user search icon     shopping cart icon 0   email icon       email icon

healthy and unhealthy foods on four forks show a continuum from healthy to unhealthy depicting the standard American diet

What Is the Standard American Diet (SAD)?

  blog post author icon   blog post published date icon   12/17/20

Disease  Nutrition  

How aware are you of what's going into your body? Are you eating to live or living to eat? In reality, we all have different nutritional needs, but the standard American diet (SAD) doesn't suit most of them (or most people, for that matter). Your diet might be making you sick, sluggish, and at-risk.

  • Blog Post

    But what is the standard American diet, and what is it potentially doing to your health? There's a reason the standard American diet is sad, after all.

    We want to help you reach your optimal state of being by informing you about why your diet might not be serving you. Keep reading to learn all about the issues with the standard American diet (SAD diet) so you can make informed decisions about your health and wellness.

    First: What Is the Standard American Diet (SAD)?

    America catches a lot of flack for the dietary habits of its citizens. We're stereotyped as a burger-eating, sugar-addicted, unhealthy country.

    While the stereotype is a caricature of reality, it's not too far off from the truth.

    The standard American diet is what it sounds like; it's the diet that's been adopted by the average American citizen and normalized in our culture. While we're all taught about the food pyramid as children, most Americans don't follow anything close to it in their day-to-day lives, meaning that they're not meeting their nutritional needs.

    There are several reasons for this.

    The first is the normalization of these habits. If everyone is doing something, it's easy to think that it's an okay thing to do. Why would these foods be available if they weren't healthy?

    Another is poor education on nutritional needs. As people get more educated on health and nutrition, they tend to make changes (even if they're small) to what they put into their bodies.

    Another is that many people are in poor work or financial situations. America has made it so food that is low in nutritional value and easy to make for busy workers is often cheaper than healthy food. In other words, our system is working against us.

    What's The Nutritional Breakdown of the Standard American Diet?

    The standard American diet looks nothing like the food pyramid (and in fact, it's almost inverted).

    While carbohydrates are important for energy, the average American gets 42% of their daily calories from low-quality over-processed carbs like white bread and sugars (which should be eaten in moderation).

    Less than 10% of Americans eat enough fruits and vegetables, meaning that they're missing out on essential vitamins and minerals that help their bodies function correctly.

    Healthy fats are great for the body, but the standard American diet is full of saturated fats such as those from fast food, packaged snacks, and processed frozen meals. These things also tend to be full of excess sodium.

    The standard American diet does tend to be high in protein, but this can be a good or bad thing depending on the individual. 

    What Are Our Nutritional Needs?

    Our nutritional needs vary depending on our activity levels, lifestyle, and bodies. Overall, though, we can base our needs on the food pyramid and the loose guidelines on nutritional labels.

    The average American should eat two and a half cups of vegetables per day, far more than most people get. They should also get two cups of fruit (though they should watch their sugar intake).

    The fruits and vegetables contain many vitamins that are crucial to the body, including vitamin A, vitamin C, niacin, iron, folate, magnesium, fiber, and so much more.

    It's recommended that you get six ounces of grains per day, and that they're whole grains that include fiber, B vitamins, phosphorus, and more.

    Adults should get three cups of dairy (or a dairy equivalent) per day to get vitamin D, calcium, protein, vitamin B12, and various other micronutrients. This dairy should be low in fat.

    Adults should also get the equivalent of five and a half ounces of protein per day, though these needs may increase if they're involved in heavy sports or training.

    Americans, in general, don't get enough calcium, fiber, magnesium, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin C, or vitamin E.

    Why Is the Standard American Diet Problematic?

    As we mentioned, the standard American diet bears no resemblance to the food pyramid that we're supposed to be following. Furthermore, it doesn't allow for variations in dietary needs.

    Many people don't realize that they have dietary issues while they're eating "normally" because this diet is so prevalent in our culture. Other cultures around the world have more balanced diets, though our influence is having some ill effects.

    You can even look at school lunches and how they're impacting the children of the country and setting them up for failure. Schools that are responsible for keeping our children safe are feeding them unhealthy foods (for reasons of poor funding, lack of time, and lack of knowledge).

    Children have even more specific dietary needs than adults, and school lunches don't account for dietary differences.

    In comparison, school lunches across the globe look more balanced. They often include healthy proteins like fish or lean white meat, a full serving of fruits and vegetables, and low-fat dairy, water, or juice.

    Our unhealthy diets are so ingrained that we're passing them onto our children and setting them up for the same health problems that we're going to face (or are currently facing).

