We're Eating Crap and Feeling Like It Too

I would say in the past few years or so I've been more interested in health, wellness and healthy living. In my spare time, I love looking up information on clean eating and living a healthy life.

Growing up, I never really thought about or realized all the nasty chemicals that go into the foods we eat or how it correlates to our health. Obviously we learn that junk food can make you fat, but we don't really learn about how it can make you so sick. We never learn about all the chemicals, additives and generally nasty things they put into food. It may be good for your pantry and your wallet to buy foods that last forever (I specifically recall my mom saying certain foods never go bad) how can that be good for your gut? If a food never decomposes on its own, how am I supposed to digest it?

Recently I was reading an article from 100 Days of Real Food and Food Babe on food laws in the UK vs here in the US. Did you know overseas they ban certain chemicals added to foods that are still allowed here? I also always thought that the FDA is on our side, keeping us safe from things in foods that would make us sick. Definitely not true. The FDA helps big food corporations more than it helps us. 100 Days of Real Food also periodically posts food labels. For example, recently she posted a Lunchable PB&J sandwich. A regular PB&J sandwich contains bread, peanut butter and jelly. And that's it. Look at the label:

Over 85 ingredients? Really?

I will be the first to admit I am lazy when it comes to cooking and often choose a pre-packaged meal over one I'd have to put together. I have to stop this! Is the extra 2 minutes worth filling my body with all these chemicals over spending a little time to make a healthy version?

I've also been looking at my sugar intake. I also admit I LOVE sugar. Don't we all? Don't most of us search high and low for dessert after every meal? I sure do. It is sickening to realize how much added sugar is put in foods that you wouldn't even think had sugar. I was doing some research yesterday as I had a Starbucks Peppermint Green Tea Frappucino and a Pumpkin Scone. I realized that I was eating/drinking over 16 teaspoons of sugar just in one meal. Guess what the American Heart Association recommends for women per day? 5 teaspoons! Yuck! A few weeks ago I was eating a sucker I won from Dave & Busters. I happened to look at the ingredients. It had such weird and unrecognizable ingredients I actually threw it out.

It is tough when most people around you think you are kind of nuts when you talk about eating healthier and cutting out sugar and processed foods. But I want to do my best to start eating better and eating cleaner. That means more vegetables, more fruit, more organic and lean meats, only whole wheat breads and snacks, no junk food, no processed foods or sugary foods, no dairy (it upsets my stomach anyways), etc.

Any advice or tips for me? I just need to stop being lazy and eat better!