Food Pyramid Diagram
Everyone has heard of the food pyramid, right? For those of you who don’t know, the food pyramid is a carefully drawn up plan of exactly what the human body needs nutritionally. That is, the food pyramid is a guide to help us determine what we should eat everyday.
This is the food pyramid diagram circa 1992:
The food pyramid will show you the path to keeping yourself fit and healthy through a steady and healthy diet. Up until recently that’s all the food pyramid did. In 2005 however, the food pyramid as we know it was changed forever, and a more up-to-date food pyramid took its place. Now you’ll find that instead of the two-dimensional food pyramid we’re so used to, it’s become more three-dimensional. To show the added benefits that regular exercise will have on you, a figure running up a flight of stairs on the side of the food pyramid has been added.
Earlier if you looked at the food pyramid you would have seen horizontal lines spanning the food pyramid with the food that we eat the most of, starting at the bottom. The food that we should eat the least amount of, could be found at the top. This is the food pyramid that we all know about and the one that was shown to us when we were in school.
The new food pyramid however, is completely different. Apart from the fact that it’s become three dimensional and has a figure climbing up the side of it, this new food guide has also eliminated the horizontal lines. Instead we can now see lines starting from the tip of the pyramid and radiating downward.
Each of these sections are only as big, or small, as the earlier food pyramid sections were. Only with this new food pyramid, you now know that although you need to eat some food types more than others, even within those food groups there are some foods that you should only eat in moderation.
Additionally you’ll also find that your new food pyramid is color coded. So you’ll get an Orange stripe representing grains; a Green stripe for vegetables; a Red stripe for fruits; a Yellow stripe denoting how much fats and oils you should have; a Blue stripe for the milk and dairy products that you’re allowed; and a Purple stripe showing you the quantities of meats, fish, beans and suchlike that you should eat in a day.
With six colored stripes denoting the quantities of food you should take, and a figure of a healthy person running up a flight of stairs on the side of it, this new food pyramid is definitely better than the old one, and can help you learn more about better eating habits, and a healthy lifestyle.
For further information, visit mypyramid.gov.
Technorati Tags: food pyramid, new food pyramid, mypyramid.gov
Find A Nutritionist To Help You Control Your Diet
Do you need to lose some weight or do you just want to control your diet so that you are getting a balanced diet? Whatever the reason, you can get your answers from a nutritionist. These trained professionals can help you with all your dietary problems.
You can bring your diet back into control with the help of a good nutritionist. They can help identify why you may be overeating or if you have an unbalanced diet. After identifying the problems, you can work out a plan to reach your dietary goals.
If you’re dieting in earnest, then your nutritionist will become your best friend through the many weeks until you reach your target weight. They won’t let you lose the weight so fast that you get other medical conditions, and they won’t let you get disheartened either when your weight loss levels out onto a plane, and it might seem like you’re not losing any weight. And when the pressure gets to be too unbearable a good nutritionist will help you through those tough times, giving you a friendly helping hand.
You’ll also need to see a nutritionist if you’re suffering from a medical condition such as diabetes or gluten intolerance. In either case you’ll need a special diet to take over your existing one. For a diabetic especially this can be hard going and your nutritionist can help you work out a dietary regime that will still leave you with a wide array of foods to choose from. Mealtimes need not look so bleak, and you might even find yourself looking forward to whatever new menu plan that your nutritionist and you cooked up between the two of you.
For a person suffering from gluten intolerance life is slightly easier, but as your nutritionist will tell you it’s not clear sailing until you’ve eliminated gluten from your diet completely. Most likely your nutritionist will also be able to tell you what ready made foods and such are known to have gluten or even traces of gluten in them so you can stay away from those items, but still not miss on out on the plethora of ready made and tinned stuffs that line the grocery store shelves.
If you don’t know where to start to locate a good nutritionist, try asking your primary care physician for a referral. Chances are they will know someone within their medical circle who is a nutrition specialist.
Technorati Tags: nutritionist, eating right
Vitamins That Boost Your Metabolism
Your metabolism is related to the number of calories you burn in order to maintain your body weight. Whether you’re sleeping, sitting, riding in a car or running, your body is constantly burning calories in order to keep you going. Obviously, some people have higher metabolism than others due to genetic factors. But are there certain types of vitamins that can boost your metabolism?
Vitamins B, C, D and E can help boost your metabolism. You can either get these vitamins as a supplement or by eating foods that are rich in those vitamins. Vitamin B, in particular B12, can also help you increase your energy level. They are found in animal products such as meat, poultry and eggs. Vitamin D is found in dairy products, fish, fortified cereals and margarine. You can get vitamin C from citrus fruit. Vitamin E is found in leafy green vegetables, nuts and vegetable oils.
Eat lots of fruit and vegetables. They are excellent sources of natural vitamins and minerals that your body needs to stay fit and healthy. If you are dieting you should make sure that you are eating balanced meals. Don’t skip meals. It’s better to eat small meals more frequently than a few big ones.
It is a fact of life that our metabolism slows down as we age. It doesn’t stop (although at times we might feel as though it has) but it does change. The reason for this is because we have more lean muscle mass at 20 than we do at 70, and lean muscle mass is what helps burn calories. You can also calculate your resting metabolic rate and find out the minimum number of calories you need to maintain good health according to your age, height, weight and gender.
Some folks have higher metabolism rates than others. They are able to burn off the calories they eat and never gain an ounce. Others have slow metabolisms and burn calories at a snail’s pace. No two people are alike in their metabolism rate. However, you can do your part by making sure that vitamins are part of your daily diet.
Further reading:
Information about vitamin B12 from the US Office of Dietary Supplements
Information about vitamin D from the US Office of Dietary Supplements
Vitamin E information from the US Office of Dietary Supplements
Vitamin C information from the UK Food Standards Agency
Technorati Tags: vitamins, metabolism
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