at the bottom of the pyramid, filling in with whole grains. I usually recommend a serving of beans and healthier nuts, such as pistachios, walnuts and peanuts,” she said.
Whether people use “My Pyramid” as a personal bible, feel that Harvard’s pyramid is the right way to stay fit or decide to make eating decisions based on the words of dieticians like Hunter, Wood said people shouldn’t seek “instant results,” or jump on the diet bandwagons, like the current “I hate carbs” phase. “We advocate things like these extreme celebrity diets instead of the lifestyle changes we need,” she said.
“You look at other countries, and they don’t have such skewed views on food,” Wood said. “They eat small meals throughout the day; they eat a lot of fish and foods with healthy fats.”
Eating healthily “has to become a part of your everyday routine, especially as you get older,” Wood said. ”
Follow a good nutritional plan to the best of your ability. Get 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity every day, and eat fruits and veggies. Have a salad every once in a while. Find your own healthy balance.”