Why is America so Sick and Obese?

The reason I named this blog health shift, is because America is becoming so sick and fat that there needs to be a complete health shift coming from consumers, and the market will eventually follow.  There is a small shift occuring right now, but there is no telling if this trend is going to continue to grow.

I am very aware of what I buy in the supermarket.  I used to never be aware, before I developed my autoimmune diseases, but after learning what I have learned I have gone through a complete mind shift.  I understand what disease is and why we get it.  Basically, the food we are eating is killing us!  I am an insurance agent who specializes in the senior market.  I meet with seniors every day.  It blows my mind how many people casually say they have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and type II diabetes!  When I ask them how is your health, their answer is always GOOD!!! It is amazing that people think that this trifecta of diseases is considered normal.  What is going on!  People are getting sick because the food that we eat is filled with chemicals, transfats, and high fructose corn syrup.  It is taxing our pancreas and liver to detox our bodies from all of this junk.  Essentially, if it was made in a factory it really is not food, it is a consumable (something your body is capable of digesting).  Eating these consumables comes at an enormous price though.  Your health.  Food is essentially a simple thing.  Something that comes from mother nature.  Something that was grown in the ground or walking on the earth.  This is where America needs to start shifting. 

I believe when it comes to food we as a nation have become quite lazy about preparing and cooking.  It is much easier to take a frozen meal and microwave it or drive through the nearest fast food restaurant and pick something up for dinner.  More Americans are working and running kids around to activities that we feel there is no time to cook.  If we realize that it only takes 30 minutes to make a meal, perhaps we can start shifting our thoughts.  If we knew that what we eat keeps us healthy perhaps more people would start cooking.  I know that this is a major thing, but it doesn't have to happen all at once, it didn't with me.  It is a step by step process, eliminating one bad thing at a time, until your body starts eating a cleaner, and much healthier diet.

There are people out there trying to change these things.  Jamie Oliver, a food network chef, has taken it upon himself to start a "Food Revolution"  getting people in America to wake-up and learn how to cook, and change the way we feed our children in schools.  This grass roots movement is quite exciting and hopefully it will catch on everywhere.  Michelle Obama is trying to reduce childhood obesity with her Let's Move campaign.  This is really great, but it's the tip of the iceberg.  We need more people to start speaking up and start helping America to get healthy and fit.  Hopefully my blog with inspire thought and conversation and cooking with real food!!!  Good luck and thanks for reading.