In Conclusion...

I hope that by this point, you are aware of the importance of following a proper diet and making sure you receive all of your necessary nutrients every day. Maybe what you’ve taken from this is that your body type, amount of exercise, and fitness goals play an important role in your dietary needs, and that maybe Canada’s Food Guide isn’t “One Size Fits All”; you need to be able to eat according to your lifestyle, and what benefits that lifestyle. You could have learned that you have the body of an endomorph, and now know that the amount of grain servings listed in the food guide may be a few servings too many for you.

The first chapter was for starting with the basics, and getting a grasp on what factors are important to consider when discussing nutrition. The second was also meant as background information, in this case the history of the food guide, and why the recommendations have changed so much and why they are the way they are today. The macronutrient ratios chapter gave insight into the evolution of the guide, and detailed some of the reasons why individuals would think the food guide a poor choice for nutritional needs; the athletes chapter built on this concept, applying the more suitable macronutrient ratios to people of various shapes and activity levels, which seems to be much more effective than the typical food guide servings.

Finally the last chapter was included as insight into another part of the world; the reasoning behind the diets may differ, but some of the key concepts are quite similar (for example, the different doshas corresponding with the three main body types). Terri Guillemets once said that “health is a relationship between you and your body”; it’s your responsibility to make it a great one.

CHAPTER 5: Eastern Interpretations

This last chapter serves as an alternate perspective on the concept of eating for your own specific body type. You know all about the food guide and its servings, as well as the macronutrient ratios and how those play into your nutritional well-being. However there are also cultures of the Eastern world that view nutrition a little bit differently; the one you’re going to read about comes from an ancient medical system in India, and it is called the Ayurvedic Diet.

The Ayurvedic Diet

(Many concepts in this chapter can be found on Dr. Oz’s website under The Ayurvedic Diet: Eating for Your Body Type”.)

Ayurveda is, essentially, a natural and holistic method of healing that allows you to feel balanced - both physically and mentally - and keep you feeling vital and happy with little effort aside from how you eat. Rather than taking into account what nutrients, supplements, or specific foods your body needs based on scientific investigation, Ayurveda involves a simple, direct path that is developed for your personal body type, known as your dosha. There are three of these doshas in the Ayurvedic diet - Vata, Pitta, and Kapha - each of which have their own unique characteristics. As you might notice as you read, these doshas can be compared to the different body types discussed in Chapter 4. The most accurate way of determining your dosha is to consult an ayurvedic physician, but you can also take a short quiz (which can be found on the Dr. Oz site) that will give you some insight into your main dosha; many people are a combination of two, but one will generally dominate the other.

Kapha

Those with the Kapha dosha typically have wide-set hips and shoulders, thick wavy hair, and adequate physical stamina. Physically, this dosha is comparable to an endomorph, meaning such individuals should reduce their intake of simple carbohydrates and focus more on leafy vegetables and healthy fats. They tend to be slow learners, but have great memories to make up for it. Kapha individuals are also typically loyal and reliable, and are considered “rocks” in a relationship. When they aren’t balanced, these individuals tend to suffer from sinus congestion, poor circulation, and a slow metabolism, making them prone to obesity. Kapha individuals may use garlic in their diet to counter the congestion, and may take herbal supplements to help with metabolism - though really, Kapha types should just make sure to get enough exercise every day to combat obesity, preferably cardiovascular exercise. Diet-wise, Kapha types should reduce their intake of oils, fats, sweets, and salt, and should focus on using a lot of spices and eating a lot of vegetables and other high-fibre foods (Chaudhary, 2012). http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/ayurvedic-diet-how-eat-your-body-type

http://s.doctoroz.com/sites/default/files/im_uploads/3_114_seg-2_KAPHA-REJUVENATION-DIET.jpg

