“An apple a day keeps the Doctor away” – We’ve all heard this phrase before, even my kids ( 6 & 9 years old ) go… Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, I know dad !
At that young age , it is really hard to convince them that a bowl of broccoli is better for you than a bowl of skittles. Those colorful and chewy candies, so cute , so sweet and tasty…how that can be bad for you ?
And , the truth is , they are not really that bad for you. It’s pure sugar, and a little bit of that won’t kill you, it might even be beneficial. Especially if you are an active person, maybe after your workout, and even better, if you are trying to work on a new health habit, give yourself a little treat right after (NOOO !! NOT THE WHOLE BAG !! ), and you will see how quick your brain will remind you of that new habit of yours (don’t believe me , ask any dog).
The real problem is that we are eating a lot of sugar all day long, and most people know that replacing your meals for sugary treats will eventually get you to the hospital , regardless of your age, but that’s exactly what a lot of people are doing.
Having your 16 oz of caramel beverage with a little bit of coffee in it and donuts for breakfast, pizza for lunch, and pasta, lots of it, for dinner (because we work hard all day, and we deserve it, right ?) just hits the spot — Ahhhh !!!!
Well, that too, will get you to the hospital.
As consumers, we are sent wildly mixed messages when it comes to what to eat and how much. We are sold larger portions of processed packaged food that are fast, cheap, filling and delicious, and a lot of them. They even have the audacity of labeling some of it as “healthy” or “organic.”
And with us spending more and more time at work and less time in our homes and KITCHENS than our parents and grandparents did, plus the absurd amount of time we waste with distractions from our electronic devices, it’s very easy to play games with ourselves. And sometimes we only have time to pack a leftover pizza slice and a slim-fast for lunch, irony be damned.
Excess sugar does two things. It either displaces more nutritious foods in your diet, which means you’re screening out nutritious-dense foods, or it adds calories to your diet. So if you’re adding calories on top of an already nutritious diet that puts you at risk for weight gain.
Nearly 3/4 of American men and more than 60% of women are obese or overweight.
Nearly 30% of kids under age 20 are either obese or overweight, up from 19% in 1980.
Weight gain has been associated with high risk of numerous problems, from the number one killer of Americans, heart disease to diabetes, higher blood pressure, inflammation, fatty liver disease, and certain types of cancer. And all that has taken a toll on health care costs across the country.
As a society, what is it that we are doing ???
You see, the amount and the complexity of work that our bodies go through every day, just to keep things running properly is out of this world. But just like us, at work, if we don’t have the right tools (whatever it might be), we can’t deliver greatness, and eventually things go down hill.
Our bodies start to shut down processes that we don’t absolutely need to survive, such as reproduction, some aspects of metabolism, and brain function.
To start, we need the right proportions of Protein, Carbohydrates and Fat, so we have enough energy to sustain our physical, mental and physiological activities, as well as maintain a healthy body composition.
But our food should also include vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals (nutrients that only occur in plants), zoochemicals (nutrients only found in animal products), fiber, water, etc… All of these substances play crucial roles in our body.
Can I say WATER again, in case you read it too fast ?
Start now by getting at least one serving of colorful vegetables in every meal, drinking more water and eating more fruits as snacks and/or as a dessert.
The bottom line is there are many reasons why we should pay attention to what we eat. The processed, low-variety foods many of us consume regularly may be convenient and tasty, but they compromise our health. We specially need to pay attention to what we eat when we are sick so we can give our bodies the nutrients it needs to heal.
And if you already have one or more of the many chronic diseases, seeing your food as medicine will help you make better decisions about what (and how) to eat in order to make the best decisions for your wellbeing.
Let us know if we can help you with an InBody Assessment.
Our InBody body composition analyses break down your weight and display your body composition data on an organized, easy-to-understand Result Sheet. The results help us understand where our fat, muscle, and body levels are and act as a guide to help us achieve our goals: whether that is shedding a few unwanted pounds or a complete body transformation.
