Let's continue on our path towards good nutrition. Hopefully, you have been working on changing your thinking about the word diet, and changing your attitude towards food. But how balanced is your diet? Do you eat a variety of nutritious foods to supply your body with everything it needs? Do you know how to eat a healthy, balanced diet? We've all heard of and are probably somewhat familiar with the Food Guide Pyramid. It was developed by the US Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health & Human Services to help us choose foods that will decrease our risk of diet-related diseases and help us get all the nutrients we need. But do you understand how to interpret the Food Guide Pyramid? Do you know exactly how many servings you should be eating? And do you know what the correct serving sizes are for various types of foods? Over the next few columns, I will give you guidance on using the Food Guide Pyramid, so keep reading.

The Food Guide Pyramid is intended to be a general guide to the amounts and types of foods people should eat to maximise their health. Eating the recommended number of servings will provide the body with all the nutrients it needs, and by eating enough at regular intervals throughout the day, we should be able to prevent the hunger that can lead to overeating. Also, by eating a combination of carbohydrates, protein and fats in the suggested portions, digestion and absorption of food occurs at a slower rate, helping one to feel full for a longer period of time.

So clip this column out; keep the Food Guide Pyramid in a visible place, like on your refrigerator. When you are preparing your meals and snacks, check your Pyramid and try to determine if your diet seems to follow the Food Guide Pyramid. Are the majority of your calories coming from foods in the bottom section of the Pyramid? Are you eating all your fruits and vegetables? Do you include healthy sources of protein in your diet? And how is your intake of fats, oils and sweets? Start trying to get the proportions of your foods right, and next time we will talk about serving sizes as we continue to help you become nutritionally Body Wise! HEALTH HTH