What You Need to Know

Poor dietary habits consist of foods high in saturated fats, sugars such as high fructose corn syrup and salt.  All of which are associated with amplified risks of heart disease, cancers and a host of other ailments.  People who ingest high levels of salt are also at risk of elevated blood pressure which ultimately increases the risk of heart disease and stroke.  Those who ingest large amounts of high fructose corn syrup and other sugar-laden foods are at risk of diabetes.  In order to correct these issues, the solution is clear, cut back on your consumption of highly saturated fatty foods, reduce cholesterol intake, avoid sugar and other high fructose corn syrups products and lower the amount of salt used on a daily bases. On average, men consume 4.2 grams of sodium per day while women consume 2.9 grams of sodium per day.  That may not seem like an enormous amount of salt, however, if the food tastes salty then it too much salt.  Our suggested consumption of no more than 11% saturated fat, no more than 2% trans-fat equaling no greater than 35% of total fat and no more than 11% sugars for energy has caused a countless health issue in today’s society.    Currently, diabetes and obesity are a reality in the lives of many Americans according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The rate doubles each year despite the fact that about a half-million people die of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and stroke every year, accounting for one in every four deaths.  The facts are astonishing, what’s even more perplexing is that people continue to consume enormous amounts of unhealthy food on a regularly after a substantial amount of evidence has come forth. 

In 2010, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services implemented key steps toward addressing the public health crisis by dramatically overhauling dietary guidelines. They switched the familiar food pyramid that fashioned Americans’ eating habits for virtually two decades with a new “food plate” that, for the first time, encouraged people to elect fruits and vegetables half their diet, while emphasizing smaller portions overall. Yet many experts suggest these recommendations aren’t enough to address major health issues facing society. The government’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans, (DGAs), are being scrutinized once again, as part of a review that takes place every five years. In the 2015 guidelines, scientists and nutritionists were calling on the USDA and HHS to go further — to be explicit in condemning highly processed junk food, and more specific about which foods to eat or avoid.  To find out more about what “The Dietary Guidelines for Americans: What It Is, What It Is Not” click this link. “Adrienne Vanterpool”