From Active Low Carber Forums and Richard Feinman, PhD.
From Dr Feinman:
I have worked on important research in the field of lipid metabolism and carbohydrate restricted diet with Dr. Jeff Volek (University of Connecticut) and I think Dr. Volek is the best candidate but, if you like, you can suggest other researchers with similar points of view (e.g. Eric Westman, Robert Lustig or me).
Following is a sample template letter to the USDA (Carole.Davis~cnpp.usda.gov). I urge you to customize with your own personal story, (Be sure to cc: NMS info~nmsociety.org and your Congressional Represenative and Senators). The dead line for nominations is May 23 so please take the time to do this now.
Your personal stories about the results of lowering carbohydrates in your diet will send a powerful message to Congress and to the USDA about what the composition of the USDA advisory committee should be.
I appreciate your efforts in ensuring that the truth in science be made available to the public.
Best regards,
Richard Feinman, Ph.D.
Professor of Biochemistry, State University of New York – Downstate
Board Member, Nutrition & Metabolism Society
=============== sample letter ============
[Your name]
[Your street address]
[Your city, state, and zip code]
May 19, 2008
Carole Davis Carole.Davis~cnpp.usda.gov Nutrition Promotion Staff Director Co-Executive Secretary of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion U.S. Department of Agriculture 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 1034 Alexandria, Virginia 22302
Dear Ms. Davis:
I am writing you about the recent announcement about the establishment of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee for the 2010 Food Pyramid. I understand that the selection process is currently underway to determine what voices will be part of the discussion about the framework for the American diet. Some aspects of the current food pyramid are not a reflection of the needs that most Americans like myself have in order to maintain health. I encourage you to ensure that researchers who have performed extensive studies on the benefits of adjusting variables in the diet, like Dr. Feinman
be included on the panel.
I have many reasons for wanting to make sure that the panel includes experts on the science behind different kinds of diets, such as diets low in carbohydrates.
[insert your own personal story – 1 or 2 paragraphs – about the results you have achieved by lowering the carbohydrates in your diet. Write about how these results have made you feel. What health effects have you seen?]
Facts about the science of low-carb diets are important to the discussion about the new food pyramid. I urge you to make sure the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee includes scientists who are well-informed about these issues.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Cc: www.NMSociety.org (your senator here) (your congress person here)
Great idea- We can all pay it forward by writing one letter & getting the pyramid changed for the good.
I’m going to recommend Dr. Feinman right now!
Thanks for the opportunity.
Ivan C
Thanks so much for taking the time to write, Ivan!
I sent my letter, too (it only took me 5 minutes).
I hope the powers that be are listening to the constituency.
Again, your help is so appreciated, and the time you took to send that letter is time well spent.
Hi
Could you check out the page formatting for that particular blog post as it’s running off into the ether on the right side and I’d love to be able to read it but I can’t breathe ether. Thx!
Ooh! Thanks for the heads up. When I copied from ALC Forums, it took the box along with it as an object and didn’t want to be resized.
I plucked it from the box and pasted.
Sorry about the runaway text!
I like to call the pyramid “The Man’s Pyramid Scheme”
If we could get Guido to take Ornish and his PETA pockets for a ride, we could probably slide the truth right by Rendall. He’ll be sleeping off his carb overload in the congressional chamber.
I remember when I was a kid, there was no food pyramid only the standard 4-4-3-2 for servings.
Now instead of eating maybe 4 grain/heavy carb laden foods, they want us to eat 6 or more. It’s crazy.
Sadly, we'll never be able to fix the food pyramid as long as the USDA is responsible for it. The USDA exists to promote farmers who get subsidies to grow crops like corn, wheat & soy! Of course we're going to be told to eat more and more of those very crops! Add to that companies, like Monsanto (Monsatan to some), using lobbyists, it's never going to end.