Why is the Harvard Healthy Eating Pyramid different from the USDA Food Pyramid?

Why is the Harvard Healthy Eating Pyramid different from the USDA Food Pyramid?

I'm wondering if you knew that Harvard came out with their own healthy eating pyramid because they didn't support the USDA food pyramid?

Harvard's thoughts on the USDA Pyramid and its successor, My Pyramid, were: "Its blueprint was based on shaky scientific evidence, and it has not noticeably changed over the years to reflect major advances in our understanding of the connection between nutrition and health." I don't know about you, but I'm both fascinated and annoyed when something so widely advertised as being good for you is thrust into such a questionable spotlight by a reputable organization and nothing, zero, zip, nada appears to be done about it.

So I've done a bit of research and research over the last few years and believe I have something to offer to turn the confusion into clarity and point the way to where I think the food pyramid could go in the future.

Why is it important to you? Because when I was studying medicine, 20 to 30 years passed between the discovery of a new idea and its appearance in textbooks. Can you imagine what 20-30 years of poor nutrition can do to you? It could literally be the difference between life and death. Your! So if you weren't really paying attention before, I hope this woke you up to want to know more. Could it really take 20-30 years for the USDA to change its mind? I imagine it will take even longer, because as Harvard comments, change is unlikely since it comes from the US Department of Agriculture, which is responsible for promoting American agriculture and not necessarily health.

The implication is that lobbying is focused on keeping American agriculture healthy at the expense of your personal health. Why do I say this? Because we are all conditioned from school onwards to accept and work with the USDA pyramid. This conditioning can create a lot of inertia that is difficult to break out of, but it is possible. It starts with exposing yourself to different thoughts from people who have your health in mind.

As an alternative to what Harvard has mentioned“the USDA’s flawed pyramid,”William C. Willett MD and other members of the Harvard School of Public Health built the Healthy Eating Pyramid. This is a research-based pyramid. It's a pyramid you should pay attention to. It starts with a foundation of exercise, portion control and weight control because they know that aside from whether you smoke, the number that flashes at you from the bathroom scale is the most important indicator of your future health.

The other main differences we see are that the next layer, i.e. the first food layer, consists of fruits and vegetables, healthy oils and fats, and grains. Note that fruits and vegetables are working their way further down the pyramid as the amount of grains decreases and healthy fats have moved from the top of the USDA pyramid to the main layer of the Harvard pyramid.

The next layer is the protein layer for meat eaters and vegetarians. And beyond that are milk or calcium supplements. In addition to calcium supplements, Harvard also recommends a multivitamin. This is a break from the concept that you should be able to get all of your nutrients from the food you eat. You can access the Harvard pyramid here: www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/index.html

But is this the best thing you can do for yourself? Even Harvard openly admits “The Healthy Eating Pyramid will change to reflect important new insights.”

We need to understand that even though we can fly a person to the moon and back, we still have a big learning curve about healthy eating. The exciting thing for me is that we are closer than ever to real understanding. A lot of research has been done and there is some very clear evidence on how the Harvard Healthy Eating Pyramid could be improved.

From there it's up to you to explore. One of the best tools that can help you on this journey is your own body-mind. However you use it, pay attention to how you feel while eating and after eating, until your next meal. When you eat right, your energy levels remain stable and balanced throughout. This is a good way to live.