Nope, I am not talking about the pyramid in Egypt. It’s the Health Diet Pyramid. This pyramid offers a guide to the proportion (not arranged in importance) of each of the 4 main food groups—carbohydrates, proteins, fruits and vegetables—that you can consume daily and helps you in diet planning. Eating a wide range of food within each and across the food groups in moderate amounts and balance is important in maintaining good health.

Tipoff: Eat less of these!
For the sharp-eyed ones, (assuming you have clicked the link to view the pyramid) you would have noticed that at the very top of the pyramid,

are grouped together. The key is to eat less of these which appear at the tip of the pyramid.

Huh??!! So What’s Wrong With…
1) Fats
Fats though important, contain the most calories per gram of energy compared to carbohydrates and proteins. So imagine if you don’t really use the energy (because you are too lazy to exercise or think etc…me guilty), they will be stored in your body! Blubber = cute + good insulation. But too much = trouble. It can contribute to high bad cholesterol levels in your body, clogging blood vessels, causing fatty liver and creating many health problems. Breast cancer for one is highly linked to obesity.

2) Salt
Sodium, a component in common salt, is linked to high blood pressure. For one, it always attracts water. When there is too much sodium in the blood such that the kidneys can’t rid of them fast enough, more water is retained, increasing blood volume and raising blood pressure. There is also say that the salt sensitivity of a person determines his response to salt levels. Those who are sensitive to salt have an increased risk of death regardless whether they have high blood pressure (Source: NIH).

3) Sugar
There is a common misconception that sugar causes diabetes. The relationship is indirect. Sugar contains empty calories that contribute to obesity which puts one at risk of diabetes. Empty calorie food refers to those that provide mostly energy but are of little nutritional value (examples of nutrients are vitamins and minerals). With obesity, the problems mentioned earlier ensue.

Now that you know why, look out for my next post on how to eat less of these!