Here you have your answers, if you didn't already know...
But first, who invented the initial food pyramid, in an attempt to tell people what they should eat to be healthy? I'll tell you: In 1924, a dietitian by the name of Mary Barber designed the first food pyramid. And she worked for this company...... wait for it...
KELLOGGS!!
What group of foods did she put on the bottom of the food pyramid, to tell you to eat the most of?! GRAINS! (see pic)
What do Kelloggs sell most of? GRAINS!
Way back then the food pyramid was designed to get people to eat more GRAINS, to make Kelloggs more profit. It wasn't based on scientific evidence that it was good for you!
And today, the situation is exactly the same.
Just a couple of days ago, the Assistant Federal Minster for Health, David Gillespie MP, sent out a media release highlighting the huge financial costs of diabetes and heart disease. It also mentioned that based on some research, simply eating more fibre from grains could improve our health and (allegedly) prevent a huge number of diabetes and heart disease cases.
On face value, that idea may sound ok to you, except that it was Kelloggs who actually funded that research! (see additional pics) Some 93 years after they first started manipulating the public, they are STILL interfering with government advice and the food guidelines to get you to buy what will increase their profits - GRAINS! (in breakfast cereals, muesli bars, breads, and many other products)
So what's the problem with grains? They are high in carbohydrates, which gets broken down into glucose in the body to cause high blood sugars, and in excess, it will be stored as fat. A lot of recent research shows that grains cause high cholesterol, high blood pressure, inflammation, low energy, IBS, and a lot more symptoms, and conditions such as diabetes and heart disease - the very things which the assistant health minister and Kelloggs are suggesting will prevent! It won't - eating more grains will cause more of these conditions.
The current food guidelines which still advise us to eat 6-11 serves of grains daily, were produced by the Dietitians Association of Australia, who accept a massive amount of sponsorships from food industry corporates like Kelloggs, Sanitarium, Arnotts, Campbells, Nestle and many more... this is a huge conflict of interest and it shows in their unscientific recommendations. The DAA guidelines are about protecting their corporate partners' profits, and not based on independent scientific research or what is best for your health. Hence why you should ignore these guidelines, and eat LESS grains, if you want to be healthier.
For the best independent nutrition advice, instead talk to your (non-DAA-aligned) Nutritionist or Naturopath. We have your best interests and health at heart, based on recent scientific research.