3.11.09

Better Choices, Better Losers

I'll start by saying that I'm no expert in finances or nutrition. But I've learned what not to do over time. I've been thinking a lot over the past few days about poverty and how the system is set up against low income individuals and families and how we don't teach or even promote proper nutrition. I picked up some groceries on Sunday and noticed the purchases of the couple in front of me. A few giant packages of ramen, some soda. I've been there. I've done my time with the ramen. I've gone into a grocery store with $12 knowing I had to feed myself for a few days. It's not easy. I really wanted to take the big package of chicken I was buying and give it to them ... it was about $7 - the same amount they were paying for food with no nutritional value. Nothing. But it's not up to me to tell people what to eat or how to live their lives (I've tried, it doesn't end well). Grocery stores don't even try to promote healthy food. Check out the sale items at the end of the aisle - cereal, chips, soda. Then I went to Hawaiin Time for lunch today, thinking I'd get the usual chicken and rice. I know. I'm a hypocrite. But I looked at the menu and saw that they had a new low carb option and you could substitue grilled veggies for rice. Excellent! Of course, it costs $2 more. I took that option, but a lot of people wouldn't. It doesn't have to be expensive to eat the right food, but if you don't do your homework, it certainly seems like it is. But people are trying to promote healthy living, right? What about The Biggest Loser, which I'm watching right now? Well, no. It's promoting whatever it's trying to sell. Gum, low-fat yogurt (with high fructose corn syrup), food storage. It's a big advertisement disguised as a health/fitness show. It's changing lives, right? Sure. Keep chewing your gum. So my goal right now is to cut out processed sugar. I've been bad this week. It's all on me. I should actually grill that chicken I got and eat it instead of going to Hawaiin Time for lunch. So much I should do.

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