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Book
1 - Puzzle 13 Information Sheet and Solution
The
Harvard Healthy Eating Pyramid
If the only goal of
the Food Guide Pyramid is to give us the best possible advice for healthy
eating, then it should be grounded in the evidence and be independent of
business.
Nutrition experts
from the Harvard School of Public Health created the Healthy Eating
Pyramid. It is based on scientific evidence about the links between diet
and health. This pyramid offers sound information to help people make
better choices about what to eat.
From EAT,
DRINK, AND BE HEALTHY by Walter C. Willett, M.D. Copyright © 2001,
2005 by the President and Fellows of
Harvard
College
. Reprinted by permission of Free Press/Simon & Schuster, Inc.
The Healthy Eating
Pyramid sits on a foundation of daily exercise and weight control. Why?
These two related elements strongly influence your chances of staying
healthy. They also affect what and how you eat and how your food affects
you. The other bricks of the Healthy Eating Pyramid include:
- Whole
Grain Foods (at most meals).
The body needs carbohydrates
mainly for energy. The best sources of carbohydrates are whole grains
such as oatmeal, whole-wheat bread, and brown rice. They deliver the
outer (bran) and inner (germ) layers along with energy-rich starch.
The body can't digest whole grains as quickly as it can highly
processed carbohydrates such as white flour. This keeps blood sugar
and insulin levels from rising, then falling, too quickly. Better
control of blood sugar and insulin can keep hunger at bay and may
prevent the development of type
2 diabetes.
- Plant
Oils.
Surprised that the Healthy Eating Pyramid puts some fats
near the base, indicating they are okay to eat? Although this
recommendation seems to go against conventional wisdom, it's exactly
in line with the evidence and with common eating habits. The average
American gets one third or more of his or her daily calories from
fats, so placing them near the foundation of the pyramid makes sense.
Note, though, that it specifically mentions plant oils, not all types
of fat. Good sources of healthy unsaturated fats include olive,
canola, soy, corn, sunflower, peanut, and other vegetable oils, as
well as fatty fish such as salmon. These healthy fats not only improve
cholesterol levels (when eaten in place of highly processed
carbohydrates) but can also protect the heart from sudden and
potentially deadly rhythm problems.(3)
- Vegetables
(in abundance) and Fruits (2 to 3 times).
A diet rich in fruits
and vegetables can decrease the chances of having a heart attack
or stroke; protect against a variety of cancers; lower blood pressure;
help you avoid the painful intestinal ailment called diverticulitis;
guard against cataract and macular degeneration, the major cause of
vision loss among people over age 65; and add variety to your diet and
wake up your palate.
- Fish,
Poultry, and Eggs (0 to 2 times).
These are important sources of protein.
A wealth of research suggests that eating fish can reduce the risk of
heart disease. Chicken and turkey are also good sources of protein and
can be low in saturated fat. Eggs, which have long been demonized
because they contain fairly high levels of cholesterol, aren't as bad
as they're cracked up to be. In fact, an egg is a much better
breakfast than a doughnut cooked in an oil rich in trans fats or a
bagel made from refined flour.
- Nuts
and Legumes (1 to 3 times).
Nuts and legumes are excellent sources of protein, fiber, vitamins,
and minerals. Legumes include black beans, navy beans, garbanzos, and
other beans that are usually sold dried. Many kinds of nuts contain
healthy fats, and packages of some varieties (almonds, walnuts,
pecans, peanuts, hazelnuts, and pistachios) can now even carry a label
saying they're good for your heart.
- Dairy
or Calcium Supplement (1 to 2 times).
Building bone and keeping it strong takes calcium,
vitamin D, exercise, and a whole lot more. Dairy products have
traditionally been Americans' main source of calcium. But there are
other healthy ways to get calcium than from milk and cheese, which can
contain a lot of saturated fat. Three glasses of whole milk, for
example, contains as much saturated fat as 13 strips of cooked bacon.
If you enjoy dairy foods, try to stick with no-fat or low-fat
products. If you don't like dairy products, calcium supplements offer
an easy and inexpensive way to get your daily
calcium.
- Red
Meat and Butter (Use Sparingly):
These sit at the top of the Healthy Eating Pyramid because they
contain lots of saturated fat. If you eat red meat every day,
switching to fish or chicken several times a week can improve
cholesterol levels. So can switching from butter to olive oil.
- White
Rice, White Bread, Potatoes, White Pasta, Soda, and Sweets (Use
Sparingly):
Why are these all-American staples at the top, rather than the bottom,
of the Healthy Eating Pyramid? They can cause fast and furious
increases in blood sugar that can lead to weight gain, diabetes, heart
disease, and other chronic disorders. Whole-grain carbohydrates cause
slower, steadier increases in blood sugar that don't overwhelm the
body's ability to handle this much needed but potentially dangerous
nutrient.
- Multiple
Vitamin:
A daily multivitamin,
multimineral supplement offers a kind of nutritional backup. While it
can't in any way replace healthy eating, or make up for unhealthy
eating, it can fill in the nutrient holes that may sometimes affect
even the most careful eaters. You don't need an expensive name-brand
or designer vitamin. A standard, store-brand, RDA-level one is fine.
Look for one that meets the requirements of the USP (U.S.
Pharmacopeia), an organization that sets standards for drugs and
supplements.
- Alcohol
(in moderation):
Scores of studies suggest that having an alcoholic drink a day lowers
the risk of heart disease. Moderation is clearly important, since
alcohol has risks as well as benefits. For men, a good balance point
is 1 to 2 drinks a day. For women, it's at most one drink a day.
The
aim of the Harvard School of Public Health Nutrition Source is to provide
timely information on diet and nutrition for clinicians, allied health
professionals, and the public. The contents of this Web site are not
intended to offer personal medical advice, which should be obtained from a
health-care provider. The information does not mention brand names, nor
does it endorse any particular products.
Other
food pyramid guides are available as well, such as the 12 Pyramids created
by the USDA. These pyramids focus on physical activity and food selections
while incorporating a variety of factors into selecting which pyramid is
the right one for you. For more information on the USDA pyramids, visit www.mypyramid.gov
Puzzle
13 Solution
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