Angel Carter
Mrs. Thomas
UWRT 1104
21 March 2017
Annotated Bibliography 1
is your Healthy Standard American Diet Killing you?
http://www.vegan-nutritionista.com np, n.d. web. 21 Mned up for
processing. This begins the industrialization of food. Animal products
are the only plarch,2017
In the article is your Healthy Standard American Diet Killing you?
the writer emphasizes the links of the standard American diet and illnesses
facing not only America, but other industrialized and developed countries.
The standard American diet (SAD) is largely made up of animal products,
saturated fats, an abundance of processed foods and is high in cholesterol.
Each of these factors have be linked to common diseases and illnesses found
in America. In the 1950s the first modern feedlots were created. Feedlots are
areas where livestock are kept to be fatteace that cholesterol comes from
naturally this includes all meats, dairy, fish and eggs. But what may come as
a shock to many is that our bodies produce all the cholesterol it needs so
getting if from food is not necessary. By decreasing cholesterol intake, the
chances of having heart attacks and getting degenerative diseases
decreases also. The makeup of the SAD are in various ways associated to
heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, asthma, Alzheimers, and even some
types of cancer. Continuing with such an unhealthy diet may increase the
risk of acquiring these things over time.
Cathleen Woods, vegan writer and nutritionist, writes various articles on
her website vegan-nutritionista.com about living a vegan lifestyle and
different health related topics. Her writing is focused for an audience that
may be curious about or considering veganism. Also, her website appeals to
other vegans by including recipes and nutrition tips. In this article, Woods
insists that the human body isnt made to absorb so much fat, sugar, and
salt, and its staging a rebellion against anyone who follows the diet
(Woods). Suggesting that the SAD the average American consumes is
detrimental to the body.
Reading this article has opened my eyes even more to the harmful
eating habits that so many of us take part in. I think that this information
should be shared with everyone, even just to put the idea into their minds.
If it doesnt change them maybe at least theyll think about it before
devouring an unhealthy meal. Learning that the standard American diet
has links to so many different diseases that we see all too often mostly
here in America is astonishing. To me it was amazing to read that in some
cases that a small change in a persons diet could almost totally reverse
their illness. I cannot wait to continue learning more about the topic and
most importantly what can be done to solve the problem.
Angel Carter
Mrs. Thomas
UWRT 1104
28 March 2017
Annotated Bibliography 2
Beasley, Joseph D. The Betrayal of Health. First edition, Times
Books, 1991
The book, The Betrayal of Health, written by Joseph D. Beasley is all
about health and its relationship to nutrition, disease, the environment, and
modern medicine. I focused on the third chapter titled, Deadly Diet:
Nutrition and Disease. The chapter opens by presenting two deficiency
diseases, scurvy and pellagra. Pellagra, characterized by the four Ds of
dermatitis, diarrhea, dementia, death. Scurvy often presented with
symptoms of bruising, bleeding gums, weakness, fatigue, and rashes.
Beasley asserts, scurvy and pellagra are extreme examples of what can
happen when a single nutrient is missing from the diet (62). Although these
are extreme cases missing nutrients throw off the bodys nutritional balance
and in order to correct this, a well-balanced diet is necessary. Government
studies show that though the poor population is most likely to suffer from
nutritional inadequacies and malnutrition, iron deficiency was deemed a
public health problem. Particularly among infants, pregnant or lactating
women, adolescents and the elderly (63). There was also a deficiency of
other important vitamins found across the population. Beasley later
introduces the work of former Surgeon Captain of the Royal Navy and
research director at British Institute of Naval Medicine, Dr. Thomas L. Cleave.
Cleave argues that after a 12-year period of incubation the rise in popularity
of refined foods coincided with the emergence of heart disease and digestive
tract disorders as major killers after WWI. To further prove this point, Cleave
conducted a study on Icelands dies that consisted mainly of proteins and
fats and the effects after the diet was westernized. The study shows that the
increased intake of sugar and refined carbs was followed by an increase in
diabetes. Cleave notes that there is a genetic predisposition of diabetes but
the overload of processed food and sugar can trigger diabetes by putting an
unnatural strain on the pancreas and the production of insulin. Throughout
the rest of the chapter Beasley uses others research and studies to conclude
the both obvious and obscure links between diet and health complications.
The targeted audience for this book would be for those who are
interested in the links that our diet has to the various aspects of our lives, as
well as people with some background on the topic. Written in the early
1990s the book includes evidence from earlier in history but still contains
viable information that can be compared to current times. The author, Joseph
D, Beasley secures his credibility on the topic of nutrition and health having
written many books on these topics.
Other quotes:
Calcium deficiency also raises blood pressure (76)
Calcium may be more than sodium in hypertension. These data
are particularly interesting in light of the fact that hypertension is more
prevalent in blacks, who are significantly calcium-deficient than it is in
whites (76)
When one considers that three quarters of all non-accidental
deaths in the United States are attributable to heart disease, cancer, and
stroke and that crisis intervention is clearly of little help in changing this
pattern, a realistic dietary goal might better be to revise the under
consumption of nutrients (78).
