This is a follow-up post from the previous on the USDA publishing new dietary guidelines as it works on the latest food pyramid.  I was listening to a fascinating recording from an Ohio naturopath, Dr. Pam Popper, who went to Washington, D.C. last week to give her commentary on the food guidelines in front of a USDA and Health & Human Services panel.  She came back with some very compelling remarks from dairy, fish, meat and sugar representatives among others.

I wanted to share with you some of what I noted from her recording.  It is my understanding that the new pyramid will be published by the end of the year as part of a two-year process. Reading the comments below, it is no wonder governments can take so long to accomplish anything.

As you read these, let me know what you think of this.  Is it more of the same?  Will the new food pyramid break the old mold of corporate interests? I guess time will tell on that one.

(These are paraphrased as I took the best notes I could from the recording, but don’t want to misquote.)

Sugar is safe, natural and beneficial and it’s impractical and unrealistic not to eat it.  Sugar also restores palatability to healthier foods like grains and milk to make kids more inclined to eat them.  If we reduce sugar consumption, that will reduce the consumption of healthier foods, too. - Sugar Association representative

If we define healthy foods as those that don’t contain fats and sugars, we will have too few foods to choose from since we’ll have too few foods to qualify.  Our goal should be to evaluate foods based on the calories per dollar. – University of Washington representative

New guidelines are great.  There should be more specific instructions as to how to eat dairy. Kids who drink flavored milk will drink more milk.  So we should not be so quick to eliminate sugar.  Emphasizing low and no-fat dairy products is not a good idea because there has been some difficulty in producing low-fat/no-fat cheeses, and cheese is such and so important because it is the second highest source of calcium in the diet.  -Various dairy groups

A supplement group was concerned that the new guidelines stressed whole foods too much.

A fish group representative stated that an analysis of 310 news stories, 4x as many studies showing negative benefits of consuming fish.  She wanted them to offer specific recommendations on how to eat more fish.

I don’t really know how much change a food pyramid will make on the entire obesity front, but if there are money and marketing campaigns to promote it, then recommendations will be considered the standard by which to live, good or bad.

If you are a dietitian, then please chime in on this one: For those who wish to register as dietitians in their prospective states how strongly do the states advise dietitians to embrace the food pyramid and whatever guidelines along with it?

Can anyone discredit the benefits of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables?  For any family interested in staving off disease AND thriving, then eating at least 7-13 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables is vital.  Juice Plus will give you peace of mind, especially since the produce is pesticide-free, picked at peak ripeness, is backed 15 published third-party clinical studies and is embraced by a multitude of dietitians, medical doctors, chiropractors, personal trainers and moms and dads.