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Has Our Diet Gotten Healthier? Yes and… No

A new study on the diet of Americans reveals they have gotten slightly healthier, but in other ways they’ve gotten worse.

Unhealthy Diet Going Down

The results of the food-intake study were recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Over a 13-year period, thousands of people across the country were asked about what they had eaten in the last day. National surveys were studied and the findings were not that uplifting, unfortunately. As it turns out, 46% of Americans still eat an unhealthy diet. The good news is the figure used to be 56%. So that’s one positive aspect.

Another slightly inspiring finding is that Americans are drinking less soda and eating fewer refined grains and white potatoes. There was also a small rise in the amount of yogurt, nuts, and seeds the participants consumed. That’s another glimpse of movement in a positive direction.

Progress Lacking

Frighteningly, overall, Americans showed no decline in consuming meat (processed or fresh) or sodium. Eating red meat and an overabundance of salt is linked to heart disease and high blood pressure. Additionally, the amount of fruits and vegetables consumed did not rise at all. (Two essential food groups for optimum health!) How can we begin to lower chronic disease in this country when eating habits continue to remain so unhealthy?

Class, Ethnicity, and Social Disparity

The study’s results also presented a different, yet equally significant problem. White Americans positively altered their diets more than any other group. Minority and lower socio-economic groups improved their habits only at a miniscule level. And worse, Mexican-Americans actually increased their consumption of refined grains, and black Americans ate more white potatoes. A person’s level of education and income played a part in the way he/she improved (or did not improve) his/her diet.

What’s the Fix?

We all know diabetes, obesity, and heart disease are rampant and killing way too many Americans. We can improve our health by “fixing” our diet. But how come not enough people are doing it?

Many doctors, health advocates, and even public policy makers believe government needs to step in more. The argument is that we have safety guidelines for cars, toys, and workplaces, but the ones for food are weak. The food industry basically polices itself and there’s a call for stronger government policy in this area.

Dr. Kelly Brownell, a leading advocate for good nutrition, has written papers and lobbied for stronger federal policy. The sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) tax has shown to be slightly effective in decreasing consumption of soda and sugary drinks. The problem is that the tax is not enough to make the drink economically restrictive. And if it is for some people, they just go to a nearby county where there is no SSB tax. Although this may be one small effort, it’s not strong or pervasive enough to affect great change.

Hopefully, you are on a path of nutritional improvement. Your health matters. For more info on food and good health check out www.GetThrive.com

 

Breaking Down the Myths of “Unhealthy” Food

Everyday we hear about foods and trends that are supposedly unhealthy for us. Sometimes they are, and other times, it’s simply untrue. Let’s check the facts…

CARBS

Carbs are necessary. They are digested and converted to glucose. The glucose travels though the liver and circulatory system where our cells use it for fuel. If your glucose levels are too low, cells suffer, even those in your brain.

We can only store carbs in limited quantities. The leftovers (that you didn’t burn-off through exercise), turn into fat. That’s where carbs get the “unhealthy” label. Simple solution: Choose the slower-digesting carbs, which generally contain more nutrients and fiber—and keep you feeling fuller longer. Complex-carbs actually help manage your weight.

SOME “GOOD” CARBS:

Apples, Artichokes, Bananas, Beans, Brown rice, Chickpeas, Lentils, Peas, Oats, Soybeans, Sweet potatoes, Tomatoes, Quinoa, Water cress, Whole Grains, Zucchini

BREAD TIP: Eaten in moderation, Sourdough bread is a healthy choice. It contains more of the bacteria Lactobacillus (from the yeast) than in other breads. That means higher production of lactic acid, which allows for better digestion and absorption of minerals. The lactic bacteria produces beneficial compounds such as antioxidants and anti-allergenic substances. It’s theorized that this may help in the treatment of autoimmune diseases.

PROCESSED FOODS

Yes, some processed foods can be extremely unhealthy. The term “processed” means any food that’s been altered from its natural state. So, it depends on the “process” that’s implemented, which will determine if the food turns out to be healthy (or not).

The processed foods we need avoid are the ones that add sugar, salt, fat, or any chemical that’s used for flavoring or as a preservative.

Unhealthy examples: most breakfast cereals, chips, snacks, meats, bacon, canned and microwavable foods.

SOME “GOOD” PROCESSED FOODS:

Milk needs pasteurization in order to remove potentially harmful bacteria. Some seeds (flax, sunflower) need pressing in order to derive their oils. Fermentation is a “process”, and it produces yogurt, kimchi, kefir, kombucha, pickles, among other nutritious foods. Pre-washing is a process used on beans. These are all healthy choices, yet they’ve been processed.

GLUTEN

Gluten protein is the majority ingredient in a grain of wheat. Those allergic to gluten experience headaches, nausea, diarrhea, poor nutrient absorption, and intestinal pain. Celiac disease is a genetic autoimmune disorder (triggered by gluten), which attacks the lining of the small intestines.

Although Celiac is only diagnosed in 1 of 133 Americans, studies have shown the benefits of limiting or excluding gluten from our everyday diet. Maybe removing gluten from our meals is a beneficial idea. But, beware. Just because something is labeled gluten-free, doesn’t mean it’s good for you.

SOME “BAD” GLUTEN-FREE:

In desserts, for example, the wheat flour is traded for a gluten-free flour. But if the dish is still chock full of butter, salt, and processed sugar, it’s not ultimately healthy. (Maybe delicious, but probably not great for the heart and thighs.)

The lesson? We’re better off looking at the facts and educating ourselves, rather than just taking a label or a trend at face value. Here’s to a smart, yummy, healthy diet!

For more articles on nutrition and a healthy diet, check out www.GetThrive.com