Gaining So Much Weight
In case you haven’t
noticed, we’re living in the midst of an epidemic of childhood and adult obesity. My interest in this topic is high since it is rampant
in my community and a few family members needlessly suffer from it as well.
Before we go any further, it’s important to
consider why people are getting so big and unhealthy. Here’s a
quick rundown of some of the major culprits.
1.
High
Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) –
Corn farmers grow WAY more corn than they should. Why? The simple answer is
because the government pays them to – corn is a heavily subsidized crop. Due to
the surplus, corn is very cheap. And because of its low cost, it quickly
overtook sugar as the main sweetener in commercially produced products. It
sweetened and it reduced the bottom line… What could be better? Too bad it’s
terrible for us. I stopped eating products with HFCS over a year ago. If you
want to lose weight and improve your health, you need to stop eating it, too.
- The new commercials for the industry say
sugar is sugar and as far as taste they are correct. As it concerns your
health this is a lie. Your body does not process it in the same way. As a
result, fructose goes right to the liver and triggers lipogenesis (the
production of fats like triglycerides and cholesterol) this is why it is
the major cause of liver damage in this country and causes a condition
called “fatty liver” which affects 70 million people.
- The
rapidly absorbed glucose triggers big spikes in insulin – our body’s
major fat storage hormone. Both these features of HFCS lead to increased
metabolic disturbances that drive increases in appetite, weight gain,
diabetes, heart disease, cancer, dementia, and more. See link below
2.
Fast
Food – This industry
controls way more of our food supplies than we should allow. Because they are
more interested in money than health, we end up with a product that is not only
unhealthy and nearly void of nutritional value, but also very, very cheap.
- In addition to the
low quality protein, we also must consider the fat content and what
occurs when you fry meat at real high temperatures. It increases the risk
for prostate cancer and arthritis. See links below
3.
Advertising –Television is probably the largest
source of ad bombardment, but there are ads everywhere we turn. I work very
hard to limit the amount of advertising I take in.
- Although it may seem easy to avoid it is not. However, living in a conscious fashion, will help you to purposely turn off and tune out the noise. Try some nice music and book instead.
4.
Plastics,
pesticides, and Teflon –.
Research shows these chemicals release endocrine disrupting compounds that can
cause an increased resistance to insulin and can damage our genes. I’m
switching to cast iron pans, reusable containers, and organic food.
- Information on the dangers of these products is widely known and published. You will find it easily by doing a search.
What else can we do?
As responsible family members, parents,
coworkers, and friends we should do what we can to help ourselves and our loved
ones. Be a catalyst for change in your sphere of influence. Don’t talk about
the change… “BE THE CHANGE YOU WISH TO
SEE IN YOUR COMMUNITY.” Don’t condemn
others for their problematic behavior; help them change it by changing yours.
Here are some other things we can do to lead a
healthier life and, in many cases, improve our financial well-being at the same
time.
1.
Plan
ahead – Plan your
meals out a week or month ahead of time. Make a shopping list before you go to
the store, and base it on your menu. Going on a trip? Pack you meals. If you
don’t, you’ll wind up stopping for burgers, fries, and HFCS soda pop.
2.
Drink
more water – Don’t drink
fruit juices or soda pop – they’re not good for you. Drink water instead, and
try to stick to non-fluoridated water (well, distilled, or spring water). Just
do your best to avoid bottled water – remember, we’re trying to avoid that
pesky plastic!
3.
Eat
more organic local food –
This is something my wife and I have completely adopted. Don’t worry; it
doesn’t have to be more expensive. We actually spend less money on
food now than back when we ate “conventional” food.
For many communities this is not possible since
they have no supermarket and very few places to grow anything in the inner
cities. I do suggest that you make the effort to eat local and be organically
smart. For instance pesticides on leafy greens are absorbed but with apples and
oranges it is not.
4.
Eat
less – One disturbing thing to note is that a lot of the heavily
processed foods on the market today have addictive agents in them, so it might
not be your fault after all. Does this make you mad?
1. This should piss you
off. To think that this is allowed, “Only in America,” is outrageous. See the
link below for more information
5.
Turn
off the TV – Go spend
creative time with loved ones. If you can’t think of anything to do other than
watch TV. I don’t have much more to say on this topic.
6.
Get
more sleep –There is a correlation between sleep deprivation
and weight gain. See the link below
1.
The researchers found that
the group that got less sleep ate an average of 549 more calories per day than
the group that slept well. One investigator noted that, “Sleep deprivation is a
growing problem, with 28% of adults now reporting that they get six or fewer
hours of sleep per night.”
7.
Grow a garden, preserve the food,
and learn to cook –
Fifty years ago, things were very different… People still knew where their food
came from, how to preserve it, and how to cook it. That’s no longer the case.
The only thing we know is that if we need food, we either go out to eat, or we
head to market. This needs to change, and that change can start with baby
steps… Just make little changes every week and you’ll be surprised at how
quickly you and your family adapt, and how happy you’ll be with that change.
8.
Don’t tell your
kids, show your kids – Don’t expect your kids to do things that you don’t do.
If you want them to be healthier, then you need to be
healthier. If you want them to eat better, then you need to
eat better. Help them! Sometimes all they need is an example and a little
encouragement.
We need to make a change!
Remember… Nobody is going to change things for
you, and they shouldn’t have to. It’s time we started taking control. It’s time
we stopped living a reactionary life and started living proactively. It’s time
for us to stop complaining and start evoking change in our lives and the lives
of those we love!
Research has shown that obesity has a dramatic impact on life
expectancy. The information is out there and perhaps you
are not able to take all of the steps suggested above but you will be able to
do some. Change one and improve your health a little; do 2 and improve your
health a little more;
I am sure you get my point. Start with changing one thing
this week to improve your health. Stay in this moment and do not become
overwhelmed by your perception of the task ahead. Mountains are climbed one
step at a time.
I hope you will join me in my effort to
improve the health in our communities across the globe. We do not need the
permission of government the food, medical or pharmaceutical industry. Change
arises out of grass root efforts.
The industries listed above have no incentive
to change unless you stop buying their harmful products. Change your life for
the better it is likely you will provide some incentive for those around you to
do the same.
One more recommendation is to Get Up Get
Moving and Get Well and remember
“CHIT CHAT WON’T BURN FAT”
Based on research from Matt
Jabs with comments in red from Jay
Henry
1 comment:
Great article! You hit the nail on the head here :)
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