The Standard American Diet and the Dangers of Unhealthy Eating!

         

          The Consequences of Eating Unhealthy Food

Ara Vahanian 

Where The Motivation For This Piece Came From?

The American diet or the standard American diet is one of those diets that is known to be extremely unhealthy. I believe that the average American diet must also change and that has to change soon otherwise we will see an increase in the number of overweight, obese, and sick people. I got an idea about an article like this because of a website called The Economic Collapse Blog. Well, the truth is that there is a crisis regarding the diet of the average person in America. Before we go any further into this, let me say that I am not a nutritionist and that this is just one perspective. But it is important to raise awareness of the dangers associated with unhealthy eating.

When I was younger, I was fortunate because my mother always fed me the healthy, nutritious food. But many of you in this country are not so lucky. The change in diet has to start with you. You have to be the disciplined person to change your diet.

Sugar: One Of The Main Ingredients Of The Standard American Diet That Is VERY Bad!

The average American has an obsession with sweet, sugary soft drinks. Just go to your local grocery store and take a look at the food items that are in the shopping carts of many of these people. You will see huge 2 liter bottles of Pepsi, Sprite, Mountain Dew, and other soft drinks loaded into the carts. The danger of drinking soft drinks is too numerous to mention here but soft drinks are just empty calories. Look at all that sugar that the average American consumes every year! And this contributes to a major obesity problem. The United States has a larger obesity problem than any other nation in the world. Sugar is also one of the main causes of people becoming overweight or obese. It is said that the average person in the United States consumes about 600 12 ounce soda cans in one year! That would be equal to 50 soda cans per month.

A Photo Of The Various Fast Foods That Are Terrible For Our Health

Source

Why Are People In The US Becoming So Overweight And Obese? What Can We Do About This?

It isn’t a surprise why this is happening. This is happening because of all these unhealthy diets. Well, that is one of the major factors associated with being overweight or obese. It starts in the household. If the parents feed their children the food that is high in saturated fat, salt, and sugar, then the children are going to grow up eating that way unless they decide to change their eating habits. I know that some will say that their kids are getting fatter because of the unhealthy school lunches. While that may be a reason for childhood obesity problems, that is only part of the problem when addressing the obesity issue. Parents have to be honest with themselves and admit that the way their son or daughter eats is really, really unhealthy. Parents are contributing to this problem but some of them would rather be in denial than accept that it also their fault for their child’s obesity problem. These habits will lead to heart disease, diabetes, cancer and a host of other health problems. In addition to these health problems, a diet that is high in fat will make you feel so bloated, heavy and sluggish that you will feel fatigued and sleepy.

Which choice will you make? Are you going to continue to sabotage your health by consuming food that is high in saturated fat, salt, sugar and low in fiber? If so, you have just increased your chances of an early death dramatically. But if you are concerned about your health, then stop eating all that unhealthy food and change your diet as soon as you can. But you need to be mindful and aware that changing your diet takes discipline. Your health is too important for you to be cheap with it and play around. As my brother always likes to say, “You can’t be cheap when it comes to your health.” Those are some really wise words and it is time that the American public woke up out of their sleep and realized that it their diet that is killing them slowly but surely.

More Unhealthy Food Seen Here

Hamburgers, onion rings, and pizza are just a few of the many unhealthy foods which can kill us in large doses.

A Few Examples Of Unhealthy Food

What are some examples of this kind of unhealthy food? One example of an unhealthy kind of food consumed here in America is French fries. It is estimated that there are 14.5 grams of artery clogging trans-fat in a medium sized order of French fries. That’s a ton of fat to consume every day. Margarine and vegetable shortening is another example of an unhealthy kind of food. These two products are said to contain about 30 to 40 percent trans-fat. If you needed any more reasons of why to not eat food that is so unhealthy, it is because an unhealthy diet also can make you moody, irritated, and angry and it won’t help you to live a long and healthy life. Most of all, unhealthy food is so toxic to the body that it actually gives you negative energy. So today is the day to change your diet and get started on the path to living a longer, healthier, and more vibrant lifestyle.

Four Major Consequences Of An Unhealthy Diet

Having stated this, what are some of the other effects of an unhealthy diet? There are many but for the sake of this written piece, we will address four major negative consequences of an unhealthy diet.

