Bridge Street Health
PRIMARY CARE REIMAGINED
513.790.2923
The New U.S. Food Pyramid: What You Should Know
The federal government has released a new version of the Food Pyramid, part of the 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. It’s the biggest shift in national nutrition guidance in decades, and it sends a simple message:
Eat real, whole foods — and cut back on sugar and ultra‑processed foods.
Here’s what changed and what it means for your health
🌟 1. The Pyramid Is Now “Upside Down”
The new pyramid flips the old one on its head. Instead of grains forming the base, the top of the pyramid now highlights:
-
Protein (including red meat, poultry, fish)
-
Full‑fat dairy
-
Healthy fats
-
Vegetables
These foods are shown as the foundation of a healthy diet in the new visual.
Fruits, nuts, and seafood sit in the middle.
Grains — especially refined grains — are now at the bottom, meaning eat less of them.
🍎 2. Stronger Focus on Whole, Minimally Processed Foods
The new guidelines emphasize:
-
Whole foods
-
Fresh produce (CLICK HERE to see a list of over 50 vegetables and fruits)
-
High‑quality proteins
-
Healthy fats
-
Whole grains
And they call for a sharp reduction in ultra‑processed foods, sugary snacks, and packaged meals.
This aligns with what we teach at Bridge Street Health: Real food supports real health.
🚫 3. Added Sugar and Processed Foods Are Strongly Discouraged
For the first time, the guidelines explicitly recommend:
-
Avoiding highly processed foods
-
Avoiding added sugars whenever possible
-
Keeping added sugar under 10 mg per meal
This is a major shift from past guidelines.
🥛 4. Full‑Fat Dairy Is Back
The new pyramid encourages:
-
Whole milk
-
Full‑fat yogurt
-
Cheese
This reverses decades of low‑fat dairy recommendations, though the written guidelines still cap saturated fat at 10% of daily calories.
🍖 5. Higher Protein Targets
Protein is now a major focus:
-
Recommended intake increased to 1.2–1.6 g/kg/day, up from the long‑standing 0.8 g/kg/day.
-
The pyramid visually prioritizes protein more than ever before.
🍞 6. Grains Are De‑Emphasized
Grains — especially refined grains — are now the smallest category on the pyramid.
Whole grains are still recommended, but in smaller amounts than previous guidelines.
🧠 7. Why the Change?
Federal officials say the goal is to address:
-
Rising rates of obesity
-
Prediabetes in teens
-
Chronic disease linked to diet
-
High intake of ultra‑processed foods in the U.S. diet
The message is simple: Real food first. Less sugar. Fewer processed foods.
💬 Bridge Street Health’s Take
This new pyramid aligns with much of what we already teach and practice in our Nourish to Flourish program:
-
Build meals around whole foods.
-
Choose lean proteins, vegetables, fruits, healthy fats, and whole grains.
-
Limit added sugars, refined carbs, and ultra‑processed foods.
-
Don’t fear healthy fats — but choose them wisely.
-
Focus on balance, not perfection.
Bridge Street Health would have preferred vegetable at the top of the pyramid, but views this a big step forward.
Nutrition is personal. If you’d like help tailoring these guidelines to your health goals, our team is here to support you through programs like Nourish to Flourish.
Are Food Preservatives Linked to Cancer? What a New Study Found
A large new study from France followed more than 100,000 adults for nearly eight years to understand how food preservatives — the additives used to keep packaged foods fresh — might affect long‑term health. The results give us helpful insight into how our everyday food choices can shape our cancer risk and future health.
What the study found
Researchers discovered that higher intake of certain preservatives was linked to ant increased risk of cancer, especially:
-
Breast cancer
-
Prostate cancer
-
Overall cancer risk
The preservatives most strongly associated with higher risk were:
-
Sodium nitrite (commonly found in deli meats, bacon, and hot dogs)
-
Potassium sorbate
-
Sulfites
-
Acetates
Not all preservatives were associated with the increased cancer risk.
