Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010

Today, the USDA and the DHHS released the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010. The release was accompanied by an 112-page document outlining the new advice for what we should eat. This document was summarized by two over-arching concepts:

• Maintain a calorie balance over time to achieve and sustain a healthy weight
• Focus on consuming nutrient-dense foods and beverages

Relatively impressive, though benign, advice. Both of those statements are true and are good rules-of-thumb. I contend we have a significant information gap and many people need a great deal of (honest) education to understand what that means (which is what we at Cybercise work on each and every day). 

And, as with most things, the devil is in the details. At this writing, I haven't read all 112 pages though I promise I will. I did a quick skim though and here is my list of pros and cons from the recommendations in the report:

• Pros
• Increase physical activity and reduce sedentary behaviors
• Recognized calorie needs are different in different stages of life
• Reduce sodium intake
• Keep trans fatty acid consumption as low as possible
• Increase vegetable and fruit intake
• Increase whole grain intake
• Account for all foods and beverages consumed
• Cons
• Increased intake of fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products (These are highly processed foods and are suspect, at best, as your most healthful choice).
• Only reduced sodium intake to 2,300 mg/day and then goes on to say 1,500 mg/day recommendations apply to 50% of the population (Huh? Why even go there. Make it 1,500 a day and be done. Who is beholden to the salt lobby?).
• Suggests an increase in fiber, calcium and Vitamin D, which is good, though sets the stage for more "Now With Added (insert chemical food additive name here)" on package labels. 
• Suggests we reduce trans fatty acids though doesn't go so far as to eliminate the loophole in current labeling regulations that allow each and every product you consume to have less than .49 grams per serving. (Hello? If you want us to reduce our consumption, get it out of our food.)

Credit where credit is due, this is a pretty good report. While I don't really like the way we create policy in this country (little baby steps at a time so we don't alienate too many special interests), I understand that moving the behemoth of our Government sometimes takes time and always takes compromise. 

Stay tuned for more after I devote the time to read the entire report. Now, if we can implement The Real Food label and eliminate GMO/GE foods. "You may say I'm a dreamer..."

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Blog Wordle
Just for Fun

USDA (Unbelievable Series of Disappointing Actions)

If you're a reader of this blog, you've likely already heard that the USDA lifted all restrictions on the planting of genetically altered alfalfa. If you're not in the know, this means farmers will be able to freely plant "Roundup Ready" alfalfa and then freely poison the earth with the chemical pesticide Roundup.

Most alfalfa is used a feed for livestock so it is only a matter of time before we are consuming more and more genetically altered alfalfa and the chemicals used to keep the plants alive until harvest. Yes, I am disappointed. No, I do not have the science that says all of this is bad for us. Nor do I have the science that says all of this is harmless. What I do have is common sense and a general sense of foreboding about what this means for our organic farmers and natural food and our health of our planet. I refuse to believe dumping more chemicals on the earth is good for anyone (except, of course, the people who profit from said dumping).

As I sit here hoping someone will stand up and stop this from actually happening (Michelle Obama, are you reading?), I'm left to accept the current reality and do something proactive. I have added another row to the Real Food label so, at the very least, we'd be able to see if the foods we are buying include genetically modified ingredients. And while I was at it, I included some of the other things people look for while shopping.

Now we have a label that identifies, with simple red and green, if a food is:

• Organic
• Vegetarian
• Vegan
• Kosher
• Gluten-free
• Genetically modified
• Irradiated

In my black-and-white thinking, zero is zero and any amount counts. In other words, the ingredients must all be organic to qualify for a green tab "O" and if there is any trace of an ingredient genetically modified the GMO tab is red. I greatly dislike that products with less than .49 grams of trans fat are allowed to say the product is trans fat free so I don't want to leave any wiggle room with the Read Food label. 

It does occur to me we could continue to add things to this label so it is no longer useful (or perhaps as useful as the nutrition information now on the back of packages). I also recognize that if we keep growing this front-of-package label there may not be room for cartoon characters and flashy colors designed to lure people to the box. Hmmmm... something to think about there. Nonetheless, I would appreciate this kind of tool when I go to the grocery store. At this rate, if I'm buying anything other than whole, real, natural food I spend quite a bit more time shopping because I'm  reading through ingredients until I find a "lesser evil" package. 

