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Food Pyramids
Proven Healthy Diets from Around
the World
Studies have shown that certain populations
around the world have very low rates of heart disease.
Lifestyle comparisons of countries show that when dietary
fiber content goes up and animal fat goes down, risk
for heart disease is dramatically reduced.
Our government developed a food pyramid
which tries to offer Americans guidelines for healthy
eating. This pyramid has certain deficiencies. The USDA
pyramid recommends daily consumption of meat, despite
research proving the health value of eating less red
meat. Moreover, it assigns beans, poultry, fish and
nuts to a single food group, unaccountably treating
animal and plant protein as similar, which they are
not.
The Oldways Preservation and Exchange
Trust,http://www.oldwayspt.org,
working with the Harvard School of Public Health, has
developed a novel set of pyramids based on existing
diets. Unlike the USDA pyramid, which is a theoretical
construct, the Oldways pyramids represent actual traditional
diets from cultures around the world -- diets that have
been scientifically proven to promote good health over
the long term.
The Oldways pyramids group nuts with
beans and legumes in one category and recommends their
daily consumption along with vegetables and fruits;
fish and poultry are recommended only a few times a
week; and meat is suggested only monthly or in small
quantities. Click on the pyramids below and try them
out!
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