Recently, I made a FB post talking about the differences in calories when you eat fast-food vs. eating whole, real foods. I had a photo of an In-and-Out Burger with fries and I got so many people talking about how good that burger looked and how they loved In-and-Out Burger! It was a fun interaction and it had people salivating over getting a juicy beef burger! One person asked if this type of meal was okay to eat. My response was you can eat anything you want! But in this blog, I want to point out that it is exactly this type of food that is killing Americans at an extremely high rate! Heart disease is the number one killer of Americans. The CDC states that about 655,000 Americans die from heart disease every year. And what, you ask, is the leading cause of heart disease? It is high cholesterol, high blood pressure and smoking. Heart disease was also the leading cause of death of people with diabetes type 2.
To get an idea of they way most Americans eat, let’s take a look at a quick study done recently by Grubhub. They analyzed which foods were ordered most frequently during the pandemic and how much higher the numbers compared to the previous year. According to Grubhub, these were the foods most ordered from January 1 through June 20, 2020:
Plant based burgers were 291% more popular than in 2019
Spicy chicken sandwiches were 299% more popular than in 2019
Chimichangas were more popular by 195%
Beef burritos were more up by 181%
Potato tacos (sweet potato) were up by 169% compared to the same time last year.
Acai bowls were another favorite, which were up by 359% compared to 2019.
So, where are all the vegetables? Yes, plant-based burgers and acai bowls are great, so kudos to the people eating more veggies and fruits here! But let’s take a closer look at the other foods: burger patties are typically served with a white-flour bun and with a side of french fries. Chimichangas are really just deep-fried burritos (wrapped in white flour tortillas). Spicy chicken sandwiches are breaded and deep fried chicken breasts served on a white flour bun. These meals are filled with refined flours, saturated fats (animal fats) and inflammatory oils. We can see that these meals are lacking vegetables, fiber, lean protein and fruits that people need to create a healthy diet. Plus, the oils that these foods are fried in are highly inflammatory causing a host of other problems.
Just to be clear, it is the vegetables, fruits and complex carbs that have the fiber and most of the vitamins and minerals that our bodies need. Yes, lean proteins are considered "complete proteins” in that they give us essential amino acids and protein that our bodies need. However, studies have also shown that eating a plant based diet along with quality nutritional supplements can provide our bodies with everything they need in order to be healthy and strong.
It is exactly this kind of diet described by Grubhub that is killing Americans and placing us at risk of heart disease and diabetes type 2. How many people do you know that are on cholesterol medicines? How many of your friends or family members are on high blood pressure medicines? How many people do you know that have diabetes type 2? Unfortunately, these medications only reduce the risk of heart disease by 20% to 30%, according to Dr. Gregor author of How Not to Die. Is it worth taking these medications with all the dangerous side-effects to only have our heart disease risk reduced by 30% at the most? And have you even read what the side effects are with these types of drugs? And even while taking these drugs, 70-80% of heart attacks still occur!
Heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes type 2 are all lifestyle diseases. Which means that these diseases can be avoided and/or reversed by changes to your diet and lifestyle. You can start adding in more vegetables, fruits and fiber. Avoid the fast-food restaurants and fried foods. And start moving your body! You can significantly reduce your cholesterol and blood pressure just by making healthy eating choices and moving your body!
Yes, a juicy beef burger on a bun with a side of french fries is a delicious treat! These types of meals should not be eaten often. Eating a healthy diet comprised of mostly vegetables, fruit, complex carbs and lean protein will give us a better quality of life so that we can live longer, free of disease. I think it’s worth the trade off, don’t you?