As a holistic nutrition coach, when I see the horrible diet advice out there that people are given or see on “health” sites or in magazines, it makes me seethe.

No wonder nearly 8 out of 10 of us are sick, overweight and medicated.

And one of the biggest problems is that many sources of dreadful advice appear to be credible!

For example, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends calorie-free drinks (AKA artificial sweeteners), demonizes saturated fats in favor of vegetable oils, and praises soy-based burgers and chicken nuggets as healthful alternatives to meat.

Never mind that artificial sweeteners are linked to numerous diseases, vegetable oils stir up inflammation which raises your risk of heart disease, and most of the soy in the US is genetically modified.

But lo and behold, the biggest example of horrible diet advice I’ve seen is…

My Plate!

You would think that the US Department of Agriculture would provide smart, reliable nutritional guidelines for Americans, but you would be wrong.

Here’s why.

The method to my madness

I went on the USDA’s site (myplate.gov) and took their “My Plate Quiz” which came back and said I was a “My Plate Rookie.”

I laughed out loud.

Then I entered my details (age, sex, height, weight and physical activity level) in the “Tools>My Plate Plan” section.

The first thing it told me was I needed to keep my intake to 2,000 calories a day to maintain my weight.

HUH?

First of all, I don’t count calories.  I eat nutritious foods until I’m full—it’s that simple, folks. 

But even if I did, I burn 1,000 calories in a 10-mile run, and a good 500 or more in a karate or kickboxing workout.  There is no way in the world 2,000 calories a day would sustain me on my more active days.

Now let’s look at…

The food recommendations

The first thing that jumped out at me was the fact that My Plate regurgitates the same old outdated (aka downright WRONG) advice about limiting all saturated fats in favor of vegetable oils.

Let me reiterate this point for the ten-thousandth time: YOUR BODY NEEDS SATURATED FATS (from natural sources)! 

That is, if you want to be able to make hormones, produce vitamin D and prevent depression, among other things.  Plus your heart relies on saturated fats during stress.

The only saturated fat you should avoid at all cost is trans-fats (partially hydrogenated vegetable oils)—found in processed foods, fast food and packaged pastries. 

Note that the FDA banned the use of partially hydrogenated oils in most processed foods by 2018, but the compliance date for that has already been extended twice, so chances are excellent you may still come across trans-fats in processed foods.

But wait—there’s more!

The next boner was the recommendation for 6 servings of grains per day. 

While they stressed to make half of my grain intake whole grains, ALL GRAINS turn to sugar upon digestion, and it is sugar (NOT saturated fats) that triggers arterial inflammation and causes heart disease, as well as messes up your gut microbiome balance, feeds cancer cells, widens your backside and invites Type 2 diabetes to come knocking!

Note that 6 servings of grains can mean 6 slices of bread, anywhere from 3 to 6 cups of breakfast cereal (depending on the type), or 3 cups of pasta or rice per day.

Sorry, but I don’t find anything “healthy” about that.

Even more!

Additionally, they suggested limiting my “added sugar” intake to 50 grams—which is 4 tablespoons!  I can’t think of any reason why someone should take in 4 tablespoons of sugar every day. 

Plus “added sugar” is only the sugar you see on a food or beverage label or in your kitchen sugar bowl.  It doesn’t include the sugar that those 6 servings of grains you’re eating turn into.

I also noted they made no mention of beverages, aside from telling me to drink up to 3 cups of fat-free milk a day. 

What about water, guys? 

Lastly, the meals they suggest that people eat are so terribly combined that they practically guarantee gas, bloating, constipation and heartburn—certainly a major cause of our dismal states of health.

Want real advice?

If you want real advice to help prevent disease, maintain a healthy bodyweight, and quite possibly lead a medication-free existence, here are 3 truly effective strategies that you can trust from your friendly holistic nutrition coach that can help support YOUR health from head to toe:

1- Eat real food and support good digestion  

When your diet is comprised of wholesome real foods you:

• Automatically eliminate trans-fats and artificial sweeteners
• Get good sources of antioxidants
• Get natural sources of crucial nutrients and fats

And when you have sound digestion, this helps minimize waste accumulation in your blood, which cuts off a major source of inflammation! 

So stay away from processed, packaged and fast foods of all kinds and keep it real—fruits, vegetables, meats, eggs, full-fat dairy and good fats (butter, olive oil, coconut oil)--NEVER margarine. 

Also, structure your meals to help encourage better digestion--my Great Taste No Pain system can help you here. 

Great Taste No Pain will show you what foods to pair together to ease the stress on your GI tract and help pave the way for comfortable, pain-free digestion and regular BMs!

2- Balance your microbiome

The friendly flora in your gut microbiome helps your body digest starches and fibers, supports regular BMs and houses 80 percent of your immune system…but they can only do so when there’s a strong enough population of them!

Unfortunately, people who have diets high in processed foods, soda and grains have fed the harmful microbes in their guts...and are likely looking at a serious flora imbalance as a result.

Plus medication use (especially antacids and antibiotics), stress and lack of sleep can make your microbiome topsy-turvy. 

The best way to help restore a proper gut flora balance is with a full-spectrum probiotic formula like Super Shield.

Super Shield has been helping to create healthy guts all over the world for 12 years!    

3- Embrace the natural anti-inflammatory power of turmeric

Turmeric is emerging as a shining star with over 12,000 peer-reviewed studies attesting to its effectiveness in combatting inflammation and helping to create health!  Here are just some of its impressive benefits:

• It has outperformed aspirin and ibuprofen in terms of reducing inflammation.
• It can help slow or prevent blood clots.
• It has been more effective than NSAIDs in easing arthritis pain, without the risk of GI bleeding or other side effects of NSAIDs!
• It can boost skin health, promote smooth, glowing skin and help with psoriasis.
• It has anti-cancer properties and can be helpful with prostate and pancreatic cancers, as well as breast, bowel, stomach and skin cancers.
• It can help combat obesity by reducing growth of fat cells.
• It fights depression and has even been shown to be as effective as Prozac in easing depressive symptoms—with NO side effects!
• It has been shown to be more effective than Metformin against Type 2 diabetes.
• It encourages healthy cholesterol levels—without dangerous statins!

If you’re ready to get on the turmeric bandwagon, then this is the perfect time to try our Optimal Turmeric Blend!

Optimal Turmeric Blend provides a soothing, supportive 750 mg of pure, organic turmeric in every 2-capsule dose, plus black pepper extract to support maximum absorbency.

Now you have real advice on how to create health and quite possibly say goodbye to excess weight and medications for good. 

To your health,

Sherry Brescia