Monday, March 24, 2008

The Standard American Diet

If you were to list the factors that increase the risk of cancer, heart disease, stroke, intestinal disorders, just about any illness, the Standard American Diet has them all:
High in animal fats
High in unhealthy fats: saturated, hydrogenated
Low in fiber
High in processed foods
Low in complex carbohydrates
Low in plant-based foods

The striking fact is that cultures that eat the reverse of the standard American diet – low fat, high in complex carbohydrates, plant-based, and high in fiber – have a lower incidence of cancer and coronary artery disease (CAD).What's even sadder is that countries, whose populations can afford to eat the healthiest disease-preventing foods, don't.The United States has spent more money on cancer research than any country in the world. Yet the American diet contributes to the very diseases we are spending money to prevent.

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