Sunday 29 March 2015

The Cost of Convenience


I just posted a new article on my website blog about the real cost of eating processed food and fast foods titled Convenience Kills.

Many people consume over half their meals outside the home and often don't stop to think about what it is they're eating and the effect on their health. Processed foods and fast foods are designed with a procedure called ‘layering’ which packs an enormous amount of fat, sugar and salt into a serving of food.

Layering is a technique where the food item is made up of several layers of fat, sugar and salt and chemically engineered flavoring, all of which is designed to create a highly addictive effect.


The Layering Technique Applied To Fast Food


Let’s take a look at a fast food hamburger to see how this is done:

  • The bun has salt, sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, soybean oil, canola oil, and partially hydrogenated oil.

  • The hamburger patty contains a large amount of fat, sugar and salt.

  • It’s then topped with bacon, cheese, ketchup and a bit of special sauce adding even more fat, sugar and salt.

The fat, sugar and salt is used in a ratio that affects the brain's pleasure centers just as any drug would. When combined with different textures, the result is highly addictive junk food that is very effective in building a captive clientele.

It’s not hard to understand why people develop strong cravings for their favorite fast-food hamburger and how eating out leads to a weight problem.

You can read the entire article here.. http://goo.gl/26pkLs

#conveniencekills #health #junkfood 
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Sunday 22 March 2015

Invest In Your Health

We pay a lot of attention to our financial investments to ensure we have a good nest egg for our retirement.

It's unfortunate that so many of us don't invest as much in our long term health to make sure we will be fit enough to enjoy spending that money. Many people sit way too long at their computers or in front of their tvs and give little thought to the long-term health effects of such a sedentary lifestyle.

Overweight and Obese

Weight control and regular exercise are important but so is the food you eat. One third of the population is overweight and another third is actually considered obese. A diet that is mostly made up of convenience foods, processed food and take-out is at the root of the obesity epidemic.(1)

Major Risk For Cardiovascular Disease

One third of Americans have metablolic syndrome and the risk increases to over 40 percent for those over 60 years of age.(2) The metabolic syndrome, aka syndrome X, is a group of risk factors that are associated with increased body weight.
 Two thirds of the North American population is either overweight or obese.
These individuals have a greater risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke and are more likely to die from it.

The Role of Insulin

Insulin resistance plays a key role in the incidence of the metabolic syndrome and obesity.
As cells become less sensitive to insulin, a condition called insulin resistance develops. More and more glucose remains in the blood and this triggers the production of even more insulin.
Eventually the pancreas is not able to produce enough insulin and the person develops type 2 diabetes.

Metabolic syndrome is usually completely reversible provided you take action before it’s too late.

Simple Changes Could Save Your Life

It is much harder to reverse things once your condition progresses to heart disease, stroke or type 2 diabetes. You can take control and reverse the situation by:
  • Watching your weight and going on a diet if necessary.
  • Take a 30-minute walk every daily.
  • Eat a healthy low-glycemic, anti-inflammatory diet.
  • Take Supplements: seniors and people who don’t get much sunlight often have low vitamin D levels. Low vitamin D is a risk factor for metabolic syndrome. (3)

Pay yourself first by taking a 30 minute walk at least 5 times a week. You’ll feel better and you also get to bank the gym membership fees!(3)

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