Smoothy Slim
Photo by Julissa Helmuth Pexels Logo Photo: Julissa Helmuth

What country eats the healthiest?

Japan. Japan is known for its extraordinary life expectancy, and many researchers boil this down to their diet. Much of the foods consumed in Japan are low in calories, but high in nutrition.

Which company juice is best for health?
Which company juice is best for health?

List of 11 Best Fruit Juice Brands in India Tropicana. Real. Safal. B-Natural. Paper Boat. Patanjali. Minute Maid. 24 Mantra Organic. More items......

Read More »
How much cinnamon should I put in my water to lose weight?
How much cinnamon should I put in my water to lose weight?

Here's how you can prepare the honey and cinnamon water mix for weight loss: Boil a cup of water and add half a teaspoon of cinnamon to it. Allow...

Read More »
7-second natural hack eats through 64lbs of belly flab
7-second natural hack eats through 64lbs of belly flab

This effective juice jolts the metabolism, boosts energy and burns fat all day.

Learn More »

A recent study found that poor diet was killing more people globally than tobacco. In fact, this same study stated that 1 in 5 early deaths could have been prevented with a better diet. Importantly, this research pointed out how it is the foods that we don’t eat that are shortening our life expectancy. Many of us favour sugary foods, packed with trans fats over fresh vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds, which arguably is what we need to live longer and to increase our odds of achieving longevity, but without disease. We all know the saying that ‘you are what you eat’, but a lot of us don’t take this to heart, ironically. But, many scientists are now saying with a lot of certainty that our diets could be as dangerous to our health as the cigarettes that some of us smoke. So, what is it about our food choices that pose such a threat to our health? Here’s a reminder…

What makes a diet dangerous?

If your diet can be described as having the following traits, chances are you could be shortening your life expectancy, according to analysis carried out by The Lancet:

Too much salt

Too many bad fats (e.g. saturated and trans fats)

Not enough fruit

Not enough whole grains

Not enough fibre

Not enough omega-3 from seafood

Not enough nuts and seeds

What does ‘dangerous’ mean?

Well, unfortunately, in this case it refers to the number of lives shortened by diet. These findings were made by the Global Burden of Disease Study, which looked at how people are dying around the world. They found that a significant proportion of global deaths can be entirely diet-related in cause.

So, how does a dangerous diet lead to shortened life expectancy?

We all know the basics of diet and health. Cholesterol, sugar and saturated fats aren’t healthy, but we knew that already. But, why are they so unhealthy? Let’s break it down:

Does where you live determine how healthy your diet is?

This is a big question, so let’s define a context to help answer it. If we compare diets by region, we can see that different regions have different preferences and favour certain parts of a healthy diet over others.

East Asia: loves salt, but also eats lots of vegetables

loves salt, but also eats lots of vegetables North Africa and the Middle East: love trans fats and salt, but eat lots of nuts and seeds, fruits and vegetables love trans fats and salt, but eat lots of nuts and seeds, fruits and vegetables North America: loves trans fats, sugar and processed meats, but also consumes plenty of calcium, nuts and seeds (in high-income settings) loves trans fats, sugar and processed meats, but also consumes plenty of calcium, nuts and seeds (in high-income settings) Latin America: loves red meat and trans fat, but scores highly for whole grains

How can I get a flat stomach in 2 days?
How can I get a flat stomach in 2 days?

How to lose belly fat in 2 days Chew your food properly and chew slowly. ... Perform short bursts of exercises. ... Skip sugar altogether. ......

Read More »
Where do you notice losing weight first?
Where do you notice losing weight first?

The first place men typically lose weight is the belly, while women tend to lose weight all over, but hold onto weight in their thighs and hips,...

Read More »
7-second natural hack eats through 64lbs of belly flab
7-second natural hack eats through 64lbs of belly flab

This effective juice jolts the metabolism, boosts energy and burns fat all day.

Learn More »

loves red meat and trans fat, but scores highly for whole grains Caribbean: loves legumes and fruit, but also loves salt loves legumes and fruit, but also loves salt Central Europe: we like red meat, salt and sugary drinks, but we also consume plenty of calcium and vegetables From this quick overview you can see that every country scores highly for some poor dietary choices, but highly for others. So, does anywhere in the world get this balance correct? Thankfully, there are some diets around the globe that we can look to for inspiration, and quite frankly some much needed instruction. Let’s take a tour of the world and see who is getting their diet right.

Japan

Japan is known for its extraordinary life expectancy, and many researchers boil this down to their diet. Much of the foods consumed in Japan are low in calories, but high in nutrition. Examples include seaweed, tofu, fish, vegetables and miso soup. Findings also suggest that it’s not just what people in Japan are eating, but how much of it. The food habit of the Japanese island of Okinawa can help to demonstrate this. Here, there is a tradition of only eating until you feel 80 per cent full. By doing so, you are eating fewer calories over time, which some suggest is the reason that so many people on this island surpass the age of 100!

