Medicine in the United States has made tremendous progress over the last 100 years. Yet we suffer from preventable chronic diseases such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes that have reached epidemic proportions.
A big factor in rising levels of chronic health conditions is the American diet. As the French lawyer and politician Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin wrote in 1826, “Tell me what you eat. I will tell you what you are.” , that if you eat healthy, you will be healthy.
Alternatively, a typical American diet high in processed foods is detrimental to your health.
Our undoing begins very early in life when we decide what we want to eat.Unless parents consistently police food choices, most American children Get off to a bad start. For example, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 20% of high school students choose the right diet.. Instead, they choose fast food, pizza, junk food snacks and soft drinks, gaining weight by the day and sowing the seeds of future health destruction.
The situation is already spiraling out of control as too many young people are diagnosed with obesity and type 2 diabetes because they eat too much unhealthy food and don’t exercise enough. Type 2 is extreme insulin resistance, a type of diabetes formerly known as age-related diabetes that can develop until middle age or later, when excess body fat accumulates, especially in the middle. This is because it is low.
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Currently, poorly-fed American children can reach this health-destroying fat state at just 10 to 12 years old, rather than at 45.
When we are young, we believe we are immortal. Later on, age and declining health have a way of showing that we are nothing, and especially the change in how we eat. Life has the power to turn against you. At 60, the power of the habit doubles, and unless you have an iron will and a strong will, your chances of success are slim.
So you can change your diet as follows.
What should I eat for a healthy diet?
A healthy diet starts with fruits and vegetables. why? Nutrient rich, rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and rich in fiber. Fruits and vegetables are also great for weight management. You can eat a lot of fruits and vegetables and be pretty satisfied while consuming very few calories.
In addition, fruits and vegetables are rich in phytochemicals. These are compounds found in plants that provide color, taste and aroma. Phytochemicals, unlike vitamins, minerals, and fibers, are not essential for health, but they provide health benefits, support immune function, and act as antioxidants that fight free radicals and prevent cell damage. increase.
In contrast, most of the processed sludge that Americans consume is high in fat, a combination of “hollow” calories from sugar, plus few nutrients and little if any fiber. Plus, the processed foods we eat all the time are high in calories, so you’ll get a lot of calories in just a few bites.
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Experts recommend eating a combination of five or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day. However, 5 servings is the bare minimum amount, meaning it has limited effectiveness in promoting good health and reducing the risk of death from various chronic diseases. Meanwhile, a 2017 study found that increasing to 10 servings a day lowered the risk of heart attack and stroke by 28%. International Journal of EpidemiologyAdditionally, you are 31% less likely to die prematurely.
Are Frozen Fruits and Vegetables Healthy?
Servings aren’t much, especially given the whopping portion sizes we typically consume when eating out at a restaurant. This is 1/2 cup of berries, chopped fruit, etc., or a piece of fruit (about the size of a tennis ball). For best results, use fresh or frozen whenever possible and avoid canned fruit in candied syrups, dried fruits, and fruit juices, as they contain too much sugar. .
For vegetables, a serving rule of thumb is 1 cup raw leafy greens or 1/2 cup cooked vegetables. Again, fresh is best, frozen is the next best.
Thankfully, when it comes to fruits and vegetables, there are many good choices, so you can choose according to your taste. , use different ones.
Here are suggestions for healthy fruits such as blueberries, blackberries, watermelons, cherries, apples, mangoes, papaya, avocados, and citrus fruits (lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruits).
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Experts suggest sweet potatoes, broccoli, leafy greens (kale, spinach, beet leaves, collard greens, etc.), carrots, Brussels sprouts, green peas, asparagus, and cauliflower.
When it comes to health issues, you have to face the truth that you are your own worst enemy. We like the taste of sugar and fat, so we end up eating the wrong things. At least we think so. Instead, a quick look at the statistics shows that not only are the same chronic lifestyle diseases still plaguing us despite great advances in medicine, but they are getting worse year after year as we continue to gain weight. You can see that
It’s time to break the cycle. Start by eating lots of fruits and vegetables.
Please contact Bryant Stanford (stamford@hanover.edu), Professor of Exercise and Integrative Physiology at Hanover College.
