There is room for improvement in the Standard American Diet (S.A.D.). Also known as the Western diet, the S.A.D. is a dramatically different eating pattern compared to the way people ate just a few hundred years ago. It contains white flour; sugar; excessive amounts of meat and dairy; artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives.
We once consumed mostly fruits, vegetables, wild grains and seeds, fish, and occasionally meat. If we had continued the eating and activity pattern of that time period, we would have far fewer chronic diseases now...
We once consumed mostly fruits, vegetables, wild grains and seeds, fish, and occasionally meat. If we had continued the eating and activity pattern of that time period, we would have far fewer chronic diseases now...
You can see a timeline of the Standard American Diet that has led us to our current over consumption of sugar, refined flour, and processed food.
Most of us could be making better eating choices throughout the day, myself included. You may have the best intentions to eat healthy foods and yet the physical and social environments where we live, work, and play often undermine our best efforts. It takes a fair amount of planning to have healthy foods close at hand and avoid eating the inferior choices that are more readily accessible.
This 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans figure shows just how far off today's Standard American Diet is compared to current dietary recommendations:
Most of us could be making better eating choices throughout the day, myself included. You may have the best intentions to eat healthy foods and yet the physical and social environments where we live, work, and play often undermine our best efforts. It takes a fair amount of planning to have healthy foods close at hand and avoid eating the inferior choices that are more readily accessible.
This 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans figure shows just how far off today's Standard American Diet is compared to current dietary recommendations:
Derived from a number of scientific surveys, the bars represent the average intake for Americans, young and old, based on a percentage of the dietary recommendations. As you can see, most people need to eat more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
At the same time we should limit our intake of solid fats and added sugars (SoFAS), refined grains (e.g., products made from white flour), sodium, and saturated fats. Limiting processed foods that are not healthy because they contain too much fat, sugar, or salt is a challenging dietary adjustment that would be beneficial for many of us.
To clear up some common nutrition misunderstandings, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics developed an on-line Fact or Fiction game that may give you some ideas on how to change your diet from S.A.D. to healthy.
Be Well,
Mary
March 13, 2013 Update: Last night I started reading a fascinating book, Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us by New York Times Pulitzer Prize–winning investigative reporter, Michael Moss. The book was released last month and recently reviewed in the Sunday New York Times. There's an accompanying video on Amazon (look below the book image) where Moss reveals how Americans have tripled their cheese consumption since the 1970s. You may also be interested in Amy Goodman's interview of Michael Moss on Democracy Now.
P.S. Please ignore the text box below; your comments are always welcome here.
At the same time we should limit our intake of solid fats and added sugars (SoFAS), refined grains (e.g., products made from white flour), sodium, and saturated fats. Limiting processed foods that are not healthy because they contain too much fat, sugar, or salt is a challenging dietary adjustment that would be beneficial for many of us.
To clear up some common nutrition misunderstandings, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics developed an on-line Fact or Fiction game that may give you some ideas on how to change your diet from S.A.D. to healthy.
Be Well,
Mary
March 13, 2013 Update: Last night I started reading a fascinating book, Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us by New York Times Pulitzer Prize–winning investigative reporter, Michael Moss. The book was released last month and recently reviewed in the Sunday New York Times. There's an accompanying video on Amazon (look below the book image) where Moss reveals how Americans have tripled their cheese consumption since the 1970s. You may also be interested in Amy Goodman's interview of Michael Moss on Democracy Now.
P.S. Please ignore the text box below; your comments are always welcome here.
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