What is Health?

In this edition, I deal with the broad based subject of HEALTH. Before I start, I looked up the World Health Organization’s definition of Health. It reads as follows;

“Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”

This definition was first penned in the WHO constitution in 1946. This definition has not been touched since 1948. That’s 67 years ago. Who would have thought where we would have gone to from there. Health as an industry has boomed like never before, yet we have more obesity and heart disease than ever before. We have more poverty and starvation than ever before. We have more injuries and corrective surgery than ever before.

What has changed??

Before I go through my list, not exhaustive by the way, I want to add a single sentence to be the precursor to the reasons I list below.

Man and his ego and laziness…..

1. Is to blame for the advent of most convenient foods and choices found on our menus today. A startling fact is approximately 52 percent of adults consume between one and six sugary beverages per week, which are a primary source of high-fructose corn syrup in the average diet, according to DukeHealth.org. Further, close to one-third of adults admit to having at least one sugary drink each day. In addition to sugary beverages, many adults also consume a variety of foods that contain far more high-fructose corn syrup than they might think. In fact, there was a 1,000 percent increase in the consumption of high-fructose corn syrup between 1970 and 1990, according to ConsumerReports.org. In 2009, the average American consumed about 35.7 pounds of high-fructose corn syrup, reports the Illinois Farm Bureau, and that has contributed to a number of health problems.

What is high fructose corn syrup (HFCS)?

HFCS comprises any of a group of corn syrups that have undergone enzymatic processing to convert some of its glucose into fructose to produce a desired sweetness. Because of its low price compared to sucrose (table sugar), HFCS is commonly used in processed foods.

HFCS consists of 24% water and the rest sugars. The most widely used varieties of HFCS are: HFCS 55 (mostly used in soft drinks), approximately 55% fructose and 42% glucose; and HFCS 42 (used in beverages, processed foods, cereals, and baked goods), approximately 42% fructose and 53% glucose. HFCS-90, approximately 90% fructose and 10% glucose, is used in small quantities for specialty applications but primarily is used to blend with HFCS 42 to make HFCS 55 (see below).

The bottom line is it is highly addictive, it is found in most foods and convenience food outlets.

2. Is to blame for the state of inactivity amongst the 1^st world countries like the USA, UK, Australia and even certain parts of our own population. Exercise has been seen as a dirty word in schools and corporates, yet this has a direct correlation to the massive increase in physical ailments like back ache and joint issues. The lack of exercise, with bad eating, has been the reason for the scary statistics floating around with regards to obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
3. Is to blame for the genetically modified foods that have helped ramp up many ailments now so prevalent in the world today. What is a GM food? Genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, are created when a gene from one species is transferred to another, creating something that would not be found in nature. This alone should scare anyone. There are a number of highly worrying reasons for why we should be steering clear of GM foods, but the main reason should categorically be the amount of herbicides, pesticides and fungicides used to keep these plants alive. They do not have a diverse gene pool and thus struggle to survive outside the contained labs and tanks used to grow these plants. The poison from these commercial –cides are being consumed in vast quantities as compared to 1948!
4. Is to blame for the greed and need for massive profit. All of the above is all down to profit and the need for it to be as high as possible at the expense of our well being. It has allowed companies like Monsanto to take a huge influence stake in the way the world distributes and consumes food.

Make a choice and allow common sense to prevail over ego and profit, especially for your well being from a consumable as relevant as food for your well being.

Make a choice to get up off your chair and exercise, be kind, pray and don’t forget to remember that 67 years from now, because of your choices, what world will we be living IN!