Lifestyle and Health

As a society we are overworked, overfed, overtired and overstressed. Is it any wonder our health, both physically and emotionally, is paying the ultimate price? According to the American Dietetic Association, 60% of American women try to juggle work with families. With the desire to spend less than 15 minutes to prepare a meal, there has been a virtual explosion of convenience foods, take-out, value-added (precut, pre-washed) and ready-made foods. Instead of "Mom in the kitchen preparing chicken with a broccoli / rice casserole and homemade bran muffins", either parent is now more likely to be transferring take-out fried or rotisserie chicken onto a platter to be served with delicatessen salads and bakery breads.

While it is easy for all of us to rationalize these dietetic choices, the results are quite literally killing us. The prevalence of obesity in the United States increased 57% from 1991 to 1999 according to CDC data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Diabetes rose a startling 6% in the one year period from 1998 to 1999. According to the CDC, about $98 billion was spent on health care associated with diabetes in 1997. It is estimated that 85% of those with diabetes are either overweight or obese. The increases in diabetes were in every category, including sex, age, race, education, weight and smoking status. We are digging our graves with our forks. Every year, half a million Americans die of heart disease. Every year, more than a million undergo coronary bypass surgery or angioplasty to enlarge the opening in clogged arteries. A shocking 10.3 million new cases of cancer are diagnosed each year worldwide. Motivated by mounting scientific evidence, national health organizations have retooled their dietary advice by putting fruits and vegetables front and center, where they belong.

Melanie Polk, AICR Director of Nutrition Education, states "We have reached an important milestone. Today, for the first time, those wishing to lower their risk for the world's three most pervasive and deadly diseases - heart disease, stroke and cancer - are hearing a single, clear message. The crux of that message is the tremendous disease-fighting potential of diets high in fruits and vegetables".

Expert reports indicate that diet changes alone may prevent 30 to 40 percent, or 3 to 4 million cases of cancer each year. In addition, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables offers the possibility of health benefits beyond that of a protective role against cancer. Large-scale adoption of a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products, combined with reduced intake of saturated and total fat is estimated to reduce coronary heart disease by approximately 15% and stroke by approximately 27%.2 A diet rich in fruits and vegetables may be a low-cost and practical means to delay cataracts,3 prevent asthma and bronchitis, particularly among children,4 and may provide an additional approach for the prevention and treatment of hypertension.

Research also identifies fiber, of which fruits and vegetables are a rich source, as potentially helping to control high serum cholesterol levels and protecting against diverticulosis. Folic acid found in most fruits and vegetables, particularly in green leafy vegetables and some citrus fruits, may have a protective role in heart disease and hypertension, as well as in cancer. The potassium found in a variety of vegetables and fruits may also help control hypertension.

Concerns regarding product safety have also affected healthy food choices. It is important to acknowledge that unsafe foods are never "good" food choices. However, emphasis should be placed on proactive, positive messages that consumers can implement.

For example, the 1998 scare of alar in apples resulted in near hysteria among mothers who thought they had fed their children tainted foods. Apple sales plummeted as a result. However, when consumers realized that the risks were insignificant, they returned to eating apples as in the past.6 Similarly, sensational media coverage of outdated and inaccurate statistics on the dangers of eating green sprouts has resulted in the near decimation of the commercial sprout industry in North America. Positive messages about the benefits of diets with plenty of fruits and vegetables, including green sprouts, will help to counteract unjustified fear-inducing campaigns.

Natural Alpha Omega 100% Organic Canadian Sprouted Golden Flaxseed Powder Products are a quick and inexpensive way to supplement your family's diet. They are a balanced whole-food source of vitamins, minerals, protein, enzymes, fiber and essential fatty acids.

 

  1. Position of the American Dietetic Association: Total Diet Approach to Communicating Food and Nutrition Information. (ADA Reports). January, 2002
  2. APPEL LJ, MOORE TJ, OBARZANEK E, VOLLMER, WM, SVETKEY LP, SACKS FM, BRAY GA, VOGT TM, CUTLER JA, WINDHAUSER MM, LIN PH, KARNAJA N for the DASH Collaborative Research Group. A Clinical Trial of the Effects of Dietary Patterns On Blood Pressure. N Engl J Med. 1997 136:1117-1124
  3. TAYLOR A, JACQUES PF, EPSTEIN EM Relations Among Aging, Antioxidant Status and Cataracts. AM J Clin Nutr.
  4. KLERK M, JANSEN MCJF, VAN'T VEER P, KOK FJ. Fruits and Vegetables in Chronic Disease Prevention. Wageningen, The Netherlands. Grafisch Bedrijf Ponsen and Looijen BV, 1998
  5. APPEL LJ, MOORE TJ, OBARZANEK E, VOLLMER, WM, SVETKEY LP, SACKS FM, BRAY GA, VOGT TM, CUTLER JA, WINDHAUSER MM, LIN PH, KARNAJA N for the DASH Collaborative Research Group. A Clinical Trial of the Effects of Dietary Patterns On Blood Pressure. N Engl J Med. 1997 136:1117-1124
  6. Position of the American Diatetic Association: Total Diet Approach to Communicating Food and Nutrition Information. (ADA Reports). January, 2002