New Food Pyramid

WHY THE CHANGE / UPDATE?Compared to 1992 Food Guide Pyramid, which had horizontal bars: It appeared to have too many carbohydrates at the base (people didn’t think that these should be “whole” grains), it had meat at the top (which made it look like a priority, rather than a smaller part of the diet), etc.

UPDATED VERSION – Can be implemented in stages; They are specific, not ‘one-size-fits-all’; suggests total amounts rather than the nebulous term “servings”; you can tell the influence of politics and the strong lobbying groups in D.C. by looking at the naming convention  

WEBSITE – www.mypyramid.gov Science-based advice on food and physical activity choices for health (80 pages total). 

• Has a “tracker” so you can put in your age, sex, and physical activity level and it will give you a diet by caloric intake. 
• Has a Tips & Resources section, e.g., Tips for Eating Healthy when Eating Out and Tips for Vegetarian Diets, and Tips for Mixed Dishes
• Detailed information for Grains, Vegetables, Fruits, Milk, Meats & Beans, Oils, Discretionary Calories (more foods from any food group, higher calorie forms of foods, fats, sweeteners, misc.), and Physical Activity.
• Further detail under each section:
  • What foods are in the xxx group?
  • How many xxx foods are needed daily (or weekly)? (children, girls, boys, women, and men)
  • What counts as an ounce (or a cup) equivalent of xxx?
  • Why is it important to eat xxx? (health benefits and nutrients)
  • Tips for making wise choices from the xxx group

     

SUMMARIZATION:

Fruits – important sources of many nutrients, including potassium, dietary fiber, vitamin C, and folic acid; naturally low in fat, sodium, and calories

Vegetables – choose a variety each day – dark green, orange, starchy, dried beans & peas, and others; naturally low in fat and calories

Grains – choose whole grains for at least half of your daily intake; refining removes bran & germ, dietary fiber, iron, and many B vitamins

Milk/Yogurt/Cheese – choose fat-free or low-fat; provides calcium, potassium and Vitamin D; Calcium also available in some leafy greens, some dried beans, soybeans and other soy products, and canned fish.

Meats, Beans, Eggs, Nuts, and Seeds – meat choices should be lean or low-fat; cholesterol is only found in foods from animal sources; fish, nuts, and seeds contain healthy oils, monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs); some of the PUFAs are essential for health – the body cannot create them from other fats; fish such as salmon, trout, and herring are high in a type of PUFA called “omega-3 fatty acids”.

Fats – Oils are fats that are liquid at room temperature; Solid Fats are fats that are solid at room temperature; Choose Mono- or Poly-Unsaturated fats (fish, nuts, and vegetable oils), as they do not raise LDL cholesterol levels in the blood; limit Saturated Fats and Trans-Fats (amounts of trans-fats will be required on labels as of 2006)

Discretionary Calories – solid fats, added sugars; alcohol, or more food from any food group; limit sodium intake, but get lots of potassium

Physical Activity – movement of the body that uses energy; a key element in living a longer, healthier, happier life; find your balance between food and physical activity; as people age, their metabolism slows, so maintaining energy balance requires moving more and eating less. 

CONCERNS:

• Too confusing and laborious to use.
• The ‘3 cups of milk daily’ seems to show up for all age ranges and sexes (except children, who should have 2 cups of milk daily) – Dairy is hidden in so many foods, and is the cause of food allergies, chronic digestive problems, excess mucus, skin problems, and arthritis pain and swelling. Other sources of calcium are cheese, sardines, vegetables, and almonds.

• Dairy isn’t the only source for Calcium (try bok choy, turnip greens, mustard greens, broccoli, almonds, sesame seeds, tofu, legumes, figs, and amaranth).
• Potassium intake should be encouraged, as it regulates blood pressure, heart function, fluid levels, and skin quality; may also reduce the risk of developing kidney stones and may help to decrease bone loss; found in lean meats, citrus, melons, dried fruits, kiwi, peanuts, potatoes, bananas and many other foods
• Sodium intake should be reduced (suggestion: use a sea salt that has all 84 minerals and elements that exactly match our body)
• No supplement information (multivitamin recommended daily)
• Not enough sugar information (naturally occurring vs. added sugars and sugar substitutes)
• Competing pyramids: Mediterranean Diet pyramid, the Harvard School of Public Health’s Healthy Eating pyramid, the University of Michigan Integrative Medicine’s Healing Foods pyramid, and the Diabetes pyramid.

