Editor’s note: American citizen Peter Hughes explores the vexing subject of “How Can We Stay Healthy in America?”
I have travelled to many countries across the world, and I think Americans have some of the worst eating habits.
Nonetheless, I will share my observations from Kenya to illustrate a healthy eating lifestyle that Americans may adopt.
For example, a Kenyan middle-class family would eat boiled arrowroots and eggs for breakfast. The same family would eat rice and meat stew with avocado for lunch.
By 7 p.m., they will eat an early dinner consisting of, say, beef and ugali kales with avocado.
Needless to say, the majority of the food consumed in Kenya and most parts of Africa is grown organically.
Therefore, most guys in my age group (40+) do not have the kind of belly fat commonplace in America.
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The story gets more intriguing if you travel to Kenya’s interior, such as Samburu County. In such an idyllic setting, an average 50-year-old man boasts a “six-pack.”
This is quite a feat, given that this is a person who has never been to the gym. What’s more, the only exercise they engage in is the occasional long walk.
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I was surprised the first time I came across this kind of phenomenon during my visit to Samburu County.
I would later find out that the villagers also had a clean diet and rarely stuffed themselves with food.
In the same vein, I noticed the locals got by on one or two meals per day.
They also take cold baths and bask in the sunlight almost daily. They also practice mindfulness and are very averse to the rat-race lifestyle.
How can we stay healthy in America? Photo/courtesy
How can we stay healthy in America?
Try comparing it to Americans and their incessant habit of munching on candy and other sugary foods.
The truth is that obesity and related disorders are mostly the result of the conventional American diet.
Apart from Americans’ tendency to overeat, American foods are generally highly unhealthy.
The amount of sugar, salt, and bad fats found in highly processed meals has contributed to the rise in obesity rates.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans state that added sugars, processed carbohydrates, saturated fat, excess salt, and calories from solid fats make up the typical American diet.
Similarly, Americans consume fewer whole grains, fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and oils than is advised.
According to data from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 42% of adults in America are obese.
The drive to reduce costs is one of the reasons Americans consume more processed food on a regular basis.
It’s no secret that nutritious foods are frequently more costly than packaged ones.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans scorn certain levels of sugar, refined carbohydrates, salt, or unhealthy oils, all of which are found in greater quantities in packaged meals.
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According to the CDC, the main risk factors for heart disease and stroke are high blood pressure and high cholesterol brought on by an excessive salt intake.
In the US, heart disease continues to be the leading cause of mortality.
The National Library of Medicine estimates that heart disease kills roughly 610,000 Americans annually and accounts for one in four deaths.
In the same vein, individuals with poor metabolic health are at a higher risk of acquiring Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other major health problems.
It is time Americans adopted healthy eating to combat obesity, cancer, and other diseases linked to poor eating habits and nutrition.
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