By: Joann Bally CSCS
Every 5 years the USDA puts out a revised set of Dietary Guidelines. This is designed to keep the guidelines up with the latest scientific information and help consumers understand what constitutes a healthy diet. The latest guidelines, in 2005, took advantage of the Internet by using a new website to help illustrate the principles. This site has been there for a couple of years, but I don’t think too many people have taken advantage of it. Although you may not agree with everything on the site, there is a lot of good information that you can incorporate into your own search for a better way to eat. If you are a U.S. taxpayer, you helped pay for this so you may as well use it. Even if you paid your taxes elsewhere, or not at all, it’s free for you to use. So unless you’re a dedicated fad diet fan, take a look at www.mypyramid.gov. The Dietary Guidelines are summarized through a link on the main page.
I’m going to give you some tips on how to use the site. Then you can go there and play with it and get the information for yourself. You probably recognize the new pyramid symbol, but do you realize there is information inside? The different colored bands represent food groups, and the width of the band corresponds to how much is recommended. Orange is grains, green vegetables, red fruits, blue milk, purple meat and beans, yellow oils. Click on Inside the Pyramid, then click on each band to see the recommendation for the food group. The group will be subdivided and include examples of foods included. You will also find information on portion sizes, health benefits and nutrients, and tips on eating more of the good stuff. The stairs indicate exercise, and if you click on the stairs, you will see the exercise recommendations. Click your way around this resource, and in the next article, I will show you how to get personalized information from it. (If you’re a health or fitness professional, there is a special area for you.)
Read Part 2
Here
Read Part 3
Here
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See My Pyramid and Other Diet Reviews Here
Revised food pyramid
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