TIPS:

• Choose organic; buy fresh and in-season
• Frequent the Farmer’s Markets, or buy from a CSA (community supported agriculture) farm
• Become a label reader
• Change a little at a time, build a strong base
• Drink lots of water
• Avoid packaged or processed foods – most sodium in the food supply comes from packaged foods; foods with less than 140 mg. sodium per serving can be labeled as “low sodium” foods.
• Choose physical activities that you enjoy and can do regularly – keep it interesting by trying something different on alternate days.
• See next page for Tips for Eating Healthy when Eating Out

Check these websites out:

Produce for Better Health Foundation – 5 A Day The Color Way (Sept. is 5 a day month) – see  www.5aday.com

Mediterranean Diet pyramid - see www.womensheartfoundation.org

HarvardSchool of Public Health’s Healthy Eating pyramid - see www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/pyramids

University of Michigan Integrative Medicine’s Healing Foods pyramid - see www.med.umich.edu/umim/clinical/pyramid/

Diabetes pyramid – see www.diabetes.org/nutrition-and-recipes/nutrition/foodpyramid.jsp

Salt

Just what is Salt?  The crystalline structure of salt is cubic in form.  The light/heat energy of the sun which dehydrated the primal ocean is stored in the salt’s crystalline grid as potential energy.  By adding water, the energy the crystal holds can be liberated.  In this process, the elements within the salt crystal are ionized, allowing them to penetrate the body’s cells.

Common table salt is so refined that it only contains two mineral elements, Sodium and Chloride (NaCl); Sea salt and other unrefined salts have 82 additional mineral elements (24 of these elements are essential for life).  Modern salt has little relationship to the salt that had such value in ancient times (used in trading). In fact, the word ‘salary’ is derived from the word ‘salt’.

U. S. government requires that salt sold for table use in the U.S. contain at least 97.5% pure salt (do you suppose they mean sodium chloride?).  French salts (Celtic) have higher concentrations of minerals.   

Why do we need salt? The chemical and mineral composition of our blood and saline fluids has an amazing similarity to sea water.  We will die without salt (and the 24 essential elements) and water.  Dietary deficiencies of salt (body loses ions) lead to nervous disorders, brain damage, muscle damage, or illness.

In your body, salt is called electrolytes (electrically charged particles). Sodium helps maintain the balance of electrolytes, the level of fluids (the right amount of water inside your cells, outside your cells, and in your blood), and the electrical conductivity of tissues. Salt should not be used just to add flavor to our food, but for its vibration pattern, which is similar to our body!

The average male’s body contains about 75,000 milligrams of sodium, the equivalent of 11 tablespoons of salt.

As you age, your sensitivity to sodium increases, as does blood pressure and the associated risks of stroke, heart and kidney disease.  To reduce your risk of developing high blood pressure, you should not only eat a low sodium diet but also boost your intake of calcium, magnesium, and potassium, three minerals that help counter the negative affects of sodium.  

How much? One teaspoon of salt has 2,000 milligrams of sodium. The US Dietary Guideline recommends no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day (1,500 if you have high blood pressure).  Most Americans easily consume 3,000 to 5,000 milligrams of sodium daily, mostly via processed foods, spaghetti/tomato sauces, cold cereal, bread, cheese, eggs, and yogurt. 

But, the ‘refined salt’ being consumed is not being properly absorbed in our bodies, and is thus, harmful to our health.  Natural salt (unrefined) can be consumed in any amount….excess unrefined salt will simply pass out of our bodies. 

Are we addicted to it? Sodium enhances food’s flavor and helps prevent food spoilage.

The connection to high blood pressure: The body has an amazing ability to maintain a stable sodium balance.  Blood pressure rises if you are salt-sensitive and over-consume sodium (your body will retain the salt rather than getting rid of it via urine or sweat). 

The body recognizes table salt (refined) as an aggressive cellular poison, an unnatural substance, tries to ionize it (to neutralize it) using water taken from our cells, and wants to eliminate it as quickly as possible in order to protect itself.  This causes a constant overburden on our organs of excretion.

Instead of simply subtracting salty foods from our diets, you should also:

·        Consume extra fruits, vegetables, and lowfat dairy foods for potassium, magnesium, and calcium

·        Exercise and lose weight, if you have weight to lose

·        Limit your intake of alcohol and fatty meats

·        Moderate your salt intake by eating less processed foods

·        Read labels before buying

Don’t forget the old recipe for brushing your teeth with salt and soda mixture – stimulates the glandular secretion of digestive enzymes in the mouth and helps to bring about the normal alkaline condition.  Make your own recipe, or try Ipsab tooth powder which also includes Prickly Ash Bark, often recommended by Edgar Cayce. 

Don’t forget about the salt which the skin will be ‘ingesting’ if using softened water in your home for showers.

Salt Choices:

·        Common Table Salt, Iodized Table Salt, Kosher Salt) – all are highly processed – bleached, essential minerals and trace elements removed (as impurities), leaving only sodium and chloride (97.5% sodium chloride + 2.5% additives/stabilizers to prevent water absorption and some iodine).

·        Sea Salt – make sure that it is not industrially processed and is not supplemented with additives to make it pour more easily; has all 84 elements in it; may have more impurities depending on the water source.

