We have all heard “you are what you
eat”. What you eat to a great extent affects
your health. Numerous scientific studies have shown that eating healthy foods
can reduce the high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and other ailments.
The rate of disease in the United States is 2 – 5
times that of other countries. Many
Americans eat processed foods, carbohydrates and fats. When you are overweight or eat an unhealthy
diet this also causes an increase in medical costs and insurance rates.
According to the
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, approximately 100 million Americans
are overweight or obese. Being
overweight also increases the chance or getting diseases such as heart disease,
high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, cancer and respiratory problems.
The leading cause
of death in America is heart disease.
The World Heart Federation suggests eating a diet of fresh fruits and
vegetables and avoiding foods high in saturated fats, salt and carbohydrates to
reduce the chance of heart disease.
Many people are
confused about the meaning of the word “diet” and confuse the word “diet” with
“fad”. Many advertisers also use the
word diet incorrectly which leads to more confusion. Diet does not mean taking a pill for 30 days
to lose weight or changing your eating habits for 30 days to lose weight. Diet as defined by Webster’s dictionary
is: “a particular selection of food,
especially as designed or prescribed to improve a person's physical condition
or to prevent or treat a disease”.
Taking a weight loss pill cannot prevent disease but eating a healthy
diet and exercising can.
If you are unsure of what to eat you can start
with the USDA’s Healthy Eating Index to provide a guide to healthy eating at https://www.cnpp.usda.gov/healthyeatingindex. Following this guide will lower your chance of
disease and improve your overall health.
Although I am not overweight, I have
changed my diet. I decided I did not
want to take multiple prescriptions and wake up with aches and pains when I get
older so I am now a vegetarian. Everyone
teases my about my strict diet but it works for me. I don’t look my age, I don’t take any
medications, I don’t have high blood pressure, diabetes or cancer, I don’t wake
up with aches and pains and I don’t have heart disease.
Approximately 64% of Americans are overweight or
obese. According to Think Progress 75%
will be overweight by 2020. Additional studies indicate that your diet
plays a role in brain and psychological health including memory and blood flow.
What cost are you paying by not eating healthy?
