The U.S. Department of Agriculture has, just in the last few weeks, released its new official dietary guidelines.  Called MyPlate, the new graphic replaces the USDA's confusing Food Pyramid scheme of the last decade. 

The Physicians' Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) developed their Power Plate early in 2010, and used it to encourage the USDA to change their dietary guidelines.  As you can see, MyPlate looks curiously similar to the PCRM's Power Plate.  How much was the USDA influenced by the Power Plate when revising their guidelines?  Though vegetarian diets are catered for on MyPlate, and the emphasis is on lean protein, there is still a long way to go before the USDA will be convinced to remove all animal products from its guidelines. 

Visit the PCRM website and compare it to MyPlate.

                                                                                         

 

Following on the heels of the low-carb craze earlier this decade, the Glycemic Index Diet enjoyed some popularity.  The glycemic index measures a food by the speed in which it releases sugar into the bloodstream.  The Diet was developed based on principle that foods which have a lower glycemic index can be beneficial in weight loss.  

Now the National Institute of Health (NIH) has just conducted a study involving 99 patients with diabetes.  The patients were split into two groups, one group following the accepted ADA diet for diabetes, the other a vegan diet.  Patients on the vegan diet, it was discovered, lost more weight and also had lower blood glucose levels.  So an exclusively plant-based diet is good for your blood sugar and your waistline!

This study will be published in the Journal of Nutrition, Aug. 2011. The abstract was published online in June 2011. 

                                                                                         

 

A very influential figure in the field of nutrition and medicine is Neal Barnard, M.D., who has extensively researched the effect of nutrition on Type 2 diabetes.  Hailing from Fargo, North Dakota, Dr. Barnard obtained his medical degree at Georgetown University.  He was not only principal investigator in clinical trials on diabetes and nutritional intervention, but went on to found the Physicians' Committee for Responsible Medicine (www.pcrm.org), a non-profit group which advocates plant-based nutrition and discourages the use of animals in medical research.  Dr. Barnard has published his findings in numerous medical journals and has written books such as The 21-Day Weight Loss Kickstart, Dr. Neal Barnard's Program for Reversing Diabetes, and Breaking the Food Seduction.

More information about Dr. Barnard can be found on his website.

                                                                                         

3 cups cooked brown rice
1 pound small zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and sliced into half moons
2 cups cooked fresh, frozen, or canned corn
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons dried dill weed
1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine rice, zucchini, corn, and green onions in a large bowl. Whisk together remaining ingredients. Pour over rice and vegetables and toss well. Serve warm or thoroughly chilled.

Makes 6 servings.

Source: Breaking the Food Seduction by Neal Barnard, M.D.