Any thoughts out there? Are these additions to the label too much or too little? Did I choose the wrong categories for the second row? Shall I simply give up and buy stock in Monsanto? 

I'm going to sit by the phone and wait for The White House to call. I am a neighbor, after all, and would be happy to pop down and give the Real Food label to Mrs. Obama and be ready to answer her questions as she calls the agency responsible for the Unbelievable Series of Disappointing Actions (aka USDA). 

The Real Food Label
v4

The Real Food Label Explained

As the debate on GMA and FMI's nutrition keys label continues, we're going to devote today's article to exploration of our Real Food label. If you'd like, you're welcome to go to the backstory.

The objective of a package label is to:

• Clearly communicate
• Be consistent across all products
• Require little to no "training"of the end-user

The Real Food label meets these objectives and is designed to give inform consumers with a simple red-yellow-green system. The benefits of the Real Food label are:

• People of all ages inherently understand green is good and red is not so good so little training would be required. 
• Language and cultural barriers are minimized.
• In a sea of packaged foods lining store shelves, the healthier options would be very easy to spot.
• It provides subtle education which, over time, could help consumers become more aware.
• It introduces "real food" and "miles traveled" to labels to further the underlying concepts and health benefits of whole and local foods.
• The points system could be used for personal rewards, societal rewards (walking paths, new parks) or group rewards (schools, churches).
• The QR code gives the consumer an opportunity to get more information and could lead to a "Yelp" type site for crowd sourcing and reviews of products.
• Non-packaged foods could easily use the same labeling system attached to store shelves and displays vs. the package. There would be huge benefit of 100% consistent labeling across ALL foods. 
• This label could also be required in all eating establishments (restaurants, carry-out, cafes, etc.) so consumers would have the same information about the choices they make while dining out. 

I'm not naive enough to think implementing this label design would be easy. The challenges:

• Big ag, the fake-food industry and the restaurant associations would amass their lobbying power to keep this from happening. 
• We have to establish the thresholds for red, yellow, green. Possible certainly, but it would require some wrangling because nutrition science is hotly debated.
• Innovators would need to build the point system and the QR code system (I trust there are plenty of entrepreneurs out there to take this on).

All of that being said, we could easily implement the Real Food label in 9 months like so:

• Month 1: Congress passes the Read Food Label Act. The President signs and while doing so names the Real Food Panel members. 
• Month 2-4: The Real Food Panel members, comprised of nutrition and food experts, meets to establish thresholds (to be clear independent would mean no employer, consultant, investor or fiscal relationship to food or the Government)
• Month 5-6: The thresholds are published for public opinion while the innovators develop and test the points and QR code systems. 
• Month 7: Final rules published. Implementation begins. 
• Months 8-9: Implementation period 

The moral of this story? If some enterprising leaders in our Government take this on, we could have the Real Food label system everywhere by October 2011. Now that is progress. 

Use That, Not This

The Grocery Manufacturers Association and the Food Marketing Institute have released a new food label for the front of store-brand food packages. It looks like this:

After collaborating with a group of smart people at HealthCampDC 2010, we proposed the "Real Food" label that is much, much better and looks like that ↓:

Keep in mind, folks, the food industry is working to get ahead of potentially new and more unpleasant regulations from the FDA. If you think the GMA and FMI are being the nice guys, think again. They're being the "we need to do something we can live with before we are forced to use something we really hate" guys. 

In my humble opinion, our food labels should be consistent, help to educate consumers and give them the information they need to learn how to make good food choices. Yes, I am a dreamer. My fervent hope (and dream!) is the FDA adopt something more in line with our "Real Food" label and tells food manufacturers to Use That, Not This. 

Over 35? You remember.

I've heard smell is our most powerful sense. Through our noses, we can be taken back to a memorable time and place. The beach. The cologne from a bygone sweetheart. The smell of a summer carnival. Our first whiff of real chocolate. We've all had the experience of a scent from our past coming back to surprise us. Hopefully, most of those experiences are positive for you.

I contend our sense of taste can be just as powerful (presuming we give our body and our senses a chance to recover and restore after years of processed food poisoning).

