Today's food pyramid is not like the one I grew up with. The one I studied in elementary school had four basic food groups: dairy, meats, fruits/vegetables and breads.
Today's food pyramid consists of these four food groups, but it has a much wider range of options. Now it includes whole grains, nuts, fish and even oils!
While researching today’s Food Pyramids, I noticed there were a lot to choose from and it was a bit confusing. The good news is, when I compared them, the basic principals are generally the same.
- Eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
- Reduce intake of saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol.
- Limit sweets and salt.
- Drink alcoholic beverages in moderation, if at all.
- Control portion sizes and the total number of calories you consume.
- Include physical activity in your daily routine.
It is important to remember there is not one food that provides all of the nutrients our body needs. Variety from each group is necessary.
Have you ever been curious as to where your food intake rates? I was so I kept a diary of everything I ate then I compared it to the recommended allowances. I always gave myself credit for eating right and making healthy choices, but after keeping a diary, I realized I wasn’t very good at it. There were a lot of unbalanced portions. For example, some days I hardly ate fruits or vegetables, while other days, that’s all I ate. Looking at it on a monthly basis, I did okay, but my daily intake was off. (Not too mention, I eat a lot of sweets!)
When I talked to a licensed nutritionist, she advised me to make the changes to my eating habits gradually and to not change everything at once. She really put an emphasis on the last part. My choices are better, but it is hard to stay balanced.
Have you heard the expression, “fueling the fire of inflammation?” According to the nutritionist, the best illustration that explains this is, "When you become inflamed, think of your body as being on fire. You can put the fire out by eating the anti-inflammatory foods; or you can make the fire worse by eating from the inflammatory food group.”
Although the effects of food on arthritis has been the source of recent debate, generally speaking, foods, such as fruits, whole grains, tea, oats, fish, low fat dairy, vegetables and nuts, have been shown to help decrease inflammation. Inflammatory foods increase inflammation and include high fat, sugar drinks, marbled red meat, fried foods, high sugar and high fat desserts and snacks. (In other words, the foods we like the most!)
Since foods can cause different reactions depending on a person’s medical history and medications, always be cautious and keep two things in mind; 1) drug interactions, and 2) food tolerances and/or allergies.
Sometimes people with chronic illnesses or people who are in constant pain are desperate for relief, so they will try anything! I’ve heard of people eating shark cartilage and drinking fish oils and they swear by them. My feeling is, if those things work for you, by all means, do them! As of yet, I have not found an untraditional method that has helped me. Have you?
I have always compared people with chronic illnesses to snowflakes – there are no two alike. Meaning, what works for one person may not work for another – that includes the foods we eat, too. What foods help decrease inflammation for one person, might not help another person, and likewise with inflammatory foods.
Our state of mind is key to how we take care of our bodies. Be good to yourself!
Note: Be sure to discuss dietary concerns or suggestions with your doctor.
Sometimes the hardest thing is just to get those 5-11 servings of fruits and veggies we're supposed to be eating every day. But they are so much better than vitamins pills, and I find they really make a difference in how I feel.
This is a great post. Thanks Annette.
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