We are eating too much of almost everything, too much fat, too much sugar, and too much salt. We eat too many calories and we eat too often.

Such load has helped put the base for coronary artery disease, arthritis, diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, obesity and several kinds of cancer. These diseases are accountable for three out of four deaths. They are related to lifestyle, especially to how we eat.

Here are seven of the most serious culprits:

Refined Foods. People used to think modification was good because it got rid of useless roughage. Now we’re learning how necessary fiber is in protecting from certain cancers, stabilizing blood sugar, controlling weight and preventing gastrointestinal problems such as hemorrhoids, constipation, gallstones and diverticulitis.

Sugar. Because they are devoid of fiber and nutrients, refined sugars are empty or naked calories. But because of their caloric density, they are well-suited to promote obesity.

Fat. Most people don’t realize that they are consuming 40 percent or more of their daily calories as fat. This is far more than the body can properly handle. As a result, the blood vessels are plugging up, causing coronary artery disease and strokes. A high fat diet also contributes to overweight, adult diabetes and certain cancers.

Salt. If you consume 15-20 grams of salt a day, you consume about 20 times more than actually needed. This contributes highly to heart failure, high blood pressure and kidney disease.

Snacks. Engineered taste feelings are taking the place of real food. Schools, daycare centers, even hospitals require snacks to be available. The coffee break remains standard in work places, as do after-school and TV snacks at home. Well-planned family meals are now the exemption. Snack attacks disrupt digestion and overburden the stomach. Who hasn’t experienced gas, bloating, indigestion, burning pain and other stomach problems?

Beverages. Some people seldom drink water. Instead they average several servings of soda pop, coffee, beer, and tea everyday. Because most of these drinks are loaded with calories, yet lack fiber, they can play havoc with blood sugar levels and sabotage weight control efforts. Alcohol, caffeine, phosphates and other chemicals found in beverages pose additional health risks.

Proteins. A diet heavy in meat and animal products provides more fat, protein, and cholesterol than the body can use. Some people eat two or three times more protein than is recommended. Scientists now recognize that a diet containing less protein, and much less fat and cholesterol, is essential for improved health and longevity.

People need to comprehend that eating a range of whole plant foods will furnish all the fat, protein, fiber and nutrients the body needs. It is also ecologically sensitive, and will cut the food budget in half.

The best news is that this kind of dietary lifestyle can delay and avoid the onset of most degenerative diseases and even help heal them. Eating full-fiber plants foods allows people to eat bigger quantities of food without having to worry about weight gain and will promote optimum health and energy for a lifetime.