by NativePath Team

June 14, 2019

Fact Checked

Why is Everyone Sick? 3 Ways Our Modern Diet is the Cause

It’s 2019, and yet, we are consistently seeing higher rates of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. And the medical field is pouring massive amounts of time, energy, and money into cures for diseases rather than figuring out what is causing them. Despite advances in medicine, more technical surgical procedures, and significant amounts of money spent on research, our health is in steady decline.

So, why is everyone sick?

Today I’m going to share with you three ways your modern diet may be causing you to become sick. You might not actually be sick this very moment, but perhaps your health isn’t quite where you want it to be. Maybe you’ve been struggling to get back on track or meet the goals you set for yourself. If this sounds like you, understanding these three factors may seriously change your life.

High Insulin Production

We’ve all heard about the dangers of diabetes and may even know someone living with the disease. While diabetes can be managed, its complications drastically increase your risk for heart disease, neuropathy, high blood pressure, and strokes.

High insulin production — also referred to as hyperinsulinism — is an overproduction of insulin from your pancreas. When your body is producing mass amounts of insulin, this results in insulin resistance.[1]

High insulin production contributes to:

Diabetes
Obesity
Glucose intolerance
High blood pressure
High triglycerides
Cancer
Alzheimer’s disease
Fertility problems
Mood disorders

If we can understand what eating habits are putting our bodies in a state of hyperinsulinism, then we can learn to avoid these patterns and drastically reduce our chances of falling victim to these diseases!

What Are the Causes of High Insulin Production?

Diets high in calories, carbohydrates, and sugar [2]
Diets low in vitamins and minerals
Lack of physical exercise
Obesity

Our modern-day eating habits are rich in processed and refined foods — like pasta, rice, and cereal. Indulging in these foods frequently will send a surge of sugar to your bloodstream, which will then tell your pancreas to produce more insulin.

You can help yourself by getting in some exercise throughout the day so that the sugar in your body will be shifted into your muscles for storage. This has an immediate effect on your insulin sensitivity. As a matter of fact, one study showed that cycling for just 60 minutes increased the participants’ insulin sensitivity for 48 hours! [3]

By eating a balanced diet and getting in some physical activity, you can reduce your chances of obesity. Belly fat, in particular, is directly linked to insulin resistance. By losing a few inches around your waist, your insulin sensitivity will go up, and your high insulin production will go down.[4]

Our Native Greens formula is a great fat-burning and weight management supplement that can help you shed those extra pounds!

What is the Solution to High Insulin Production?

Try to focus on getting carbohydrates from more nutrient-dense sources, like vegetables or fruits, instead of processed foods.

Not all carbohydrates are created equal!

Let’s take a look at a couple of examples of carbohydrate density:

1 can of soda = 10 cups of broccoli
1 bagel = 16 cups of kale

Adding regular amounts of protein and healthy fats to your diet will also help keep your insulin sensitivity levels up. This means easier weight loss and better health all around!

Poor Ratios of Omega-3 to Omega-6 Foods

You may be thinking: I’ve heard of omega-3 and omega-6, but I have no idea what they are.

Simply put, omega-3 and omega-6 are beneficial fats our bodies don’t make on their own — they have to be consumed by eating omega-3 and omega-6 foods. And it’s important to eat a lot more omega-3s than omega-6s.

In fact, eating an imbalanced ratio of these foods can contribute to a number of chronic diseases.[5]

These include:

Heart disease
Cancer
Autoimmune diseases

Our ancestors, who didn’t have the prevalence of chronic diseases we have today, typically ate a diet with an omega-3 to omega-6 ratio anywhere from 1:1 to 1:4. However, in our modern diet, we’re eating a ratio of around 1:20 to 1:30 — yikes!

What Causes our Omega-3 to Omega-6 Ratio Problem?

Our modern diet is very high in omega-6 fats. In fact, you’re probably not even aware that you’re consuming them as often as you are.

Let’s take a look at some common food items high in omega-6:[6]

Canola, vegetable, safflower, corn, and peanut oils
Grain-fed meats
Processed foods
Frozen foods
Mayonnaise
Salad dressings

Now let’s see which foods are high in omega-3:[7]

Fatty fish (salmon, sardines, herring)
Grass-fed beef
Flaxseed and chia seeds
Walnuts
Egg yolks (from organic free-range chickens)

I’m sure by looking at these two food lists, you can clearly see how omega-6 fats are much more common in our modern diet. But a simple shift in awareness allows you to focus on consuming more omega-3s.

What is the Solution to an Imbalanced Omega-3 to Omega-6 Ratio?

The solution to finding a healthy balance and ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 is a relatively simple one— consume more omega-3 foods and fewer omega-6 foods.

Here are some easy tips for a better omega-3 to 6 ratio:

Eat grass-fed meat, wild-caught fish, and pastured eggs
Use more saturated and monounsaturated fats for cooking
Don’t over-consume nuts and seeds
Avoid processed and frozen foods

If you’re unable to consume enough omega-3s in your diet, our NativePath Antarctic Krill oil contains 85 mg of omega-3. And the best part — no fishy aftertaste!

Gut-Irritating Foods

Our ancestors 2,000 years ago didn’t have the diseases we have today, and that’s widely attributed to their lack of processed foods. It wasn’t until after the Agricultural Revolution that we began consuming foods like grains, legumes, and dairy.

Once these foods were introduced into our food supply, we noticed an immediate decline in our health. We began seeing increased rates of problems like bone malformations, nutrient deficiencies, and infant mortality.

How do Gut-Irritating Foods Impact our Whole Body Health?

Did you know that 80% of your immune system lives in your gut? [8]

Gut-irritating foods can not only wreak havoc on your entire body but irritate and even destroy your gut lining. This can oftentimes lead to a condition referred to as leaky gut syndrome.

Leaky gut syndrome occurs when your small intestine becomes damaged, leaving holes large enough for food particles, bacteria, and toxic waste to essentially leak out of your gut and into your bloodstream. This ultimately leads to an autoimmune response in your body and can cause:[9]

Migraines
Allergic reactions
Irritable bowel syndrome
Chronic fatigue
Rheumatoid arthritis

The worst foods for your overall gut health include:[10]

Dairy
Grains
Legumes
Sugar
Gluten
Processed foods
GMO foods

How Can I Improve My Gut Health?

The best thing that you can do to improve your gut health is to come up with your own healthy diet gut plan.

Here are some foods to add to your gut-friendly diet:[11]

Vegetables:

Carrots
Kale
Broccoli
Spinach
Cabbage

Fruits (due to sugar, limit your daily amounts):

Pineapple
Oranges
Strawberries
Blueberries
Raspberries
Bananas
Grapes
Coconut

Meat and Fish:

Chicken
Beef
Lamb
Turkey
Salmon
Tuna
Herring

Nuts:

Almonds
Walnuts
Macadamia nuts
Cashews

Cultured Dairy:

Kefir
Greek yogurt

Beverages:

Water
Tea
Coconut milk

Along with incorporating these foods into your diet, one of the best things you can do to help your gut health is to take a daily probiotic.

Our NativePath Probiotic helps to revive and restore your gut health and combat the signs of leaky gut syndrome.

Are you ready become the healthiest version of yourself? Our supplements make this easier! I designed each NativePath supplement to be the highest quality for optimal health.

Our Native Greens, Antarctic Krill, and Probiotic are all on our best seller’s list!

References: