Monday, January 31, 2011

Why So Salty?

ABC News reported today that the U.S. Agriculture and Human Health Services departments have come out with a new stance on how much salt intake is safe daily (http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory?id=12802319).

It's about time!  In our incredibly under-and-misinformed society, the government needs to help educate the population on food dangers and where these dangers hang out...

It's no surprise that the United States' life expectancy rate is ranked 28th in the world, despite the incredible advantages we have as far as resources are concerned.  The average American consumes over 5000 milligrams of sodium per day, more than TWICE the recommended daily amount, which itself is in question!  Where is this salt coming from, you might ask?

Easy.  As a population, we are obsessed with several dangerous habits.  1)  Eating away from home, in restaurants and fast food businesses, where essentially, as far as nutrition is concerned, all bets are off.  The ingredients used in their seemingly simple, and undeniably "fast" food are absolutely horrifying...click the photo caption link below to enlarge....if you dare!  The ingredients for TACO MEAT, of all things which seem simple enough, could be used as a filibuster in a session of Congress!  And here's the kicker...how are all these ingredients preserved, refrigerated or frozen for quick reheating and serving?  SALT!


Exhibit A: Taco Bell's packaged pre-prepared taco meat.  Should be simple enough, right?  Think again...

2)  We are a culture obsessed with ease and convenience, hence, what food does much of the population choose to buy at the grocery store to make at home, when they're not dining on preservative and chemical-heavy at McDonalds and Applebee's?  Pre-packaged food at home!  Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, DiGiorno's frozen pizzas, hot dogs, and for snacks, chips, soda and cookies...if they're feeling really fancy, maybe a frozen dinner from Bertoli...  These foods are absolutely loaded with unhealthy preservatives and chemicals, not to mention how little nutritional value any of this actually has!  

And this is what we're eating.  It's not nutrition, it's attrition.  

That's why America is getting unhealthier by the cheese puff, and that's why it's time for the USDA to come down on "food" companies and restaurants who make a profit by selling the public what is essentially poison---food that will eventually kill us.  But for now, we need to take matters into our own hands.

- Dan -





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