6 Health Effects Of SAD
SAD. The Standard American Diet is something that you may or may not have heard before. The meaning is all in the name. It is basically just a term that’s used to describe the way Americans eat. If you’re not familiar with the term, you probably know the concept behind it all. Stop for a second and think about all of the basic foods that you think Americans eat. Foods like burgers, French fries, pizza, soda, processed foods, etc. This entire list put together is going to make up the Standard American Diet.
While indulging yourself with these types of foods every once in a while may be exciting and even a good thing in a balanced diet, when you take it overboard it may be the cause for many negative side effects. This is mainly because the SAD is too high in things like calories, saturated fats, trans fats, added sugars, and even sodium. According to Eat This, Not That is also involves very little intake of essential nutrients that our body needs to be completely healthy.
It is said that the Standard American diet consists of 50% carbohydrates, 15% protein, and 35% fat. While it may be a good thing to get these types of macronutrients, when it comes to the SAD it plays a different role. The excessive amounts can deplete your health if you don’t make sure to take care of it the right way. Lets talk about some of the side effects of going full into the SAD.
SAD Side Effects:
Weight Gain
This one is probably a no brainer. Consuming the amount of calories that you would consume on an American diet will cause some weight gain especially if you’re not exercising like you should be. It emphasizes red meat, processed foods, and a lot of sugary things while lacking in the other type of foods that make your body balanced. This is why it’s important to make sure you stay active regardless. That would be one way to counteract the amount of calories that you would be consuming on a SAD.
Heart Disease
With a lot of fried foods that contain a lot of saturated fat and sodium, this can lead to an increase in the risk of heart disease. Too much fat can increase blood cholesterol levels and too much sodium is linked to high blood pressure. A good way to try and reverse some of the effects or trying to lead a healthier life is to swap some of the fats that are hurting your body to ones that can actually help you in the future.
Digestive Health
Following the steps of the SAD diet may lead to poor digestive health because of the small amount of fiber that it has. A low diet in these specific things will reduce the diversity of bacteria in the gut. This not only plays a big part in your overall health but your mood too. Not only that but overly processed foods lack specific nutrients like calcium that keeps your bones strong.
Low Energy
A big part of the American diet is skipping meals then overloading your body with a large amount of sugary foods and beverages. This can cause your blood pressure to continuously rise and fall throughout the day. The amount of highs and lows that your body will feel, will eventually affect your energy levels. The key is to make sure that your leveling out your meals and getting s little bit of everything.
Mental Health Decrease
The connection of your mental health and diet can go a lot deeper than some may think. When we eat healthy foods it can promote the growth of “good” bacteria. This may then positively affect the neurotransmitter production. If you are overindulging yourself in unhealthy foods and an unhealthy diet in general, it may cause inflammation, which can get in the way of production. When the good bacterium is producing neurotransmitters, this will send signals to your brain, which may cause good mood. Now, if the opposite is happening, it may result in a mood crash.
Diabetes
The high amounts of carbs that is ingested through the SAD can be a contributor to diabetes. This is because it spikes insulin levels and increases inflammation in the body. This can become a problem because diabetes is one of the more common diseases in the United States. The human body isn’t designed to hold extremely high amounts of sugar so it’s important to make sure you’re watching your carb and sugar intake.
How To Help
IV Therapy
IV Therapy has been a great way for many people to get the vitamins and nutrients that their bodies need to function the right way. Some people aren’t able to get the desire amount through their foods so IV Therapy can be a great way to do it. There are many different options even weight management IM Shots to speed up metabolism and increase exercise performance.
Balanced Diet
One of the biggest first steps to being able to take back your healthy life is to take part in a more positive, balanced diet. Make your plate colorful! It’s good to include vegetables in fruits in your meals. This will help your body get the right nutrients that it needs to be able to thrive. This not only will make you healthier but it may lower your risk for specific diseases like cancer.
Exercise
You’ll probably hear this from anyone that wants to tell you to be healthier. That’s because it’s true. Making sure that you exercise daily, even if it’s for a small period of time, can help burn some of the calories that you consume. Exercising also has so many benefits that may positively impact your life if done right!
Cook More
We all know the struggle of working all day then trying to find time to make food at home. It usually just ends up with going through the drive through of a fast food restaurant and calling it a day. This is one of those things that we want to tell you to refrain from. A lot of fast food restaurants have overly processed foods that don’t do any good for your overall health. Being able to set some time aside to make food at home may help you consume less sugar, fat, and even calories.
Spread The Word
Being able to bring awareness to this type of diet and become educated is taking a huge step into making America healthier overall. The Internet and media have become so powerful these days that it’s a great way to educate others. Not only that but it’s a great way to get more people to hear you.
Conclusion
The Standard American Diet makes up all the processed foods, fake ingredients, and sugar packed snacks that we often see. Overindulging in all of this is going to play a big role in the decrease of our overall health. We need to find ways to be able to knock down this diet and live in a healthier way. It’s important to live in balance and treat our bodies the right way. After all, it does so much for us, the least we could do is treat it right back. You don’t have to keep yourself from enjoying things that you normally enjoy. It’s all about being able to enjoy everything and practice overall wellbeing!
The IV Lounge has a plethora of services that can benefit you in so many ways. You’re able to read more about weight management and your health on our website. Not only that but all you have to do is give us a call and schedule your appointment today to get started!
Works Cited
Hickman, K. (2021, September 14). Ugly Side Effects Of The American Diet, Say Dietitians. Retrieved from Eat This, Not That: www.eatthis.com/ugly-side-effects-american-diet/