1. Deficiency in essential nutrients- an unhealthy diet leads to not having enough of the key essential nutrients that are needed for a healthy, vibrant, functioning body. The standard American diet often lacks in key nutrients such as potassium, Vitamin D, calcium, and dietary fiber (What Are The Effects of An Unhealthy Diet?, 2016). Low levels of calcium can cause bones to become weak and break apart. A diet low in potassium can lead to getting weaker muscles and feeling more tired. A diet low in fiber can lead to constipation and increase our risk of colon cancer which is obviously not cool!
2. The Increase of Chronic Diseases- According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans published in 2010, a diet high in fat, salt, and sugar increases a person’s risk of cardiovascular disease (heart attacks), hypertension, diabetes, and osteoporosis (What Are The Effects of An Unhealthy Diet?, 2016). As a side note, if you get sicker, this leads to a massive increase in your medical expenses so beware!
3. Massive Weight Gain- Another major effect of an unhealthy diet is massive weight gain. The CDC defines being overweight as having a body mass index or BMI of 25 or higher (What Are The Effects of An Unhealthy Diet?, 2016). Some factors that can contribute to this massive weight gain are not eating enough fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, eating too many foods that are fried, and consuming too much soda or beer. Not getting enough exercise and staying sedentary can also lead to getting massive weight gain.
4. The Big Effect of Unhealthy Eating- The big effect of this unhealthy eating habit leads to a BMI of 30 or higher which puts a person in the category of obese. According to the CDC, 35% of the population in the US is now obese (What Are The Effects of An Unhealthy Diet?, 2016). Obesity can also increase a person’s risk of other health conditions of which I did not even know until now. Some of these other health conditions are:

• Strokes
• Sleep apnea
• Liver disease
• Gallbladder disease
• Osteoarthritis
• Infertility

So there you have it. An unhealthy diet is too dangerous to have and I am optimistic that this written piece will raise awareness of the dangers of the standard American diet and unhealthy eating.

Works Cited

What Are The Effects of An Unhealthy Diet? (2016, August 25). Retrieved from Livestrong.com: http://www.livestrong.com/article/200742-what-are-the-effects-of-an-unhealthy-diet/

https://hubpages.com/health/

10 Symptoms Of Kidney Disease One Shouldn’t Ignore!

Kidney disease symptoms are usually silent and do not seem obvious until it reaches a late stage. In fact, in most cases, the symptoms do not even appear until the condition is critical. To help you know better, some of the critical symptoms of kidney disease have been listed here so you can get treated for them early before it is too late.

Here are the 10 common symptoms of kidney disease that you shouldn’t ignore:

1. Changes In Your Urinary Function

If there is a sudden and obvious change in the amount you pee or the number of times you pee in a day, this is the first symptom of kidney disease. Try and keep a track of the number of times you go to the urinal. If it’s way more than your regular times, then you need to get your kidneys checked. Also, watch your fluid intake too.

2. Shortness Of Breath

A severe result of kidney disease is a build-up of excess fluids in your lungs, which leads to shortness of breath or feeling breathless easily. You will not be able to run, exercise, walk and talk, or do something physically strenuous without running out of breath.

3. Blood In The Urine

If you see blood in your urine, it is a real cause for concern and a classic kidney disease symptom. There is a chance that your disease is in a bad stage. Even if you see blood in your urine once, it’s a serious alarm. Do not neglect this and rush to a doctor immediately.

4. Foamy Urine

If your pee is looking foamy, that is definitely not a normal sign unless it is a symptom of kidney disease. Foamy urine usually happens when protein is being leaked from a person’s body, and there is a chance that there are waste material inside. You need to see a doctor immediately.

5. Swelling Or Oedema

Kidneys are responsible for the removal of toxins, waste and extra fluids from the body. But when they are unable to do that, all these waste materials slowly accumulate in the body. A sign of this build up happening can be noticed if you’re feet are swelling, your face is looking puffy and if there is a tightness in your hands. This condition is called oedema.

6. Extreme Fatigue, Anemia And Weakness

Kidneys produce a hormone called erythropoietin, which helps the body’s red blood cells carry oxygen. But in case your body malfunctions, the number of these hormones fall immensely, which causes anemia and makes you feel weak and feel extremely fatigued.

