I took several health classes to fulfill my electives in college. I remember learning about how food products that advertise as "fat free," "reduced fat," calorie free," and "low calories," can be more harmful for our bodies than the regular/original items. I've also read this in several different magazine and online articles, that backed up my textbook. So I'm assuming many others know what nutritionists say about how these "diet" products may actually cause you to gain weight due to certain ingredients used as substitutes or fillers.
I had a conversation with a friend about this earlier today and she stated that she prefers the taste of many items listed under these categories. We also agreed that the producers of these items probably created them to market to our large obese population, whether they knew of the harm or not. My friend does not purchase these items because she thinks it will help her lose weight, but because she likes the taste of it. She said about 98% of the items she buys, are advertised as these "fat free" items. I said about 98% of the items I buy are regular/original, mainly because I'm aware of the possible harm the "fat free" items could cause in the long run. I have 2 known items that I will always choose "reduced fat" versions of: cheez its & wheat thins. Like my friend, I just prefer how they taste!
I think it's important for people to know what they're eating everyday. For awhile now, I've been interested in having a more clean and whole diet. But it's very hard to do, especially in today's world where fast and easy is the key to our busy lives. I'd love to be able to go "raw" but that would take several years for me to be completely raw, since I'd have to slowly cut back on things, and learn new methods, etc. But more realistically, I'd like to just make better decisions for my body, as well as my neighbors. I think it's important to support our local businesses because it's their way of survival and less funny business in involved. So when it comes to food choices, I'd like to try to make better decisions about where my food is coming from - meat, specifically. The summer season is easy for me because my parents have a large vegetable garden filled with various healthy items where I can fulfill my daily nutrients with ease.
Changing my diet is also tough because I love food. I believe that food lovers love the healthy and clean stuff as well as the really bad-for-you, greasy stuff. This being said, I love bad-for-you foods like McDonald's and chicken wings covered in hot sauce...as much as I love a meal consisting only of raw veggies from my mom's garden. This is why I say I don't ever say "I'm on a diet." I've never been a "counter" for calories, and I also don't like to restrict myself from things I love...food, being one of them. So I try to just learn how to make better decisions. I understand this isn't the fastest way to lose weight, but it is highly recommended by nutritionists and other health professionals because it WILL help you lose weight and it WILL be better for you in the long run.
I don't want to come off as a hypocrite because I will fully admit that I make bad decisions knowingly sometimes, and that I eat a lot of shit a lot. But one day...I hope I can find a healthy balance and not make bad decisions knowingly.
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