Imagine a food pyramid that takes the focus off of grains,
and places it on plant-based choices and water. What would
it look like and could it make us healthier?
Jenna Wunder, a registered dietitian from the University
of Michigan's Department of Integrative Medicine, discussed
the Healing Foods Pyramid March 11 in Roosevelt Auditorium.
This innovative pyramid is changing the way people look
at nutrition, she said.
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HEALTHY HEALING: Jenna Wunder, a registered
dietitian from the University of Michigan's
Department
of Integrative Medicine, discusses the
Healing
Foods Pyramid she and her colleagues
developed.
The pyramid emphasizes water at
its
base and seven to 10 servings of fruits and
vegetables
daily. Wunder, who made a
presentation March 11 in
Roosevelt Hall, was the
keynote
speaker for EMU's celebration of National
Nutrition Month.
|
"For me, one of the most important components of integrative
medicine is that you play an active role in your own health.
You have your own wellness toolbox to help you manage your
health," said Wunder, the keynote speaker for EMU's celebration
of National Nutrition Month. "It's a matter of knowing
yourself, knowing what your issue is and feeling free to
explore your wellness."
Wunder said that the Healing Foods Pyramid took two years
for her and her colleagues to develop. It is used as an
interactive Web tool, enabling people to go online and
click into all 14 categories of the pyramid. Each category
has the recommended daily servings; which foods in each
category one should and should not consume; research
related to why one should increase foods in each category;
the impact that foods in each category have on chronic
illness; and ideas for incorporating certain foods into
one's diet.
Wunder said that the pyramid also encourages healing foods,
plant-based choices, variety and balance, support of a
healthful environment, and mindful eating. In order to
follow the Healing Foods Pyramid, one does have to dedicate
time and make healthy food available, she said. Wunder
also touched on the importance of breakfast and not skipping
meals.
"The longer you wait to eat your first meal, the more
likely you are to overeat. You really need to nourish your
body several times throughout the day. You'll concentrate
better and you'll be able to focus," said Wunder.
One unique aspect of the pyramid is that water is at its
base. Wunder said that water is essential to almost all
of our bodies' functions and is a natural appetite suppressant.
The Healing Foods Pyramid recommends that women drink eight
cups of water per day and that men drink 12 cups.
The second largest category on the pyramid is fruits and
vegetables. The Healing Foods Pyramid recommends seven
to 10 servings per day. The old recommendation from the
United States Department of Agriculture was five servings.
Wunder said the increase in servings was due to research.
She described the threshold effect. This is where the greatest
impact on negating chronic illness occurs when one eats
at least seven to 10 servings a day. Wunder said that variety
is the answer, and to make sure one has a rainbow of fruits
and vegetables on their plate. Seven to 10 servings may
seem like a lot, but Wunder reassured the audience that
it is doable.
"A cup of leafy greens is a serving," Wunder
said. "It's
not uncommon to have three or four servings in a
salad. It does take effort, but it is easily done."
The Healing Foods Pyramid recommends four to 11 servings
of grains per day. However, it is important to make
sure the grains are whole grains, as opposed to milled,
processed or refined grains.
"We want to see the seeds in bread and the oats. We want
a hardy bread," Wunder said. "You want to look for products
that have fiber because with fiber comes all the other
nutrients."
Wunder also discussed the benefits of tea and chocolate.
These two items, along with alcohol, fall in the second
highest category on the pyramid, which are termed accompaniments.
She said that the list goes on and on about the benefits
of tea on many chronic illnesses. Wunder said that white
and green tea are the least processed and have the most
antioxidants. She
also said that the Healing Foods Pyramid recommends one
to two ounces of dark chocolate per day.
"The dark chocolate that we recommend is quality dark
chocolate. It is a treat. When the dark cocoa bean is mixed
with milk to make milk chocolate, it neutralizes the benefits," said
Wunder. "It is known that dark chocolate enhances mood
because it increases serotonin and endorphins."
The very top of the pyramid is left completely blank and
labeled "personal space." Wunder said this category is
for the comfort food that we crave -- like mashed potatoes
and ice cream -- that don't fall into other categories.
Wunder
said that nutrition is about enjoying food and eating what
truly nourishes you. She described her "meat
eating" theory to the audience. Wunder said that people
have 32 teeth, four of which are incisors. Incisors are
designed for eating meat. Since one-eighth of people's
teeth are made for eating meat, Wunder reasoned that one-eighth
of people's diets should be meat.
"I think that some people's bodies work well with a vegetarian
diet, but some bodies need meat. You have to maintain an
attitude of not being judgmental about what works for you
and what works for other people. You have to know your
body and know what works for you," said Wunder.
The remaining categories consist of legumes, seasonings,
healthy fats, fish and seafood, and lean meats. To learn
more about the Healing Foods Pyramid, visit www.med.umich.edu/UMIM/food-pyramid/index.htm
