The article "Habits not hospitals, affect counties health ratings" is welcome and much needed, but something in missing. My headline would read "Processed food and habits not hospitals, affect counties' health rating."
It is the lack of understanding of what has been done to our food supply by food processors, the lack of oversight by the Department of Agriculture and our habits that affect health.
Our meat supply is contaminated by antibiotics fed to the animals up until they are butchered. Antibiotics, when eaten with our meat, kill the good bacteria in our digestive system and are causing super bugs that are resistant to prescribed antibiotics. Digestive problems and immune system weaknesses result as well.
All white flour, crackers and cereal have folic acid, an artificial form of folate (an important nutrient), added to them. It's everywhere. It was added in 1995 to prevent spina bifida.
Natural folate from green, leafy vegetables is water soluble and the excess leaves the body easily. Artificial folic acid stays around and feeds rapid-growing human cells. These fast-growing cells can be a human fetus or cancer. Folic acid does not know the difference.
If cancer cells are present, they are fed by folic acid. Natural folate will help prevent spina bifida and not feed cancer. There is some evidence that supplements feed cancer as well.
Processed foods can have double the carbohydrates, sugar, fat and salt as home-cooked whole foods of the same type. Processed foods are devoid of nutrients and fiber. The knowledge of whole foods and how to prepare them has been lost. Our health has been lost, too.
Diabetics cannot lower their blood sugar, the obese cannot lose weight and cancer is rampant. What should we do?