Let Me Try This Again…
I just got through reading what I wrote yesterday about making better food choices… I can’t believe that came out of my fingers (or out of my brain through my fingers as I typed).
The only thing that made sense was the quote I made from Dr. Wigmore.
Let me try one more time, maybe with a bit more clarity.
Essentially, we are what we eat.
Our health is directly related to what we put in our body.
Even on Weight Watchers, we can eat a lot of Smart Ones Meals, Hostess 100-calorie cakes, Skinny Cow ice cream, etc. Most of these things are processed, refined sugars, bleached carbs, and nutrient-lacking food.
As I am trying to learn how to eat less and more appropriate sized portions on Weight Watchers, I also need to begin to make the transition to eating a better balance of quality food.
“The food you eat can be either the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison.” Dr. Ann Wigmore
The Rub
The thing is, it IS more expensive, and sometimes much more expensive, to eat healthy.
If I want to eat meat that is healthier, without hormones, grain fed, free-range-type stuff, it is going to cost more.
If I want to eat organic and fruits and veggies that were not green harvested, it is going to cost more.
If I want to eat grains that have not been bleached and refined, it is going to cost more.
So, What Do I Do?
I don’t have a good answer for this. I could easily triple or quadruple my food budget. I can’t do this.
I want and need to eat better. I must.
There are some solutions I am working on right now. I hope to share some of this in the coming weeks.
The Bottom Line
The bottom line in all this is that 2012 has to continue on the road of health, weight loss, and fitness. It is still all a transition for me in reversing decades of crappy eating and poor health habits.
I still want to be healthier. I still enjoy a treat and blowing things off from time to time, but it all starts for me this year with better food choices.
I hope that makes a bit more sense.
Related posts:
Hi. Landed on your blog because I was looking for the Wigmore quote for something, and just read this post.
I thought maybe you’d like to read this: http://whole9life.com/2011/01/paleo-poor-your-guide-to-the-grocery-store/ – it isn’t a Weight Watchers post, but it is all about meats, eggs, fish, and produce.
Depending on where you live and whether or not you have the storage space, you might find some good resources here as well: http://eatwild.com/. We purchased a quarter cow, pastured grass finished, no antibiotics, for about $5/pound, from steaks to ground beef. It’s fantastic.
And although it doesn’t speak to the green harvested issue, finding organics that aren’t ridiculously priced is getting easier – at least where I live. I just bought organic Fuji apples for $1/lb at Costco and organic carrots for $1/lb. The amount of packaging for the apples bothered me, but the price was not bad.
Keep in mind too that the more nutrients you get pound for pound out of your food, the less hungry you’ll be. And even though they may be points compliant, those snack cakes and desserts are still pretty much empty processed money down the drain (which you clearly recognize, I know).
Bottom line – since we started eating cleaner, we’ve spent LESS money. Part of that is from less eating out (although as long as I bring my own dressing, I’m fine eating out), but most of it is from purchasing way less “convenience” food stuff.
Good luck with your journey.