The long hard road to eat healthier in America.
First we are bombarded by all kinds of messages about what is and what is not healthy. One diet says eat only meat another says eat only vegetables. I think diets are designed to keep you confused. It's almost abusive. You'll want to watch your calories, sugars, carbs, protein, and fat intake. What is left to eat. Shakes, bars and a variety of tasteless things that you have know idea what it even is.
And then there is the whole where did it come from debate. Was this locally sourced? Did it come from some foreign country that planted a field next to a toxic waist station?
And then there is the whole is it genetically modified, radiated, pumped with antibiotics growth hormone, sprayed with toxic pesticides?
Then there is how was it made? and by who? Were they clean? Did they receive a decent wage? What did they add to it? Where did they get their ingredients any why? If you read ingredient list do you even know what the words mean? Even when you look them up most things just say preservative. Well, dang it smoke is a preservative. What does that mean?
Well, let me tell you.... I don't know the answers to any of those questions. That's why this blog post is TRYING. Oh if you listen to foreigners it's cause we are all lazy Americans, sitting around doing nothing all day shoving potato chips in our faces and eating giant cups of chemical filled diet soda's. But you and I know that's just not true. Oh if it were, it would be so easy to just eat healthier and get off the couch more. So.... What to do?
We have to look long and hard at what has lead us down this road. Yes we are lazy and sit on the couch shoving potato chips in our face once in a while. And we do eat at fast food restaurants. And have a limited range of what we will and will not eat. As long as we know what we are eating. And we don't exercise like champions. But.... this is not the whole story of our lives. So why are we all so unhealthy?
First I think and for most is EASE. I think we are completely reliant on the manufacturing companies to provide us with ease in creating food. I'm not talking fast food here. Take cookies for instants. We all know they are bad for us so... Cookies are almost always an impulse buy. You want them, you want them instantly! As in; in my mouth now! Well, cookies are easy enough a few ingredients mix in a bowl they almost always come out perfect. My mom has a recipe that will give you a huge varieties with one basic recipe. But....do we run out to our kitchens to see what cookie making ingredients we have on hand? No. We run to the store. They have those mixes just and eggs or oil some are just add water. Yep there are a few ingredients you have know idea what they are and everything in the cookie mix is dried. But do you grab that mix? No. This is a craving a gotta get that craving. So the refrigerated section has a large variety of ready to go all mixed up doughs. Just bake. Once again there are those strange ingredients you don't know and the date on these packages is almost never looked at. Some people keep them in the freezer for cookie crisisses. But do you grab the cookie in the tube we all love so much with it's yummy fill your house with fresh baked goodness smell? No. This is not that kind of craving. It's a "I just saw cookies on TV and I gotta get that in my mouth cookie, and maybe some ice cream too, craving. So you grab that pre-made package of cookies. Who knows who made them? ( fat guy with sores maybe) You don't care. Who knows where the ingredients came from. (scraped off the floor of a chemical plant) You can't prove that. Who knows if these things could give you cancer? ( Everything else does) You wanted them they weren't on your diet and you got them. Easy, peasy!
So you've compromised on the cookies. Why not on all your food making endeavors. If it's made at home, it's home made right? Even if it came out of a box that was filled with a list of ingredients that might be directions to build a bomb, as far as you know. It's easy! You try it. Your family eats the unknown creature you created from the box that said just like homemade. And it was easy. It said it had added nutrients so you don't feel too bad. Even though your not sure where the nutrients came from. It was quicker easier and you didn't have to think about it. It was EASY.
I think this is how they talk models into doing porn. You've already shown some skin why not take it all off? They are so distracted by getting what they want (money, you would be getting what you think is food) That when they loose their integrity completely they don't even know it. Once you have how do you go back? And if you were raised this way... is there any hope for you at all?
I don't know....... What do we do? I don't know.... I don't think any one does. It's a crisis! We ARE diseased, fat, slow thinking, falling behind in every possible way as a nation. But!!!!!! We are Americans so we will roll up our sleeves and dig in! We will fix this some how. Right? Of course we will. I'm working on solving this problem in my home and if everyone in America will do the same, we can fix this.
There is also other factors to eating heathy: time,(finding time to make things from scratch is almost imposible) money, (Organic and healthier foods cost more. That's just a fact. Crap food is cheaper. Sad but true. But eat less and be nurished not fat.) ability,( Some of us have a food cooking handicap. And our husbands aren't always around to prepare stuff for us.) and willingness of family memers to join in,( if the family wont eat it there is no point in making everyone misrible.) to name a few. I don't know where I'm going with this but... I will be eating healthier Florida style food, what ever that means! And I'll be posting my ideas and down falls here!
