I heard a song the other day in which the singer says, “It’s a short trip from the cradle to the crypt.” No truer words have ever been spoken! Being a parent and now a senior citizen (still damn hard to believe), I am all too aware of the passage of time. How we live our lives between the cradle the crypt will be the summation of our existence.
For the typical American, that passage will be marred by aches, pains, low energy, doctor visits and an assortment of pills and potions. This doesn’t have to be! For those of you who are looking to age slowly and extend your lifespan while enjoying excellent physical and mental health, this can be done. It isn’t a pipe dream. The passage of time can be filled with vitality regardless of your age.
Have you ever heard of the standard American diet (SAD)? You might not be familiar with the term, but if you eat like the typical American, you are eating the SAD diet. Unfortunately, it’s a diet that will hasten your passage from the cradle to the crypt. Wikipedia describes the SAD diet this way, “The Western pattern diet or standard American diet is a modern dietary pattern that is generally characterized by high intakes of red meat, processed meat, pre-packaged foods, butter, candy and sweets, fried foods, high-fat dairy products, eggs, refined grains, potatoes, corn and high-sugar drinks.”
According to Nutritionfacts.org, “A dietary quality index was developed reflecting the percentage of calories people derive from nutrient-rich, unprocessed plant foods on a scale of 0 to 100. The higher people score, the more body fat they tend to lose over time and the lower their risk appears to be of abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high triglycerides. Sadly, it appears most Americans hardly make it past a score of ten. The standard American diet reportedly rates 11 out of 100. According to U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates, 32 percent of our calories comes from animal foods, 57 percent from processed plant foods, and only 11 percent from whole grains, beans, fruits, vegetables, and nuts. That means on a scale of one to ten, the American diet would rate about a one.”
In his latest bestseller, Eat For Life, Dr. Joel Furhman states, “Your body is made of the foods you eat, and when you eat the SAD, you get the diseases that most Americans get.”
· Almost 40 percent of Americans die of heart attacks and strokes.
· Twenty-eight million Americans suffer from the crippling pain of osteoarthritis.
· Thirty-five million Americans suffer from chronic headaches.
· More than one hundred million Americans have diabetes or prediabetes.
· One-third of people older than 85 develop dementia.
· Thirty-eight percent of Americans are diagnosed with cancer.
Dr. Furhman goes on to say, YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE ONE OF THEM.”
Can you see how the standard American diet can hasten your passage from the cradle to the grave?
So what can be done to live a healthier, longer life? The solution is quite simple. Eat less of the foods that hasten your departure from Mother Earth, and eat more of the ones that we were intended to eat. This means eating a whole food, plant-based diet comprised primarily of whole grains, nuts, seeds, beans, fruits, and an array of colored vegetables and fruits. Combined with exercise and moderate calorie restriction, this is your formula for excellent health and longevity.
Will this take effort and time? You bet it will. Old habits around unhealthy eating will have to be replaced with healthy habits. This takes time. You can do it! It will take time to readjust your taste buds from their addiction to hyper stimulating foods, to the taste of real food. You can do it! You will have to be committed to living a healthier, longer life. You can do it! You will have to abandon the SAD. You can do it!
Start by educating yourself. This is what I advise my coaching clients to do. When you own your problem and then take responsibility for your success, success will happen. There are several great books you can read to begin understanding the connection between food and health. You will learn that food can kill and food can heal. Some of my favorite books are:
Eat For Health – Dr. Joel Furhman
How Not to Diet – Dr. Michael Greger
The End of Overeating – Dr. David Kessler
Whole – T. Collin Campbell, PhD.
Never Feel Old Again – Raymond Francis
Salt, Sugar, Fat (How The Food Giants Hooked Us) – Michael Moss
Crazy Sexy Diet – Kris Carr (great read for anyone with cancer)
My objective as an ACE Certified Health Coach, is to help my clients successfully make the changes necessary to improve their health and extend longevity. If you’re ready to get your health in order and need assistance, contact me and let’s explore how we can work together to get things done.
Getting older is a blessing. Great health is a gift. Do not let the standard American diet rob you of that gift. Let your passage from the cradle to the crypt be free from disease and filled with healthy, happy moments. The method for doing so is simple. The rest is up to you. You can do it!
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