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Speaking of breakthroughs, breakdowns, and breakouts
Click, I recently saw a report
card on America's eating habits over the past 35 years. The results were not
encouraging when it comes to the prevention and treatment of chronic disease. We
truly need to break the trend if we hope to live healthy and well. Here are the
highlights:
• The consumption of cheese is at an all-time high, at close to 32 pounds per
person per year. Full-fat ice cream has stayed the same (16 pounds per year), as
has low-fat ice cream (8 pounds per year). Given the saturated fat in dairy
products, not to mention the digestive problems with dairy proteins and sugars,
these trends are alarming. Better to break the trend and eliminate cheese and
ice cream from your diets altogether. The consumption of yogurt is up to more
than low-fat ice cream, which at least represents the lesser of all dairy evils.
• The consumption of added fats and oils is also at an all-time high, to nearly
90 pounds per person. Most of this comes from salad oil, cooking oil, and
shortening. Oils are another food worth avoiding or minimizing. At our house, we have gone to
cooking most of our foods with water and seasoning our salads with either balsamic
vinegar and Baba Ghannouj or non-fat / low-fat organic dressings. Shortening with hydrogenated
vegetable oils, along with beef tallow and lard, clog arteries and provoke
inflammation. The high-caloric value of fats and oils is another reason to be
concerned.
• Sweeteners, such as corn syrup and sugar, have taken a dip in the past five
years but we still consume far more than we did in 1970. At 140 pounds per
person per year, we are not only adding excess calories to our diets, we are
also setting ourselves up for problems with diabetes and Syndrome X. So don't do
that! If you need to sweeten something, you may want to try small amounts of Stevia -- a natural,
low-calorie sweetener
Click.
• Want to guess our most popular beverage? It's not clean, filtered, no-calorie
water. At more than 50 gallons per person per year, it's carbonated,
high-calorie beverages with all their concomitant problems. Coffee, milk, and
beer each come in above 20 gallons per year, along -- for the first time -- with
bottled water. That's the good news, although it may not mean that people are
drinking more water than before. It may just mean we are drinking more bottled
water than before. Be sure to drink at least 64 ounces (2 quarts or
approximately 2 liters) of water per day.
• Beef continues to be the most popular meat, at more than 60 pounds per person
per year, even though it's higher in saturated fat and additives than other
meat. That's the bad news. The good news is that chicken has climbed to the
second most popular meat, at just under 60 pounds per person per year. That's a
good trend if the chicken is baked, roasted, or poached, with a minimum of salt.
Unfortunately, most of that chicken is battered and fried in partially
hydrogenated oil, which means we are actually doing worse. Fish continues to
rank last in the meat department, even though the healthy fats in fish are known
to benefit cardiovascular health and other conditions.
• When it comes to grains, wheat flour, both white and whole wheat, top the
chart at 125 pounds per person per year. Given the problems with grain, gluten,
and glycemia, it's no wonder our health is suffering. All other grains pale in
comparison, with corn being next at 30 pounds per person per year. Rice comes in
at 20 and oats come in at 5. The decision to be gluten free, which eliminates
wheat, barley, rye, oats, and spelt from your diet, is a great way to reduce
your total intake of calories and to increase your intake of more healthy foods.
• Speaking of health, it's great to see that our total consumption of fruits
and vegetables is up, way up, over 35 years ago. Americans now consume about 425
pounds of fruit and 325 pounds of vegetables, not counting potatoes. Potatoes
(most often fried) represent another 100 pounds. The potatoes we can do without,
but the other fruits and vegetables represent a great, nutrient-rich trend.
There's no way to eat too much fresh fruit and vegetables. At our house, our
daily routine includes
a fruit smoothie for breakfast, a salad for lunch, and a colorful, steamed
vegetable for dinner.
Coaching Inquiries: How could you break the trend of rising dairy, fat, oil,
sweetener, soda, and grain consumption? How could you help your loved ones to do
the same? Do you eat an abundant amount of fresh fruits and vegetables on daily
basis? Do you drink enough clean, filtered water on a daily basis? Who could
assist you to eat better and eat well?
 To reply to this Pathway, use our
Feedback Form. To learn more about our
Wellness Coaching programs and to arrange for a complimentary wellness coaching
session, use our Contact Form or
Email Bob.
May you be filled with goodness, peace, and joy.
Bob Tschannen-Moran
LifeTrek Coaching International
121 Will Scarlet Lane
Williamsburg, VA 23185-5043
U.S.A.
Telephone: 757-345-3452
Fax: 772-382-3258
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