    The following is just a small sample of the health problems that can arise from the standard American diet. These are the SAD (standard American diet) consequences.

    The Sugar Problem

    Americans have too much sugar. We'll touch on several of the more obscure issues that can arise from an abundance of sugar in future sections, but let's talk about the primary offenders.

    Americans eat the equivalent of seventeen teaspoons of sugar per day. It isn't completely our fault. Even foods marketed as healthy (like fruit juices) or savory (like pasta sauces) are often loaded with extra sugars.

    But what harm can sugar do?

    Aside from the obvious problem of rotting out your teeth, sugar causes health problems all over your body.

    It starts with the brain. Sugar is actually addictive. It gives your brain a dopamine hit, and over time you need more and more sugar to get that same level of dopamine.

    When sugar is broken down in the liver, it can cause an excess buildup of fat, causing fatty liver disease.

    Your pancreas, which creates insulin, needs to go into hyperdrive to deal with all of the sugar that you're eating. The increased insulin can affect your arteries, making your heart work harder and set you up for heart disease. You need to protect your vascular health.

    Furthermore, that insulin problem lends itself to type 2 diabetes. In other words, sugar can kill you.

    Obesity

    Our high-carb, high-fat, high-sugar diet is leading to a nation rife with obesity. While other countries are catching up, the United States has a reputation for its overweight population.

    Over 40% of American adults are considered obese. Sugar actually inflames fat cells which causes them to release chemicals that can make you gain weight.

    Obesity leads to a greater potential of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, joint problems, chronic pain, and other forms of illnesses.

    Nutritional Deficiencies

    The standard American diet is deficient in many important nutrients. While you may never notice a nutritional deficiency in any way that seems to "matter" to you, your body will suffer. 

    Anemia is a common result of nutritional deficiency in adults. This can cause you to become sluggish, depressed, and fatigued.

    More serious conditions include scurvy, which comes from a lack of vitamin C. It causes wounds to open and the gums to bleed. Pellegra, a lack of niacin, can cause inflammation in the skin, painful sores, intestinal distress, and even dementia.

    Some people just feel tired all the time, or suffer from poor immune health. In a time where our immune systems are more important than ever, supporting immunity with a healthy diet is crucial.

    Inflammation and Chronic Disease

    There are plenty of things that we put into our bodies that increase inflammation. Not all signs of inflammation are obvious, but they will be as time goes on.

    Inflammation is an important bodily response to foreign entities. It happens when the body needs to heal and reject something bad. When inflammation comes from our food, it means that something that we're eating is harmful to us. This means that poor nutrition and inflammation are linked.

    Inflammation in the skin can lead to faster aging. This kind of inflammation comes from sugar, and it causes collagen to break down.

    Inflammation can also lead to dangerous chronic diseases. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (or COPD) affects 6.4% of Americans and arises from inflammation. Inflammation can influence acquired allergies, cardiovascular disease, and more.

    Removing the inflammatory food in question is important. Many people are intolerant to foods containing gluten, hops, or dairy without even knowing it because these things exist in our diet.

    Elimination diets and plant-based diets have been shown to reduce inflammation as they help to identify offending foods. Plant-based diets in particular tend to be anti-inflammatory.

    Increased Chronic Pain

    Inflammation also leads to chronic pain. When the immune system is activated, it releases cytokines. The American diet lends itself to pro-inflammatory cytokines.

    These cytokines influence conditions such as arthritis and various joint diseases. 

    As we mentioned, obesity is a side-effect of the standard American Diet (SAD). Obesity leads to more strain on the joints due to the increased weight of the body. The standard American diet can also lead to lower activity levels (due to malnutrition), causing joints to go underused and have a harder time recovering. 

    Chronic pain can be reduced through a diet with more balanced nutrition.

    Potential for Degenerative and Terminal Conditions

    Poor nutrition causes long-term health problems, and not all of them can be fixed if they're discovered too late.

    The standard American diet has been linked to an increase in cancer and congestive cardiac failure. There's evidence to suggest that a poor diet increases the risk for Alzheimer's and other forms of mental deterioration.

    What Is There to Do for It? 

    Once you're informed, it's up to you to make changes to your diet. The first step is adopting healthy food habits and weaning yourself off of the dangerous and inflammatory foods that are likely filling your pantry and refrigerator.

    This is also a great time to do some form of natural cleanse or detox. You don't have to cut yourself off cold turkey, but you can make some quick changes that can make a big difference.

    It's also a good idea to start boosting your nutrition with supplements. Even healthy diets can lack important vitamins and minerals, and identifying those is the first step to filling the gaps in your diet.