Pitta

Those with the Pitta dosha tend to be of medium build. Physically, this dosha is comparable to a mesomorph body type, and these individuals should therefore favour vegetables over fruits (complex vs. simple carbs) but still have a moderate amount of carbohydrates in their diet. They have good muscle tone, feel warm a lot of the time, have premature gray hairs and reddish complexions, and have a very strong digestive system. These individuals are intelligent, focused, and ambitious, and are passionate about life but have a tendency to get irritated. When they aren’t balanced, Pitta individuals may express irrational anger, suffer from headaches and rashes, encounter digestive problems such as diarrhea and ulcers, and become overly stressed. In order to deal with the headaches, a person may massage coconut oil into their scalp for 5 minutes before showering; they may also prevent digestive problems by consuming aloe vera juice mixed with pomegranate juice. A trick for dealing with too much stress is to eat a teaspoon of rose petal jam, which has a sweet and calming effect on a Pitta type. Diet-wise, Pitta types should reduce their intake of hot spices, alcohol, coffee, vinegar, and acidic foods, while focusing on eating a lot of sweet juicy fruits (mangoes and melons) and cooling vegetables (cucumbers, kale, and lettuce) (Chaudhary, 2012). http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/ayurvedic-diet-how-eat-your-body-type?page=2

http://s.doctoroz.com/sites/default/files/im_uploads/3_114_seg-2_PITTA-REJUVENATION-DIET.jpg

Vata

Those with the Vata dosha tend to have the most slender body type, and can actually find it difficult to gain weight. Physically, this dosha is comparable to an ectomorph, meaning they should aim to consume a significant amount of carbohydrates in their diet. These people have prominent bone structures, are cold a lot of the time, have dry skin and hair, and have very little muscle. They are able to learn quickly but also forget quickly, thrive on change, and are very creative. Vata individuals are also easily excitable and enthusiastic but can become anxious very quickly. When they aren’t balanced, Vata individuals may suffer from bloating and constipation; have dry noses and easily catch colds in the cold season; and can easily develop insomnia and suffer from fatigue. They may take an herbal supplement to combat poor digestion and use a sesame oil nasal spray to relieve nasal dryness. To cure insomnia, Vata types should have a regular waking, eating, and sleeping routine; this is difficult for them, as they crave change, so a glass of spiced warm milk before bed is a possible alternative. Diet-wise, Vata types should avoid dry or crunchy foods, carbonated drinks, and cold or raw vegetables. Instead, they should aim to consume warm, soupy foods, cooked cereals, nuts, cooked vegetables, and hot milk (Chaudhary, 2012). http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/ayurvedic-diet-how-eat-your-body-type?page=2

http://s.doctoroz.com/sites/default/files/im_uploads/3_114_seg-2_VATA-REJUVENATION-DIET.jpg

CHAPTER 4: Different People, Different Meals

As with most dieting, there are several factors you need to consider before you can decide what eating patterns would work best for you. Everyone has different goals; some people want to gain muscle and get fit, some want to lose weight, and others may simply just want to stay at their current weight. The first factor to consider is your fitness goals. Do you want to lose weight? Do you want to gain muscle mass? Depending on your answer, you may either want to follow a high-carb or low-carb diet (Harrison, 2013). http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/macro-math-3-keys-to-dialing-in-your-macro-ratios.html

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/macro-math-3-keys-to-dialing-in-your-macro-ratios.html

The next factor to consider is body type. This helps determine your tolerance for carbohydrates and where you should start with respect to the ranges pictured above or discussed in Chapter 3. Ectomorphs have a body type that can be described as slim or slender. They typically will have delicate bone structure, small shoulders and chest, and a fast metabolism. People with this body type tend to find it difficult to put on mass. Ideally, an ectomorph should have large percentage of carbohydrates in their diet, as more carbohydrates means a greater likelihood of gaining weight. The range can be anywhere from 30-60% of daily calories consumed from carbohydrates, depending on the fitness goals of the individual (Harrison, 2013). http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/macro-math-3-keys-to-dialing-in-your-macro-ratios.html If an athlete has an ectomorph body type, he/she is going to focus more on sports and activities that are related to endurance and speed, because of their physical makeup; due to their light weight and low body fat, they are likely to excel at activities such as long-distance running since they are light on their feet. With this kind of activity, they will require a lot of energy from food because of their already efficient metabolism. This is why an ectomorph would require more carbohydrates in their diet than a person with one of the other two body types.
Mesomorphs are those who tend to be muscular, but not large. They have dense bone structure, broad shoulders, and defined muscles, and rarely have an issue with gaining muscle mass or losing fat (but will put on weight more easily than ectomorphs). For these reasons, mesomorphs should typically eat a moderate amount of carbohydrates, between the range of 20-50% based on their fitness goals. If an athlete has a mesomorph body type, they are likely going to be involved in sports and activities that use both their anaerobic system and aerobic system. Because the anaerobic energy system of glycolysis requires glucose to create energy, a mesomorph still needs a significant amount of carbohydrates in their diet to fuel that energy system.

