One of the main things that is wrong with the typical American diet is that it contains too many calories. From the wrong types of food. Some interesting statistics: 25 years ago the average American consumed about 1850 calories a day. Since then, the average daily diet has grown by 304 calories a day. That is about the equivalent of two cans of regular soda. An increase of a mere 304 calories a day, if it comes from saturated fat or simple sugar, is enough to add an extra 31 pounds to a person, per year. In the course of 25 years, just those few extra calories per day would constitute a tremendous weight gain. And it is in fact.

But calories are not the guilty culprit here. To really understand what is wrong with the typical American diet we have to look at which foods the calories come from, and how the average person adds those extra calories to their daily diet. You can eat the wrong foods that are too calorie dense, or you can consume too many foods and beverages of the wrong kind, or you can even choose to do both!! Or, you can choose to do neither!

The proposed 2010 US Dietary Guidelines (also known as The New Food Pyramid), urges Americans to eat a plant based vegetarian style diet rich in vegetables, cooked dry beans and peas, fruits, whole grains, nuts, and seeds, and far less animal foods. And this year, Dr. Dean Ornish's diet and lifestyle program for reversing heart disease with exercise, meditation, and a low fat vegetarian diet will be supported by Medicare. For the first time, his programs' coverage will be broadened from heart disease only, to include type 2 diabetes, breast cancer, and prostate cancer.

The typical American diet is completely backwards from the 2010 Dietary Guidelines. Red meat and other fatty foods take the forefront, while fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans are pushed aside. In addition to calories from fat, the American diet is also loaded with cholesterol, salt, and sugar, and is critically short on natural dietary fiber, and on plant based phyto nutrients that help protect the heart and ward off cancer. In a 12 year study of more than 69,000 women published in the Archives Of Internal Medicine, the typical American diet was found to significantly raise the risk of coronary heart disease, colon cancer, diabetes, and many other freedom diminishing ailments.

But, by eating a wide variety of foods, from every part of the food pyramid, and with Wholly Macro's expert help and guidance, you can make your own personal version of the American diet much more healthy and nutritious. You can make it The Wholly Macro Diet. And you can even cast aside calories forever. Fruit, vegetables, and beans have virtually no fat, and what little fat they do have is in the form of healthy and necessary unsaturated vegetable oil such as olive, sesame, corn, etc. Whole grains are a little higher in calories, but low, low, low in fat. And the type of calories contained in whole grains are the energy source by which our bodies run. In other words, the calories contained in whole grains burn quickly and efficiently. They simply do not remain in the body long enough to increase weight. In fact, they burn so quickly, and give us so much energy, that we actually find ourselves desiring to exercise, if not formally, than at least by incorporating more activity into our daily lives, such as taking a flight of stairs instead of the elevator, etc. There are just no artery, organ, or meridian clogging substances in the plant based food world. And when your body is nutritionally full, portion control comes naturally.

As Americans today, this July 4, 2010, we have more choices, and more temptations, than ever before. But we also have more freedom of choice, more access to good information, and more potential to make good decisions and to change our life and health. We ultimately have the final say over what we choose or don't choose to eat. Take control. Exercise your personal freedom. And enjoy!

The Best Of Health To You As Always. 

Gayle and Jaime / Wholly Macro