Following last week’s announcement, Latest information on the food pyramidnutrition experts continue to consider how new recommendations could change the way Americans eat.
The new pyramid, announced by HHS officials on January 7, focuses on lean meats such as beef, pork and lamb, as well as other protein-rich foods.
The guidelines call for a greater emphasis on “real foods” and a move away from ultra-processed foods, added sugars and refined carbohydrates.
“These guidelines take us back to basics,” Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in the announcement. “American families must prioritize the whole. nutritious food Eat protein, dairy, vegetables, fruits, healthy fats, and whole grains, and dramatically reduce highly processed foods. This is how we make America healthy again. ”
Celebrity fitness trainer Jillian Michaels recently released a new Fox Nation special. “Toxic: America’s Food Crisis” told Fox News Digital about his support for the latest recommendations.
“The food pyramid has effectively been reversed, which is great. This is long overdue,” she said in an on-camera interview.
Michaels said the food pyramid funnels “hundreds of billions” of tax dollars to public school lunches, military rations and nutritional assistance programs like SNAP.
“This is why the food pyramid before Kennedy reversed it encouraged things like refined grains and sweet cereals. And famously, sugary cereals considered to be healthier “More than things like beef,” she said, “at the same time, red meat and saturated fat were demonized.”
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Michaels suggested that it wasn’t the red meat itself that was the problem, but the saturated fat in red meat. “So the story ends up being: What is saturated fat? Good for you. Or is it bad for you? ”
The expert stressed that saturated fats are “definitely better” than refined vegetable oils because they are exposed to unhealthy chemicals during the extraction process.
If there was a “fat continuum” from good to bad, olive oil and omega-3 fatty acids would be at the top because of their disease-fighting abilities and benefits for heart health and heart health. brain healthsays Michaels.
“Saturated fat is a little further down this continuum,” she said. “And at the bottom is the refined oil.”
Michaels acknowledged that there’s still debate about whether consuming large amounts of saturated fat is good for your health.
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There’s one thing that hasn’t changed since then new guidelines The maximum recommended intake of saturated fat remains at 10% of your total daily calories.
So, for a 2,000 calorie per day diet, the saturated fat limit is 200 calories, or about 22 grams of fat.
“You’d be hard-pressed to find an MD or PhD in nutritional science who would warn against consuming 200 calories of saturated fat a day,” says Michaels. “So is it better than refined oil? 100%.”
“This concern arises when you’re consuming a lot of saturated fat. For example, let’s say you’re a carnivore and on a keto diet, and your entire 2,000-calorie-a-day diet is all saturated fat.” In that case, Michaels recommends: talk to doctor.
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“Based on the existing food pyramid recommendations put out by President Kennedy and his Department of Health and Sanitation, 200 calories a day of saturated fat from animal protein is perfectly acceptable. And it’s much better than previous alternatives,” she reiterated.
But ultimately, a healthy level of saturated fat intake varies from person to person, Michaels said.
“It has something to do with you. Individual lipid profileAnd you can find out the truth by talking to your doctor,” she advised.
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Experts pointed out that there is a genetic test that can calculate a calcium score, which indicates whether there is a buildup of cholesterol in the arteries.
Michaels says it makes sense that the new pyramid would focus on red meat and other proteins, since Americans claim they don’t eat enough of them.
“We were eating too much refined grains and sugar and not enough protein,” she warned. “This can lead to sarcopenia, osteopenia, and osteoporosis, among others. as we grow older. ”
“So on a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet, the best recommendation is to eat more protein and more fiber.”
Beyond its protein and fat content, beef is also rich in other types of micronutrients, Michaels noted.
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Overall, she said the most important points of the new guidelines are to eat whole foods and avoid overeating.
“There’s no need to get carried away. fad diet” she added.