The chapter of this book had some very interesting parts. I enjoyed
reading about all the different studies that researchers conducted that
showed the importance of a balanced and healthy diet. The book was not
difficult to read but I believe that having some background information on
the health, diets and nutrition before reading it to better understand
some of the language and terminology. I would not only recommend the
particular chapter that I read but the book as a whole for someone
pursuing a similar question. I only read one chapter because it was related
most to my topic but the entire book is full of valuable information.
Angel Carter
Mrs. Thomas
UWRT 1104
1 April 2017
Annotated Bibliography 3
Corliss, Julie. Eating too much Added Sugar Increases the Risk of
Dying with Heart Disease. Harvard Health Publications,
http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/eating-too-much-added-sugar-increases-
the-risk-of-dying-with-heart-disease-201402067021. Accessed 1 April 2017.
Executive editor of Harvard Heart letter, Julie Corliss writes this article
about the link between consuming an excessive amount of added sugars and
dying of heart disease. Corliss mentioned a 15-year study published in JAMA
Internal Medicine. The results of the study showed that participants that took
in 25% or more of their daily calories as sugar were twice as likely to die
from heart disease than those who consumed less than 10%. Even
considering factors such as age, sex, physical activity level and body mass
index the results remained the same. Dr. Teresa Fung professor of nutrition at
the Harvard School of Public Health suggests, regardless of their healthy
eating index scores, people who ate more sugars still had higher
cardiovascular mortality. Healthy eating index refers to how closely
someone follows the federal dietary guidelines. There is some ambiguity
surrounding exactly how excess sugar might harm the heart but research
shows drinking sugar-sweetened beverages can raise blood pressure and a
high sugar diet may stimulate the liver to put more harmful fats into the
bloodstream. Both are known to increase the risk of heart disease. This
article is intended for an average audience and those interested in poor
health risk factors.
Other quotes:
Added sugars make up at least 10% of the calories the average American
eats in a day
(sugar-sweetened beverages) They account for more than one-third of the
added sugar we consume as a nation.
empty calories calories accompanied by fiber, vitamins, minerals, and
other nutrients.
This article included interesting facts and figures that I was not
previously familiar with. The article was simple to read understand and
included links within the text to other websites to further understand the
article. Although the article was relatively short the small amount of
information will still be useful overall as I complete my thesis. The
information from the text may also be helpful for someone with a similar
inquiry question as mine.
Angel Carter
Mrs. Thomas
UWRT 1104
1 April 2017
Annotated Bibliography 4
Health Risks and Diseases Related to Salt and Sodium. Harvard T.H. Chan
School of Public Health, www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/salt-and-
sodium/sodium-health-risks-and-disease. Accessed 1 April 2017.
This article addresses the health risks related to excess sodium
consumption. High blood pressure is a leading cause of cardiovascular
disease. High blood pressure accounts for two-thirds of all strokes and half of
heart disease. When sodium accumulates, the body holds on to water to help
dilute it. In turn the excess water increases the volume of blood as well as
fluid surrounding the cells which makes more work for the heart and blood
vessels. Over time this extra workload can lead to high blood pressure, heart
attack and stroke. The writer also talks about the importance of potassium in
the excretion of sodium and the decrease of blood pressure. Americans
average about 3,300 milligrams of sodium per day, about 75% of which
comes from processed foods, while only getting about 2,900 milligrams of
potassium each day. This is the opposite of what we should be consuming.
Our bodies need more potassium than sodium each day to carry out normal
functions. There are three studies mentioned in this article that all looked at
sodium intake and the effect it has on blood pressure. According to the World
Cancer Research Fund and American Institute for Cancer Research, salt and
salty foods are probable causes of stomach cancer. Overall, sodium intake
should be closely monitored to lower the risk of heart damage. This article
didnt have a name of a writer mentioned anywhere so I consider the article
being published on the Harvard School of Public Health as credibility.
Other quotes
People who eat high sodium, low potassium diets have a higher risk of dying
of heart attack or from any cause.
There is also some evidence that too much salt can damage the heart, aorta,
and kidneys without increasing blood pressure, and that it may be bad for
bones too.
So, a diet high in sodium could have an additional unwanted effect the bone
thinning disease known as osteoporosis
It was interesting to learn about all of the damaging effects that too
much sodium can have on our bodies. Every aspect of a diet in some way
affects the body, either good or bad. I think it is important that everyone
be aware of what having poor eating habits can have on a person over
time. I would recommend this article to someone pursuing a topic similar
to mine. It includes reliable data on a specific topic rather than being
broad.
Angel Carter
Mrs. Thomas
UWRT 1104
6 April 2017
Annotated Bibliography 5
Diet-Related Disorders: Type 2 Diabetes, Obesity, and Celiac Disease. Films
Media Group, 2009, fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?
wID=149262&xtid=42223. Accessed 6 Apr. 2017.