Finally there are endomorphs, who can be described as soft. They have shorter limbs, a stocky build, and generally have a slower metabolism. Endomorphs have the potential to put on a lot of muscle, but are also more prone to gaining and storing fat. A high amount of carbohydrates will likely cause an endomorph to gain weight, which is why the recommendation for these individuals is on the low end of the range, between 10-40% of total daily calories from carbohydrates (once again based on their fitness goals) (Harrison, 2013). http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/macro-math-3-keys-to-dialing-in-your-macro-ratios.html If a person has an endomorph body type and are looking to gain lean muscle or lose body fat, he/she will want to do a lot of cardiovascular exercise, meaning the use of their aerobic system. The aerobic system doesn't depend on glucose (carbohydrates) as much as the anaerobic system does, and can just as easily function on fats and, in some cases, proteins. Especially if the physical activity goes on for an extended period of time, it would be more beneficial for an endomorph to focus on eating fats and proteins, rather than carbohydrates, which are also more likely to cause weight gain.

http://www.muscleandstrength.com/sites/default/files/images/bodytypes.jpg

Regardless of fitness goals and body type, the following “meal” plan should be followed in order to get the most out of an exercise routine:
Pre-Exercise - the goal is to minimize fatigue for the duration of the activity by consuming an adequate amount of glucose beforehand. This meal is eaten about 2-6 hours before the event and should be high in carbohydrates, relatively low in fat and fibre (you don’t want to go to the bathroom halfway through), and have a moderate amount of protein.

During Exercise - for events shorter than around 1.5 hours, frequent rehydration with water will suffice; for anything longer, the athlete may want to rehydrate with a liquid that contains carbohydrates to prevent a drop in blood glucose.

Post-Exercise - after the event, the main focus is still rehydration and fluid replacement, paired with an easily digestible meal high in carbohydrates to promote a quick recovery (Temertzoglou, 2003).

Case 1: Strength/Power Athlete

To understand the nutritional needs of an athlete that requires a lot of power and strength in sport, we must first understand what being a strength athlete means. An athlete in the power and strength aspect would be one who performs an intense activity for a short period of time. This would include a 100 m sprinter, a weightlifter, or even a high-jumper; all of these activities require a burst of energy, which comes from the use of fast-twitch muscle fibres. Very briefly, fast-twitch fibres have the ability to tense and relax quite quickly, and can generate large amounts of tension in a short period of time; they are used especially for activities like sprints, powerlifting, and jumping. These fibres contain high levels of glycolytic enzymes, meaning that the use of them requires that the athlete’s body have a sufficient amount of glucose - or carbohydrates - available for the fast-twitch fibres to use (Temertzoglou, 2003). Power athletes also use their ATP-PC system in something like high jump, where the action only takes a few seconds. This system’s energy source is creatine phosphate, which athletes can either consume as a supplement or from red meats (Danielsson, n.d.). http://diet.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Healthy_Diet_for_Athletes

In this scenario, we can assume that a power athlete will have the body type of either an ectomorph or mesomorph - a body with a quick metabolism, or one with dense bone structure and defined muscles. So what are a power athlete’s fitness goals? They don’t necessarily want to lose weight if they are a powerlifter, for example, but perhaps for an event like a sprint or high-jump they want to be lighter; nevertheless, most power athletes aim to increase their muscle mass, so it would make sense that these athletes require a lot of faster-metabolizing carbohydrates in their diet in order to gain muscle and have that resource for their fast-twitch fibres (Danielsson, n.d.). http://diet.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Healthy_Diet_for_Athletes However many athletes believe that a high protein diet is the key to fueling their bodies; this contradicts most research, but athletes believe that more protein = more muscle, which is simply not true. As mentioned before, intense and powerful muscle contractions are fueled by carbohydrates, not proteins or fats; the latter two simply can’t oxidize fast enough to meet the demands of the intense exercise (Quinn, 2014). http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/sportsnutrition/a/HighProteinDiet.htm

Contrary to popular belief, eating a high-protein or high-fat diet can actually hinder an athlete’s performance because this means that the athlete is eating an inadequate amount of carbohydrates. This ratio of macronutrients can lead to reduced muscle glycogen stores in the muscle and liver and decreased maximal effort, the opposite of what a power athlete is trying to achieve (Quinn, 2014). http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/sportsnutrition/a/HighProteinDiet.htm That isn’t to say these athletes should minimize the amount of protein they consume; overall, a power athlete should be eating macronutrient ratios of 50 carbs : 30 protein : 20 fats.

