Sadly, Americans have pretty poor health for such a developed nation. Did you know that chronic diseases like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes cause 70% of deaths each year in America? The worst part is, these diseases are mostly preventable through healthy habits and good nutrition. Why are we satisfied with this? Why do we not more often analyze the connection between diet and health?
Don’t Americans ever wonder why two thirds of our deaths are caused by preventable diseases while we are one of the richest nations in the world? The American healthcare system is nowhere near inadequate enough to explain the state of our country’s poor health. We have great sanitation, a clean drinking supply, accessible medication, no major epidemics, and plenty of food for each person. In theory, we should be one of the healthiest nations in the world. So why aren’t we?
The answer must lie in the American diet and eating habits. What are we eating? Where is it coming from? How is it produced? How far does it travel before reaching our tummies? Even, who are we eating with, and where, why, and how fast? These questions are important, but not often enough considered. I think the key to our health is making active efforts to learn about nutrition and the things we put into our bodies, and then actually living by what we’ve learned.
Wouldn’t you trade some artificial flavorings and chemical sweeteners and pesticide-laden vegetables to live a longer, healthier, happier life? At the end of the day, these small choices might in fact make all the difference…