Food guide from Harvard

[razz]

This diet appears to be free from corporate or other biases but based on genuine needs for nutrition. The 'do & don't' advice is quite detailed as well.

http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2011/09/harvard-serves-up-its-own-plate/

[puglogic]

Where does the brie go? (just kidding)

I'm sure the paleo diet folks will take issue with the big grains section, and interesting that there is no place for things like yogurt, cheese, etc. except under the beverage. But I do like its emphasis on vegetables and fruits -- half the plate or more is how we do it here.

Superior, I think, to the old food groups, for sure.

[Amaranth]

Thanks for posting about this. It does seem much more science based. From the research I've read it seems that people who eat a lot of meat and dairy have more bone problems and they also ironically need more calcium intake than people who get the majority of their calcium from plant sources.

This one is a lot closer to the Eat to Live research and guidelines. I was trying to figure out what an ETLPlate would look like. I think the fruit section would be similar, the vegetable section larger, and the grains and protein section smaller. However some of the fat would come from whole foods sources such as nuts and seeds that were also providing protein, so I'm not sure how that would be displayed graphically.

Is anyone interested in helping to create an ETLPlate graphic?

[Rosemary]

A salad is a good graphic for Eat to Live, isn't it? Base of leafy greens, other veggies and some fruit on top, perhaps some legumes and a sprinkling of nuts.

[ApatheticNoMore]

Where does the brie go? (just kidding)

well by the water glass it says limit milk/dairy 1-2 servings a day (about the most I can without my body complaining anyway). I hope we don't have to limit our dairy to drinks because I'm not at all sure where the cheese would go then :laff: I'm not sure I really knew what paleo even was until I stumbled on that "Perfect Health Diet" book. I thought it was either just code for low-carb (of which I probably was somewhat without even realizing it), or else Cordain's weird low fat (make sure your meats are super lean! add canola), no grain, no dairy, no almost anything stuff - but yea they'd object to the grains.

[Suzanne]

There has been some work that casts doubt on the idea that meat and dairy products leach calcium from the bones, like this study: http://medheadlines.com/2008/06/lean-meats-dairy-diet-sheds-pounds-spares-bone/. Note that radioactive tagging of the calcium in these foods showed that gut absorption of calcium is improved. A diet adequate in vitamin D, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, protein, and vitamin C, is very likely to improve bone health regardless of whether calcium comes from plant or animal sources. The stuff that really does leach calcium from bones and teeth is sugar, and the liquid sugar called soda, which is acidic to boot, is likely far more dangerous in terms of osteoporosis than the odd glass of milk or chunk of beef. A high-salt diet is also likely to induce osteoporosis, because sodium is a more reactive mineral than calcium, and can displace calcium. In my opinion, not enough work has been done on people who eat meat and dairy, but who do not consume the high-sugar, high-salt, SAD.

[JaneV2.0]

I didn't read the article; I figured it would just be the same old propaganda ("hearthealthywholegrains" blah blah blah), but I know at least one study has been done that shows that older women who have adequate calcium, vitamin D and protein intake have stronger bones than those who eat less protein. It only makes sense, because protein is critical for tissue growth and repair. I think it's more likely the tea-and-toast grannies who have fragile bones than the steak-and-eggs ones.

This is one of those questionnaire studies, so it deserves to be taken with a grain of sodium http://www.kolobok.us/smiles/big_standart/biggrin.gif :

http://www.seniorhealthweek.org/NewsStories/osteoporosis-story-a14.htm

[razz]

Actually, Jane, the study agrees with you.
Quote:
High-protein diets have been strongly associated with elevated levels of urinary calcium, thought to signal the leaching of minerals from the bones, also called demineralization. The research team cites a different mechanism for the increased calcium in the urine.

Using a process called radiolabeling, the researchers determined that the increased level of urinary calcium comes from the intestinal tract’s ability to absorb calcium better on the lean meat-based diet and not a result of bone loss at all.

Details of the study can be found in the Journal of Nutrition’s June issue. The study was funded by The Beef Board, the Illinois Council on Food and Agricultural

[JaneV2.0]

That's what I get for my knee-jerk reaction, but I've given up on the mainstream media for meaningful information. Every once in awhile a thoughtful article leaks out, but for the most part... http://www.kolobok.us/smiles/big_madhouse/dash1.gif