This video discusses obesity, type II diabetes and celiac disease. These
disorders are all related through the effects that unhealthy dieting has on
people. Obesity is very common in western countries, America has the
highest population of obese people. 1 in 3 (0:35) Americans are considered
obese. Obesity can cause various health problems such as, heart disease and
type II diabetes. In the U.S.A., almost 16 million people have type II
diabetes, thats 6% of the population (7:52). There is another type of
diabetes known as type I. In type I, the cells that produce insulin do not
function properly and type I diabetics must take insulin injections daily to
replace what isnt produced. Type II diabetes is vastly more common. In type
II there is some insulin production however, it is not enough to maintain
blood glucose levels from being too high after meals. Dr. Murray Verso,
general practitioner, insists that, with people who are overweight or obese,
fat cells build up a resistance to the insulin (10:11). Our bodies need
sufficient amounts of insulin to insure food metabolism. Having diabetes puts
diabetics at higher risk for many more health complications. To name a few,
seizures, heart disease, strokes and commas. Despite these things there is
still hope. Losing weight exercising and a healthier diet can help with
diabetes. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder. Though an unhealthy
diet will not necessarily cause the disease, it can in fact aggravate it and
make it worse. This video is made for an average audience, children and
adults alike because these disorders could happen if healthy diet choices
arent made. This video includes input from medical professionals to
strengthen its credibility.
Other Quotes
Too much of the wrong foods can cause malnutrition (1:56).
The body needs basic nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and fiber to
meet nutritional needs (2:12)
Unused calories in glucose is stored in our bodies as fat.
The statistics discussed in the video were very surprising and
disappointing to hear. So many people in the U.S., U.K. and Australia have
type II diabetes many of those still undiagnosed. Although there may be
some genetic predisposition most cases arise from unhealthy lifestyles.
This video gave great information on my topic and I would recommend it
to someone pursuing something similar.
Angel Carter
Mrs. Thomas
UWRT 1104
6 April 2017
Annotated Bibliography 6
"Snapshot of the American Diet: Foods out of Balance." Harvard Heart Letter,
vol. 19, no. 7, Mar. 2009, p. 3. EBSCOhost, librarylink.uncc.edu/login?
url=http://search.ebscohost.com.librarylink.uncc.edu/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=hch&AN=36576896&site=ehost-live&scope=site.
Economic Research service, believes, The average American
gets too little of the foods that promote cardiovascular and general health
and too much of those that detract from it. This statement goes to show
that on average, Americans arent getting the proper nutrients for good
health. Americans consume many more refined grains, sugars and fats than
what is considered healthy. When in fact we should have meals full of fruits,
vegetables, fish and whole grains. In the article, healthy food choices are
listed to give readers options in place of less healthy foods. First off is
vegetables, they have fiber, nutrients, and healthy fats. Instead of eating
highly refined carbohydrates and grains like white rice and white bread,
oatmeal, whole grain pasta, and bread are better options. In the area of
proteins, red meats should be significantly reduced or cut out completely. A
good replacement is baked fish. Fish provides a good source of heart healthy
nutrients. Another helpful tip is to cut out soda and fruit drinks and swap
them for water. All of these recommended actions are a step in the right
direction but further action such as, not smoking, reducing stress, regular
exercise, and weight control are also important to maintain a healthy diet.
There were some good points that I found in this article and
some that I didnt totally agree with. For example, there is a sentence
stating that food should be about pleasure. I understand the line however
I do not necessarily agree. I understand that food can be pleasurable, but I
think that with it being pleasurable it makes us more apt to eat more than
we should and eat things that arent beneficial to our bodies. When you
change your diet to things that you wouldnt normally eat it becomes less
about pleasure and more about the nutrition of the food.
Angel Carter
Mrs. Thomas
UWRT 1104
7 April 2017
Annotated Bibliography 7
Heimendinger, J, and Duyn M. A. Van. "Dietary Behavior Change: The
Challenge of Recasting the Role of Fruit and Vegetables in the American
Diet." The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 61.6 (1995). web.
This article discusses how the American diet can be changed for the better. It
can be difficult to change eating habits due to cultural and childhood
traditions that are not easily modified. Results of a survey conducted by the
Food Marketing Institute showed that respondents reported that they
considered eating more fruits and vegetables as a healthful diet. 5 a Day,
a program funded by the National Cancer Institute, strives to increase the
average fruit and vegetable intake to 5 servings each day. In the effort to
communicate its message the program uses various strategies. For example,
expanding the American palate introduced to the community, ethnic
dietary traditions as well the Mediterranean diet. Additional survey data also
suggest that less-educated shoppers are more likely to agree that eating
healthfully costs more, is less convenient, and cannot be accomplished with
the foods that they like to eat. This is a very common response from people
considering dieting. Eating healthy doesnt have to be expensive and you
can learn to love the food. This among others are ways that community
health programs are trying to open minds about eating a healthy diet. I
would suggest this article to an average audience that is changing their diet.
Other quotes
AS a nation, we seem to be attracted to what we perceive as new
Over the past several decades, scientists have reached a consensus on the
relationship between diet and chronic disease
This article was the first that I have read that not only addressed the
problem with the American diet but also, it gave way that we can improve
it. I hope to find more articles that bring solutions to the table. I think
adding in solutions to my thesis paper will help strengthen it overall.