7. Dizziness And Inability To Concentrate

Also common symptoms of anemia, these symptoms are also closely linked to kidney disease, as there is a lower amount of oxygen in your brain, which then makes you feel dizzy, have trouble focusing, feel sluggish and more. Do consult a doctor if your dizziness persists even after sleeping well and eating healthy foods.

8. Feeling Cold All The Time

If you’re constantly feeling cold even when the surroundings are decently warm or humid, then this could be one obvious sign of kidney disease. You will start shivering, feel a little feverish and tired. Don’t misread this symptom and rely on self-medication.

9. Skin Rashes And Itching

                                                                                                                                                                   

The final sign of kidney disease is just when your body can’t take anymore because there is an excess build-up of waste materials in your blood, resulting in nausea and vomiting. You will vomit everything you eat or drink. Consult a doctor soon.

If you’re thinking twice after nodding to three or more of these symptoms, stop thinking and go get yourself checked for kidney failure or disease as soon as possible.

http://www.curejoy.com/content/10-symptoms-kidney-disease-one-shouldnt-ignore/

Vitamin B12 as Protection for the Aging Brain!

As a woman of a certain age who consumes a well-balanced diet of all the usual food groups, including reasonable amounts of animal protein, I tend to dismiss advice to take a multivitamin supplement. I’ve been told repeatedly by nutrition experts that the overuse of dietary supplements for “nutritional insurance” has given Americans the most expensive urine in the world.

I do take a daily supplement of vitamin D, based on considerable evidence of its multiple health benefits, especially for older people. However, based on advice from the National Academy of Medicine and an examination of accumulating research, I’m prompted to consider also taking a vitamin B12 supplement in hopes of protecting my aging brain.

Animal protein foods — meat, fish, milk, cheese and eggs — are the only reliable natural dietary sources of B12, and I do get ample amounts of several in my regular diet. But now at age 75, I wonder whether I’m still able to reap the full benefit of what I ingest.

You see, the ability to absorb B12 naturally present in foods depends on the presence of adequate stomach acid, the enzyme pepsin and a gastric protein called intrinsic factor to release the vitamin from the food protein it is attached to. Only then can the vitamin be absorbed by the small intestine. As people age, acid-producing cells in the stomach may gradually cease to function, a condition called atrophic gastritis.

A century ago, researchers discovered that some people — most likely including Mary Todd Lincoln — had a condition called pernicious anemia, a deficiency of red blood cells ultimately identified as an autoimmune disease that causes a loss of stomach cells needed for B12 absorption. Mrs. Lincoln was known to behave erratically and was ultimately committed to a mental hospital.

“Depression, dementia and mental impairment are often associated with” a deficiency of B12 and its companion B vitamin folate, “especially in the elderly,” Dr. Rajaprabhakaran Rajarethinam, a psychiatrist at Wayne State University School of Medicine, has written.

He described a 66-year-old woman hospitalized with severe depression, psychosis and a loss of energy and interest in life who had extremely low blood levels of B12 and whose symptoms were almost entirely reversed by injections of the vitamin.

European researchers have also shown that giving B12 to people deficient in the vitamin helped protect many of the areas of the brain damaged by Alzheimer’s disease. In a two-year study at the University of Oxford of 270 people older than 70 with mild cognitive impairment and low B12 levels, Dr. Helga Refsum, a professor of nutrition at the University of Oslo, found reduced cerebral atrophy in those treated with high doses of the vitamin.

“A B12 vitamin deficiency as a cause of cognitive issues is more common than we think, especially among the elderly.

The academy estimates that between 10 percent and 30 percent of people older than 50 produce too little stomach acid to release B12 from its carrier protein in foods, and as the years advance, the percentage of low-acid producers rises.

But many people do not know they produce inadequate amounts of stomach acid. In fact, evidence from a study of young adults called the Framingham Offspring Study suggests that insufficient absorption of B12 from foods may even be common among adults aged 26 to 49, so the following advice may pertain to them as well.

