Here is a link to the podcast I’ll be reviewing today: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/zoe-science-nutrition/id1611216298?i=1000638550351

In this episode, ZOE Science and Nutrition pairs up with a professor from Harvard’s School of Public Health to discuss the Western Diet and its impacts on obesity in America. The Western Diet (pictured below), according to Professor Willett, Westerners get about 50% of their calories from carbohydrates, and 80% of those carbohydrates are unhealthy (starches and sugars). Accordingly, we don’t have enough fruits, vegetables, and healthy proteins in our diets. Paired with this poor diet often come unhealthy lifestyles with smoking and a lack of exercise. The Western Diet and lifestyle, specifically the consumption of unhealthy trans fats, contribute significantly to heart disease, high blood pressure, and even fertility issues (Willett, 10:15).

https://www.granitepeaksgi.com/wp-content/uploads/WesternDiet.jpg

But, as I discussed in my last passion blog, fats aren’t the only contributors to disease. Looking into unhealthy carbohydrates, specifically refined starches (white flour, white rice, potatoes, etc.) are almost hidden killers. Looking into American’s awareness of unhealthy carbs, almost everyone knows that soda and sugars aren’t good for you, but not as many consider the impacts of white rice and flour (seemingly healthier foods). In fact, white rice and flour have been stripped of roughly 2/3 of their fibrous nutrients (you may notice an outer covering or crunchier texture in brown rice–this has been removed in white rice and flour) in order to make them more satisfying to consumers. Additionally, because carbs are typically ground up into starchy materials, our body metabolizes the sugar almost immediately, creating large spikes into a large rise in blood sugar, demanding a large surge of insulin. When that insulin is overactive, we often become hungry fairly quickly afterwards.

https://images.ctfassets.net/3s5io6mnxfqz/6iwenoVGa9RinfFxTClPsF/dadbea4ae7cf6bbf8e0df7c501eb37ae/AdobeStock_112331449.jpeg

Alternatively, consuming fiber-rich, denser whole grains results in a longer period of digesting and metabolizing these grains. Thus, despite carbs initially being marketed as healthier than fats, the majority of them can have even worse, immediate effects on our health. A huge civic issue that arises here is because the Western Diet has facilitated the consumption of refined grains, it takes a lot of effort to ignore what’s being offered in the media and grocery stores and instead opt for healthy grains.