{"id":5014,"date":"2022-12-16T07:51:53","date_gmt":"2022-12-16T11:51:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/plantbasedworldpulse.com\/?p=5014"},"modified":"2022-12-16T07:52:35","modified_gmt":"2022-12-16T11:52:35","slug":"healthful-eating-providing-a-supportive-food-environment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/plantbasedworldpulse.com\/healthful-eating-providing-a-supportive-food-environment\/","title":{"rendered":"Healthful Eating – Providing a Supportive Food Environment"},"content":{"rendered":"
Over the past two years, there has been a significant increase in the focus on health and fitness in the U.S. and beyond, much in part due to the impact of COVID. To be exact, a\u00a0 <\/span>Preventative Care Study<\/span><\/a> performed by <\/span>digital health company Rally Health, Inc. found <\/span>that 44% of Americans place more focus on health and wellness than prior to the pandemic. This shows a positive trend. However, an alarming number of people only think of preventative healthcare as getting an annual check-up. Fewer than half of the people surveyed reported exercising regularly and eating healthfully. Most people don\u2019t truly understand the link between lifestyle choices, such as the food they eat, and the prevention of diseases before they occur. Many saw firsthand the increased impact of COVID on individuals with underlying health conditions, but they don\u2019t know what steps to take to avoid developing those conditions themselves.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span>According to <\/span>World Health Organization <\/span><\/a>(WHO), the top three leading causes of death are Ischaemic Heart Disease, Stroke and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. These all fall under a broader category called cardiovascular disease<\/span>,<\/span> responsible for about one-third of all deaths in the world. Most heart attacks are caused when the blood flowing through our coronary arteries to our heart is blocked, usually by a buildup of plaque. A stroke happens the same way, but the blockages occur in the arteries that carry blood to our brain.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n These blockages occur when an artery has narrowed over time as a result of plaque buildup. This process doesn\u2019t happen overnight but rather occurs over a long period of time. The disease process often begins when we are young and what we eat greatly contributes to how much plaque builds up in our arteries.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The plaques that block our arteries are primarily made up, in part, of fat. Saturated and trans fats in our diet can be harmful when consumed in high amounts. The vast majority of these saturated fats are found in animal products, and harmful saturated and trans fats are also found in processed junk food. The more of these products we consume, the more these fats build up in our bloodstream – and can then deposit along our artery walls. <\/span>Harvard Medical School <\/span><\/a>recommends limiting the intake of saturated fats \u2013 which are found in butter, cheese, red meat and other animal-based foods. <\/span>Decades of sound science have proven it can raise your \u2018bad\u2019 cholesterol and put you at higher risk for heart disease.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The plaques that block our arteries are also made up of cholesterol. Cholesterol is only found in certain types of foods. And the only foods containing cholesterol are animal products – because all animals, including humans, produce cholesterol. While required for specific processes in the body, our bodies make all the cholesterol we need, so we actually don\u2019t require any additional intake through our diet.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Also among the top ten leading causes of death worldwide are diabetes and certain types of cancers that are linked to food intake inefficiencies or surpluses such as excess sugars or inadequate consumption of fiber, among other things. Obesity, Osteoporosis, and other chronic illnesses also have strong ties to dietary choices. In short, a large majority of the chronic illnesses that plague our population and sadly lead to death could potentially be prevented and\/or reversed by lifestyle changes such as improved diets.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Our food system also played an important role during the pandemic. In addition to how it impacts individuals due to underlying conditions, food is linked to many public health concerns, such as zoological diseases and antibiotic resistance among humans.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Pathogens that are transmitted from animals to humans and cause disease are called Zoonotic Diseases.<\/span> Examples of zoonotic diseases that have caused widespread illness and death in the last 100 or so years are the Spanish Flu, Avian Flu, Ebola, Swine Flu, SARS, Mad Cow Disease, and the COVID-19 pandemic. The continued use and consumption of farmed and wild animals put us at risk for future disease outbreaks. And 60% of all pathogens – like bacteria and viruses – that cause disease in humans originate in animals.<\/span> A public health physician from the World Health Organization states that as long as people eat meat, there is going to be some risk of infection.<\/span><\/p>\n Viruses and bacteria are abundant on modern farms. These infectious microorganisms can spread rapidly in tightly packed sheds and barns and pose a public health risk to humans. It is common practice to regularly administer antibiotics and other drugs to farmed animals to prevent the spread of disease. In 2013, for example, it was estimated that over 118,000 metric tons of antibiotics were administered to farmed animals around the world. However, the overuse of antibiotics has led to antibiotic resistance, meaning the bacteria is able to thrive even in the presence of these medications. These resistant bacteria strains can affect humans through contaminated animal products, produce, cooking surfaces, and the environment through contaminated waste. According to the <\/span>World Health Organization<\/span><\/a>, \u201cantibiotic resistance is rising to dangerously high levels in all parts of the world\u201d and \u201cis one of the biggest threats to global health, food security, and development today.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nThe Role Food Plays in Human Health<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
Foodborne Illnesses<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
Education is the Answer<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n