Eating Healthy – How Hard Can It Be?
When our parents were growing up, eating healthy actually wasn’t too difficult. Processed foods really hadn’t hit the market yet, fast food restaurants were few and far between, and the worst things they could do their healthy was pretty much using too much fat or butter in the cooking. Milk was delivered almost daily, and juices were squeezed fresh. Mom might sneak in some bacon or sausage at breakfast, but compared to some of the junk we expose ourselves to nowadays, that wasn’t all that bad.
The worst thing we had to deal with back then was probably having too much butter on our potatoes and vegetables at dinner, and maybe some bacon was included in our breakfast. Other than that, school cafeterias weren’t even allowed to have vending machines, they couldn’t sell soda or coffee to even high schoolers, and even though lunches may have left a bit to be desired, they didn’t include pizza or tacos.
Decades ago even schools made kids eat healthier. There wasn’t much of a choice, actually. They got a hot meal, milk, and maybe dessert. No cokes, no vending machines with chips and cookies, no coffee or frapaccuinos, and no energy drinks loaded with sugar and caffeine. Kids got a balanced meal – in accordance with the food pyramid knowledge of the day.
Today, many kids are even allowed to leave the building for lunch and they head to the nearest fast food joint to load up on junk that would make a healthy rat sick! However, some of these kids believe they are eating healthy and there’s no problem, or they believe that because they are thin, they can eat whatever they want. They believe being fat is the true indicator eating a bad diet.
It’s not easy to explain to kids, or anyone, that looking like a model doesn’t mean you’re healthy. If they are “lucky” enough to be able to live on tacos and burgers and pizza and still wear a size two, there are very few kids who even think of admitting that their health might be at risk, and then continue eating the same foods well into their adult lives until… A major crisis erupts, and it won’t be good.
Another person might have a salad every day for lunch, but that salad could be covered with regular blue cheese dressing. Her friend might have a chicken breast and a vegetable – which is much healthier in the long run, saving over 500 calories and about 14 grams of fat.
Until a critical episode occurs, most of these people don’t have a clue they aren’t eating healthy. They believe they are immune to the ill effects of pigging out on some of the worst food choices possible. They equate size with health. Find any 40 year old who works out, take a small size, looks terrific, and eats food that helps put her one step closer to the grave yard each day. Ask her to describe the last salad she had, and she’ll likely describe something that was covered in tons of regular dressing that also included chunks of cheese, meats, croutons, and cole slaw. Delicious, yes. Healthy? Heck no!
Learning to eat healthy can be a tough choice, but it’s even harder to keep the promise you made to yourself. Following a healthy diet for a week is different than adopting a significant life change. Unfortunately for many, the life change might be the “end of life”.
Breakfasts have been claimed to be the most important meal of the day. By eating breakfast, it allows the brain to function better so one can focus more easily. For healthy recipes, visit us today!
