|
|
(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Twenty-five years ago, worldwide, the greatest risk for early death came from childhood and maternal malnutrition, unsafe water, and poor sanitation, but the risks have changed. Today what you eat or don’t eat will kill you.
The Global Burden of Disease Study 2013 (http://www.healthdata.org/research-article/global-regional-and-national-comparative-risk-assessment-188-countries-2013) identified 14 dietary risk factors including a diet low in fruit, vegetable, whole grains, nuts and fiber, and a diet rich in red meat, processed foods and sugar-sweetened drinks. Making poor food choices leads to high blood pressure and overweight. For women in the Americas, North Africa and the Middle East, a high BMI (weighing too much for your height) is the leading risk factor for early death. A high BMI is also a leading risk in Spain, France, Belgium and Switzerland. For men in higher-income countries high blood pressure and tobacco use are leading risk factors. In Russia the second biggest risk was alcohol use.
Worldwide 11.3 million deaths each year are due to poor eating habits plus 241.1 million DALYs. One DALY (Disability Adjusted Life Years) equals one year of productive life lost due to a disability. High blood pressure claims 10.4 million deaths yearly and 208.1 million DALYs. A high BMI, being too heavy for a given height, claims 4.4 million deaths yearly and adds 134 million DALYs to our global health toll. The researchers for the Global Burden of Disease Study pointed out that many of the risks identified are modifiable, so there is great potential to reduce the risk of dying too early and to reduce the burden on society of days lost to disability.
Reducing the sodium we eat is one simple way to help reduce blood pressure. While researchers argue about how low our daily sodium intake should be, there is no question that a moderate reduction in sodium intake would benefit many. In the US more than 90% of US adults eat too much salt (http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2015/14_0500.htm) and very little of it comes from the salt shaker. Over 75% of the salt eaten every day comes from ready-to-eat foods – take-out dinners, restaurant meals, pizza, soup, snacks, candy, cakes and soda. Fewer than half the foods we toss into our grocery cart meet the FDA’s healthy sodium-per-serving labeling recommendation – less than 600 milligrams for meals and less than 480 milligrams for individual servings of food
What can you do to prevent an early death and reduce the number of disability days in your life? Exercising regularly and not smoking are a good place to start. Eating well is also important. Here is some commonsense eating advice to try.
Eat less, but enjoy what you eat. Food should be a pleasurable experience, but, portions have grown enormously in the last 20 years. All this super-sizing may be super-sizing you.
Eat lots of fruits and vegetables. These are nature’s nutrition powerhouses – low in calories, with little if any fat, no cholesterol, and chuck full of vitamins, minerals and powerful disease fighting phytochemicals.
Eat whole grains instead of refined carbs (like white bread). Whole grains are made up of the entire grain kernel. The germ is rich in vitamins and minerals. The endosperm is made of up carbohydrate and protein. The bran is mostly fiber. Aim for at least 3 servings a day.
Eat less sugar but you don’t have to give it up.
Most of us enjoy sweets but, we are overdoing it. Grains, fruits, vegetables, milk and yogurt all contain natural sugars that come along with the vitamins, minerals and fiber also found in those foods. Soda, candy, fruit drinks, cakes, ice cream and jelly contain added sugar which offers little more than sweetness and calories.
Eat more good fats like olive oil, fish, and nuts. These foods contain healthy monounsaturated fats and heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
Eat lean proteins. Fish, chicken without the skin, lean beef, pork and lamb are lean protein choices with less saturated fat.
Enjoy a glass of wine, but not the whole bottle. A little can be healthy but a lot can be damaging. One drink a day for women and no more than 2 drinks for men protects your heart. As you get older, many experts recommend no more than 1 drink a day for all over 55.
© NRH Nutrition Consultants, Inc.
Jo-Ann Heslin, MA, RD, CDN is a registered dietitian and the author of the nutrition counter series for Pocket Books with sales of more than 8.5 million books.
Look for:
The Diabetes Counter, 5th Ed., 2014
The Fat and Cholesterol Counter, 2014
The Most Complete Food Counter, 3rd ed., 2013
The Calorie Counter, 6th Ed., 2013
The Complete Food Counter, 4th ed., 2012
The Protein Counter, 3rd Ed., 2011
The Ultimate Carbohydrate Counter, 3rd Ed., 2010
The Healthy Wholefoods Counter, 2008
Your Complete Food Counter App: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/your-complete-food-counter/id444558777?mt=8
For more information on Jo-Ann and her books, go to: www.TheNutritionExperts.com.
###
For advertising/promo please call Mike McCurdy at: 877-634-9180 or email [email protected]