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I recently came across something called the Honest Food Guide which is a take on a sort of food pyramid to guide the general consumer on what to eat for their health. The difference with the Honest Food Guide is that it is not supposed to be influenced by any corporations and is purely based the readers benefit. The truth is we need more stuff like this, as while it is far from faultless it gives the general public a bit more of a healthy guidance on what to eat, what to avoid and why…..

Click to Download The Honest Food Guide Pyramid PDF with some alterations…..

Firstly though I want to go over some of the points that stuck out for me and I feel are worth making note of if you want to pass the guide onto others as a way of guidance when it comes to diet.

- On the Disease side Red Meat is top of the list. I feel this is pretty unfair, while red meat should not be a staple of our diet it can certainly be a healthy food when used in moderation and is of a high quality. Let’s not forget that organic, grass fed and hormone free animals produce far better meat in terms of nutrition and provides less toxins than conventionally reared animals (hormonally treated, corn fed, stored in confined spaces.)

So while the guide makes a good point that Red Meat can be a harmful food. There is no differentiation between the types of red meat, it should be recommend people stick to a high quality of red meat (or any meat/fish for that matter) if they do decide to eat meat. This has a two fold effect:

• Firstly people will generally end up eating less red meat as high quality meat costs more and is therefore more sought after and appreciated.
• Organic red meat is nutritionally dense and filled with Zinc, B-Vitamins, and healthy fats. The way nature intended.

So it really is a case of quality matters when it comes to meat in general and that is something I firmly believe in.

- Dairy is also on the Disease Side. This is also unfair I feel, past generations of very healthy people have used cheese, milk and cultured dairy products as a staple of their diet and they live to ripe old ages with robust health.

The truth is saturated fat can be good for us and is even essential to our health. Saturated fat is essential for hormone production, Immunity, liver health and for absorption of fat soluble vitamins. Avoid saturated fats and we will pay the price with our health. The funny thing is that saturated fats are found mainly in animal fats (meat and dairy) and also in things like Coconut and Palm products (which are great for cooking). Sadly most of these products are demonised in the modern dietary guidance world in spite of the fact they have all served us for generations as a nourishing staple of our diets.

Otherwise the Disease side of the handout is pretty good. Detailing what common foods are dietary offenders and why (which is always important) the legend on the bottom left also works well to decode some the nutritional jargon. What is also nice is that it takes into account things like Liver overload and Vitamin loss which affect us when we eat refined and processed foods. This is a key factor that conventional food pyramids or nutritional handouts turn a bind eye to.

Next up the points that stuck out on the Health side of the diagram.

- Soy, Tofu and Soy Milk. These foods can be some of the most harmful on the modern day product shelves, the sad thing is people are brainwashed into thinking they hold magical health benefits. Soy is not a bad or harmful food when unprocessed or prepared in its traditional sense (tempeh, edamame beans) in fact it can actually be pretty beneficial and hold health benefits of its own.

The story is a little different with most modern day soy products. You see in the east the ancient cultures understood the importance of fermenting their soy before eating this would remove the Anti-Nutrients (phytates) and make it far more easily digested, the beans were also steamed to promote their digestibility before eating. The problem with modern soy products is that not only are they processed, they are untreated and have a load of sugar or chemicals added as preservatives or taste enhancers, just pickup a carton of soy milk and check the ingredients. Modern day Soy products are worth steering clear of as they are:

• Nutrient leeching
• Estrogenic (full of phytoestrogens)
• Processed

For the mean time stick to dairy products (preferably organic) they have served us well for many years and unless you have a serious lactose intolerance problem will serve you fine in moderation.

- Whole Food Concentrates and Veg Protein powders. While these things are not the worst thing in the world I see no reason they should be included on the health side of any food pyramid. They are usually:

• Overly processed
• Expensive
• Devoid of Nutrients
• Toxic

This is not true of all powdered products but the majority are just snake oil type products from companies trying to make a quick buck. The truth is when we eat well and stick to whole, unprocessed foods there is no need for any nutritional support from these type of products. The price is also a major issue as the majority of people are better off saving their money and spending it on higher quality produce.

- No mention of Root Vegetables? The food guide mentions Vegetables on the health side but I feel there should be a separate section reserved for the root vegetable. As most people think of things like Spinach, Broccoli and Celery when thinking Veg.

Roots are a food that modern society has veered away from in the last 20 or so years in favour of grains and processed carbohydrates in general. The poor potato has been demonised as starchy and fattening – when in fact it is a great cheap source of healthy carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins (Vit C/B6) and minerals. It is also versatile, an easy dietary staple and most probably a better source of carbohydrate than any grains on the market (refined or not).

• Potatoes (White, Sweet, Red etc)
• Squashes
• Carrots and Parsnips

Are all power foods in their own right and should definitely be singled out on the health side of the pyramid.

Closing Thoughts

Apart from a few niggles which I have somewhat addressed I feel the Honest Food Guide is a step in the right direction and something that can be used to introduce people to a healthy, more natural style of eating. It is important people are educated on how to eat for health rather than dieting or eating less in an attempt to lose weight or be healthy. It also raises awareness of the chemicals and toxins in processed/modern foods.

This is something I emphasise in my e-book and feel is an important message that hopefully is starting the be conveyed to the general public.

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