99 cents fried crunchy cheese sticks......

"It's only 99 cents, and it is so tasty!" A son of my dearest friend, who is 12 years old, joyfully exclaimed as he snatched a bag of cheesy snacks out of the pantry.  He loves this deep fried crunchy sticks coated with yellow coloring and cheese flavors.  His mom looked towards me and said, "Na, read the ingredients".  So, I did.  As I was reading them out loud, I shook my head and said, "Oh,  wow, hmmmmm."  I felt he was a bit embarrassed while I was reading them out loud.  My question to him was, "Is your body's nutritional value only worth 99 cents to you?"  He said, "No".  "Do you see any ingredients that are good for you in this snack?"  He said, "No".  He did not say much after that.

A couple days later, his mom informed me that he will no longer buy or eat this fried crunchy cheese sticks.  He came to this decision on his own.  I was surprised, and at the same time I was delighted.  I admire his decision.  He gave up something he LOVES and WANTS by recognizing the fact that there is no nutritional value in the food he was eating .

As I was thinking about this 12 year boy's decision, I realized that good eating habits start at home.  We need to be more aware of what ingredients are in our food supplies.  When parents become more educated and aware of what goes into their food, their children will become more aware of it as well.  Yes, no doubt there will be resistance and will hear comments like, "I don't care or I don't like it".  Setting good examples by the parents will go farther than a classroom nutritional education.  Perseverance will paid off  in a long run.  Don't discount your children's ability to change or think that they are not "listening".  They are more adaptable than you think. 

One dear friend said, "Changing one bad eating habit per month, you can change 12 bad eating habits a year."  Small baby steps are also important.   Trying to change everything all at once will overwhelmed you and make you more likely to give up.  This 12 year boy made a small step by giving up that 99 cent fried crunchy cheese sticks, but it is a giant step toward a healthier body.

Did you hear about Food Inc. documentary?

Did you have a chance to watch Oprah on August 11, Wed.?  Michael Pollen, a journalist who is a food expert, was a guest on the show.  He talked about a documentary called  Food, Inc, which "delves into America's food industry to reveal what we're really eating and how it's produced."  I was very pleased to find out that many of the issues and the facts they talked about were the main focus of my Living Food Banquet classes and banquets. 

Oprah said, "You can decide for yourself. Isn't that wonderful? Because we live in America and you can do that. But for me, it boils down to making more conscious food decisions.  That is my opinion.  I  saw the movie.  That's how I felt.  But you need to see it for yourself and make your own decisions because I believe you have a right to know where your food is coming from."

We see mass-produced foods in every grocery aisle.  Michael Pollen said, "A lot of what you see in the supermarket I would argue is not really food.  It's what I call edible, food-like ssubstances."  According to Pollen, in 1960 people spent 18% of their income and only 5% in health care.  Now, only 9.5% is spent on food and 17% on healthcare. 

The question is who can make the changes.  WE DO.  We have a power to change.  We demand.  Pollen said, "We all get to vote with our forks.  We get three votes a day.  You don't have to get every one of them right.  But if you get one of them right a day, if you vote for food that has been sustainably grown or humanely grown, whatever your values are..... you will change the food system.  It's happening now."

Through my journey to become a living food gal, I learned that we have options.  We need to exercise our freedom of choices wisely to improve our own overall health.

My goal is to share simple and delicious recipes and ideas to fit into one's lifestyle to promote healthier eating habits.  Today's advise is to eat a whole banana, not the banana muffin.