    You can't change the standard American diet, and it's likely that the problem is going to get worse before it gets better. It's your responsibility to change your own diet and lead a healthier diet with less illness, less inflammation, and a healthier body. If you have a family, encourage them to make healthier choices as well.

    It's not too late to improve your health.

    Do You Follow the Standard American Diet?

    The standard American diet (SAD) is "sad" for a reason. It's not conducive to optimal (or even good) health and wellness. It promotes inflammation, illness, and obesity, and it's led to a country that's making itself sick.

    You can't change America, but you can change yourself. It's time to detox, balance your nutrition, and reach your healthiest self.

    We want to help. We offer supplements, probiotics, and more to help your body reach its full potential. Visit our shop and fill the gaps in your diet.

  • Related Content


headshot of Jay Todtenbier 2018
Author

Jay Todtenbier is an original founder of SupplementRelief.com in 2010 and has operated the business ever since. He is also a tennis instructor and gospel musician. Formerly he spent 25 years in business development, technology and marketing with startups and major corporations having gone through the tech boom in Silicon Valley in the 90s. He became passionate about, and began studying and practicing Wellness as a Lifestyle after experiencing chronic, personal health challenges including depression, auto-immune disorders, and being overweight that impacted his ability to live a healthy, vibrant life. Since then, he has been an advocate for healthier living encouraging others to live better through making small, gradual changes to lifestyle behaviors relating to whole-foods nutrition, stress management, reasonable exercise, proper sleep, and the use of targeted, high-quality supplements.

Learn more about Jay Todtenbier.

  • product discussion forum icon Discussion Forum
    Questions or Feedback?

    Ask questions. Share your thoughts.  Note that we cannot answer questions relating to specific medical conditions - please refer those to your qualified healthcare provider.

    Post a new Comment or Reply to an existing one. Help for using the Discussion Forum.

    Post Comment

    help icon Discussion Forum Help

    Comments are displayed in order of the last one posted so the most recent one is at the top and the oldest one at the bottom.

    Replies within a Comment are displayed in reverse order with the oldest one at the top and the most recent one at the bottom.

    Each post identifies comment posted by icon who made the post and the comment timestamp icon date and time the post was made.

    Mouse over the icons for tooltips that explain what they mean.

    audio file icon 

    If you see this icon you can attach an Audio file to your post.


    document file icon 

    If you see this icon you can attach a Document file to your post.


    image file icon 

    If you see this icon you can attach an Image file to your post.


    video file icon 

    If you see this icon you can attach a Video file to your post.

    You will see the ban post icon Ban icon (Report Post as SPAM) immediately following the Timestamp of the post. Click this icon if you feel strongly that the content posted is not appropriate and should be reviewed by the Forum Moderator. You will be provided with a confirmation dialog to be sure you wish to submit this post for review. If submitted, the Forum Moderator will be notified to review the post and will determine what type of action to take.

    Click exit icon in the upper right corner of this Help modal or anywhere on the web page outside of the modal to exit Help.

warning icon Session Expired from Inactivity


Do you want to?

You may also close your browser window/tab now to exit the website.

You are idle for seconds.

First Fitness Nutrition logo


FirstFitness Nutrition
Reseller Order Policy Change
Effective December 1, 2023

SupplementRelief.com has been an Authorized Reseller (Team Member) of FirstFitness Nutrition (FFN) since April of 2020, selling FFN products directly from our website to our customers, handling the payment processing, order fulfillment, and customer service.

Effective December 1, 2023 FirstFitness Nutrition REQUIRES ALL Authorized Resellers, who have formerly sold FFN products DIRECTLY from their OWN website, to refer the PRODUCT PURCHASE to the Reseller's FFN Team Member website.

You may continue placing orders on SupplementRelief.com through December 31, 2023 for the remaining products we have in stock.

SupplementRelief.com's FFN Team Member website is:

supplementrelief.firstfitness.com

On the top right of every page you will see our Team Member name to confirm you are on the correct FFN Team Member website:

Your FFN Team Member: SUPPLEMENTRELIEF.COM

Please BOOKMARK this new website supplementrelief.firstfitness.com for future shopping. You may begin using the Team Member website immediately.

You may also place your order directly over the phone by calling either SupplementRelief.com at 888.424.0032 or FirstFitness Nutrition's Customer Support line at 800.621.4348. Please let them know that your FFN Team Member is SUPPLEMENTRELIEF.COM.