Spain & Italy

This year Spain beat Italy in being crowned as the healthiest country in the world, according to the 2019 Bloomberg Healthiest Country Index. Whilst this report also takes into account contributors to health such as tobacco use and environmental factors, it does also look at eating habits. Both Spain and Italy share what is known as the Mediterranean diet – rich in fruits, vegetables, extra-virgin olive oil, nuts, seeds and whole grains. This diet tends not to include sugary drinks or trans fats found in products such as butter and margarine.

Norway

Similar to the Mediterranean diet, what is known as the New Nordic Diet, is rich in healthy oils, but instead choosing rapeseed oil over olive oil. This diet is made up of whole grains like oats and rye, vegetables, fruit, eggs, seafood, milk and cheese. Another factor that makes this diet healthier is the avoidance of cooking foods at very high temperatures, which reduces the nutritional value of your food, favouring baking or boiling over frying.

Israel

What happens if you drink lemon and honey everyday?
What happens if you drink lemon and honey everyday?

It aids digestion One of the first noticeable benefits of drinking lemon and honey water is improved digestion. The drink increases stomach acid...

Read More »
How can I look younger in 2 weeks?
How can I look younger in 2 weeks?

5 ways to look younger in two weeks! Get a full body massage. Don't think of it as an extravagance only. ... Get a new hairstyle. ... Get that...

Read More »
Purple weed obliterates 72lbs of flab
Purple weed obliterates 72lbs of flab

The main ingredient for a potent powdered supplement, based on the diets of among the healthiest, longest-living hamlet in the world.

Learn More »

Recently touted as having one of the world’s most healthy cuisines, Israel is a new contender. The same study presented in The Lancet stated that Israel had the fewest diet-related deaths in the world (just 89 per 100,000 people, compared to the UK which had 127 diet-related deaths per 100,000 people). Whilst they do follow similar characteristics of the Mediterranean diet, it is thought that limited availability of fast-food outlets and convenience foods compared to the ready availability of fresh food plays a big role in the diets of many Israelis. Additionally, it has been observed that the attitude towards food in Israel is very different from the convenience-oriented perspective that the UK and USA typically adopt. In Israel, making the choice between eating out and having a home-cooked meal largely centres on the latter option: buying fresh, healthy ingredients for less money and cooking at home with friends and family.

Which diet should I follow then?

At this point you might be feeling overwhelmed or confused about what you should be eating, which is fair enough. Many of us have the knowledge about what is healthy and what isn’t, and yet we still struggle to make the right choices, but after all, we’re only human and we shouldn’t give ourselves too much of a hard time when we decide to order pudding!

What you can do to improve your diet:

Researchers continue to emphasise that the most important changes to make to prevent ourselves a diet-related death are the following:

Consume less salt

Eat lots of fruit, vegetables and legumes

Eat nuts and seeds

Make sure you’re eating whole grain sources of fibre

Consume less red meat

Does this mean you can’t enjoy your favourite cheeseburger or kebab? Of course not! In fact, The Lancet’s study addresses this and states that it is the absence of healthy foods in our diet that is more dangerous to our health than the sugar and trans fats that are present. This means that as long as you are eating your share of healthy foods, the bad foods shouldn’t pose as much of a threat. Making changes to what you eat is a challenge and it won’t happen overnight, but as long as you are aware of what you’re eating and are making conscious healthy choices each day, then you are on the right track!

Which detox water is best for weight loss?
Which detox water is best for weight loss?

Weight Loss- Here are 5 best detox waters to help you burn fat during the summers: Lemon And Mint Detox Water. Lemon is the most used fruit during...

Read More »
What is the best all natural detox?
What is the best all natural detox?

The Most Common Ways to Detox Fasting for 1–3 days. Drinking fresh fruit and vegetable juices, smoothies, water, and tea. Drinking only specific...

Read More »
Traditional “juice” activates 24/7 fat-burning
Traditional “juice” activates 24/7 fat-burning

A potent powdered supplement blended right into water or your favored beverage to be appreciated as a scrumptious morning smoothy.

Learn More »
Why shouldnt you drink water overnight?
Why shouldnt you drink water overnight?

Drinking water before bed can increase the amount of times you need to urinate at night. Your urine output decreases at night, allowing you to...

Read More »
Strange purple cocktail removes 2.7lbs every 4 days
Strange purple cocktail removes 2.7lbs every 4 days

Contains a potent powdered supplement blended right into water or your favored beverage to be appreciated as a scrumptious morning smoothy.

Learn More »
Does sleeping on your stomach make your breasts sag?
Does sleeping on your stomach make your breasts sag?

While sleeping on your stomach may be comfortable, it can actually be the culprit for why your breasts are sagging. Doing so will cause your...

Read More »