By Dean L. Jones, CPM
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have worked hard to make it as clear as possible that consuming processed sugar directly causes heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and many other diseases, not to mention it will make you fat. The extensive processing necessary to make refined sugar manufactures it to such a level that it can be classified as a toxic substance. It is an inflammatory to the body’s digestive system, where some of us are at a much higher risk of developing heart disease than others.
The CDC has formally published that at least 200,000 Americans die each year from heart disease and stroke. What is even more sad about this report is that most of these deaths are preventable. The CDC also states that more than half of preventable heart disease and stroke deaths happen to people under 65 years of age. Whereas, blacks are nearly twice as likely as whites to die from preventable heart disease and stroke, which in my opinion stems from all of the processed sugar surrounding the average person’s eating patterns coupled with their limited access to adequate restorative health care services.
Nearly 1 in 3 deaths each year in the United States stems from heart disease and stroke, where simply by eliminating tobacco smoking, alcohol, and processed sugary items such as multiple sodas that this statistic will unquestionably drop dramatically. The incoming Affordable Care Act might give us more access to medical facilities, but it is not going to have any impact on our behaviors or affinity toward sugar, alcohol and smoking. Making those changes require an individual desire and if the individual does not care neither will the anticipated affordable care agencies.
Look at the frequently played commercials on television that reference AFIB, which is the acronym for Atrial Fibrillation. This is the most common heart rhythm disorder among Americans, where people have heart palpitations, fainting spells, chest pains, all the way to congestive heart failure. AFIB increases the risk of stroke, and a lot of it depends on having additional risk factors such as high blood pressure.
Accordingly, significant attention is needed for those coming home right after school. For that reason, a lot of thought should go into having the right things available so that our authentic sweethearts understand the difference between a nutritious vs. unwholesome snack. Those packaged items that are full of fat and processed sugar, such as candy, sodas, chips and cookies can too often get mixed up with the right stuff. Fresh fruits and vegetables, or whole grain are high in fiber, which will get the metabolism on track and produce the brain power needed to keep making the best choices that nourish the body. No one is invincible, but hopefully one is able to make a lengthy difference via better food choices.
www.SugarAlert.com
Dean Jones, Ethics Advocate, Southland Partnership Corporation (a public benefit organization), contributes his view on health attributes derived from foods & beverages.
