What a night/morning - big news across the world today and what an interesting few years ahead for all of us.
One thing I was interested in was what Trump's policy on health and the obesity crisis in the US and what he proposes to help turn the problem around.
Hmmm... it's not looking good for this side of things. At the moment, the US spends almost $322 billion every year on treating Type 2 diabetes. And that’s for a single disease that’s almost entirely preventable through a healthier diet and lifestyle (http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/statistics/infographics/adv-staggering-cost-of-diabetes.html).
Trump does not have a policy or plan on tackling the obesity or diabetes problem, in fact, he doesn't really have a plan on improving the health of the US at all. In questions that he's been asked about health, Trump has stated he supports mass meat production regardless of the treatment/health of the animals, doesn't mind GMO food and believes global warming is a made up phenomenon - he tweeted 'The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive.' Also, he doesn't know much about obesity, blaming poor genetics and lack of exercise(rather than the poor diet that a lot of Americans eat).
Let's hope that we can spread the message about how to improve health so that people can take control of their own, as it doesn't look like much will change for the better in this department for a while!
It's not easy, but the key message we need to be teaching the world is: eat mostly fresh, natural foods that having been altered by processing. Limit meat to a few servings per week, drink plenty of water, avoid foods with artificial colours/flavours/sweeteners and exercise regularly. Sounds simple but can be a big challenge when our habits have been one way for so long.
What do you think?
Food of the week
This week's 'Fruit of the Week' is the Clementine.
A clementine is often just thought of as a small orange, but they are a fruitlike no other! The small fruit's size makes it a comfortable fit inside a handbag or a packed lunch, there are no seeds and they are easy to peel. Out of the refrigerator, a clementine lasts for two to three days, so you can leave a few in your office or on your table and they are less messy than an orange, making it an easy snack.
They are also packed full of nutritional benefits such as….
- A Clementine contains a good amount vitamin C, which is necessary for the production of collagen, a structural compound throughout the body, from the skin to the bones. Vitamin C helps to transport fat to cells to convert it to energy and even helps convert cholesterol into bile, which can play a role in protecting one from heart disease and gall stones. Since humans cannot produce their own vitamin C within the body, we need to consume it from an outside source.
- Clementines also contain calcium, which is necessary for muscle contraction and bone growth
- Clementines are also a source of potassium, but contain much less sugar than a banana
- They also contain only 35 calories each so make a great snack. Try having one with a handful of cashews for full healthy snack status
HEART FACT OF THE WEEK
WHAT IS YOUR HEART AGE?
Here is a handy calculator to assess your 'heart age' - it adds up your risk factors for developing heart disease or stroke and gives you an age based on your health.
Let me know if it says you are much younger or older than your 'real' age - if it's older than we can look at ways of bringing your heart age down.
Click HERE to take the test. Let me know your score!