The academy recommends that adults older than 50 get most of their daily requirement of B12 — 2.4 micrograms for people 14 and older, slightly more for women who are pregnant or nursing — from a synthetic form of the vitamin found in foods fortified with B12 or in a multivitamin supplement. Synthetic B12 is not attached to protein and thus bypasses the need for stomach acid. Given that I eat very few fortified foods, a supplement with B12 is likely to be my best option.

Certain groups besides older people are also at risk of a B12 deficiency. They include vegetarians and vegans who consume little or no animal foods; people with disorders of the stomach and small intestine like celiac disease and Crohn’s disease; chronic users of proton-pump inhibitors to control acid reflux; and people whose digestive systems were surgically reduced for weight-loss or treatment for cancer or ulcerative colitis.

Among those most likely to be B12 deficient are the older patients in nursing homes whose diets are limited, and this deficiency may account in part for the symptoms of cognitive dysfunction so common among nursing home residents.

While a B12 deficiency can take years to develop, encroaching symptoms can be distressing and eventually devastating. It can also be challenging to link such symptoms to a nutrient deficiency.

In an online posting in July, David G. Schardt, the senior nutritionist for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, noted that symptoms of B12 deficiency include fatigue, tingling and numbness in the hands and feet, muscle weakness and loss of reflexes, which may progress to confusion, depression, memory loss and dementia as the deficiency grows more severe.

Early symptoms can be reversed by treatment with high doses of B12, usually given by injection. But symptoms related to nerve damage and dementia are more likely to be permanent. Thus, it is especially important for people at risk of a B12 deficiency to have their blood tested for it periodically. For example, experts at Kaiser Permanente in Oakland, Calif., suggest that chronic users of proton-pump inhibitors should have their B12 level tested every two years.

Vegetarians and vegans need not despair. In addition to B12 supplements, various commercially prepared plant-based foods, like some breakfast cereals, nondairy milks and soy products and one type of nutritional yeast, are fortified with synthetic B12. The Vegan Society recommends eating two to three servings a day of fortified foods to get at least three micrograms of B12.

However, Dr. Ralph Carmel, a retired hematologist now affiliated with New York University who studied the effects of B12 for decades, cautions against taking megadoses of the vitamin. He said in an interview that too often, “People who really need B12 don’t get it, and those who don’t need it, like athletes, often take huge doses — 2,000 or 5,000 micrograms a day. We don’t know what such doses can do in the long run. If an older person has low-ish B12 levels, I don’t object to taking 500 or 1,000 micrograms a day, but 5,000 is ridiculous.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/06/well/mind/vitamin-b12-as-protection-for-the-aging-brain.html 

A New Breakthrough in Lab-Grown Cells Could Restore Hearing!

. Once these hair cells are destroyed in a human ear, they don’t regenerate.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), sensory hair cell injury accounts for 90 percent of hearing loss cases in the United States. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that about “360 million people worldwide have disabling hearing loss, and 32 million of these are children.”
But what if these hair cells could be regrown? That’s the idea behind a study conducted by a team of scientists from Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Their research has long been in the making and is now published in the journal Cell Reports.

Image credit: Photopin

In 2012, lead scientist Albert Edge discovered stem cells in the ear called Lgr5+ cells. These were also found in the lining of human intestines, where they actively regenerate every eight days. Edge’s team found a way to convince these stem cells to develop into hair cells instead of intestinal cells. The process took a great deal of time, however, and it only yielded 200 hair cells. Now, the team had managed to grow 11,500 hair cells from the Lgr5+ cells in mice, which are among the few mammals whose cells can regenerate when they are newly born.
The researchers achieved this higher yield by adding a new step to their process. After taking the Lgr5+ cells from the mice, they coaxed them to divide within a special growth medium. This increased the number of Lgr5+ cells two-thousandfold. The stem cells were then moved to a different kind of growth culture, at which point certain chemicals were added that turned the Lgr5+ cells into hair cells.

