By Cliff Walsh
According to a USDA report assessing the healthiness of consumers' at-home eating choices, the average American is failing with regards to nutrition. As troublesome as this is, it's even worse when you consider the fact that it is more difficult to eat healthy when outside of the home, and more than 40% of Americans eat fast food and roughly 25% of Americans eat out at least once a week, according to numerous research studies.
Unfortunately, Americans have chosen fast and cheap over quality. This means highly processed foods with low-cost, unhealthy ingredients with long shelf lives. The most concerning processed foods are those with dangerous chemicals added to them to add flavor, texture, sweetness, or to preserve the so-called integrity of the product. The typical processed food contains unhealthy amounts of fat, sodium, sugar or artificial sweeteners, and other dangerous ingredients, many of which we don't know the long-term risks about. It is easy to see something has gone wrong when you look at the substantial rise in health issues among Americans in recent years.
There are many problems with processed foods, particularly those that are high in saturated fat, sodium, sugar or artificial sweeteners and flavors, and preservatives. They are not only unhealthy, but can be addicting as well. Some of the artificial ingredients can be so potent that our brains begin to crave them. Unhealthy and addicting is a poor combination as far as our health is concerned. Some of the most abundantly used food additives cause or are linked to serious medical conditions like autism and diabetes, and can impact brain and reproductive health.
How did this happen? How are these dangerous chemicals in our food supply? While the public appears to believe that the FDA has significant power over food additives similar to the pharmaceutical industry, it is an unfortunate mistake. The FDA actually has very little legal authority over chemical companies, who basically approve their own additives and chemicals, and are not even required to notify the FDA when new ingredients are being added to food products. It is a broken system.
I prefer my food grown in nature rather than created in a chemistry lab. The unknown long-term effects of these chemical concoctions should give everyone pause (and don't get me started on genetically-modified organisms or GMOs). Why are Americans poisoning themselves? Ignorance? Short-term convenience? To save money? We need to pay closer attention to what we are putting in our bodies and stop listening to the food companies when they tell us about a new superfood or that something is good for us. They want your money. Your health is not their concern.
Reading food labels is a great way to start so that you can truly see what you're eating on a daily basis. Eating organic, whole foods, coupled with lean proteins and essential fats is the best way to avoid harmful chemicals and future illness.
Unfortunately, Americans have chosen fast and cheap over quality. This means highly processed foods with low-cost, unhealthy ingredients with long shelf lives. The most concerning processed foods are those with dangerous chemicals added to them to add flavor, texture, sweetness, or to preserve the so-called integrity of the product. The typical processed food contains unhealthy amounts of fat, sodium, sugar or artificial sweeteners, and other dangerous ingredients, many of which we don't know the long-term risks about. It is easy to see something has gone wrong when you look at the substantial rise in health issues among Americans in recent years.
There are many problems with processed foods, particularly those that are high in saturated fat, sodium, sugar or artificial sweeteners and flavors, and preservatives. They are not only unhealthy, but can be addicting as well. Some of the artificial ingredients can be so potent that our brains begin to crave them. Unhealthy and addicting is a poor combination as far as our health is concerned. Some of the most abundantly used food additives cause or are linked to serious medical conditions like autism and diabetes, and can impact brain and reproductive health.
How did this happen? How are these dangerous chemicals in our food supply? While the public appears to believe that the FDA has significant power over food additives similar to the pharmaceutical industry, it is an unfortunate mistake. The FDA actually has very little legal authority over chemical companies, who basically approve their own additives and chemicals, and are not even required to notify the FDA when new ingredients are being added to food products. It is a broken system.
I prefer my food grown in nature rather than created in a chemistry lab. The unknown long-term effects of these chemical concoctions should give everyone pause (and don't get me started on genetically-modified organisms or GMOs). Why are Americans poisoning themselves? Ignorance? Short-term convenience? To save money? We need to pay closer attention to what we are putting in our bodies and stop listening to the food companies when they tell us about a new superfood or that something is good for us. They want your money. Your health is not their concern.
Reading food labels is a great way to start so that you can truly see what you're eating on a daily basis. Eating organic, whole foods, coupled with lean proteins and essential fats is the best way to avoid harmful chemicals and future illness.
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