The practice of medicine in the U.S. has made incredible strides over the last 200 years. Even so, we suffer from a host of preventable chronic diseases that have reached epidemic proportions, including heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Why the huge disconnect? A big factor is an American diet. As the French physician, Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, wrote in 1826, “Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are.” In other words, if you follow a healthy diet, you likely will be healthy. Or, if you eat like a typical American, your health will suffer.

Our undoing begins very early in life when we decide what we like to eat, and unless parents are skillful and consistent in policing food choices, most American children get off to a bad start. For example, only 20 percent of high school students make good food choices. Instead, they opt for fast foods, pizza, junk food snacks and soft drinks, getting fatter day by day, and sowing the seeds for health destruction in the future.

When we are young we believe we are indestructible. Later on, age and declining health have a way of showing us that we are anything but, and changes, especially in how we eat, are in order. The problem is, if you are 40 years old, you have the power of a 40 year eating habit working against you and the odds of success are slight unless you are highly committed.

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A healthy diet starts with fruits and vegetables. Why? They are low in calories and nutrient rich (vitamins, minerals, antioxidants), including fiber, the perfect combination for managing weight and promoting health. In contrast, most of the sludge Americans consume is the opposite. It’s loaded with “hollow” calories from sugar and fat that provide few nutrients, and little if any fiber.

For a while, we were making good progress and boosting fruit and vegetable intake until the ridiculous high-fat diet craze swept the country. Folks were hoodwinked into believing that gulping down slabs of meat and hunks of cheese wrapped in bacon is good for you, and you need to avoid carbohydrates. This, unfortunately, demonized carbs, good and bad, including fruits and vegetables and that erroneous stigma still exists today.

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At a minimum, experts tell us to consume at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. What does that mean? Does it mean 2.5 servings of fruit and 2.5 servings of vegetables? Or, are you okay with five servings of fruit? And what exactly is a serving?

Confusing? You bet, and that’s part of the problem.

A serving is not much when you consider the whopping portion sizes we typically consume. For fruit, it’s 4-ounces (one-half cup of berries, chopped fruit, etc.), or one whole piece of fruit (about the size of a tennis ball). Some experts allow dried fruit and fruit juices to count as well, but in my opinion, it’s best to avoid them and stick with fresh fruit. For vegetables, a rule of thumb is one cup of leafy vegetables or one-half cup of cooked raw vegetables.

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Obviously, what we are doing now to promote the consumption of fruits and vegetables isn’t working, and a better approach is needed. With that in mind, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) has adopted a new strategy and a new slogan. “More Matters” is a message that says go out of your way to make fruits and vegetables a priority, and you will easily exceed minimal requirements.

If successful, “More Matters” hopefully will translate into consuming well beyond the bare minimum of five servings daily. How much more? According to a recent research study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, we should double the minimum.

If you consume less than the minimum of five servings per day, your health suffers in many ways. Take steps to include five servings and there is a “slight” reduction of risk for heart attack and stroke. But if you increase to 10 servings a day, you cut your risk of heart attack and stroke by 28 percent. What’s more, your odds of premature death are reduced by 31 percent. I’d say those kinds of outcomes are well worth the effort. And it’s easier to do than you might think.

More on this topic next week.


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