The American Diet and How to Avoid It

There are some jarring statistics out there with regard to the American Diet. It's sad and downright mind boggling to think of how many Americans are putting their health on the back burner. dosomething.org reports some such statistics:

• Americans consume 31% more packaged foods than fresh foods • 1 in 4 Americans are eating fast food DAILY • The "healthiness" of the foods Americans eat is decreased by 1.7% with each passing hour • Americans as a population, consume 10 billion, yes BILLION, donuts per year • 20% of American meals are eaten in the car

In a 2011 study, it was found that the Average American consumed 1,996lbs of food per year... that's almost 6lbs of food a day! With those stats fresh on the brain, we want to share some healthy tips with you!

• Plan your meals, and prep as much as possible • Avoid distracted eating (work, TV, phone, driving (and let's skip the drive-thru while we're at it!) • Avoid or minimize eating processed foods • Drink half your body weight in ounces, of water per day

• If you feel a hunger pang, try drinking 8oz of water first. Often times we are thirsty - not hungry • Get your 6-8 hours! Sleep loss affects the secretion of cortisol, the hormone that regulates appetite • Don't skip breakfast! It slows down your metabolism • Balance choices! If you had pancakes for lunch have a salad for lunch, not pasta or rice • Watch out for consuming too many liquid calories • Aim to always eat while sitting down

• If you're not hungry enough to eat an apple, it's just a craving • Try using smaller plates and bowls when serving food • Craving something sweet? Try switching gears and eating something salty like a handful of nuts

We hope you found some or all of these tips to be helpful! If you have some of your own, we'd love to hear them!