Why any food in moderation is okay

There has been a negative stigma associated with food for centuries. That burger you’re craving is a heart attack waiting to happen, and those pork chops that are making you drool are off the list. These food stereotypes strike people with fear over an action that should be enjoyable and delicious. Despite the myths associated with a lot of foods, everyone has heard that any food in moderation is okay, and this is true!

American’s must extinguish their pre-existing beliefs about certain foods and research the scientific effect it is actually having on their health. Lack of knowledge is causing individuals to go on gluten free diets which cost more and lack key nutrients, individuals will attempt to cut out all “ bad foods”, which regularly leads to splurging in other categories, and has created a negative correlation between food and fear when dealing with G. M. O.’s and M. S. G.’s.

Going gluten-free is a new trend that many individuals are following. You can walk in the grocery store and find an entire isle dedicated to these foods. Participating in these diets, if it is not required, could cause more harm than good, physically and financially. Self-diagnosis of stomach issues caused by gluten are one of the many reason’s individuals will rid gluten from their diet. Majority of the time, this is not the case. By coming to this conclusion without medical or scientific reasoning, removing gluten from one’s diet can have a negative impact on an individual’s overall nutrient intake. It can lead to vitamin b, iron, and folate deficiencies. Despite all this information, people continue to purchase these more expensive goods that are less beneficial for their health.

I have a friend that has Celiac disease, which is where the immune system does not react well with gluten. She had to remove gluten from her diet to remain healthy. If going gluten-free is not required, there are not many benefits from it. Gluten free products usually include more sugar, calories, and fat, which is more harmful than gluten itself. Ignoring scientific evidence and following misguided information to base what you are putting into your mouth is illogical and may do the opposite of what is intended. There is no need to cut any food out of your diet entirely. All foods in moderation can be beneficial. Often times, trying to remove one bad, but delicious thing, will result in splurging on something else. For people with high cholesterol, salt may not even be in their vocabulary. Although it can have serious effects such as heart attack, the average American consumes about three grams a day. This is the adequate amount of salt an individual should consume in a day.

The myth that haunts red-meat is still present today. It is thought that large amounts of red-meat can increase risk for cancer but adding an extra serving of bacon to one’s everyday diet, may only increase one’s risk of colon cancer by less than one percent. This can easily be spotted in today’s society. Even nutritionist continue to preach these old stereotypes associated with red-meat and salt, failing to go into detail about eating in moderation. I have experienced adults going on diets where they cut almost all foods out of their diet, except baked chicken, to lose weight. These diets resulted in a dramatic weight loss quite quickly due to lack of food, but the individuals participating in this diet did not last very long. Once they started indulging in the foods they crave, they gain the weight right back. Removing foods that are the most delicious will cause individuals to binge on other unhealthy foods, which may be even worse for their health. Individuals spend a lot of time and energy avoiding genetically modified organisms (G. M. O.’s) and monosodium glutamate (M. S. G.’s). These may seem scary since they are not natural, but they have some benefits that many probably do not know about.