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By now you probably know that the U.S. Department of Agriculture introduced a
new Food Pyramid in April 2005. The goal was to both develop a simple, new
diagram of what Americans should eat daily and to develop a robust website,
MyPyramid.gov, that could be personalized
to fit individualized needs.
The website has been a big hit, receiving more than half a billion (yes,
billion) hits since it was first introduced. There is also a companion website,
MyPyramidTracker.gov, which
enables people to analyze their eating and exercise patterns in terms of the
USDA recommendations. It's even possible to create a unique login so you can
save your history and review your progress over time.
In the June 8, 2005 issue of USA Today, five designers were challenged to give
the new Food Pyramid a makeover
Click. One used a square divided into quadrants, another used bowls, while
the others used pie charts, concentric circles, and an upside down pyramid. It
was both refreshing and illuminating to see the Pyramid laid out in these
different ways.
I appreciated the bowls, with the biggest bowl being physical activity. This
was, in fact, the only alternate design that captured this key recommendation of
the USDA pyramid. Daily physical activity is essential for good health.
The square diagram was the one that drove home to me, again, the limitations of
the USDA recommendations. 50% of the square, the entire right side, encompasses
grains and dairy -- two food groups that are essential to our economy but not to
our health. These food groups were introduced to the human diet with the advent
of agriculture, no more than 10,000 years ago, and are responsible for the
overpopulation of the earth. But that doesn't make them good.
Dairy is a curious food. What other animal goes around drinking the milk of
other animals? What other animal goes around drinking milk after infancy? When
viewed in these terms, dairy represents a very curious -- and unnecessary --
food group indeed. This one we can do without.
Grain, especially milled grain, is an accommodation to the storage and
transportation requirements of human society. White flour was developed because
it could sit on the shelf, without refrigeration, for extremely long periods of
time without spoiling. It offers lots of calories but almost no nutrition. The
more processed the grain, the better it is to avoid. In our family, we limit our
grain intake to the occasional consumption of oats and rice (both brown and
wild). Wheat, rye, and barley -- all high in gluten -- are grains we avoid.
So it was eye opening for me to graphically see just how different our eating
pattern is from the USDA Food Pyramid. We get virtually all of our calories from
Vegetables, Fruits, and lean, organic Meats (such as wild fish, shellfish,
buffalo, chicken, turkey, and ostrich). This way of eating may not be
politically palatable for the USDA to advocate, but this
way of eating -- a modified form of the Paleolithic Diet
Click -- is an
extremely healthy approximation of the original human diet
that I recommend to all my clients.
Coach Inquiries: What percentage of your calories come from dairy and grain? Are
your weight, health, energy, allergies, and food sensitivities the way you want them
to be? How far would you be willing to go in order to shift in the right
direction? What's stopping you from taking action right now?
 To reply to this Pathway, use our
Feedback Form. To learn more about our
Wellness Coaching programs and to arrange for a complimentary wellness coaching
session, use our Contact Form or
Email Bob.
May you be filled with goodness, peace, and joy.
Bob Tschannen-Moran
LifeTrek Coaching International
121 Will Scarlet Lane
Williamsburg, VA 23185-5043
U.S.A.
Telephone: 757-345-3452
Fax: 772-382-3258
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