Here is a sample menu of what a high jumper might eat the day of an event:

Time	Food	Nutrients
Breakfast	Oatmeal Scrambled Eggs Milk Orange Juice	Complex carbs Protein Fats Simple carbs
2 hours before event (Lunch)	Steak Mashed summer squash (in place of potatoes) Onions and mushrooms	Protein (creatine) Complex carbs Simple carbs
After the event (Snack)	Protein shake with banana and peanut butter	Protein, Complex carbs

(Danielsson, n.d.) http://diet.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Healthy_Diet_for_Athletes

Case 2: Distance/Endurance Athlete

What does it mean to be a distance or endurance athlete? An athlete that participates in endurance activities would likely be active for a long period of time and have a slow release of energy. This would include a cross-country skier, a long-distance cyclist, or a marathon runner; these events all require that the athlete be able to perform for an extended period of time, which can be achieved through the use of slow-twitch fibres. Briefly, slow-twitch fibres do not have the ability to tense and relax as quickly as fast-twitch fibres, and will generate and relax body tension quite slowly. The advantage to these fibres, however, is that they are able to maintain a low level of tension for a longer duration, which makes them ideal for activities such as cross-country skiing, and long distance running/cycling. These fibres contain low levels of glycolytic enzymes but contain high levels of oxidative enzymes, allowing them to be more fatigue-resistant and causing them to rely primarily on the aerobic energy system (Temertzoglou, 2003).

In this scenario, we can assume that an endurance athlete will have a body type somewhere between an ectomorph and a mesomorph - a medium-light build is ideal for distance, because they are light enough to carry themselves but still strong enough to maintain the activity. Moving on: what are an endurance athlete’s fitness goals? These athletes likely don’t aim to build large, powerful muscles, but rather muscles that can sustain them over the long run (literally and figuratively). Because the body is sustaining physical activity for a long period of time, an endurance athlete will primarily use their aerobic energy system, for which the energy source is carbohydrates, followed by fats, followed by proteins. Logically, then, an endurance athlete’s main macronutrient source should be carbohydrates, followed by fats, followed by proteins. In the first 20 minutes of a race, for example, a runner’s body will use carbohydrates as its main fuel source. After this time, the body will switch from the carbohydrate metabolic pathway and begin to break down fats. After an even longer period of time, the body will begin to break down protein - its own muscle stores - for energy; so as long as the body has a sufficient amount of carbohydrates and fats, the protein stores will remain intact (PSE4U notes, 2014). For this reason, endurance athletes should aim to eat macronutrient ratios of 40 carbs : 40 fats : 20 protein.

Here is a sample menu of what a long-distance runner might eat the day of a big race:

Time	Food	Nutrients
Breakfast	Bran or oat cereal Two slices of bread Handful of nuts/seeds	Complex carbs Complex carbs Protein
2 hours before event (Lunch)	Salmon Whole wheat pasta (in place of potatoes) Steamed vegetables	Protein Complex carbs Complex carbs
After the event (Snack)	Protein shake with banana and peanut butter	Protein Complex carbs

(Danielsson, n.d.) http://diet.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Healthy_Diet_for_Athletes

Case 3: Sedentary Person/The Average Joe

Being sedentary simply means that your lifestyle lacks a regular exercise routine; you tend to spend most of your time seated and don't partake in a lot of physical activity. You likely don’t use your fast-twitch or slow-twitch fibres very often, so your nutritional needs won’t depend on the specific use of these fibres. A sedentary lifestyle may mean the occasional walk around the block or a walk across a parking lot from one store to another, but overall a sedentary person does not require foods that will provide them with a lot of physical energy. For this reason, the amount of macronutrients you eat will depend less on your fitness goals, and more on your body type.

