Doctor warns of 2 simple food mistakes that increase chronic disease risk

[aggregator] downloaded image for imported item #5494

This post was originally published on this site.

Nutrition can be the key to warding off disease — even fatal conditionslike cancer.

That’s according to medical doctors like Dr.Frank Dumont, an internal medicine physician and executive medical director of Virta Health, a Colorado-based group that tackles metabolic health through diet.

com/category/health/nutrition-and-fitness/obesity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">increase in obesity, diabetes, autoimmune diseases and cancers in the last several decades, which “probably has a lot to do with our lifestyle.”

WANT BETTER HEART HEALTH?START BY TACKLING YOUR WEAKEST LINK, CARDIAC SURGEON SAYS

“We know food is a big part of that … ourdiet has changeddramatically over the past few decades,” he said.“A lot of the foods we’re eating are much more processed.They’re much higher in simple carbohydrates and simple sugars than they ever were previously.”

Man putting blueberries in smoothie - healthy eating

“The better you know your body, the better you can make decisions and make these types of swaps.”(iStock)

These foods have been linked to an increase in insulin and inflammation, which leads tohealth complications, Dumont warned.To lower the risk of chronic disease, he encourages people to make the following simple swaps.

“It depends on the individual situation,” he said.“The better you know your body, the better you can make decisions and make these types of swaps.”

No.1: Choose real fruit over fruit juice

To help meet the goal of consuming more fiber and natural products, Dumont recommends eating real fruit instead of drinking fruit juice, which is highly processed.

MEDITERRANEAN DIET PAIRED WITH OTHER LIFESTYLE CHANGES SLASHES DIABETES RISK

“Fruit juice can have some benefits — it has minerals, vitamins and micronutrients, but the bottom line is that it’s more processed, and you’ve eliminated a lot of the fiber that is supposed to go hand in hand with the fruit sugar,” he said.

boy feeds father a strawberry

Eating whole fruits instead of drinking processed fruit juice is a healthier option, the doctor advised.(iStock)

Dumont added that he does not believe in “villainizing” fruit, as it has been scrutinized for being high in sugar.

“There’s a lot of good health in fruit,” he said.“It depends on that person’s individual metabolism.If someone is so metabolically sick, soinsulin resistant… even some very healthy fruits can be more than their body can handle.”

onelink.me/xLDS?pid=AppArticleLink&af_web_dp=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.

“But for most people, and especially earlier on when you’re not as metabolically sick, the wonderful thing about fruit is that you’re actually packaging all of that sugar up in the fiber.”

2.Opt out of breaded chicken

Making this onesmall swap, even at a fast-food restaurant, can improve overall health, according to Dumont.

Rather than opting for a menu item that is heavy in carbohydrates, like a breaded chicken sandwich, choosing a chicken salad makes for a more well-rounded meal.

A green salad in a bowl with chicken and creamy dressing

Choose grilled chicken in a salad instead of breaded chicken on a sandwich, the doctor recommended.(iStock)

The doctor recommends choosing chicken that is grilled rather than fried and breaded.

“You put that on top of some lettuce with a good healthy dressing, and it can actually be extremely healthy eating out on the road at afast-food restaurant,” he said.

Food as medicine

Dumont noted that he has seen many patients lose their fight against chronic disease when treated onlywith medication.

healthy lifestyle changes, and that moving to medicines and procedures should be “quickly” encouraged.

Man at doctor getting medication for diabetes

“If you gave people the right information, and they were able to implement it, you could help them do it in a way that was actually enjoyable and doable for them.”(iStock)

“I found that was not true,” he said.“If you gave people the right information, and they were able to implement it, you could help them do it in a way that was actually enjoyable and doable for them.”

“The power of that was more than the power of the medicines I had been using.”

TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ

The doctor said he now sees people improve significantly when they match up their nutrition with what their bodies need.

improve their health, and then all of a sudden feel empowered to say, ‘I’m listening to my body.I’ve learned from my body, I know what works for my body, and look at what I’ve accomplished.'”

“It’s a night and day difference,” he said.“And I am very optimistic about that now.”

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top