What's in Your Food Basket?

For many years, much of what you have seen in food advertising has been limited to less than nutritious products that were promoted by their producers.  But lately, there has been an upswing in attention to weight and obesity related health issues and warnings about how important good food choices really can be.
As a result, you may be paying more attention to what you are putting in your food basket, or you might have a growing uneasiness about your food basket because it is not the healthiest looking collection of foods. So you may go through a process of buying low cal, fat free items, thinking they must be good for you, and you find you’re hungrier than ever. So then you might decide that you need to go on a restrictive diet to lose some weight, and as soon as you stop the diet, you gain the weight back along with a few more pounds. Does this sound familiar?
What’s Wrong with Me?
The conclusion many people draw when they have been through these phases is that there is something wrong with them – they are weak-willed, they are lazy, or their perceived notion of eating well does not work. But the reality is that low fat, no fat, restrictive diets do not work and they are not healthy forms of eating. Low fat, no fat restrictive diets deprive you of the nutrients you need, leaving you hungry and frustrated. There is nothing “wrong” with you – you are simply eating foods that are not nutritionally satisfying when you eat this way.
What Is Healthy Eating?
To simplify, healthy eating is the consumption of real food, in its original form. When you begin with real food, like whole grains, beans and legumes, fruits and vegetables, raw nuts and small amounts of hormone and anti-biotic free meats and wild fish, you are eating real foods. These foods are quite different from what you find in the most prominent aisles of the typical supermarket, but they are there. As consumers, we have been lured away from them by promises of quick and tasty foods that come in colorful boxes with misleading information about their nutritional value. They may be quick and tasty, but that is because they are loaded with salt and sugar, two leading causes of cravings and over-eating. These foods are strategically placed at eye-level or on end-caps in the supermarket, often with attractive pricing, making it all the more appealing, until you look at the real cost to your health.
Where to Begin?
Dr. Oz, a strong proponent of healthy lifestyle changes, suggests you hire a health coach, just as you hire a coach for any skill you wish to learn. You may feel you need a coach, or you may have an interest in learning these skills by yourself. Whichever you choose, learning to consistently buy, prepare and consume healthy foods is the single most important thing you can do for your health. Whatever the condition of your health today, it can and will get better if you change and improve your food choices. Obesity is not a normal part of life. Type II diabetes is not a normal part of aging. Constant cravings for sugar and salt are not a normal part of a healthy diet. These are all the result of poor quality food choices, and once corrected, you will be amazed by how much better you feel. Make a pledge to yourself and your health that going forward, you will pay more attention to what you put in your food basket. Begin to replace the packages with real food, one item at a time.