(SAD) – Standard American Diet

Disease and chronic illness are not inevitable; they are not a natural consequence of aging. Disease and chronic illness are a byproduct of the food we eat. Most plant diet experts believe that the standard American diet (S.A.D.) is killing us. A breakfast of coffee and donuts, a burger and fries for lunch, a bowl of spaghetti for dinner with a sugary sweet dessert has produced a nation with standard American diseases. Instead of providing our basic needs for good health, the S.A.D. leads to standard American deaths.

The standard American diet is a modern dietary pattern characterized by high intakes of red meat, processed meat, pre-packaged foods, butter, fried foods, high-fat, dairy products, eggs, refined grains, potatoes, corn, and high fructose corn syrup, and high-sugar drinks. 

• 63% of America’s calories come from refined and processed foods,   packaged snacks like (potato chips, packaged desserts, etc.), and sugary drinks.
• 25% of America’s calories come from animal-based foods like protein, milk, cheese, etc. Animal products are the primary source of cholesterol in a diet.
• 12% of America’s calories come from plant-based foods.

Unfortunately, half of the plant-based calories (6%) come from french fries. That means only 6% of America’s calories are coming from health-promoting fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and seeds.
[https://draxe.com/charts-american-diet/]

It’s easy to comprehend the reason why the standard American diet is abbreviated:  S.A.D. Most of the foods are high in calories, loaded with fat, and low in nutrition. Obesity is linked directly to excess calorie intake.

Being overweight is the primary cause of type 2 diabetes; it accelerates atherosclerosis and death from heart disease.

Sadly, excess body weight is projected to overtake smoking as the primary cause of death in the United States. By the time most Americans reach the age of fifty, they are already hooked on prescription drugs, and almost half of Americans still die of heart attacks and strokes. You don’t have to be one of them.

You simply don’t have to be sick. ~ “The End of Dieting”, by Joel Fuhrman, M.D.

Twenty-eight million Americans suffer from the crippling pain of osteoarthritis. Thirty-five million Americans suffer from chronic headaches. You don’t have to be one of these. You simply don’t have to be sick.

God, Yahweh Rophe, is our Healer. When humans eat the foods The Creator originally planned, our bodies become self-healing machines. The nutritional quality of the food we eat determines the brain function; this influences our mental health and emotional happiness. Nutrient dense plant foods heighten the immune system; thereby contributing to our physical well being.

I say let’s eat like Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. When choosing what to eat aim for the following:

1. Incorporate longevity into your diet style by  rejecting the S.A.D.
2. Select foods that are most favorable to long-term survival.
3. Choose Abundant Life. Select foods that promote divine health.
4. Try out all types of delicious recipes with plant-based food sources.

Following these 4 guidelines will empower you to keep up this new way of eating throughout the rest of your life. Then your S.A.D. will become your G.L.A.D eating plan (Good Living Abundant Diet)