Think, Ask, Choose

If you are like me food has been a reward ever since you were a child. Be good and we will go get a chocolate malt. Be good and we will get milkman to leave some chocolate milk. (Ok... showing my age.) Ditto cheetos, chips, soda and ice cream.

A fun time for my family was to go get a bag of White Castles and fries and sit at the airport and eat while we watched planes take off or land.

Yes dad developed coronary artery disease and had a heart attack. But we didn't connect it to diet. We weren't any different than a lot of other Americans. If we were happy we ate. If we were sad we ate. If we were bored we ate.

My mom was a real estate salesperson. My dad and I loved tv dinners! Mom did too. Her family was fed and her work uninterrupted. Looking back today we realize tv dinners were crap.

We weren't any different than other people of the time. And over time we've seen the nation become overweight and suffering with lifestyle disorders.

Cardiac problems and diabetes run in families because bad lifestyle habits run in families. It's not bad genes which are the culprit. It's what is on your fork which is the culprit. Good nutrition can turn off or keep bad genes from turning on.

Nutrition is powerful!

So what's our problem with food?

We don't look at food as fuel for our body.

It's a reward. It's entertainment. It's a replacement for dealing with the stresses in our lives.

But we don't think of it as FUEL to help our body to run optimally well. We don't think about the building blocks of our immune system. But good nutrition is that.

And if you want to lose weight, live a healthier lifestyle or reverse health issues your first action is to think of food as fuel and nothing else.

When you are considering what to eat, ask yourself whether it will support your wellness or your future illness.

Think..... Ask.... Choose.

Being mindful of the healthful or unhealthful properties of what you eat is the first step to a healthier lifestyle. Each healthy choice will lead to more healthy choices. Choosing mindfully what to eat you will gradually find yourself with more energy, self-esteem, improved sleep and a happier outlook on life.

Just take the first step.....