Food Pyramid - Why This Doesn't Work Best For Fat Loss

The food pyramid was first formulated in 1978 by the Danish and adopted in 1992 by the United States division of Agriculture. 2005 saw a change to the food pyramid to MyPyramid. This new pyramid is very similar to the old one, stating that the majority of the food consumed should come from grains, breads, cereals, crackers, rice and pasta. It states that if you are going to be eating something that has fat in it e.g. Milk, to go with fat-free. There is also no real line for oils and fats.

More and more nutritionists and personal trainers have started implementing something quite the opposite to that of the food pyramid for fat loss. More studies have also shown that the food pyramid lacks aspects that help with losing body fat.

The Food Pyramid

Carbohydrates in the form of grains, cereals, pastas, rice and breads make up the biggest proportion of the food pyramid. These tend to be high glycemic and have high glycemic loads. When consumed, these foods cause a blood sugar spike in the body. The body has to then issue insulin to help curb the blood sugar spike and bring it back down to general levels. If the body's liver and glycogen stores are full, then the excess carbohydrates will be converted to fat and stored in the body's fat stores.

I would suggest eating starchy carbohydrates such as oats, sweet potatoes and pulses earlier in the day. The body's liver and muscle glycogen levels are lower in the morning. The body can deal with starchy carbohydrates better in the morning too, due the body's improved insulin sensitivity. As the body goes on, meals should be made up of fruits, vegetables, meats, fish, poultry, nuts and seeds and wholesome fats.

The majority of food should come from vegetables and low glycemic fruits such as blueberries etc. Fruits and vegetables are packed with micro-nutrients such as antioxidants and minerals. Fruit and vegetables give you very low fat for the number you can eat. They tend to be high in fiber, which has a fulfilling follow on the body. The stomach has stretch receptors, which tell the brain when you are full up. This means that you can fill up on micro-nutrient dense foods. Match this with the likes of starchy carbohydrates, where you get a lot of fat per gram of food weight.

Meat, fish and poultry are petite in the MyPyramid. Protein based foods should be the next prominent food after fruit and vegetables. I have competed in two bodybuilding shows whereby I have reached sub 5% body fat levels. I consumed protein based foods at every meal and suggest these foods should be consumed with every meal. Protein based foods have a high thermic follow in the body, whereby the body has to work harder and use more stored vigor to help discharge these foods.

Fats and oils that are simply occurring and added, have a very minimal number of room in MyPyramid. Fats have been shown in many studies to help the body breakdown stored body fat into a source of vigor that the body can use. Meat is high in conjugated linoleic acid (Cla) which has been shown to help cut body fat. Monounsaturated fat, which is in olive oil has also been shown to help the body issue body fat and use it as energy. As part of both my bodybuilding nutrition plan, I ate a high number of fat, about 60% of my daily calorie intake came from fat and I reached body fat levels as low of 3%.

When I suggest using this eating plan to my personal training clients, they seem a bit reluctant as they look at it and find it hard how they are going to be fulfilled by eat. By eating like this, you will automatically eat more fiber, which will make you more fulfilled.

I don't see this as a diet, more just a way of how we should be eating; as close to the ground as possible, eating from what nature can give us, and trying to eat like our Paleolithic ancestors. I tell my clients to try and avoid foods, which have been processed or made such as pastas, breads etc.

By reducing down starchy carbohydrate levels, fat intake should increase. This will give you a much more sustained level of vigor issue than carbohydrates. Charles Poliquin, one of the most thriving strength and conditioning coaches to professional and Olympic athletes, recommends the meat and nuts breakfast. This allows the body to control blood sugar levels and gives you a sustained level of energy. The athletes he trains are some of the best in the world and if they have the vigor to get through 30 hours + of training and sport, then the average desk jockey should positively get the vigor from eating like this.

Not all clients implement this way of eating as it is quite a different way of eating. Even though they will add in aspects of it, the clients of mine, which thoroughly implement this way of eating, are the ones which see huge results in body fat reduction. They also find they have more vigor while the day and while their training sessions and just plain feel healthier.

Food Pyramid - Why This Doesn't Work Best For Fat Loss

One Size Pyramid Doesn't Fit All

Even if you don't result a high fiber menu or alot of high fiber recipes, have a half cup of orange juice at breakfast, a pear with lunch, and a salad along with a cooked vegetable at dinner. You've just met some of the standards from the new Fda nutritional guidelines, "MyPyramid".

It's all very simple. Eat a minimum of three one-ounce servings of whole grains daily along with at least five servings of fruits and vegetables. For the high fiber challenged, try a whole grain cereal at morning meal rather than the sugar-laden, empty calorie brand you stock in the pantry. Switch from white to whole grain bread for your lunchtime sandwich.

The Food Pyramid

In April, 2005, the Usda (United States department of Agriculture) released it's interactive dietary guidleines called Mypyramid. Apparently we were long overdue for an updated version of the flawed and misleading previous food pyramid. With the current growing awareness of the condition benefits of high fiber food in today's diet, it's a wonder that Americans have made it this far without more sufficient guidelines. Or have we?

Two-thirds of Americans are now overweight, and some experts precisely blame some of that on the food pyramid. The old one consisted of the "Four Basic Food Groups" that you remember growing up with as a kid. Too many kids today are faced with weight problems due to poor eating habits and lack of exercise.

MyPyramid is by fabricate easy and encourages healthier food choices including whole grains and high fiber foods along with daily exercise.

Six bands of color from the peak of MyPyramid to the base indicate: orange for grains, green for vegetables, red for fruits, a tiny band of yellow for oils, blue for milk, and purple for meat and beans. The widths recommend the whole of food a someone should select from each group.

A small outline running up the stairs acts as a reminder to get some exercise. Unfortunately, no mention is made of the differences between aerobic and anaerobic exercise, or the role of drive training

The new guidelines distinguish between 'grains' and 'whole grains', primary when selecting fiber-rich foods. Rather than just suggesting we eat fruits and vegetables', MyPyramid suggests eating a collection of fresh fruits and vegetables rather than the empty fat found in fruit juices.

The guidelines consist of wholesome dairy choices that are low-fat instead of the extremely saturated fats found in some milk and cheeses. The three recommended glasses of low-fat milk, however, can add more than 300 fat a day. Not great for those concerned about controlling their weight.

Also encouraged is replacing red meat with a compound of fish, poultry, beans, and nuts offers numerous condition benefits. Be aware that these foods have dissimilar types of fats.

Basically, MyPyramid emphasizes good fats,like olive and fish oil, not butter and animal fat, and good carbs,like those from vegetables, whole grains and fruits, ot from processed grains and sugars.

MyPyramid contains interactive activities that make it easy to key in your age, sex and your whole of corporeal operation to create a more personalized suggestion for a daily calorie intake.

No doubt in the years to come, researchers will witness new evidence that will impact more changes for a wholesome diet. But the results are in and here to stay: a high fiber diet is vital to long-term health. Pyramid. Period.

One Size Pyramid Doesn't Fit All