·        CelticSea Salt – from the salt ponds in France, natural and unrefined (84% sodium chloride + 16% charged minerals); one source said it had 82 mineral elements; Contains natural lithium salts.

·        Kelp Salt – Edgar Cayce told one person that “the sea salt should be preferably used from the kelp rather than that from the sea water” (Reading 658-15); don’t fine it available….

·        Himalayan Sea Salt (Hunza salt) – contains all 84 elements of which the human body is comprised; created far from exposure to impurities (crystals formed from underground pressure)

·        Epsom Salt – magnesium sulfate; good for bowel movements, packs, baths; named for the mineral rich waters of Epsom, England; magnesium is a vital element in the body; most Americans are magnesium deficient; soaking may be more effective than taking a nutritional supplement (magnesium); Sulfates are also readily absorbed – they stimulate the pancreas to generate digestive enzymes and are believed to help detoxify the body’s residue of medicines and environmental contaminants.

·        Eno Salt – Edgar Cayce recommended a teaspoonful in the morning’s water for a week (for constipation). (Reading 5197) Eno is a vegetable or fruit salts,… and hence [the Eno is] active more upon the upper portion of the duodenum and through the upper portion of the jejunum in creating a great quantity of the lymph circulation. (Reading 257-200)

·        Rochelle salts – a bluish-white crystalline salt; potassium sodium tartrate; a mild purgative mentioned in several Edgar Cayce readings; named for La Rochelle, France.

Salt Substitutes – good or bad?

• Vege-Sal – mentioned by Edgar Cayce as Veg-Sal or Nu-Veg-Sal – acts with the gastric juices of the stomach itself (Reading 404-2); vegetable mineral salt seasoning – blend of salt crystals combined with 14 fresh-dried leaf and root vegetables.
• Spike – a special blend of 39 flavorful herbs, vegetables and non-irritating exotic spices with just the right amount of salt crystals.
• NoSalt & NuSalt – Potassium Chloride (not sodium chloride) – has a slightly bitter taste; Consult physician before using a salt substitute with potassium chloride, as it can cause death if taken in sufficient amounts.
• Flavor with garlic, onion, herbs, spices, vinegar, and low-salt soup broth. 

Tips:

• Adding salt to water will raise the temperature at which it boils and lower the temperature at which it freezes.
• Though we need some salt in our diet, most Americans consume much more than necessary.  Too much salt can lead to high blood pressure.
• Salt is a terrific flavor enhancer, helping to reduce bitterness and acidity, and bringing out other flavors in the food. 
• Adding salt to bread dough controls the action of the yeast and improves the flavor.  Bread made without salt will have a coarser texture and a blander flavor than bread made with salt.  
• Try sprinkling salt on citrus fruit, melons, tomatoes, and even wine to enhance flavor.
• Adding a little salt balances the flavor of sweets like cakes, cookies, and candies.
• Boiling eggs in salted water makes them easier to peel.
• Adding a pinch of salt (preferably non-iodized) to cream or egg whites before they're whipped increases their volume and serves as a stabilizer.  
• Salt is a mineral, so it can be stored indefinitely without going stale.  It won't taste any fresher if you grind it with a salt mill.
• Salt has been used for millennia as a preservative for meats, fish, cheese, and other foods.  It works by absorbing moisture from the cells of bacteria and mold through osmosis, which kills them or leaves them unable to reproduce.
• Salting slices of eggplants helps draw out the bitter juices. 
• Sprinkling salt on meat before broiling or grilling it draws moisture from the center, making it browner on the outside, but less juicy on the inside.
• Avoid losing the subtleties of the Celtic or Himalayan salts by adding them after the food is cooked (and slightly cooled).

Sugars and Sweeteners

Do we need sugars? Sugar is instant energy, requiring less digestive effort to provide glucose to feed the brain, power muscles, and maintain glycogen stores. 

Sugar is a generic term used to identify simple carbohydrates, which includes monosaccharides (fructose, glucose, and galactose) and disaccharides (maltose and sucrose (white table sugar)).  The body breaks sucrose down into glucose and fructose. The body can maintain life with intravenous glucose, but not fructose (which may cause severe derangement of liver function).  Think of fructose as a “time-release” food, as it has to be converted to glucose in the liver. Glucose, on the other hand, is pumped across the intestinal wall directly to the blood stream.

How much? Sugar is concentrated calories; according to Cayce, use not too great a quantity of these (honey & beet sugar), but enough to make the gastric flows that are necessary as body-building in making the proper fermentation in the digestive activities. (Cayce reading 808-3) The fermentation forms acetic acid, carbonic acid, and alcohol – hence leads to an acid pH condition. 