If you are an ectomorph, you will still require a relatively high ratio of carbohydrates in your diet to accommodate for your fast metabolism. Your body processes nutrients and burns calories with speed, meaning it will require more energy more often than, say, a mesomorphic body type; your macronutrient ratios should be about 50 carbs : 25 fats : 25 proteins. Mesomorphs will need slightly fewer carbohydrates, as it is easier for them to put on weight and store fat than it is for ectomorphs. Since mesomorphs tend to have defined muscles and a good capacity for storing muscle glycogen, they can still benefit from a relatively high level of carbs (but not too high, or they will gain weight). Generally if a sedentary mesomorph is aiming to maintain their current weight, they’ll want to eat macronutrient ratios of 35 carbs : 35 fats : 30 proteins. Finally, if you are an endomorph, you’ll want to stay away from high levels of carbohydrates in your diet; because the have a greater tendency to store carbohydrates as fat, endomorphs will want to keep their total calorie intake low for carbohydrates. Typically, you should be aiming for macronutrient ratios in the range of 30 carbs : 35 fats : 35 proteins (Harrison, 2013). http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/macro-math-3-keys-to-dialing-in-your-macro-ratios.html

Here is what a menu for each of the body types might look like (for a sedentary person):

	Ectomorph	Mesomorph	Endomorph
Breakfast	Hashbrowns 2 slices whole-wheat bread Orange juice	Oatmeal 2 eggs Orange juice	Cereal Orange juice
Lunch	Turkey sandwich Small apple or banana Handful of nuts	Lean beef Brown rice Fresh vegetables	Chicken breast Small salad Milk
Dinner	Lean beef Whole wheat pasta Large salad	Chicken breast Milk Medium salad	Turkey Sweet potatoes Steamed vegetables

(Danielsson, 2003) http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/matt89.htm

Personally, I'm not much of an athlete. I don't consistently do weight training or endurance training - but I'm not necessarily a sedentary person, either. I do maintain some physical activity - like walking every day, swimming twice a week, and doing the occasional run - and I have the body type of an endomorph mixed with a mesomorph, a difficult combination when trying to determine how much of each macronutrient I should be consuming in my diet. Because I'm still quite young, my metabolism is currently faster than it will be in a few years; this means that eating a lot of carbohydrates now may not cause me to gain very much weight, but if I continue to eat the way I do I will have trouble maintaining a healthy weight in the long run. My current macronutrient ratio is probably that of an ectomorph, with around 50% of my daily calories coming from carbohydrates. Ideally, by the time I'm around 25, it would be beneficial for me to cut this down to around 30% of my daily calories, and trying instead to include more healthy fats and proteins into my diet. That being said, here is a sample of what I, a somewhat active meso-endomorph, believe I should eat in a day (and currently do eat):

Time	Food	Nutrients
Breakfast	Oatmeal with peanut butter and frozen blueberries Glass of orange juice	Complex carbs, simple carbs, protein/fats Simple carbs
Lunch	Egg sandwich (whole wheat bagel, egg, lettuce, tomato, cheese) Glass of milk or juice	Complex carbs, protein, fats Fats or simple carbs
Dinner	Baked salmon Quinoa with melted cheese Mixed greens salad with balsamic/olive oil dressing	Protein Protein, complex carbs, fats Complex carbs, healthy oils/fats

CHAPTER 3: Carbs, Proteins, Fats: or, Why the Food Guide may not be your best bet

Canada’s Food Guide to... Unhealthy Eating?

(Many of the concepts in this chapter can be explored in greater detail on Yoni Freedhoff, MD’s blog “Weighty Matters”.)

Despite the appeal of the food guide and the promises that Health Canada makes in terms of having your best interests in mind, there are skeptics. There are conspirators. But there is also some evidence to suggest that the development of the more recent food guides hasn’t solely been based on nutritional needs and information. It appears that industries are also involved, and have made a considerable impact on the final outcome of the guide (Freedhoff, 2006). http://www.weightymatters.ca/2006/11/big-food-has-seat.html Many of these theories however were published earlier than 2011 - the year the newest food guide was released - although it has been revised to some extent. That isn’t to say the information is no longer relevant at all; industries will continue to have at least one foot in the door with respect to Canada’s eating choices, so though the numbers may differ, the idea remains the same. What I’m trying to convey here, is that maybe the food guide isn’t your best option for eating what’s right for your body type; maybe there is a better way to organize your food in a way that meets your own nutritional needs and allows you to function at your optimal level. These are just a few of the reasons why I think Canada’s Food Guide has a lot left to be desired.

