A lot of the food we eat these days would fall under the category of “processed” (manufactured foods) and they include everything from breakfast cereals to jams to fruit juice drinks to ready-to-microwave meals and many, many more.
Canada is on a convenience food binge. At the same time, we are seeing rates of diet-related conditions such as diabetes and obesity - to name just a couple - skyrocketing at alarming rates. Could there be a connection?
There are many people who believe that a diet of fresh, whole foods will build and maintain good health better than a constant intake of manufactured foods. There is a
ton of evidence to support these beliefs.
Shop Intelligently At The Supermarket
A typical supermarket is laid out with fresh produce up one side, dairy across another, fresh meats, and a bakery section completing the perimeter. These sections border the inside aisles and that's where you'll find most of the processed stuff. Just for fun, try reading the labels of any processed food and see if you can identify and understand
every item on the list of ingredients! Depending on the product, you'll see a confusing array of unfamiliar names such as xanthan gum, trisodium phosphate (a chemical cleaner), and other mysterious-sounding things. Elsewhere on the package, you'll often see attractive phrases like "no sugar added", "low fat", "low in carbohydrates", and lots more. Don't be fooled; read the ingredients list to find our what you're really buying.
Why Are Additives In Our Food?
You have to understand that when a factory produces a huge volume of any product destined to be shipped long distances and stored in various conditions for various periods of time, that product must be protected from deterioration. That's when additives enter the picture. In most cases, this involves the addition of extremely
unnatural chemicals to preserve colour, prevent bacterial growth, keep small particles or flakes from clinging together, and it goes on and on. Additives are in the food products to make them
look good but how good might they be for your health? What are the real downsides? These are serious & legitimate questions that you should be asking yourself.
Are Additives Safe?
The average shopper assumes that if the product is on the shelf, it must be safe, right? Well...yes and no. Even though food additives are part of the overall food safety picture in Canada (which has problems such as Listeriosis), the question is, who is controlling the overall volume of the intake of additives? And, who is controlling your intake of the
combinations of additives in a typical diet? The answer in both cases is
YOU, not a government agency.
What's Wrong With A Treat Once In A While?
When convenience and fast foods first began to emerge on the Canadian scene, most of it was viewed as occasional treats. Over the past 20 or 30 years, treats have turned into regular diet items. That's where the problem seems to be. Anything on a store shelf or a fast food menu won't harm you (exception: allergic reactions) if you treat them as "once in a while" things.
Are You Eating For Convenience Or Nutrition?
The bottom line is, YOU have to decide what to do for you and your family when it comes to purchasing food. YOU have to consider whether you're buying for convenience only or for nutrition.
In order to do this you have to know what's going on out there in the food world. We urge you to spend some time seeking out information on this very important subject ~ it could be a matter of life or death.
After all,
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT!
Many of us resort to convenience foods because we feel we don't have time to prepare meals. It all depends on your priorities. People usually behave contrary to what might be best for them for 2 reasons...Either they don't really understand the implications, or they simply don't care.
If you are interested in healthy stuff, perhaps losing weight, feeling better, looking better, strengthening your immune system, and all those other good things, you are halfway there! Then it is simply a matter of learning HOW to do it. It doesn't have to be a negative intrusion on your lifestyle - it's just a simple decision.
And, you might want to think about how to make the effort as easy as possible and even have a little fun doing it.
Having children around isn't a requirement for having some food fun, but it helps! Kids are natural ‘learning machines’...a simple task like peeling a potato can turn into a bit of fun, and it's a lot better - in more ways than one - than opening a box of instant mashed potatoes. Talk about quality time with your kids!
Some experts are predicting that kids born after the year 2000 will have a shorter lifespan - for the first time in our history - than their parents or grandparents. Perhaps it's time to make a change in the kids‘ diet. Shouldn't we be teaching them some ways to eat better?
The bottom line is this: If you think good food is important for you and your family, then you'll figure out how to fit it into the schedule and hopefully have some fun doing it.
It's YOUR choice.