I had two taste experiences lately that transported me directly back to my Grandparents dairy farm. The first was grass-fed, organic and minimally processed milk. It was as close as I've gotten to the taste of real milk in decades. I'm on the search for true raw milk though haven't identified a source (astoundingly, it is illegal to sell or buy raw milk in most states). Someone from South Mountain Creamery was sharing milk samples at the local MOM and I overheard him talking to another customer who asked about the cows. He replied, "Our cows are very happy!" I loved his answer so much I tried his milk. And, if taste is any indication, they are some happy cows. I exclaimed, "Wow, this is what milk used to taste like." And, it did. I bought some of this luscious milk in a glass bottle and actually enjoy milk again.

The second experience was at Elevation Burger who makes burgers from 100% grass-feed, 100% certified-organic, 100% free-range, 100% ground on-the-premises beef. While I ordered a burger with lettuce, tomato and ketchup, I actually ate most of the beef patty all by itself. I could picture my Grandma in the kitchen frying up the patties in her cast iron skillet. Elevation Burger makes a very, very tasty burger. They aren't everywhere (yet) but find one and give it a try (plus the people who work there were very, very nice).

My theory? If you are 35 years or older your body and taste buds can remember what food really tastes like. Far too much of our food today tastes nothing like nature actually designed it to taste. Tragic, isn't it? If you've organically grown your own tomato plants and enjoyed a warm-from-the-sun tomato directly from your vine, you might have a hint.

If you were born after 1976, I fear the influx of food processing and artificial ingredients have probably masked your ability to really taste. For those born after 1985, I suspect you have probably never actually tasted real food. Beyond tragic to a crime.

Fight back and reclaim your taste buds. If you are 35 or older, gather some younger people and go out in search of true, old-fashioned food. When you find it, you'll know. You'll taste it right away. And, when you do the younger people around you will have a glimpse (from the look on your face) of what is possible in a world of true, natural, unadulterated food. Awaken your body, make your taste buds happy and bring back the way food used to be. Only our lives depend upon it.

Over 35? You remember.

I've heard smell is our most powerful sense. Through our noses, we can be taken back to a memorable time and place. The beach. The cologne from a bygone sweetheart. The smell of a summer carnival. Our first whiff of real chocolate. We've all had the experience of a scent from our past coming back to surprise us. Hopefully, most of those experiences are positive for you.

I contend our sense of taste can be just as powerful (presuming we give our body and our senses a chance to recover and restore after years of processed food poisoning).

I had two taste experiences lately that transported me directly back to my Grandparents dairy farm. The first was grass-fed, organic and minimally processed milk. It was as close as I've gotten to the taste of real milk in decades. I'm on the search for true raw milk though haven't identified a source (astoundingly, it is illegal to sell or buy raw milk in most states). Someone from South Mountain Creamery was sharing milk samples at the local MOM and I overheard him talking to another customer who asked about the cows. He replied, "Our cows are very happy!" I loved his answer so much I tried his milk. And, if taste is any indication, they are some happy cows. I exclaimed, "Wow, this is what milk used to taste like." And, it did. I bought some of this luscious milk in a glass bottle and actually enjoy milk again.

The second experience was at Elevation Burger who makes burgers from 100% grass-feed, 100% certified-organic, 100% free-range, 100% ground on-the-premises beef. While I ordered a burger with lettuce, tomato and ketchup, I actually ate most of the beef patty all by itself. I could picture my Grandma in the kitchen frying up the patties in her cast iron skillet. Elevation Burger makes a very, very tasty burger. They aren't everywhere (yet) but find one and give it a try (plus the people who work there were very, very nice).

My theory? If you are 35 years or older your body and taste buds can remember what food really tastes like. Far too much of our food today tastes nothing like nature actually designed it to taste. Tragic, isn't it? If you've organically grown your own tomato plants and enjoyed a warm-from-the-sun tomato directly from your vine, you might have a hint.

If you were born after 1976, I fear the influx of food processing and artificial ingredients have probably masked your ability to really taste. For those born after 1985, I suspect you have probably never actually tasted real food. Beyond tragic to a crime.

Fight back and reclaim your taste buds. If you are 35 or older, gather some younger people and go out in search of true, old-fashioned food. When you find it, you'll know. You'll taste it right away. And, when you do the younger people around you will have a glimpse (from the look on your face) of what is possible in a world of true, natural, unadulterated food. Awaken your body, make your taste buds happy and bring back the way food used to be. Only our lives depend upon it.