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Most of us in the upper generation grew up with the Basic Four food groups as a suggested daily food guide. How nice it was to see such an improvement with the Food Guide Pyramid which had horizontal groupings of different foods. This guide did suggest whole grains and legumes, and concentrated more on the fruit and vegetables and was in place for more than ten years.

In January 2005, the Food Guide Pyramid was declared dead! In its place was a new food pyramid which was introduced a couple of months later. The New Food Guide Pyramid is an even better improvement. Here are a few of its suggestions at a glance:
vary your choice of proteins with more fish, beans, peas, nuts, and seeds eat a variety of fruits, and go easy on fruit juices
eat more dark green veggies, orange veggies, more dry beans and peas eat at least 3 ounces of whole grain bread, cereal, crackers, rice or pasta, and look for 'whole' before the grain name on the list of ingredients make most of your fat sources from fish, nuts and vegetable oils if you don't consume milk, choose lactose-free products or other calcium sources
for health benefits, physical activity should be moderate or vigorous and add up to at least 30 minutes a day

Without even viewing The New Food Guide Pyramid, these basic suggestions offer good information on making good food choices as well as physical fitness. However, it might help to consider another daily food guide which I call the Daily Basic Seven.

The Daily Basic Seven is this:
Proteins
Carbohydrates
Fats
Fiber
Vitamins
Minerals
Water

In the fast food and ready made food arena, foods contain plenty of proteins (from animal sources), carbohydrates (all refined), and fats (fried, hydrogenated, lard), but this kind of diet is greatly lacking in fiber, vitamins, and minerals, and most usually good pure drinking water. If we don't receive a sufficient amount of all of these seven daily, our bodies will eventually cry out 'disorder' and 'disease'!

Let's take a look at each of the Daily Basic Seven and see how they compare to the New Food Guide Pyramid suggestions.

Proteins ' We need proteins daily for the building, maintenance and repair of tissues. However, most Americans usually get much more protein than needed and the extra protein turns into fat. Proteins have 20 amino acids. Nine of them are called essential amino acids because they must come from food sources, while the others can be made up by the body. Animal proteins do have all 9 essential amino acids, while some of the plant proteins individually are lacking in some of them. However, they are all present in beans, whole grains, raw nuts, sprouts, and other vegetables, so if you are eating a variety of these foods, you are sure to get ample amounts of all the essential amino acids you need. Plant proteins are usually more economical to purchase, they are much lower in fat (steak = 56% fat, a bowl of beans = 6% fat, while the protein is the same), they have no added growth hormones or antibiotics, and they have no cholesterol or connective tissue so they are easier to digest.

Carbohydrates (Carbs) ' We do need carbs. They contain essential nutrients for the function of the brain and central nervous system, they are the chief source of energy for all body functions, they assist digestion and assimilation of other foods, and they also regulate the metabolism of proteins and fats.

Most people's sources of carbs are refined which work adversely in our systems. Healthy eating comes from the unrefined carbs such as whole grains, beans, raw fruits, and some of our other whole foods sources which are the carbs we do need to truly feed and nourish our system and cells.

Fats ' We do need fats too. They are just as essential to the body in keeping our organs in proper working condition, as motor oil is to a car. But again, we need the right fats from sources that will feed our systems, such as: raw nuts and seeds, avocados, and cold pressed oils from seeds, nuts and olives. Unhealthy fats are saturated (solid at room temperature ' which are high in cholesterol), hydrogenated (or trans fats), heat extracted oils (the common procedure), and fried and roasted food sources.

Fiber ' Fiber is not optional for good health; it is essential! As we eat to nourish the body, we must also eat foods that will cleanse the body with natural fiber as well. Buying pre-packaged foods that are labeled 'high in fiber' is not usually our best sources of fiber. Healthy recipes and foods high in fiber include whole grains (not whole grain breads ' but the whole cooked or sprouted whole grains themselves), as well as whole beans, and raw fruits, vegetables, nuts and sprouts.

Vitamins ' Much of the foods today are deplete of natural vitamins and minerals due to the refinement process. The real reason we eat is to nourish the body, and if a food contains no nourishment, why would we eat it? It is not enough to eat just because it tastes good, or we end up over eating as we eat and eat to satisfy the body's desire for more and more to get the nutrients it needs. It will eventually cry out 'disorder' or 'dysfunction' if it is lacking the proper nourishment of vitamins and minerals. Again, our whole food sources of raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and whole grains and legumes provide us with the necessary vitamins we need.

Minerals ' Good sources of minerals are as important as the minerals themselves. Our best sources of calcium actually come from raw nuts and seeds, and leafy green vegetables. Beans, sprouts, and grains are also good sources of calcium. Leafy green vegetables are a great source of iron, but one of the best sources is blackstrap molasses (what's left over in the refinement of sugar) ' an organic source rather than most supplements that are extracted straight from the soil. Our leafy greens, grains, beans, nuts, etc. are great sources of all other minerals too.

Water ' Last, but not least, is water. Every function in the body is monitored to the efficient flow of water. You can drink all kinds of drinks throughout the day that contain mostly water, but when it comes right down to it, 'if it's not water, IT's NOT WATER!' We need water and lots more than people can imagine drinking. Remember, foods are our nourishment, water is our cleanser. And if what we take into our bodies does not nourish and cleanse, what might it be doing? Clogging, polluting, and creating sickness, disorder and disease! Cleansing is just as important as nourishing the body, and the perfect cleanser is water! A small adult need a minimum of 2-3 quarts of water daily, however, if you are working out, nursing a baby, sick, or overweight, you may need up to 1-3 quarts more water daily.

A good healthy food diet includes a good balance of these Daily Basic Seven items. We need them all, not just the first three as many people are getting, in order to enjoy optimum health and increase our energy. The New Food Guide Pyramid does include mentioning most of these briefly, but with a little bit of clarification, the Daily Basic Seven can provide a few more guidelines that you may find helpful for your daily healthy eating plan.