The Food Industry

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On January 20th, 2004, Health Canada held a meeting - by invitation only - for the revision of the 1992 version of Canada’s Food Guide. Somewhat surprisingly, one third of those attending were representatives of the Food Industry. The list included (but was not limited to) The Canadian Meat Council, Dairy Farmers of Canada, and Food and Consumer Products Manufacturers of Canada. Of course it makes sense that the Food Industry be aware that the Food Guide is being revised; if the recommendations are changed, the products that Canadians purchase will also likely change over time (Freedhoff, 2006). http://www.weightymatters.ca/2006/11/big-food-has-seat.html This could mean a difference of tens or hundreds of millions of dollars in either direction for any of the industries involved; but does that mean they need to be involved in the revision of the guide? Probably not.

However the Food Guide Advisory Committee, a 12 member Committee in the top level of the revision process (and later renamed the Food Expert Advisory Committee), consisted of 25% members who are also a part of “Big Food” (Health Canada, 2011). http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/consult/frac-ccra/index-eng.php Yoni Freedhoff, MD, family doctor and writer of the online informative blog “Weighty Matters”, compiled a selection of quotes from the biographies of some of the Big Food members involved in the revision process. Many of these phrases contradict each other, and overall are counterintuitive in respect to making responsible, non-biased decisions for the new food guide. Take, for example, Sydney Massey, Nutrition Education Manager and Spokesperson for the BC Dairy Foundation. The foundation’s stated mandate - as it was back in 2006, the year the article was published - was "BC Dairy Foundation (BCDF) is a not-for-profit organization with the mandate of increasing consumption of milk in British Columbia". This, coming from the same woman who said that “you can show an association between wearing skirts and breast cancer, but it doesn't mean that wearing skirts causes breast cancer." when interviewed about the data that suggested increased milk consumption was linked to an increased risk of ovarian cancer. So of course, we can expect that she would be pretty biased when it came down to dairy recommendations in the food guide (Freedhoff, 2006). http://www.weightymatters.ca/2006/11/big-food-has-seat.html

In the end, we don’t really know who’s in charge of the Guide. In 2007, Health Canada removed the list that once outlined who attended the revision meetings, and wrote in its place:

“Invitees to the meeting included representatives from a broad range of national stakeholder organizations, such as health professional associations, non-governmental organizations, consumer groups, universities/academics, food industry and trade organizations and federal, provincial, territorial and municipal governments. Approximately 200 stakeholders were invited; about 110 stakeholders attended the meeting" (Health Canada, 2007). http://www.weightymatters.ca/2006/11/big-food-has-seat.html

Why should you need to be a stakeholder in order to have a say in the nutritional needs of Canadians? Why are industries even involved in the revision process, when they could be replaced by those who actually know what the word “nutrition” means and want their country to be as healthy as possible? Overall, I’d say that it is unlikely that blindly following the food guide is your best opportunity for a healthy lifestyle.

Getting Enough Micronutrients

http://www.seattleorganicrestaurants.com/vegan-whole-foods/images/micronutrients-density-score.jpg

Micronutrients, as mentioned in chapter 1, are vitamins and minerals that are essential - in small amounts - for healthy cell growth and metabolism. You could argue the importance of these nutrients in comparison to macronutrients; in the big picture, the macronutrients are probably far more important to keep track of in your diet. Even in 1982, when far less food was recommended in the daily servings in the food guide, no significant cases of micronutrient deficiencies were recorded. Despite all of this, the current food guide has been designed in such a way that with the recommended servings, Canadians can meet their micronutrient needs (Freedhoff, 2006). http://www.weightymatters.ca/2006/11/at-least-youll-get-enough-zinc.html

This doesn’t make a lot of sense; it would be far more beneficial to design a diet that minimizes the risk of chronic diseases, rather than a a diet that decreases the potential for micronutrient deficiencies, and this has also been addressed in the newest version of the guide. It is beginning to focus more on promoting the consumption of whole foods, rather than the consumption of foods that will provide you with specific micronutrients. And with the shift toward promoting foods rather than nutrients, the guide now encourages Canadians to eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, legumes, and nuts, while at the same time eating free sugars, red meat, salt, and hydrogenated oils only in moderation (and preferably not at all) (Freedhoff, 2006). http://www.weightymatters.ca/2006/11/at-least-youll-get-enough-zinc.html

That isn’t to say that the food guide shouldn’t focus on nutrients at all; we can’t forget about the macronutrients. These nutrients are needed in much greater amounts than micronutrients, so it might be beneficial for the food guide to incorporate macronutrient amounts into their guide (that said, it would be beneficial for the food guide to include a lot of aspects of nutrition that it currently doesn’t, including different body types, metabolisms, and fitness levels).

