December 3, 2007 by Kavit Haria
Dealing with the overabundance of food choices
Food is everywhere. Depending on who you are and where you live in the world you could have a love hate relationship with food or food could be cause for celebration and a pleasure that is meant to be enjoyed. Unfortunately though there are many people in many places that are not using food to sustain life but they use it as an indulgences, a vice that needs to be controlled. I know this sounds harsh, but we must be honest with ourselves.
There has been no other time in history that we have been faced with as many food choices as we are today. Unfortunately many of these choices are processed, empty and unhealthy “foods.” We are a world that consumes way to much junk food.The vast majority of people will tell you that they know the best way to prevent obesity is to eat right and exercise daily.
Knowing it and doing it are two different things, consider the fact that French fries are sold everywhere except for Starbucks. Each and every year there are over 4 billion pounds of French fries sold and over 3 billion hamburgers sold. How many times in a day are you eating fast food? Do you remember the last time you ate a home cooked meal with real vegetables and fruit?
I am not saying that occasional meal from KFC isn’t ok. Nor am I saying that a treat of Quarter Pounder and fries isn’t great either, but really it isn’t a meal that you should be eating daily. Look at the number of candy bars and chips and cookies and such that fill the aisles at the grocery store. While these items are wonderful on occasion for to many people they are a part of their daily diet. How is this affecting our overall health and what about the children?
The processed-food industry has tried and succeeded with placating the American public with their empty calorie stuffed “food.” We buy it because it has a satisfying texture and it fulfills a need, it curbs hunger temporarily. As America grows more obese because of the overabundance of food choices the rest of us wonder what to do.Education and perhaps directness could be the answers. There is never enough education done for healthy eating and living encouraging people to make better choices from the plethora of food in front of them. The National Health Council has suggested that perhaps what needs to happen is that those that make healthier choices stand right behind those that are making unhealthy choices and being direct in saying that there are healthier choices to be made.
A balanced diet with variety is essential to being healthy. We have many healthy options as well.Making sure that you get the recommended daily intake of fruit and vegetables will help support a healthy body. Eating foods that are prepared in a healthy way such as grill, baked, braised or even stir fried helps cut calories and fat. Try to avoid fried foods or foods that are over processed.
When I was younger a teacher of mine said that in order to be healthy try to avoid eating anything in a package. Just because we have so many choices doesn’t mean that we should be frivolous with those choices.
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Mark Looney says:
Kavit,
Your book is excellent. Raw food is usually not in a package and in the US is found in the outer aisles. The inner aisles are full of various unhealthy packaged stuff.
I drink 16.9 oz water when I get up every morning too.
Keep up the great work.
Mark
June 27, 2008 at 6:33 pm