Make Food Healthy Again
What you eat makes a difference, we need to make food healthy again. Choices abound when it comes to food, coupled with convenience and where to eat (out). We choose where to shop. We decide what isle we go into. Perimeter shopping doesn’t work anymore.
While shopping we can find healthy, lean meats however, we can also find seasoned meats. And in the produce department you can buy bags of vegetables. Something is added to keep it fresh, there are many unhealthy ingredients in processed foods. Processing and additives increase the shelf life of many foods, for this reason and many others it raises concerns.
It’s up to us to make food healthy again
We all need to be aware of what is in the food we are buying. Learning to read labels and what to look for is very important. It’s up to us to do our research about what is good to eat and what is not. Implementing simple rules about understanding the different types of fat and what are healthy and which are not. In addition, we need to know how much sodium is too much and if you can’t pronounce an ingredient, it’s best to leave it on the shelf. A varied diet with lean meats, fresh fruits and vegetables is best for good health.
Recent studies have shown that ultra processed foods play a significant role in premature death. Eight countries played a part in this research. Columbia and Brazil have a lower consumption of ultra processed foods (UPF). Chile and Mexico have intermediate UPF consumption, and the U.S., U.K., Australia and Canada have a higher rate of UPF consumption. In this study, the research found UPF had a link to all-cause mortality in all 8 countries. In the study Columbia and Brazil had a 4% increased risk, meanwhile, the higher UPF consumption countries had a 14% higher risk of premature death (prior to life expectancy).
We all make a choice
We have free choice where our diet is concerned. For instance, I notice all sorts of advertisements for hamburgers, steaks, and fast food. For the most part, I have never seen an apple, banana or even an orange made to look delicious and advertised for the health they provide. Let’s face it, a bag of chips is easy, open and eat.
Here’s the deal, our ancestors had to work to find food. They hunted and gathered, they moved to find what they could season to season. Because of this, they lived healthy active lives because they did not have processed food. Lifestyle diseases are linked to processed and ultra processed food.
All in all, the evidence of health risks connected to UPF’s has increased significantly over the past decade. Over 30 diseases are associated with UPF’s. These disease include obesity, cardiovascular issues, type II diabetes to name just a few.
Processed foods linked to disease
Make no mistake, the impact of UPF’s on all-cause mortality is relevant in ALL countries, especially in countries where UPF’s are more predominant like the U.S. and U.K.. Lowering UPF Consumption world wide could lower preventable deaths. There are lots of things we can do to make foods healthier.
It is necessary for us to be concerned with what we consume. Being concerned includes educating, learning and understanding. Education on how to read labels and recognize what is not healthy. Learning how to cook fresh, healthy, whole foods or where we can source healthier choices. Understanding how the food we eat affects our body.
When you get your diet correct, you feel better, have more energy, you move easier, get better sleep and can enjoy your favorite activities for a longer time and further into your mature years.
Learning to cook whole foods is not hard. You can start with a cookbook called “Comfort Your Soul Foods” and if you click here you can order it from Amazon.
Making America Healthy Again
The FDA commissioner recently announced their intent to discontinue the use of petroleum-based synthetic dyes from our U.S. National food chain. Because for the last 50 years U.S. children have been increasingly exposed to synthetic chemicals. Subsequently there has been a rise in attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, obesity, diabetes, insulin resistance, cancer, genomic disruption and GI issues. In light of this, there have been correlations drawn between these health issues and petroleum-based synthetic dyes which are considered part of Ultra processed foods.
This information is from WebMD chief medical officer Dr. John Whyte.