The Problem with Fat

http://www.goodfats101.com/wp-content/uploads/4-Circle-Graphic.jpg

Another reason to put a greater focus on the macronutrients is because of the glaring misconception many people have about fats, which is that all fats are “bad”. People follow low-fat diets without a lot of knowledge or guidance and end up not benefitting healthwise in any way. What may come as a surprise to some people is that the amount of fat you have in your diet is not nearly as important as what kinds of fat you have in your diet; having the right kinds will not make you fat. Of course there are the saturated and trans fats mentioned in Chapter 1, which are undisputedly not part of a healthy diet. These fats, as well as the good fats, played a big role in the draft of the food guide when it was being revised back in 2004 (Freedhoff, 2006). http://www.weightymatters.ca/2006/11/all-fat-is-bad.html

A study was done back in 1956 which showed that countries that consumed higher levels of saturated fats had higher levels of heart disease. However this was not linked to the total amount of fat being consumed; in fact, the country that consumed the highest amounts of fats total also had the lowest levels of heart disease. There was also a series of articles released in January 2006 that outlined the results of a dietary fat trial, where women were randomly assigned to low-fat diets or to a control group and were monitored over 8 years. The results? Low-fat diets did not lead to lowered risk of colon cancer, breast cancer, or heart disease (Freedhoff, 2006). http://www.weightymatters.ca/2006/11/all-fat-is-bad.html

Then there are trans fats, which make up a considerably high percentage of the calories an average Canadian will consume from fat (3-7% in 2006). Trans fats are unarguably bad for you; they’ve been shown to raise bad cholesterol, lower good cholesterol and make our blood stickier, increasing the risk of blood clots (Mensink, 1990). http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199008163230703?hits=20&andorexactfulltext=and&searchid=1&excludeflag=TWEEK_element&resourcetype=HWCIT&tmonth=Nov&searchterm=dietary+trans+fatty&sortspec=Score+desc+PUBDATE_SORTDATE+desc&fmonth=Nov&andorexacttitleabs=and&FIRSTINDEX=0&fyear=1989&where=fulltext&searchtitle=Articles&tyear=1991&sendit=GO&tocsectionid=Original+Articles&tocsectionid=Special+Reports&tocsectionid=Special+Articles&tocsectionid=Videos+in+Clinical+Medicine&tocsectionid=Clinical+PracticeAORBClinical+Therapeutics&tocsectionid=Review+ArticlesAORBClinical+PracticeAORBClinical+Implications+of+Basic+ResearchAORBMolecular+MedicineAORBClinical+TherapeuticsAORBVideos+in+Clinical+Medicine&tocsectionid=EditorialsAORBPerspectiveAORBOutlookAORBBehind+the+Research&tocsectionid=Sounding+BoardAORBClinical+Debate&tocsectionid=Clinical+Implications+of+Basic+Research&tocsectionid=Health+Policy+ReportsAORBHealth+Policy+2001AORBQuality+of+Health+Care&search_tab=articles& They've also been shown to increase inflammation in our body, in turn resulting in more incidences of heart disease and diabetes (Lopez-Garcia, 2005) (Salmerón, 2001). http://jn.nutrition.org/content/135/3/562.abstract?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&author1=willett&fulltext=trans&andorexactfulltext=and&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&sortspec=relevance&resourcetype=HWCIT and http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/73/6/1019.abstract?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&author1=salmeron&andorexactfulltext=and&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&sortspec=relevance&resourcetype=HWCIT

By conducting another study - having women consume trans fats rather than follow a low-fat diet - it was shown that women who get 3% of their calories from trans fats are 50% more likely to develop heart disease over 14 years than those who ate the least amount of trans fats in the study (Oh, 2005). http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/161/7/672.abstract?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=1&author1=willett&title=dietary+fat&andorexacttitle=and&andorexacttitleabs=and&andorexactfulltext=and&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&sortspec=relevance&resourcetype=HWCIT

