While obesity continues to be a problem in America, there are a lot of people who are trying to eat healthier these days, but according to a new report, the big problem is that a lot of people are just not eating the right things. A new study finds that eating too much of certain foods, and not enough of others can be some of the main causes of death from heart disease, strokes and diabetes.
Of course, the things we are eating too much of tend to be the ones we love the most, like salt and salty foods, processed meats, which of course, includes bacon, red meat and sugary drinks. As for the good foods, they include nuts and seeds, seafood rich in omega-3 fats, like salmon, fruits and veggies and healthy whole grains.
Salt seems to be the biggest culprit when it comes to death from such diseases, with too much of it blamed on nearly 10% of the 700,000 deaths in 2012 from heart disease, strokes and diabetes, while overeating processed meats, and underrating things like nuts, and seafood, were blamed on 8% deaths.
So, how much of these “Good” and “Bad” foods should we be eating? Well, recommendations include:
“Good” ingredients
- Fruits: three average-sized fruits daily
- Vegetables: two cups cooked or four cups raw vegetables daily
- Nuts/seeds: five one-ounce servings per week — about 20 nuts per serving
- Whole grains: two and a half daily servings
- Polyunsaturated fats, found in many vegetable oils: 11-percent of daily calories
- Seafood: about eight ounces weekly
“Bad” ingredients
- Red meat: one serving weekly — one medium steak or the equivalent
- Processed meat (pre-cut deli meats, bacon, sausages, hot dogs, salami, corned beef, beef jerky and ham ): None recommended
- Sugary drinks: None recommended
- Salt: 2,000 milligrams daily — just under a teaspoon
Source: New York Post