Glycemic Index – the faster any given food releases its sugars into the bloodstream, the higher its glycemic index. The GI is a useful tool toward a healthier diet, but it is not infallible.  By using the GI alone, one could be let to thinking a cup of white sugar is healthier than a baked potato!

Are we addicted to it? Sugar triggers the release of natural opiates within the brain. These naturally calming compounds stay on after the sugar is gone.  The opiate response makes you feel good, and also has a marked appetite-driving effect. 

Though additives are used in very small amounts, it is estimated that the average American consumes 5 lbs. per year.  If you include sugar, the most used additive, the number jumps to 135 lbs. per year. Sugar is routinely added to just about everything because it is a cheap filler, and it adds flavor.  Despite the many health disorders associated with sugar, the food industry promotes it as a pure, natural energy food.

When the body faces the challenge of handling sugar, it will store it as fat, mostly in low exercised areas at thighs, buttocks, and breasts. When these storage areas reach their absorption capacity, the fat deposits then move into such major organs as the heart and kidneys, causing them to deteriorate and under-function.

Do not combine any of starches with any quantities of sweets. Sweets and certain starches produce a character of fermentation that is alcoholic that makes for excess of fatty portions for the body.  (Cayce reading 1125-2)

The epidemic of obesity correlates with widespread use of noncaloric artificial sweeteners! 

Sugar & Sweetener Choices:

# gradually reduce or eliminate

* avoid these like the plague

•  #White sugar (cane and beet) – 99% sucrose; Cayce preferred beet to cane sugar (perhaps because beets are high in zinc?); usually refined with the use of sulphuric acid; lacks vitamins, minerals and fiber
•  #Brown sugar – 96% sucrose

·        Date sugar – ground, dehydrated dates

·        High Fructose Corn Syrup – The body does not handle large amounts of fructose well

·        Evaporated Cane Juice – boiled and extracted liquid of sugarcane stalks that is dried and crystallized naturally

·        #Turbinado – fresh cut cane with natural molasses remaining; steam-cleaned (not bleached), and filtered through activated carbon; about 96% sucrose

·        #Sucanat -  sugar cane natural; minimally processed (dehydrated & unbleached); 88% sucrose

·        #Corn Syrup – doesn’t crystallize and turn grainy; made from corn

·        Blackstrap Molasses – thick, dark syrup that remains after sugar crystals are removed during cane sugar refinement; 35% sucrose; rich in iron, calcium, B vitamins.

·        Sorghum Syrup – a molasses made from stalks of sweet sorghum plant

·        Maple Syrup/Sugar – sucrose; contains trace minerals plus measurable amounts of calcium and iron

·        Honey – use only raw, unfiltered, and unheated honey for its natural enzymes (some authors say to avoid raw!); know your source as it often has contaminants; natural antibiotic and antibacterial qualities; supplies small amounts of protein, vitamins, minerals, and enzymes; Cayce’s preferred sweetener was honey, particularly when taken with the edible honeycomb; never give to infants or very young children

·        Barley Malt Syrup – Sunspire brand; may have some hidden MSG

·        Rice Syrup – sweet brown rice or brown rice and koji; very sweet; usually found in amasake drinks

·        Yinnie Syrup – a variety of rice syrup

·        Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) – useful for Candida overgrowth patients as it supports the growth of beneficial bacteria

·        Raw agave nectar – low glycemic index; mineral-rich syrup from agave cactus; make sure you buy raw (not heated above 118 degrees)

·        Fruits (fructose) – raw, fresh or dried (soaked)

·        Young Coconuts (syrup) – nutritious, delicious, and easy to digest

·        Yacon syrup – from a root vegetable (So. America); mineral-rich raw syrup; Molasses-like taste; 30% FOS & low proportions of simple sugars; regulates intestinal flora, reduces constipation

·        Lo Han Fruit Extract – SlimSweet & SugarNot; no adverse effects, actually helps to stabilize blood sugar levels

• Saccharin – Sweet ‘n Low (which has warning label on it)
• *Aspartame – Equal, NutraSweet & Canderel; a neurotoxic substance that has been associated with numerous health problems; not to be used by people with phenylketonurics (PKU), as it contains phenylalanine
• *Neotame – enhanced derivative of aspartame (no PKU warning); used in gum, baked goods, etc.
• *Sucralose – Splenda; not natural; a chlorinated sucrose derivative, i.e., starts with sugar which is converted (using chlorine)
• *Acesulfame-K – Sunette, Sweet & Safe, Sweet One   
• Stevia (stevia rebaudiana) - several brands (dried whole leaf, powder, liquid extract); 200 – 300 times sweeter than sugar; alkaline pH; highest quality comes from Paraguay; low – zero glycemic index; no adverse effects, actually helps to stabilize blood sugar levels

Hidden sugars in your foods, by other names: 

• # Dextrose, maltodextrin (in Splenda, Sweet ‘n Low, and Equal)