When I was in medical school and residency, I was taught that as long as people eat a normal diet, they get all of the nutrients they need and do not need to supplement. Unfortunately, that is just not true for most of us. The “normal” diet for Western Cultures and perhaps especially for North America is the S.A.D. That stands for Standard American Diet. It really is “sad”, consisting of mostly brown, white, and yellow foods. Think about it. It is true for far too many people.
The current “5 a day for better health” slogan reflects a major government-industry campaign to encourage people to eat more fruits and vegetables. Studies by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the National Academy of Sciences suggest that the nutritional goodness of fruits and vegetables, with a diet that is low in fat, saturated fat and cholesterol, and that contains plenty of whole-grain breads and cereals, may decrease the risk of heart disease and cancer. The U.S.D.A. and Department of Health and Human Services’ Food Guide Pyramid recommends 3 to 5 servings of vegetables and 2 to 4 servings of fruits.
Surveys say that as many as 42% of the population are eating less than two servings a day, one of which is likely to be french fries. Based on my medical practice, for patients who are not already tuned into their nutrition, the percentage is much higher. This is even though consumption of fruits and vegetables is associated with a substantially lower risk for many chronic diseases, including many types of cancers.
Unfortunately, modern diets are often heavily processed and loaded with fats, sugars, flavor-enhancers, and a long list of ingredients that are hard to pronounce, and lack sufficient quantities of fruits and vegetables. We are over-fed and under-nourished.
The popularity of high-protein, low-carb diets has further reduced or eliminated healthy fruits from the daily diet routines of millions.
Even if a patient is clever enough to eat five fruits and vegetables a day, there is a good chance these are contaminated with pesticides and are low in the expected vitamins and minerals because of the depletion of nutrients in our soil. The nutrients from over-farmed fields are just not there. This is one reason that eating organic fruits and vegetables is so important. You don’t have to detoxify the pesticides, and the nutrient content is often 25 to 30% higher in organic fruits and vegetables.
If you’d like help knowing exactly what you should be eating, based on your genetics, your health conditions, etc., then call now for an appointment with me – Dr. Liesa Harte, M.D. at 512-537-8859. www.DrLiesa.com
