#THEREAL

If only we were cows and could eat grass all day!

No matter at what stage of our healthy living we are at, we all cheat ourselves and eat something “bad” every once in awhile. It’s normal. It’s hard to eat right in a world where eating wrong is so easy. The bad food is more readily available. If you go to a grocery store or even a gas station, right by the register within arms reach is a bag of chips, a candy bar, and a soda. They even put the newspaper and magazines right there so you can buy them all, go home and sit on your couch, and get fat. Ha! But on a serious note, these stores do what makes them money. The banana chips and granola bars don’t sit by the counter because your average customer isn’t attracted to that. We want something quick and easy, sweet and greasy. Caring about obese children and overweight parents doesn’t drive their company to success, the money does. It’s all about the bottom line. To top that off, unhealthy eating benefits our pockets. It costs about $8 to get a good salad at our local sub, soup, and salad shop. But why not run to the Golden Arches and get a burger, fry, and a soda for half the price. More bang for the buck! Not only do we have to fight our own body’s unhealthy cravings, we have to fight off the temptation of what looks good and what is cheap.

Television advertisements, radio commercials, and billboards NEVER show a salad or veggies. Well, rarely. Most billboards show the unhealthy side of their menu. McDonalds offers chicken wraps, fruit smoothies, and salads, but normally advertise the burgers, nuggets, fries, and ice cream. It’s a never ending cycle. They advertise it because we want it, and we want it because it is advertised.  And again, their healthier items cost more than the dollar menu fries and burger and the seventy five cents ice cream cone.

“You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”
― Marcus Aurelius

This quote sums up #THESTRUGGLE. We can’t make the store stop selling candy by the register and we can’t change the billboard signs. But we can practice a little self control in order to better our eating habits. It’s okay to eat carrot cake today instead of carrots. It’s okay to skip the pecans in your diet today and go buy some pecan candy. The biggest thing is self control and fully understanding that your diet is your life.

“You are what you eat”