In the event that you missed out on this news, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has replaced the formerly well-know food pyramid with a new icon called MyPlate. It’s about time! After 19 years of the cramped pyramid, finally something more streamlined.
So what’s so different about this new icon? Well for starters, we can all relate to a plate. This plate is divided into 4 color-coded sections – orange for grains, red for fruits, green for vegetables, and purple for protein with a separate blue side-plate for dairy.*
I personally never liked the former food pyramid, but I do like this new, easy to follow, colorful circle and I think you will too! I am sure many of us know what foods we should stay away from, but wouldn’t it be nice to know the multitudes of foods we can, and should have on a daily basis, along with the right quantities? No more guessing and no more excuses. Once you take a close look at this new layout, you will quickly realize that most of your nutrition should come from fresh veggies and fruits. Yes, most of us are guilty of stacking up on our carbs through processed goods, but knowledge is power.
MyPlate makes it simple to figure out our daily caloric needs. It breaks it down to the exact ounces of each “oh-so-important” category, including the category that comprises a very minimal percentage of the overall consumption per day. Yes, I am referring to the “cheat category”. In the end, everyone needs a chocolate chip cookie every once in a while. On their site, go to the link “Get a Personalized Plan” and enter your age, sex, weight, height and your daily physical activity in order to start your health journey. If you are unfamiliar with certain foods, I suggest you familiarize yourself with the nutritional data of each particular food. You can even compare foods, which is a great tool. I have yet to see that on any other website. I know it’s a bit of a process initially, but believe me, it’s well worth your time.
I think that this awareness is great. You will soon notice how much “we” over-eat and/or how much of the good stuff we leave out. It is time to make a change in our thinking, and develop a healthy eating pattern, one that can carry us through life with the most vigilance and energy possible. A pattern based on healthy goals.
Talking about goals, I noticed that more and more folks are really taking physical activity more seriously. I remember last year after New Year’s, the gym I frequent was extremely crowded, but after a month, no one stuck to their apparent New Year’s resolution. I sense a different spirit this year. We are in the month of August and the gym continues to be crowded with folks that made a permanent choice to change their life. Their new thinking pattern aligned with new choices. They are such an inspiration to me!
I draw my energy from everyone out there and thrive upon commitment and dedication to a common goal. When we are at the gym, we are all on the same track – the health track. J
All in all I believe the USDA really tried to make a change with their new approach here. Their interactive online tools make for a hands-on personalized experience. With a few clicks, individuals can plan daily personalized food strategies, track their food intake – all with the intention of helping people reach their personal goals – and I am all about goals.
Check out MyPlate at www.choosemyplate.com. This might just be an additive to the awesome things you are already doing. Keep it up!
* Unfortunately, their recommendations do not take into consideration the specific populations that have diet restrictions.
Yours,
LuLu
