Note: this post has been updated in February 2022. According to the World Health ...
Standard American diet
Let’s talk about the Standard American diet, its constituents, and how people follow it. There is a big problem with the Standard American Diet. The most significant risk factor for disease, disability, and death is the Standard American diet. Very high intakes of red meat, processed meat, pre-packaged foods, butter, candy and sweets, fried foods, etc., are some foods eaten in America. The people of America and what they eat are surprisingly dangerous to us. Wrong foods, portion control, and toxic chemicals in the food are numerous problems with the American Diet. Like most eaters, the American diet amounts to processed foods, refined carbohydrates and added sugars, refined fats, high-fat dairy products, and red meat.
In America, we can find a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, and healthy proteins in any grocery store in any town. Also, they have access to good quality food. Every city and small town has grocery stores that carry food, and they generally handle that food with careful safety practices. These safety practices are the good side of the American diet. However, there is a dark, bad, and ugly side. As ancient humans began to consume more cereal grains and less meat, bone health and resistance to disease began to deteriorate.
For instance, we rely on fast food for most meals, which increases calories, salt, and sugar while reducing the vitamin and mineral intake needed for good health. The information about eating the wrong foods is incredibly accurate for younger Americans. The challenge is to change the mindset of individuals in a society that wants instant gratification, which includes processed foods and fast food establishments. The modern world has gotten increasingly addicted to processed food, which is a fact. And so a health crisis arises, and people die from food poisoning. The tragic complementary fact is that processed foods are bad for our health, and the Standard American Diet is killing us.
Processed food has changed from its natural form to chemical processing. Much of the current research supports the assertion that refined carbohydrate consumption is the main culprit in the proliferation of these disease states, mainly because high blood sugar increases body inflammation, which triggers other disease processes. If it is a single-ingredient food with no added chemicals, it does not matter if it’s been ground or put into a jar; it is still real food. However, foods that have been chemically processed and made solely from refined ingredients and artificial substances are generally known as “processed foods.”