Archive for the ‘diabetes’ tag
It’s not just US
The United States has long had a reputation for being a nation full of overweight junk food eaters. Of course, that’s not true, and the US isn’t really far ahead (if at all) of nations like the UK, in the amount of take-out junk food they consume, and the amount of processed food that they buy.
However, what might surprise some are the concerns being raised in countries like India. As the average consumer in India gets more disposable income they too, are turning more and more to Western style junk.
In Madurai, in southern India yesterday, the Health Minister, Dr Anbumani Ramadoss said, “The union health and family welfare ministry would continue its war against junk food, alcohol, tobacco and drugs as they are mainly responsible for making India “the capital of diabetes, heart ailments and obesity”.
The Generation Gap – Soda and Tobacco
Soft Drinks are the new tobacco.
“Soft drinks are linked to diabetes and obesity in the way that tobacco is to lung cancer,” says Barry Popkin, a nutrition specialist at the University of North Carolina. Barry is the author of an excellent new book, “The World is Fat”
Recent studies have shown that diabetes in America has grown four-fold in the last 30 years; that over 200,000 Americans die of diabetes related illnesses each year, and that it costs the nation over $200 billion dollars a year in health costs, lost work, care-giving and so on.
If you eat something, even something bad like a monster burger and large fries, at least you’re going to eat less later. Not so with soda. It’s calories that don’t in any way fill you up, they just overload your body with sugar, and give you hundreds of dead calories, and no nutrition at all.
Also many folks seem to have a reaction to the High Fructose Corn Syrup that goes into these products (at least in the United States). Drinking diet-free soda may not be a whole lot better, as the jury is still out on the effects of the various chemical sweeteners that are present in such products.
Bulking It Up
Seen the TV commercials with the guys going into the toilets to perform the daily business, that turns out to be promoting a fiber product?
It’s fact that a good intake of fiber helps keep one regular, but did you know it’s also associated with with the prevention of diabetes, heart disease and colon cancer?
Simply by eating five portions of fruit and vegetables every day, along with whole grain products, such as whole grain bread, and brown rice, and also nuts and beans, you can make sure that you get a good amount of fiber each day. You’ll feel better for it, have no problem in the bathroom, and you’ll have no need to buy a pill or a drink to get the fiber you need – you’ll be doing it naturally.
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