WithDissonance.net

The USDA states that the human body only requires two hundred calories a day to function at its best level. Dieticians comment that this number may be raised or lowered slightly depending on the amount of physical activity a person undertakes each day. The packaged food industry brought this number to an all-time high in the past few decades. Rather than consuming natural, fresh foods, people most often consume packaged and processed foods. Processed foods contain fats, sugars, and preservatives that are high in calories. So rather than making your own pasta with fresh tomatoes, people are buying a pasta dinner from the freezer aisle that is full of sugars and oils.

The speed of the age makes preparing healthy meals difficult at times, but it doesn’t have to be. One large reason that people are consuming three thousand to four thousands of calories per day is due to fluid consumption. Americans, specifically, drink most of the calories they consume. This is in the form of energy drinks, soda pop, and alcohol. Coffee is a beverage that contains only flavor and no calories, but if you put sugar and cream inside the calorie count skyrockets.

Most people are accustomed to ordering a beverage with their meal and most meals come with beverages. But soda pops, specifically, are extremely high in calories. Energy drinks have twice if not thrice the amount of calories of soda pop. Ironically nearly every energy drink container contains two or more servings, but who is actually only going to drink half a can? So rather than drinking 130 calories, you will be drinking over 400 without even noticing.

This is also the case with foods. Most often we aren’t even aware of the foods we eat and how many calories are in them. We simply eat because we want to. This is the largest contributor America’s obesity rate.

Some reports say that adopting a vegan or vegetarian diet is more beneficial than a diet containing meats and dairy products. Many people take on these kinds of diets because they have heard that they can lower cholesterol and help the body lose weight. Others choose these diets for personal beliefs or religious reasons. It is true that by not consuming some kinds of foods can lead to lowered fat intake and lowered cholesterol. In the end dietetic studies have shown those who consumed vegan-friendly foods were no less at risk for heart disease, diabetes, and other food-related illness. Vegans and vegetarians were also shown to not have any lower body fat than ordinary dieters. But why is this?

In not consuming meats and dairy, vegans and vegetarians consume other more fattening products instead. Yes fruits and vegetables are healthy, but carbohydrate-loaded foods can have ill effects. Sugar and corn syrup are permitted on both diets as is oil and margarine. Simply because meats and animal products are not eaten does not mean a diet is low in fat intake. Soy is also a prevalent aspect of most vegan and vegetarian diets. When soy is consumed in large amounts, like through tofu and soy milk, and on a daily basis it will heighten estrogen in the body. This happens in both men and women. When estrogen is increased to this degree, fat will be conserved on the body, even if no other dietary habits have been altered.

Vegetarian diets come in all forms and range from very dramatic to very minimal. Ovo-vegetarians do not eat dairy products but do eat eggs. Lacto-vegetarians do not eat eggs but do eat dairy. Ovo-lacto-vegetarians eat eggs, milk, dairy products, and honey. Vegans do not consume any kind of animal product or meat. Raw vegans eat only uncooked and fresh nuts, fruits, vegetables, and seeds. Fruitarians only consume seeds, fruits, nuts, and plants harvested without injuring the plant. Buddhist vegetarians do not eat animal products or allium vegetables, like onions, garlic, and leeks. Macrobiotic diets only consume beans and whole grains.

Vegans and vegetarians are often low in vitamin B12, omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, iron, vitamin D, vitamin B, iodine, and zinc. Ordinary dieters get these elements and vitamins from dairy and meat, but vegans have to work harder to get the right amounts. Most often the needed amounts are not met. B12 is specifically needed for build red blood cells and for normal nerve function and cannot be found in high amounts in plant foods. So in the end veganism is not necessarily better in relation to health benefits or disease prevention.

The world has been raging about how antioxidants are amazing and how we should consume them in mass. The funny things is even the advertisements on TV do not even explain what antioxidants are and what they are supposed to do. This means that people are blindly consuming things they don’t understand. Just like how most people don’t know how high a food’s fat content can be to still be considered healthy, antioxidants are also misunderstood.

Antioxidants are found in natural stores such as fruits and vegetables. Antioxidants benefit the body by fighting free radicals. Free radicals are naturally produced in the body and cause oxidation in the body. Oxidation in turn results in premature aging in all portions of the body from the skin to the organs. Now this sounds much scarier than it really is. By eating healthy and exercising the aging process can be slowed, even without consuming antioxidants in mass.

The new hype for antioxidants and their purposes has all health conscious people confused and running around buying pills and supplements. In reality antioxidants cannot work as quickly as they are consumed. So eating more than necessary will not benefit the body. Also by drinking a smoothie with blueberries and acai berries once a week will not benefit free radical fighting at all.

Some fruits are higher in antioxidants than others, such as blueberries and acai berries. Making it a habit of eating them regularly will probably be more beneficial than not eating them. But you don’t need to buy supplements with antioxidants in them. Just because an advertisement mentions the word “antioxidant” doesn’t mean the food has high amounts at all. Foods that do have high amounts of antioxidants include red beans, wild blueberries, red kidney beans, pinto beans, blueberries, cranberries, artichoke hearts, blackberries, prunes, raspberries, strawberries, red delicious apples, granny smith apples, pecans, sweet cherries, black plums, russet potatoes, black beans, plums and gala apples.