HARVARD HEALTHY EATING PYRAMID
Dr. Walter Willett - The world’s most influential nutritionist is waging a war against unhealthy eating, obesity, and, every once in a while, his fellow researchers.
Millions of Americans concerned about healthy eating take their cues from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Guide Pyramid. "That's a shame," says renowned health researcher Dr. Walter C. Willett, "because the USDA Pyramid is wrong... It's wrong because it ignores the evidence that's been carefully assembled over the past 40 years... Indeed, it actually steers you away from foods that can improve your long-term health."
Drawing on the latest nutrition research, Dr. Willett has written Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy as an alternative — and antidote — to the flawed new USDA Pyramid. Willett cogently explains how proper nutrition contributes to better health and longer life. The book describes exciting new work on the cardiovascular benefits of n-3 fatty acids, which are found in nuts and some oils; on the cancer-fighting substance lycopene, found in tomatoes; on the potential hazards of consuming too much calcium; and on the value of a daily multivitamin.
1. At the foundation, which is the largest part of Harvard’s healthy eating pyramid, is daily exercise and weight control.
2. Foods that are at the bottom should be consumed most frequently.
3. Looking for ''good fats'':
Water is best to quench your thirst. Skip the sugary drinks, and go easy on the milk and juice.
4. Use Sparingly: Red Meat, Processed Meat, and Butter
5. Use Sparingly:
6. Moderate alcohol drinking can be healthy—but not for everyone. You must weigh the benefits and risks.
7. A daily multivitamin is a great nutrition insurance policy. Some extra vitamin D adds an extra health boost. Especially in countries with little sunlight like Canada.
Focus on Food Quality
Harvard’s healthy eating pyramid is a flexible guide on how to eat properly that can be adapted to anyone’s lifestyle and diet. Vegetarians can follow Harvard’s healthy eating pyramid by simply consuming more beans, nuts and other sources of protein from plants.
Souce: Copyright 2011, Harvard University. For more information about The Healthy Eating Plate, please see The Nutrition Source, Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, www.thenutritionsource.org, and Harvard Health Publications, health.harvard.edu
Millions of Americans concerned about healthy eating take their cues from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Guide Pyramid. "That's a shame," says renowned health researcher Dr. Walter C. Willett, "because the USDA Pyramid is wrong... It's wrong because it ignores the evidence that's been carefully assembled over the past 40 years... Indeed, it actually steers you away from foods that can improve your long-term health."
Drawing on the latest nutrition research, Dr. Willett has written Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy as an alternative — and antidote — to the flawed new USDA Pyramid. Willett cogently explains how proper nutrition contributes to better health and longer life. The book describes exciting new work on the cardiovascular benefits of n-3 fatty acids, which are found in nuts and some oils; on the cancer-fighting substance lycopene, found in tomatoes; on the potential hazards of consuming too much calcium; and on the value of a daily multivitamin.
1. At the foundation, which is the largest part of Harvard’s healthy eating pyramid, is daily exercise and weight control.
- Exercise and weight control are also linked through the simple rule of energy balance: Weight change = calories in – calories out. If you burn as many calories as you take in each day, there’s nothing left over for storage in fat cells, and weight remains the same.
- Eat more than you burn, though, and you end up adding fat and pounds.
- Regular exercise can help you control your weight, and it is a key part of any weight-loss effort.
2. Foods that are at the bottom should be consumed most frequently.
- Eating more whole grains, healthy fats, fruits and vegetables.
- Choose a fibre-filled diet, rich in whole grains, vegetables (best is raw or lightly steamed), and fruits.
- Eat more vegetables and fruits. Go for colour and variety—dark green, yellow, orange, and red.
- The best grain sources of carbohydrates are whole grains such as oatmeal, whole wheat bread, and brown rice.
- Choose good carbs, not empty, white carbs. Millet, quinoa, wild rice are good choices
3. Looking for ''good fats'':
- In a Healthy Eating Special Report from Harvard School of Health, the “good fats” in the pyramid have been shown to keep arteries clear, allowing the heart to beat normally. It also states that the risk for heart disease and hypertension can be lowered by 90 percent by following a healthy diet.
- Choose foods with healthy fats, limit foods high in saturated fat, and avoid foods with trans-fat (deep-fried). Plant oils, nuts, and fish are the healthiest sources.
- Fish, poultry, nuts, and beans are the best choices.
- Switching to fish, chicken, nuts, or beans in place of red meat and processed meat can improve cholesterol levels and can lower the risk of heart disease and diabetes. So can switching from butter to olive oil. And eating fish has other benefits for the heart.
Water is best to quench your thirst. Skip the sugary drinks, and go easy on the milk and juice.
4. Use Sparingly: Red Meat, Processed Meat, and Butter
- These foods sit at the top of the Healthy Eating Pyramid because they contain lots of saturated fat.
- Processed meats, such as bacon, hot dogs, and deli meats are also very high in added sodium.
- Eating a lot of red meat and processed meat has been linked to increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, and colon cancer.
- So it’s best to avoid processed meat, and to limit red meat to no more than twice a week.
5. Use Sparingly:
- Refined Grains—White Bread, Rice, and Pasta
- Potatoes
- Sugary Drinks and Sweets
- Salt
- Eating less salt is good for everyone’s health.
- Choose more fresh foods and fewer processed foods.
6. Moderate alcohol drinking can be healthy—but not for everyone. You must weigh the benefits and risks.
7. A daily multivitamin is a great nutrition insurance policy. Some extra vitamin D adds an extra health boost. Especially in countries with little sunlight like Canada.
Focus on Food Quality
- It’s important to note that the pyramid focuses not on serving sizes but rather on the quality of foods.
- The main fact to remember when following the pyramid is the emphasis on eating more foods from the base rather than the top.
Harvard’s healthy eating pyramid is a flexible guide on how to eat properly that can be adapted to anyone’s lifestyle and diet. Vegetarians can follow Harvard’s healthy eating pyramid by simply consuming more beans, nuts and other sources of protein from plants.
Souce: Copyright 2011, Harvard University. For more information about The Healthy Eating Plate, please see The Nutrition Source, Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, www.thenutritionsource.org, and Harvard Health Publications, health.harvard.edu