Thinking outside the box...

I grew up in a family that did usually cook homemade meals, but as I got older and started to make food on my own, I tended to opt for convenience food...they're convenient, right? But are alot of the foods really that convenient? Are they really worth the extra money and packaging? It wasn't until I started to read the labels on them that I truly decided "no"....It seems to me that a lot of convenience foods have tons of preservatives, hydrogenated oils, and other chemicals and fats that have no place in food.

The use of chemicals in the food we eat and the products we use, scares me....I honestly don't think our bodies were made for it...and in convience food societies it seems like disease and obesity have gotten out of control (what do we do to counter those problems? we take medicines that were made in chemical labs)....I am no expert by any means, but it just seems there are too many things going wrong to not question it!

As I started to write this post today I was planning to write about convenience foods and ways to make your own instead of buying them. And while I'll still probably pass that info. along, I have to admit I was distracted by this article...http://www.ewg.org/node/22655

Here's an excerpt:
"But Barry doesn't think about the food he consumes. He eats while he drives, while he works, while he talks on the phone, while he watches TV. He senses no connection between the food he puts in his body and the way he feels. Feeling tired, suffering from acid reflux and daily headaches, which he blames on his stressful job, Barry went for a checkup recently. The physical didn't go too well. The doctor told him his lifestyle puts him at risk for heart disease and type-2 diabetes. In other words, his diet is killing him. The doctor advised him to lay off the caffeine, soda pop, processed foods and red meat.
Barry listened politely and asked for medication to cure his ailments. The physician raised an eyebrow and wrote Barry three prescriptions as he warned him to take better care of himself. Since then Barry has ignored the advice. It's his life, his body, and he'll live anyway he darn well pleases. Barry is proud of his defiance. Nobody is going to tell him what to do."

I love to eat and this is a huge struggle for me to really eat right, there are way too many excuses that I come up with...but I am trying and we all have to start somewhere.

And then the author talks about convenience foods....
"It's convenient, to be sure. No slaving over a hot stove, no table to clear or dishes to wash, and fewer groceries to buy. But that perceived simplicity comes at a price. In our quest to make our lives easier, we have actually speeded up, becoming more harried. How many people can say that their lives are more content and fulfilled than their parents? We have fooled ourselves into believing that we are in charge of our lives, when in reality, we have simply opened up more time to work and less time to be with our families. Natural goodness and common sense have been sacrificed in the false name of convenience. Just two generations ago, nearly all meals were eaten together at home around the family table. The food was carefully prepared and leisurely conversation took place. Moments and ideas were shared. No more. These days, one meal a week with the whole family is a rarity -- and that's probably at a restaurant. As our pleasant childhood experiences of home-cooked meals are replaced with nutrient-poor fast food and snacks, our natural relationship with wholesome food is displaced by mass-produced substitutes."

I know what I need to do and I know I need to change my diet, but change is hard...and sometimes I just don't know where to start...and sometimes prepackaged food is just too tempting to pass up. But we are talking about our lives here...and change must happen. So although I'll be the first to admit it won't be easy, a change is a coming...I hope that you can come along with me for the journey and maybe we can both learn to think outside the box.