Healthy Food Is Not Inconvenient!
I’m not sure why so many equate processed food with being able to “live a little”, while good food is a chore to them. I suppose processed food is easier to prepare because it so easily comes out of a box or can. In many cases, that means this food is also highly processed and contains large amounts of carbohydrates, added sugar, unhealthy fats, and salt. These foods generally contain a high number of calories but offer much lower nutritional value.
Many studies now point to the fact that we take in more calories in fast food than at home. This convenience adds between 160 and 310 extra calories a day, depending on where we eat. However, some fast food meals give you a whole day’s worth of calories. It doesn’t take a genius to understand this will lead to a lot of extra weight gain which you will not only hate for the sake of appearance, but will also be a risk factor for a variety of chronic health problems.
A life of processed foods is what our current health care system is largely struggling with today. Statistic are horrifying – 8 out of 10 now die of a disease. Are cancer, fibromyalgia, obesity arthritis, heart disease or type 2 diabetes normal life occurrences, or are they largely the result of our laziness/lack of knowledge/lack of caring/ignorance? Looking back at all my years as a nutritionist, I lean towards the latter. Thousands of clients tend to display habitual patterns; re-occurring actions that lead to bad results. I can tell people what will happen if they continue, but sadly, many do not accept the truth. We wait largely until something goes horribly wrong with our body before we act in desperation and despair.
It doesn’t have to come to that point. Putting a little thought and effort into food preparation is not a chore if we look at it in context of pain, lethargy, lost time from work or contracting a disease. Think about the consequences of what you just read, rather than living in the moment and pretending it won’t happen to you.
Look, what you eat and how you feel, both mentally and physically, have a close connection. Following a balanced, nutritious diet isn’t always easy or convenient. But then again, that’s not what its all about.
Thinking of wholesome food as helping you in this life, rather than being an inconvenience makes so much sense and gives you the ability to think beyond just pleasing the taste buds. It has awesome, beneficial consequences on short and long-term health. Best of all, it adds years to both your quality and quantity of life.