“A Big Advance”

Each human ear has about 16,000 hair cells in its cochlea, the actual hearing organ found deep in the ear canal. These hair cells are divided into outer hair cells and inner hair cells, each with a specialized role in handling sound.
While these lab-grown hair cells seem to have many characteristics similar to these outer and inner hair cells, Edge admits that they may not yet be fully functional. His team tested their technique on a sample of healthy ear tissue taken from a 40-year-old brain tumor patient that underwent a labyrinthectomy. The isolated adult human stem cells did differentiate into hair cells, but not as robustly as the mouse cells had.
Still, neuroscience professor and hair-cell regeneration expert Jeff Corwin from the University of Virginia School of Medicine told Live Science he found the research to be “a very impressive study…by a dream team of scientists.” Corwin, who wasn’t involved in the study, called it “a big advance” in sensory hearing cell regeneration. “You can see in their paper that they are perfecting their technique as they go along,” he added.
While the team works to continue improving their methods, Edge said that their lab-grown hair cells may have one immediate application — large sets of the cells can be made and used to test drugs and identify which compounds can heal damaged hair cells or induce regeneration.


https://futurism.com/a-new-breakthrough-in-lab-grown-cells-could-restore-hearing/

Healthy Coconut Chia Pudding

Our friends here are coconut milk, chia seeds, and stevia, which make a wonderful pudding. Combined with fresh fruit, it makes a healthy dessert or post-workout snack (if you add a little protein on the side).

If you don’t like the gel-like consistency of hydrated chia seeds, you can simply grind the seeds and then blend the coconut milk and ground chia seeds and you’ll get a super smooth pudding. I absolutely love the whole seeds and crunch of this pudding so I left them whole.



To keep the pudding dessert-like and sweet, make that little extra effort and peel the wedges out of their skins. It’s really easy. Just cut off the top edge with a sharp knife and then peel down the sides with your fingers. It doesn’t have to be perfect and the bottom will still have bits and pieces of skin, but as long as you get most of the skin off you’ll be good.
Cutting the kiwi into stars like I did is obviously totally optional. I love how it looks but in terms of taste, it doesn’t make a difference. Feel free to cut ugly fruit pieces to save on time. I promise to only judge you a little

This Coconut Chia Pudding is super rich in vitamin C thanks to the fruits and high in magnesium, calcium, and iron thanks to my all time favorite little chia seeds. Put the dessert in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving and it will be an excellent refreshment for hot summer evenings.
If you really want to give yourself a delicious and healthy treat, make a few of my Cottage Cheese Pancakes as well and eat them with the pudding. I sometimes use strawberries instead of fruit in the Coconut Chia Pudding, put it on my pancakes, and eat them as if they were pancakes with ice cream. Yummy!!
This recipe makes three snack-sized servings for me. I usually eat them after a high-protein meal, so that’s perfect for me. If you want to serve them as a stand-alone snack, you can easily call it two servings instead. They can keep for a little while in the fridge but don’t let them sit for too long or they will become runny.
 

Healthy Coconut Chia Pudding

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

0 minutes

Total Time

5 mins

This easy, healthy and delicious Coconut Chia Pudding satisfies my cravings for a sweet desert while still being diabetes friendly.

Servings: 3 servings

Calories: 174 kcal

Author: Christel Oerum

Ingredients

• ½ can light coconut milk
• ¼ cup (40 g) chia seeds
• Liquid stevia to taste (I used 3 drops)
• 2 Clementines
• 2 Kiwis
• Sprinkle of unsweetened shredded coconut

Instructions

1. Pour coconut milk into a bowl and sweeten with stevia to taste. Whisk well
2. Add chia seeds and give it another quick whisk. Set aside
3. Peel the clementines and remove the skin covering each wedge
4. Peel kiwi and dice
5. Layer some fruit, chia pudding, then fruit again, then chia pudding, then decorate with remaining fruit and finish by sprinkling some unsweetened coconut on top
    
   

Nutrition Facts

Healthy Coconut Chia Pudding

Amount Per Serving

Calories 174 Calories from Fat 77

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 8.5g 13%

Saturated Fat 3.1g 16%

Trans Fat 0g

Polyunsaturated Fat 0.6g

Monounsaturated Fat 0.4g

Cholesterol 0mg 0%

Sodium 22.8mg 1%

Potassium 173.2mg 5%

Total Carbohydrates 24.2g 8%

Dietary Fiber 8.5g 34%

Sugars 10.3g

Protein 3.2g 6%

Vitamin A 0.7%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

This recipe was developed for TheFitBlog by Lorena Grater from Green Healthy Cooking
.