How does your diet rate?

How would you rate your daily diet? Healthy? Could use improvement? Pretty good?

How do you think you compare to other North Americans?

An 18-year study published in the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) shows that the American diet hasn’t improved much. While the study looks at 44,000 Americans from 1999-2016 to assess diet quality, the findings can be applied to anywhere the Standard American Diet (SAD) is eaten, in other words, any developed country.

What did they find?

Not much has changed.

Poor quality carbohydrates make up 42 percent of the typical American’s daily diet. This is in the form of processed foods and added sugars. Whole grains, vegetables and whole fruits only make up 9 percent of the daily intake.

Fat in the standard diet went up by 1 percent, mostly from saturated fats. The saturated fat intake was 12 percent of daily calories, the recommended daily limit is no more than 10%.

Protein intake was mostly from meat. Red and processed meat.

Why does it matter?

There are many reasons why eating more whole grains, unprocessed, plant-based, foods are important but two other studies published this week highlight some new reasons.

Heartburn.

The Standard American Diet is known to increase heartburn. Large portion sizes, fatty foods, alcohol and sweetened drinks increase the likelihood of heartburn.

Lifestyle changes can successfully manage heartburn symptoms, but most doctors prescribe medications.

Why?

Time and compliance are probably the biggest reasons. Most doctors don’t have much time to explain the options and if they write a prescription their patients’ are more likely to fill it then find another solution that requires changing their normal eating habits.

Choice and consequence.

Research published in Gut on the most commonly prescribed heartburn medication shows that long term use doubles the risk of stomach cancer.

The study linked the use of PPIs with a significantly increased risk while other acid-suppressive drugs did not show an increased risk.

It is possible to eliminate heartburn and the need for medications with lifestyle changes. It doesn’t even need to be a big change to see a difference.

Some lifestyle changes include eating smaller meals, eating meals 2-3 hours before going to bed or reclining, limiting or eliminating pop and alcohol, losing weight, reducing dietary fat.

Your guts and fat

Another study published this week on our guts and health shows an important link between the good bacteria that live in our guts and fat absorption.

What did they find?

That disrupting our gut microbiota and our normal circadian rhythms may lead to increased fat absorption and obesity.

Disruptions that include antibiotics, night shifts, travel, sleep disturbances cause dietary fat to be absorbed more efficiently.

While this study requires further investigation it suggests that disrupting our normal sleeping patterns by staying up late increases the ability to absorb fat. That our cellular clock increases fat absorption while we are awake. As an evolutionary process, this kept us alive, but now with artificial light and highly fattening diets, it is doing the opposite.

Real food matters

You can make a difference in your health with lifestyle changes. Every meal matters. The occasional fast food meal doesn’t make much of a difference, but a daily diet of processed foods with too much saturated fats and sugars changes your guts, your health and your weight.

An easy start is to fill half your plate with whole fruits and vegetables. One simple change can make all the difference.

Change your mind, change your health,

Shayla