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.
The problems with processed foods obviously lies with the latter type- foods that are high in sugar, saturated fat, salt, artificial sweeteners and flavors, food dyes, and preservatives. This makes them not only unhealthy, but addicting as well, a most unfortunate combination when considering one's long-term health. Many of the food additives that are most commonly used are linked to dozens of illnesses and dangerous conditions in addition to those already mentioned, including autism, Alzheimer's, cancer, infertility, neurotoxicity, among others.
Why are these chemicals in our food supply to begin with? Despite the mainstream belief that the FDA oversees the approval of chemicals that go into our food supply, nothing could be farther from the truth. Chemical companies approve their own chemicals with the FDA having virtually zero legal ability to limit the use of any food additive. These companies do not even need to inform the FDA that new ingredients have been brought to market. It is a ludicrous process.
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.
The problems with processed foods obviously lies with the latter type- foods that are high in sugar, saturated fat, salt, artificial sweeteners and flavors, food dyes, and preservatives. This makes them not only unhealthy, but addicting as well, a most unfortunate combination when considering one's long-term health. Many of the food additives that are most commonly used are linked to dozens of illnesses and dangerous conditions in addition to those already mentioned, including autism, Alzheimer's, cancer, infertility, neurotoxicity, among others.
Why are these chemicals in our food supply to begin with? Despite the mainstream belief that the FDA oversees the approval of chemicals that go into our food supply, nothing could be farther from the truth. Chemical companies approve their own chemicals with the FDA having virtually zero legal ability to limit the use of any food additive. These companies do not even need to inform the FDA that new ingredients have been brought to market. It is a ludicrous process.
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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