You may continue to use this website (supplementrelief.com) for FFN product descriptions and other Wellness content from our Blog, Education, or Recipes, but on December 1, 2023:

  • The "Add to Cart" button will change to a "Purchase on FFN Team Member Website" button, and your browser will automatically open a new page on our FFN Team Member Website to purchase the product. You can stay on the new site and shop for ALL other FirstFitness Nutrition products without returning to this website.
  • If you formerly had a LOGIN ACCOUNT on SupplementRelief.com, it WILL NOT WORK on the FFN Team Member website. You will be given an option to create a new account on the FFN Team Member Website. You WILL NOT NEED your SupplementRelief.com account on this website anymore, unless you want to see your Order History for orders you placed on SupplementRelief.com in the past.

How Does This Affect Future FFN Purchases?


This means that as of December 1, 2023:

  1. You may purchase FFN products only from an FFN Team Member website.
  2. ALL ORDERS will now be PROCESSED and SHIPPED directly by FirstFitness Nutrition. The company name on your credit card statement will no longer say SUPPLEMENTRELIEF but will now say FIRST FITNESS.
  3. You may optionally create a new account on our FFN Team Member website, or you can shop as a Guest— both options work fine. Setting up a new account on the FFN website is recommended to make placing future orders easier, as FirstFitness will already have your information to process your order once you log on to our Team Member website.

FirstFitness Nutrition's Order Policy


  1. Delivery using UPS in 3 - 5 Business Days
  2. 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
  3. Shipping Charge is a minimum of $10 or 8.5% of the retail price of products purchased.
  4. Sales Tax is automatically calculated and is based upon the Shipping Address.
  5. You will receive an Order Receipt confirmation email directly from FirstFitness Nutrition (no longer directly from SupplementRelief.com) as soon as you complete placing your order on our Team Member website.
  6. You will receive an Order Shipment confirmation email directly from UPS (no longer directly from SupplementRelief.com) with the tracking number as soon as your order ships.

Every FirstFitness Nutrition order, from every FFN Team Member website, is subject to the exact same Order Policy. This means that shipping charges and sales taxes will be calculated the same way for every FFN product purchased from every FFN Team Member Website.


FirstFitness VIP Customer Rewards Program


FirstFitness Nutrition offers a Customer Loyalty VIP Rewards Program for savings whereby you can earn future discounts on product purchased.

This is a monthly autoship program (called a Smart Ship) where you choose the product(s) you want shipped to you each month. You can easily create and then log into your Customer VIP Rewards account anytime and change the products on your monthly auto-ship or pause/cancel it.

  • Receive 20% in VIP Reward Points redeemable for Free Products (4 points for every dollar spent - 400 points = $100) after three consecutive Smart Ships
  • Free shipping on a monthly Smart Ship order of $100 or more
  • Incentives to receive additional Reward Points

Learn more about the VIP Customer Rewards Program.


Transition Customer Support


SupplementRelief.com wants the transition to the FFN Team Member website for future orders to be a smooth process.

Faith Hoffman, our Customer Support Specialist, is happy to assist you. We appreciate your business and are prepared to answer questions and provide additional details on any or all of the above information, policies, products, costs, discount opportunities and programs, etc.

Please get in touch with Faith at your convenience:

headshot of Faith Hoffman

Faith Hoffman has spent 23 years in business practices, research, and customer relations for brand products and national companies. Lengthy hospital stays for auto-immune disorders, including the onset of heart and liver disease, led her to research the benefits of quality all-natural supplements and the importance of living a healthy lifestyle.

She became a customer of SupplementRelief.com three years ago. Positive results from healthy lifestyle changes and using quality, targeted supplements compelled her to share and recommend SupplementRelief.com products to family, friends, and clients. Studying through her journey and having a passion for helping others, she joined SupplementRelief.com as a customer support specialist in 2023.

When Faith is not assisting SupplementRelief.com customers, she enjoys singing gospel music, volunteering, and spending time with her family and pets.

Faith can be reached by email at [email protected] or by phone or text at (225) 316-5716.

Session Arrays & Values

Are you sure you want to remove this item?

Order Policy

Please email if you have questions or need assistance.

Payment Processing

We accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express credit cards.

Payments are securely processed through industry leader Authorize.net of which SupplementRelief.com is a Verified Merchant.

We DO NOT retain or store your credit card information after the purchase. We DO NOT share your information with anyone. We DO NOT auto-subscribe you to anything. Your information is YOURS.

The charge will appear on your credit card statement as SupplementRelief.com with our phone number (888) 424-0032.

