THE STANDARD AMERICAN DIET VS THE RAW FOOD DIET:

Raw Food Diet

The first food pyramid was created by Sweden in 1974 and introduced by the United States Department of Agriculture in 1992. It was divided into six horizontal sections containing depictions of foods from each section's food group. It was updated in 2005 with colorful vertical wedges and was renamed MyPyramid. MyPyramid was often displayed with the food images absent, creating a more abstract design. In an effort to restructure food nutrition guidelines, the USDA rolled out its new MyPlate program in 2011. MyPlate is divided into four different quadrants with fruits and vegetables taking up two of the quadrants and grains and proteins making up the other two.

The Standard American Diet (SAD)

The Standard American Diet (SAD), or Western Pattern Diet (WPD), is filled with pro-inflammatory and allergenic foods, many of which are laced with artificial chemicals. This diet can damage and prematurely age your brain and increase your risk for many physical and mental issues. The SAD is largely composed of unhealthy foods that can be referred to as "weapons of mass destruction." These foods are:

Highly processed- essential nutrients lost

Pro-inflammatory- injurious to muscles, joints, and organs

Artificially colored and sweetened- toxic to the liver and other organs

High glycemic index- overworks the body's sugar processing system

Low in fiber- robs probiotics of the food they need

Laden with hormones- can adversely affect the body's delicate hormone balance

Pesticide spray- toxic to humans

Tainted with antibiotics- harmful to probiotics

This diet is typically high in sodium, refined sugars, omega-6 fatty acids, trans fats, and excess calories. It's also low in vitally important long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA. People who maintain a diet loaded with simple carbohydrates (such as bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, fruit, and sugar) have an increased risk for problems with their digestive system, liver, pancreas, heart, circulation, and overall brain health.

According to a recent study, published by the Royal Society, consuming the Standard American Diet for just one week may decrease learning and increase the desire to consume junk foods. For this trial, volunteers spent one week splurging on high-fat foods and sweet treats with high amounts of added sugar. The SAD led to a worse performance on memory tests and an increased desire to overeat junk food after they finished consuming a meal.

It is vitally important to be mindful of what we allow our bodies to consume!