Our society loves convenience. As a result, we often eat what is quick and easy over what is healthy and nutritious. Today there are more restaurants, fast food chains, coffee shops and convenience stores than ever before. With this said, it is no coincidence there is also a rise in obesity, disease and healthcare costs. Fast and packaged foods don’t qualify as food. Real food doesn’t have multiple unpronounceable ingredients. Real food doesn’t come in boxes or cans. Real food isn’t pumped full of hormones or preservatives. Real food is fresh, organic, and is made by God, not man.
Don’t be tricked by creative labeling and marketing that makes ingredients sound healthy. Learn to read labels and especially pay attention to serving sizes. Just because something is “fat free” doesn’t make it healthier. Serving sizes are not always realistic and you need to determine what you are truly consuming. “Gluten-free” is another popular word lately, but these products often use ingredients that are actually worse than what they are replacing!
The best way to avoid the temptation of convenient eating is to plan ahead. Prepare several days’ worth of meals in advance. Make Tupperware your friend. Have healthy snacks on-hand like nuts, seeds, apples, Greek yogurt, and protein shakes – – but be careful with protein bars. Many protein or meal replacement bars are nothing more than glorified candy bars. One exception is Quest bars which have only a few basic ingredients — nearly half your daily fiber requirements, and are delicious. Still, these are best reserved as a good alternative when you don’t have access to real food.
The foundation of health is always real, honest food. If you are eating Lean Cuisine, Slim Fast, and Diet Coke – you are being fooled. Eating healthy takes work and time, but your health is more than worth the cost. The price of sickness and disease is far more expensive. Take the time to invest in your health and the benefits will be more than you can imagine!
~ Glenn J. White
