2015 Dietary Guidelines set the stage for massive public health crisis

Well, they’re finally here. The official 2015 US Dietary Guidelines. I wish I had something good to say about them. But the fact is, they’re not really all that exciting. Of course let’s not forget who releases these guidelines — the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services.

And as usual, the government does what is does best — nothing.

Here’s what I mean…At a recent briefing, Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell told reporters, “There are many ways to stay healthy, but nutrition will always be at the foundation of good health.” What a revelation. Like she was Moses coming down the mountain with the Ten Commandments.

But if that’s the case, then why are their recommendations based on out-of-date, contradictory, and downright flawed science?

For example, the 2015 Dietary Guidelines finally give people the green light to eat eggs.

But then they suggest you restrict sodium to 2,300 milligrams a day. Do they have any clue how ridiculous that limit is? It’s lower than almost any other guideline in the world. And it’s downright dangerous for your health. In fact, according to a study that published by the American Heart Association, restricting salt can actually raise your risk of a heart attack!

Another gem from the 2015 Dietary Guidelines: The “powers-that-be” finally admit they were wrong about dietary cholesterol. They go so far as to say it’s “not a nutrient of concern.” But then they advise you to “eat as little dietary cholesterol as possible.” WHY? Not only does this move contradict the ban they lifted on eggs, but they just acknowledged dietary cholesterol isn’t an issue! (In fact, only 20% of your cholesterol level has anything to do with what you eat. The other 80% is what your body makes naturally.)

There was a lot of criticism about the fact that the new guidelines didn’t include a specific recommendation on the amount of red and processed meat you should eat. Of course this outcry stems from the ongoing beef mainstream medicine has with red meat (pun intended).

I wish people would get their heads out of the sand about meat once and for all. From an evolutionary standpoint, there’s simply no denying that mankind was meant to eat meat. And red meat in particular is a nutrient-dense food that contains all the amino acids we need for muscle production. Not to mention other essential nutrients like CLA, zinc, iron, protein, and B vitamins. (Of course, I’m talking about red meat from grass-fed AND finished livestock…not commercial beef from cows pumped full of grains, growth hormones, and antibiotics.)

And as far as processed meat goes, people are still running scared from the latest study that came out. You know — the one that claimed eating 4 slices of bacon per day or one hot dog could “probably” increase your risk of colon cancer by 18%. Which, when you do the math, takes it from 5 people in 100, to 6 people in 100. Hardly the huge leap the media made it out to be.

I am so sick of government health “experts” harping on beef when there are so many more important disease-contributing factors we should be focusing on. Granted, for the first time since the dietary guidelines came out in 1980, sugar has finally been addressed.

The new recommendations suggest limiting added sugars to less than 10% of your daily caloric intake. While it’s encouraging to see the government acknowledge sugar at all, I stand by my long-held stance: When it comes to all the sugar dumped into the American food supply, cutting back just won’t cut it.

And in the midst of the diabesity crisis we are in, here’s what Americans really need to hear, no matter how shocking it might sound:

“Sugar kills. And you should eliminate it from your diet altogether.”

Perhaps these guidelines should take on the real culprits behind our nation’s expanding waistlines and declining health — like processed and fast food. Make a recommendation on how much of that people should be eating, then let’s talk.

Really, the only thing these nutritional guidelines need to say is: EAT REAL FOOD.

But here’s an even better idea. Instead of publishing watered down versions of the truth (and frankly, more than a few lies) it would be in everyone’s best interest if the USDA just stopped issuing these guidelines at all.

 

Resources:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/856872

http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/

http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/R-D/Registered-dietitians-RDS-respond-to-2015-Dietary-Guidelines/?utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=08-Jan-2016&c=8NYHla7O5OKFuZYYQCyhF6g6J0GSs6%2F5&p2=

 

 


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