CHANGE is the running theme of nutrition and regulations. Often it
seems scientists discover new food benefits that have been around for awhile only
to reverse their findings a few years later. Take cholesterol for example—this
just in! Eggs are good! You can eat eggs again for breakfast—now if they would
just approve bacon as healthy…
Why the change? Dietary cholesterol, which is highly prevalent
within an egg yolk, is no longer considered to be a threat to your cholesterol
and heart health. To state the findings "Cholesterol is not considered a
nutrient of concern for over-consumption," states the Dietary Guidelines
Advisory Committee (DGAC). Previously, it was recommended that we keep our
dietary cholesterol intake below 300 mg a day. The change in 2015 takes in the
perspective of what I had talked about in my February blog with regard to sugar
and food companies' ability to increase or decrease the amount of a
macro-nutrient when other macro-nutrients are decreased.
In theory, when we are given recommendations to decrease our
cholesterol we must consume foods that are lower in that area. In order for a
product to be processed and reduced in its overall fat count, something must be
added in its place so that it continues to taste good. So sugar is added in
when fat is stripped from the product. In the last few years, we have seen a dramatic
shift in the waistline of the average American. Increased consumption of sugar
has led to a nationwide epidemic of health concerns and conditions. Diabetes
Mellitus Type II has increased significantly within the population affecting
about one in every three Americans. In fact, the percent of healthy adults in
the U.S. has steadily declined since 1994.
Realizing the impact that a high sugar diet is having on
Americans, the DGAC dug into cholesterol and noticed that "only 15% of
circulating cholesterol in the blood comes from what you eat. The other 85%
comes from the liver." Now this doesn't mean we can go out and eat fries
and a hamburger every day, the focus of your diet should be well balanced and
full of nutrients. The committee suggests reducing your intake of added sugars,
solid fats, and refined (processed) food and grains. Two other big focuses are
to limit your salt intake to less than 2,300 mg/day and keep your added sugars
to less than 10% of your total calories/day.
Here's the bottom line.
What we are eating is not only affecting our habits, but our
children's habits as well. Half of American adults have one or more preventable
chronic diseases that relate to poor quality dietary patterns and physical
inactivity. Not only are more than two-thirds of adults considered overweight
or obese, but nearly one-third of our children are considered obese.
Let me bring this topic home with one last point.
As a society, we have gotten to a point where the busyness of our
lives has continued to deteriorate our lives. We have created convenience in
the form of food, fad diets, quick workouts, social media and cell phones.
Overwhelming evidence shows that each one of these monsters created for our own
good has turned around to destroy our very existence. I know it isn't easy to
find time to grocery shop, workout, cook or now even talk on the phone. Trust
me I have my days as well. The reality is—we are letting go of the beautiful
blessings of life so that we can hurry through it. Social media was created so we
could connect to more people, but I know that most of my family and friends now
spend less time talking, hanging out or chatting with one another.
Fast foods were created so we could eat a good meal during our busy
schedules, but those are typically the least healthy meals we get. Exercise DVD's
were created so we could workout in our home, when we have been given nature
around us to enjoy. Social media was created to help us stay connected to each other’s
lives, but how many of us can honestly say we have a deeper relationship with
more individuals then before? Life is passing us by, so I ask you to take a
step back from your day and ponder this question:
If convenience is defined as the quality of being useful, easy and
suitable,
what choices are you making
today that you should be giving more thought to and where are you letting life pass
you by when you could stop to smell the roses?
Take a moment to reflect and thanks for stopping by to read A Well
Led Life.
