What makes our life style different than other cultures around the world?
Why do we suffer so much from diabetes and heart related diseases?
How can we make better decisions in choosing the right foods to support a healthy lifestyle?
Well I learned many things about how different cultures live in my most recent trip to South America about the eating habits that help support a healthier life style free from prescribed medications and free from the struggles of obesity and weight related diseases, such as heart and diabetes.
I really observed some striking differences about how the people of South America live their lives both in their eating plans as well as how they approach life itself.
I really believe we can learn many things from other cultures that we can pass on to our children in the form of healthier living and creating a life style change that will reduce the risk of obesity in this country.
What you don’t see are fast food chains on every corner.
What you don’t see are people eating tons of processed snack foods like potato chips and nacho chips that are loaded with bad fat, high sodium, high bad carbohydrates, and tons of preservatives.
You do not see donut shops or convenience stores on every corner
What you do see are people making lunch their main meal of the day and dinner the smallest meal of the day. What you also see are foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals that are completely organic and eaten from there most natural state.
The South American Culture consumes tons of organic and natural and I might add unbelievably delicious fruits and vegetables along with seafood and meats that support a natural healthy lifestyle.
The other key is they consume most of these rich in nutrient foods early in the day and reduce their food consumption later at night, as well as consuming 5-6 meals per day.
Sounds familiar with some of the latest advice from some of the current diet books out promoting smaller more frequent meals and reducing your food intake as you move towards bedtime.
So now that we have a place to start from, let’s talk about the foods that make you FAT!!!High in total calories
High in total fat
High in refined sugars
High in calorie density
Low in nutritional value
High in Sodium
Loaded with preservatives
Loaded with artificial fillers and additives
Come in a box from the middle aisles of the grocery store
Of course over the years we have called these foods “junk foods” and in the United States, these “junk foods” have continued to grow in popularity for many reasons.
They are ready to eat right from a box (convenient) They really tease our taste buds with tons of :
o Salt – Loaded with Sodium
o Simple Sugarso Saturated Fats
They make you want to eat more and more of them