A recent poll showed that most of us think our diets are healthy. But when it was analyzed; turns out that for over 84% of Americans this is a false belief! For example: Only 30% of those polled say they eat the recommended 5 or more servings of fruit or veggies per day, 40% said they eat pretty much whatever they want and do not know the fat, sugar, or sodium content of the foods they choose, and over 80% said they consume some sort of fast or processed food daily!

According to a new study, Americans eat the recommended amounts of grains, proteins, fruits, and veggies only 2% of the time. Researchers found that on average we eat too much or not enough; eat too many unhealthy foods or not enough of the right foods 358 days a year, only following the USDA recommended diet 7 days a year!

We all know that our health is strongly affected by the food that we eat, and proper diet can delay, prevent, or treat certain diseases and disorders. We also know that vitamin supplements are not a substitute for a healthy diet, but as noted, most of us are far from perfect when it comes to healthful eating.
“As we age, our requirements for certain vitamins and minerals actually increase,” says Jeffrey Blumberg, Ph.D., associate director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University. “We tend to eat less food overall on a daily basis. So if your diet is already lacking a little in certain nutrients, as you get older, you stand a greater chance of widening that deficiency, and in some way your body will pay the price for it.”
Recent research has shed light on the fact that many Americans are Vitamin D deficient and that a surprising number of those over the age of 50 are low on some type of B vitamin. Low vitamin and mineral levels can lead to increased susceptibility to infection, slow healing, decreased mental capacity and chronic fatigue, nutritionists say.