LIVING AN EXCEPTIONAL LIFE #85

By Rhonda Jones

]The big buzz in the world of health lately has been the new food pyramid. Some people love and others hate it. Why should it matter? Well, the food pyramid is used by schools, hospitals, prisons, and many other establishments to prepare healthy meals. So, if the food pyramid does not recommend healthy food, that is not good.

While I am not delighted with the new pyramid, I do see some good recommendations. The best recommendation is to cut down on or eliminate ultra-processed foods and eat more whole foods. It is also suggested to limit saturated fat intake to 10% or less per day. Still, meat and dairy are at the top of the inverted pyramid alongside vegetables, giving the impression that it is okay to eat them in abundance. Since the only source of saturated fat comes from animal products, I would think they would be closer to the bottom of the pyramid.

The other thing that bothers me is the grains at the bottom of the pyramid, which indicate they should be consumed in small amounts. Whole grains always seem to get lumped in with cookies and donuts, but most nutritionists will agree that whole grains are an important part of a healthy diet. Whole grains include brown rice, quinoa, millet, teff, farro, and more.

Also not mentioned were fast food and restaurant food, which probably account for a large percentage of obesity in our population. Both restaurant food and fast food contain a large amount of salt and oil. In our fast-paced world, people rely on fast food and restaurant food, as there is often very little time to cook. Also, fast food can sometimes be less expensive.

The food pyramid does have some good recommendations, but it still needs work. I agree that saturated fat should be limited to 10% and preferably less each day. Many studies and years of review have shown that saturated fat contributes to heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, and now Dr. Dean Ornish is conducting studies with Alzheimer’s and dementia patients to see if a whole food plant-based eating plan might create positive outcomes for those suffering from memory-related diseases.

Dr. Ornish is well known for his studies on diet as it relates to heart disease. Having a specialty in cardiology, he saw early in his career that patients were having bypass surgery and stent replacement only to return a couple of years later, still having heart issues and needing additional surgery. He felt that food could be a contributing factor to heart disease continuing to worsen even after surgery.

He began working with patients by putting them on a whole-food, plant-based diet and including exercise and meditation in the regimen. The results he has achieved over the last 30 or more years have been extraordinary, with patients reversing their heart disease and living normal, productive lives.

Dr. Ornish felt that the same habits that cause heart disease probably also have caused the increase in Alzheimer’s and dementia, so he started a trial with patients experiencing early stages of Alzheimer’s. He used the same program he has used for heart patients, and the results have been very promising, with patients experiencing better cognitive function in as little as six weeks.

 At my age, I am concerned about dementia and heart disease, so I will continue my plant-exclusive diet for now as the trials continue to show that a plant-exclusive diet is still the healthiest diet on the planet.