While it is no secret that there are certain foods which are bad for you, sometimes these foods receive makeovers – oftentimes in the form of attractive packaging and also aggressive marketing – which easily detracts from the tiny fine print. Cases in point are the new menu options that are touted at the local fast food restaurants. After all, there is a lot of green that has been added to the menus, and everyone knows that salads are good food choices. The greens are high in fiber, the tomatoes carry valuable antioxidants, and you cannot get any more low fat than shredded carrots. Yet did you know that at some fast food places the low fat and supposedly healthy chicken salad is about as afar away from healthy nutrition as the average burger and fries? With more than 57 grams of fat there is still a lot of artery clogging evil in those supposedly healthy choices. The culprit is the dressing – without which the salad is nothing more than an assortment of limp leaves.
Another point of contention for those looking for healthy nutrition is alcohol drinks. You know that alcohol drinks are bad for you – in excess. After all, much has been written about the healing and preserving power of the glass of wine after dinner. Yet what is a glass of wine for some is actually a problem to others. As a matter of fact, did you know that when speaking of the medicinal values of wine, the mention is made of an amount that is little more than a small shot glass full? Most take it to mean an actual wine glass, which is several times the amount recommended.
Of course, where the rubber meets the road is at the grocery store. Healthy nutrition is not made easy there, but instead may be put in jeopardy. Take a look at the healthy food choices – lean meats, raw foods, and organic fruits – and you will see that the price tag for these food choices is considerably higher than for similar items that are neither organic, nor lean, nor raw. As a matter of fact, if you are feeding a family of four, you may not be able to afford to feed the family on such fare, but you will have to resort to pre-packed meals, lesser cuts of meat, and value packed veggies.
The answer to our food dilemma therefore does not rest with yet another book or fad diet to try out, but instead with an ability to overcome clever advertisement to see beyond the claims and look at the food labels, a reworking of the food budget to include as many healthy choices as possible, and a willingness to let go of beloved rituals in order to put them into the framework of a healthy lifestyle. Only when this is accomplished will you be able to truly reap the benefits of a healthy nutrition.