There are also good fats, or the unsaturated fats, which were also mentioned in Chapter 1; essentially, these fats have been tested in studies and shown that replacing just 5% calories consumed from saturated fat by unsaturated fat can reduce the risk of a heart attack by 40% (Albert, 2002). http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa012918?hits=20&andorexactfulltext=and&FIRSTINDEX=0&fyear=1996&searchid=1&excludeflag=TWEEK_element&where=fulltext&resourcetype=HWCIT&searchtitle=Articles&sendit=GO&searchterm=blood+levels+of+long-chain&tocsectionid=Original+Articles&tocsectionid=Special+Reports&tocsectionid=Special+Articles&tocsectionid=Videos+in+Clinical+Medicine&tocsectionid=Clinical+PracticeAORBClinical+Therapeutics&tocsectionid=Review+ArticlesAORBClinical+PracticeAORBClinical+Implications+of+Basic+ResearchAORBMolecular+MedicineAORBClinical+TherapeuticsAORBVideos+in+Clinical+Medicine&tocsectionid=EditorialsAORBPerspectiveAORBOutlookAORBBehind+the+Research&tocsectionid=Sounding+BoardAORBClinical+Debate&tocsectionid=Clinical+Implications+of+Basic+Research&tocsectionid=Health+Policy+ReportsAORBHealth+Policy+2001AORBQuality+of+Health+Care&sortspec=Score+desc+PUBDATE_SORTDATE+desc&fmonth=Nov&search_tab=articles&andorexacttitleabs=andTests involving omega-3 fatty acids - found in unsaturated fats - have been shown to lower bad cholesterol levels, prevent an increase of triglycerides, and reduce development of arrhythmia (BMJ, 2004). http://www.bmj.com/content/328/7430/30.reprint

So what does this have to do with the food guide? Despite the evidence and despite the reports advocating for their elimination, the words “trans fat” did not appear once on the 2004 draft of the Food Guide. Health Canada even had a Trans-Fat Task Force recommend the elimination of trans fats from our diet, and Health Canada’s laws require that food labels list whether they include trans fats; yet the food guide made no mention of this (though the newest version does now mention trans fats, and encourages eating foods low in unhealthy fats) (Freedhoff, 2006). http://www.weightymatters.ca/2006/11/all-fat-is-bad.html

Macronutrient Ratios: A Modern Approach to Healthy Eating

Based on the nutrients and energy systems discussed in Chapter 1, it would seem to make more sense that a person’s diet be based on how much of each macronutrient they need daily, rather than how many foods from each food group they should eat daily. This concept of macronutrient ratios is becoming more common; several years of research leading up to this concept have compared the relationships between nutrient intake and the prevention of disease, and from this information came the widely accepted ranges for consuming carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Rather than focusing on specific “allowed” foods or on micronutrients only, the ranges help ensure that you are consuming a sufficient amount of macronutrients - the fuel for your body - as well as other essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals (Hand, 2008). http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=372 Below are the healthy ranges for the three macronutrients that can suit the general population:

45%-65% of calories from carbohydrates

20%-35% of calories from fat

10%-35% of calories from protein

http://www.freedieting.com/images/nutrient-calculator.jpg

One common ratio is 40:30:30, where an individual will eat slightly more carbohydrates than proteins and fats, but the percentages are all relatively similar (Saleem, 2013).  http://dietdatabase.com/macronutrients-and-micronutrients/ Another source may recommend a ratio of 50:30:20, where a much larger percentage of carbohydrates are consumed (Hand, 2008). Depending on what your specific nutritional needs are, you might for example consume a higher percentage of carbohydrates per day, while someone else may eat mainly fat and protein. http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=372 There are even tools online that you can use to calculate what ratios of macronutrients would best suit you (although be sure to take the information with a grain of salt):

http://www.freedieting.com/tools/nutrient_calculator.htm

Personally, the claims made about the Food Guide and its somewhat "shady" operations are quite convincing to me. I have recently looked into my what body type I may have, and am starting to plan and create a new meal plan which may benefit me more than just getting the "right" number of grain products in my meals every day. In the next chapter, you will read more about how different individuals - whether they be athletes or normal people - might benefit more from personalized macronutrient ratios than they would from following the Food Guide.