Eating Healthy - Easier Than You Think
As obesity climbs to epic proportions in this country, it's not impossible to believe that our parents and grandparents, for the most part, ate much better than we do now. They had fresh food which more than likely was purchased every day or so, mainly because refrigerators were smaller and freezers were essentially nothing more than a place to make ice cubes and maybe store a steak and a package of bacon.
Even school lunches were completely different. Schools were only allowed to serve milk - no soda, coffee, milk shakes, energy drinks, or even bottled water. Although the food itself frequently had a bad reputation, it was fixed according to the dietary standards of those days and even though the food pyramid has changed dramatically over the years, schools now serve lunches that most parents don't even want their kids to eat.
Our lives have changed just as dramatically as nutritional standards. We have dual income families, kids who are forced into too many after school activities and commitments, men who don't have the same company loyalty their dads did so they work longer hours for job security, and instead of finding time to cook and eat healthy dinners, families tend to fix what is easy - processed and frozen dinners, take out, or fast food burritos, burgers, etc. Add some shredded lettuce and chicken and we are totally convinced we are eating healthy.
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.
Eating healthy means different things to different people. For one person, eating healthy simply means not drinking sugar laden soda, forsaking chips, and limiting all desserts to anything that is fat free. Someone else might take it more seriously and not only stay away from bad foods but actively add good foods to their diet. There is a big difference between not drinking cola and making sure you have 8 glasses of water each day.
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!
Many overweight individuals, on the other hand, actually have decent diets; they might even eat lean meats, fresh vegetables and plain potatoes. Their problem is that they are probably eating too much of a good thing. In reality, their overall health is better than their size two buddies. - 17269
Even school lunches were completely different. Schools were only allowed to serve milk - no soda, coffee, milk shakes, energy drinks, or even bottled water. Although the food itself frequently had a bad reputation, it was fixed according to the dietary standards of those days and even though the food pyramid has changed dramatically over the years, schools now serve lunches that most parents don't even want their kids to eat.
Our lives have changed just as dramatically as nutritional standards. We have dual income families, kids who are forced into too many after school activities and commitments, men who don't have the same company loyalty their dads did so they work longer hours for job security, and instead of finding time to cook and eat healthy dinners, families tend to fix what is easy - processed and frozen dinners, take out, or fast food burritos, burgers, etc. Add some shredded lettuce and chicken and we are totally convinced we are eating healthy.
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.
Eating healthy means different things to different people. For one person, eating healthy simply means not drinking sugar laden soda, forsaking chips, and limiting all desserts to anything that is fat free. Someone else might take it more seriously and not only stay away from bad foods but actively add good foods to their diet. There is a big difference between not drinking cola and making sure you have 8 glasses of water each day.
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!
Many overweight individuals, on the other hand, actually have decent diets; they might even eat lean meats, fresh vegetables and plain potatoes. Their problem is that they are probably eating too much of a good thing. In reality, their overall health is better than their size two buddies. - 17269
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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!
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