Column #30

As a child I was instructed to eat all the food on my plate. My grade school taught the five food groups and their importance for good health and growth. Everyone knows the balanced diet, even those suffering from chronic disease. Yet for several decades nutritional scientists have been saying that benefits of the balanced diet are myths.

In spite of scientific breakthroughs most people still trust the balanced diet even while their health goes down the tube. For decades my mother religiously followed the balanced dietary guidelines that still rule today. Yet she had numerous chronic diseases, took medications, had operations, and died with Alzheimer’s.

Balanced diet proponents believe optimal health will be achieved by combining foods from the five different food groups--in just the right amounts so the body gets all its nutrients while maintaining a healthy weight. They also restrict fat, sugar, and salt.

The five food groups are:
        ●    Fruit
        ●    Vegetables
        ●    Grain
        ●    Protein (Meat, Nuts, Legumes)
        ●    Dairy

The recommended foods are:
        ●    Fresh Fruits
        ●    Fresh Vegetables
        ●    Whole Grains
        ●    Legumes
        ●    Nuts
        ●    Lean Proteins
        ●    Cheeses, Reduced-Fat Milk and Yogurt

Our bodies definitely need the full spectrum of nutrients with some being specifically balanced. The best foods are nutrient diverse and dense, very low glycemic, with 1:1 balanced essential fatty acids (EFAs). EFAs are Omega-6 fatty acids and Omega-3 fatty acids. These best foods are complete standalone foods.

In terms of nutrients, fruit is a light weight compared to green leaves. It’s EFA ratio averages 5:1 and is much worse in some fruits such as avocado and olives. Fruit has more sugar than vegetables. In strict moderation some fruit is acceptable, but it’s not a food staple.

Only some vegetables provide a full, dense spectrum of nutrients with perfectly balanced EFAs. The best are green leaves such as kale, spinach, collards, broccoli, etc. Tubers and squashes are not as good. Some tubers such as potatoes and beets are high glycemic.

All grains, whole or processed, are nutrient lite and high glycemic, with EFA balances averaging 16:1. They are often contaminated with mycotoxins from fungi. Grain is the worst food group and has the greatest negative impact on health.

Balanced diet proponents discourage most meats because they fear fat. Most legumes are nutrient lite and some, think soy and peanuts, have damaging EFA ratios. Nuts are nutrient lite with 16:1 EFA ratios. The “perfect” proteins are rarely recommended. They are grass-fed meats, omega-3 meats, and wild caught seafood which are all loaded with good fats. These proteins are easy to digest, zero glycemic, nutrient dense and diverse with perfect EFA balances, and are the least environmentally intrusive forms of food production.

With a diet of green leafy vegetables and proper meats, dairy is not necessary. Dairy products are not complete foods and should only be consumed in moderation.

The balanced diet shortchanges health and well-being. The proper diet is narrowly focused with the green leaf at the bottom of the food chain. Bodies respond positively when fed properly.

To your health.

Ted Slanker

Ted Slanker has been reporting on the fundamentals of nutritional research in publications, television and radio appearances, and at conferences since 1999. He condenses complex studies into the basics required for health and well-being. His eBook, The Real Diet of Man, is available online.

For additional reading:

Balanced Diet from a European Perspective

Balanced Diet from a North American Perspective

Balanced Diet from an Australian Perspective

Comparing Nutrients in Fruit to Vegetables