Shipping & Handling

A safe and accurate address for delivery must be provided at the time the order is placed. Once an order has shipped, SupplementRelief.com is NOT responsible for lost or stolen packages CONFIRMED BY THE CARRIER to be delivered to the address provided for the order.

Since COVID-19, and the ensuing economic challenges in the USA economy, we respectfully ask that you allow some additional time for delivery for the carriers (USPS, UPS, and FedEx). Most orders still arrive on time, or near on time, but some may run late. We make every effort to get your order packed and into the carriers hands the same day, or by the next business morning if your order came in later in the previous day after carrier pickup, but we have no control over any delays that may happen within the shipping carrier's delivery system. Please order earlier for the time being if you are time-sensitive.

Orders that contain only FirstFitness Nutrition products have a shipping fee automatically calculated based upon the actual shipping weight of the items purchased. The charge ranges from $4.95 to $14.95.

For orders with NuMedica products you may choose from the shipping options below on the Order Checkout form in the Shipping Information section on the first line that says Choose Shipping Method.

Shipping Options

Country Option Schedule Cost
United States Standard 3-6 Days $4.95
United States Priority 2-4 Days $9.95
United States Free 7-10 Days $0.00
International FedEx International 4-7 Days $79.95*
International GlobalPost International 12-21 Days $39.95*
*International shipping costs may be higher depending upon package weight and destination. We will contact you for your approval of the additional amount if this occurs.

SupplementRelief.com may use the email or phone number provided on your Order to call or text you regarding Order Status or to inform you of changes to the Order Policy.

When your order ships we will send you a confirmation email with the delivery tracking information.

International Shipping

Shipping anything these days internationally is expensive. COVID resulted in more rigorous customs import processes, and now with much higher energy prices, international shipping rates are higher.

FedEx is the most reliable and faster carrier, at least for now, but they are expensive. Our FedEx international shipping fee is a minimum of $79.95. It usually makes more sense to get several months of supply (3 months or more) in one order to minimize the shipping expense per order over time. While the added weight of additional items may increase the base shipping price by a little (usually 10-25% depending upon total weight and destination), it is usually not by very much relative to shipping an additional small order later.

We also offer a lower-cost international shipping option using GlobalPost International for $39.95. So far, they have been reliable in getting packages correctly delivered but it takes 2 - 4 times as long to get the package delivered. Packages may take longer to process in the receiving country's customs process and status updates may not be reported as quickly. Please be patient if you choose this option to save money.

Some International orders may cost more to ship depending upon weight and location. If that happens we will contact you first and get your approval for any additional charge before proceeding. International orders may also be subject to additional customs fees and duties/taxes based upon the destination country's customs import laws and policies. These fees are NOT known or included on our order form and are typically charged and collected by the shipping carrier when they are delivering the product to it's final destination once the package has cleared the destination country's customs process. It is recommended that the buyer research custom import fees for the products/services they are importing beforehand to be aware of potential, additional fees.

Shipping Refrigerated Products

Our manufacturers formulate their probiotics to ensure their products retain viability until they reach the consumer. Probiotics that are recommended to be refrigerated remain so until the time of shipment, then shipped alongside an ice pack to ensure potency (Note: Ice pack will not arrive frozen, and product may not arrive cold). Orders placed on a Thursday-Sunday requiring cold shipping will not ship until the following Monday.

Cancellations

If your order has not been shipped yet, you can request a cancellation. Your original purchase amount will be refunded within three business days. If your order has already shipped, see Returns and Refunds.

Changes, Returns and Refunds

If you want to make a change to your order, please email us as soon as possible so we can make the change before your order ships. If your order has already shipped you may incur additional shipping charges for the second shipment and the return label for any products returned.

If we have made a mistake on your order, or the product arrives in a damaged or unusable condition, we will make every reasonable effort to right the situation quickly to your satisfaction.

We accept returns subject to when the return is requested and the condition the product is returned in. All returns must first be authorized by contacting us. In your request, please let us know why you are returning the item(s). We will respond promptly with authorization, the return address, and a return shipping label if appropriate.

If your order has already shipped you can return any un-opened products within 30 days of receiving your order for a 100% refund of the price paid for the product, less the actual shipping charges we incurred to get the product to you originally and then returned, less a $10 restocking fee. Un-opened means the protective seal on the bottle or container, or the shrink-wrap on the box or kit, has not been broken and the product has not otherwise been damaged in any way. You may use the original packaging for the return or acquire your own. We will provide the return shipping label. We DO NOT accept returns for NuMedica products once the protective product seal has been broken.

Upon receipt of returned product(s), we will refund your credit card within three business days for the product(s) returned.