How big was the risk?
This is important: The increased risk was small in absolute terms, but important especially if it is avoidable. For example:
-
A typical 60‑year‑old has about a 12% chance of developing cancer over 7 years.
-
High consumers of certain preservatives had about a 13% chance.
That’s roughly 1 extra case per 100 people. While seemingly small, 1 added case of cancer per 100 people (in population terms think 10,000 added cases per million people) is a fairly large number for something that appears to be avoidable. So whiled the message isn’t panic — it is to be be informed and make smart choices. Small changes can build a health bank account that can be very important to your future.
What this means for your health
The study reinforces something we talk about often at Bridge Street Health: The fewer ultra‑processed foods you eat, the better your long‑term health.
You don’t need to eliminate anything completely. Instead, focus on:
-
Building meals around whole foods: vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, whole grains like we do in Nourish to Flourish
-
Reading labels and watching for additives like nitrites, sorbates, and sulfites
-
Choosing fresh or minimally processed foods most of the time
-
Limiting deli meats, packaged snacks, and ready‑to‑eat meal
Our take at Bridge Street Health
Nutrition isn’t about perfection — it’s about patterns. Small, consistent choices add up over time.
If you’d like help reviewing your diet or making simple changes that fit your lifestyle, our team is here to support you every step of the way.
Muscle Strength is One of the Strongest Predictors of How Long and How Well We Live
Most people think of strength training as something you do to “get toned” or stay fit. But a growing body of research shows something far more powerful.
Large studies from around the world have found that adults with higher muscle strength have significantly lower risks of early death, chronic disease, disability, and cognitive decline. In fact, muscle strength often predicts longevity better than blood pressure, cholesterol, or weight.
Build Strength, Live Longer: What New Research Shows About Muscle and Longevity
Here’s what the science is telling us ....
🧠 Strength Predicts Survival — Even More Than You’d Expect
One of the largest studies ever conducted on this topic followed more than 140,000 adults across 17 countries. Researchers found that:
-
Every small drop in grip strength was linked to a higher risk of death
-
Muscle strength predicted longevity better than blood pressure
-
Stronger adults lived longer, regardless of weight or activity level
This means strength isn’t just about fitness — it’s a marker of biological aging.
❤️ Strength Training Lowers Mortality by 20–40%
A major review of over 2 million adults found that people who performed regular strength training had:
-
20–40% lower risk of early death
-
Lower rates of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer
-
Better metabolic health and lower inflammation
The biggest benefits came from two sessions per week — not hours in the gym.
🦵 Muscle Mass Protects You as You Age
As we get older, we naturally lose muscle (a process called sarcopenia). This loss is linked to:
-
Frailty
-
Falls and fractures
-
Loss of independence
-
Higher hospitalization rates
-
Higher mortality
The good news?
Strength training slows or even reverses this process — at any age.
⏱️ How Much Strength Training Do Adults Need?
Research suggests the sweet spot is: 2 sessions per week, 20–30 minutes each
Using weights, resistance bands, or bodyweight exercises. You don’t need a gym. You don’t need heavy weights. You just need consistency.
💪 Why Muscle Strength Extends Life
Across all these studies, the mechanisms are consistent:
-
Better insulin sensitivity
-
Lower inflammation
-
Improved cardiovascular health
-
Reduced falls and fractures
-
Higher metabolic rate
-
Better mitochondrial function
-
Slower biological aging (telomere preservation)
🌿 Bridge Street Health’s Take
Strength training is one of the most powerful tools we have for:
-
Longevity
-
Metabolic health
-
Cognitive function
-
Mobility and independence
-
Confidence and quality of life
And it’s never too late to start. Whether you’re 35 or 75, your muscles respond — and your health improves.
If you’d like help building a safe, personalized strength routine, our team at Bridge Street Health is here to guide you.