There is no doubt of the relationship between your diet and health. There is a definite connection between what you eat and how you will live. After all, you are what you eat! There are over 13.5 million American’s today who have a history of angina or heart conditions of both. Fifty percent of these people are 60 years or older. Eighty three percent of people who die of a heart attack are age 65 or more.
The link between fat in your diet is more evident today than ever before. Death rates related to high cholesterol and Obesity have fast tracked to become a leading cause of death for American’s, second only to Lung Cancer deaths.
French researchers recently examined 250 men and women age 60 to 70 and found that those who had fatty plaque narrowing their arteries(arteriosclerosis) were 9 times more likely to have a stroke than those who did not have plaque buildup.
There is plenty you can do to reverse high cholesterol, heart disease, and other medical conditions, and get back to a healthier you. You just have to recognize the beast! The beasts name is called ‘FAT’.
American’s love it. We worship it. We consume it. We overeat fatty foods when we’re hungry instead of grabbing healthy foods. We eat fatty foods when we’re down and depressed cause we think they make us feel better. There is an addiction to fat in our country and it’s causing a downward spiral in your diet and health.
American’s eat the equivalent of 1&1/2 cups of butter every week. That equals out to 6 sticks of butter! Pretty scary stuff huh?
If you take control of your diet and health, you will substantially reduce your chances of heart disease and reduce your risk of stroke. Stroke occurs when blood clots block arteries that supply blood to the brain.
French researchers recently examined 250 men and women age 60 to 70 and found that those who had fatty plaque narrowing their arteries(arteriosclerosis) were 9 times more likely to have a stroke than those who did not have plaque buildup.
Cancer can also be linked to an excessive amount of fat in the diet. In fact dietary fat is related to as many as 40% of cancers in men and 60% of cancers in women. Read meat is one of the biggest culprits, increasing the instance of colon, rectal, and prostate cancer in men. For women the increases were found in colon and possibly breast cancer cases. Researchers are now linking it to lung cancer as well.
So why do we still eat it? Some of us may just not know any better, especially those who grew up in the mid 1900’s. (Those people over 60 years old) Even though information about fat intake has been around for a long time, many people believe that fat is a necessary part of your diet and health. That is true to a certain extent. Fat does have some good points. Some fats provide us with the essential fatty acids we need to regulate body temperature, assist in healthy skin and hair, and protect nerves and vital organs.
The problem is that not all fats are created equal and many of us don’t understand the difference between the good and the bad ones.
- Mono-unsaturated fats such as olive oil and canola oil and polyunsaturated fats like corn and safflower oils are considered healthier choices when you consume them in moderation.
- Saturated fats are predominantly found in meat, eggs and dairy products. Excessive amounts of these products can cause major health problems for American’s.
- Trans-fatty acids are another type of harmful fat. These are unsaturated fats that manufacturers use to solidify certain foods like margarine and vegetable shortening. In addition to being harmful they have no dietary value at all.
It’s pretty bad when a typical American meal does not consist of one type of fat or another but a combination of several. When we eat we consume a large amount of bad fats. Thats not good for your diet and health related medical conditions!
Switching to a low-fat diet that largely consists of unsaturated fats may quickly rejuvenate your body, regardless of your age. Health related conditions like diabetes, high cholesterol, gout or heart disease, can be reversed with a low fat diet, no matter what your age!
Limit saturated fat to less than 10% of daily calories and cut back on fat. The benefits will increase life expectancy.
Eat a low fat diet and health related conditions may just disappear!
Fiber – If there was one element of our diets that we could ‘wish away’ it might be fiber. Fiber is what’s left over after our bodies have squeezed every bit of nutritive value from the foods we consume. We might not like it, but we need it. Don’t think fiber is not important either. It is a very important part of your diet and health. Sadly, most older Americans get no more than 14.8 grams of fiber a day when you actually need 25 to 35 grams to protect against disease!
You can simply get more fiber in your diet by adding some fiber supplements. Find products that have the words 'natural' or 'high fiber' on them. They will do the most good for your body. Try Konsyl Natural Fiber Supplement or Ultra Fiber High Fiber Supplement. These types of products get thick when you mix them up. The thickness helps to sweep the bowels down the intestinal tract which provides easier elimination.
If you can't stand the thick stuff, try Benefiber Sugar Free Non-Thickening Powder Supplement or the tablets you eat. Any way you can get more fiber in your diet is good! (BTW: lite bread has 7 grams of fiber. Most other breads and the ones that boast 'whole grain', only have 5 grams or less.)
You can make up the difference by changing dietary habits and do it easily. Researchers have found an astounding 33% drop in cholesterol in some patients who did nothing more than increase dietary fiber and reduce fat. There is also research that indicates the perillyl alcohol contained in fiber shows promise of slowing down the growth of certain cancer tumors.
Your diet and health are related! You really are what you eat! If you eat excessive fat, you will be fat. If you are thin and you eat a lot of fat, your body is hiding fat in the walls of your arteries!
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