Insuring Health vs. Health Insurance

Regardless of whether we are required to purchase medical insurance, know that we can only buy real health insurance in the produce section of the local supermarket.

Certainly, some aspects of medical insurance coverage are in need of reform.  But a much greater need exists – the need for Americans to reform their health by reforming their diets.   -Dr. Joel Fuhrman

I really believe this!   Type II Diabetes is a life-style disease.  Heart disease is preventable and reversible.  Cancer risk is also largely tied to lifestyle. The American Institute for Cancer Research estimates that about one-third of common cancers could be prevented by following a healthy diet, exercising, and maintaining a healthy weight.

Why don't more people do something about it?  Why are Americans so unhealthy?  Are people really so uninformed?

Is it that: 

A)  They think these diseases just happen and there's nothing they can do about it?

B)  They truly don't know what a healthy diet is?

C)  They've decided that it's just too hard to eat healthy food?

D)   All of the above. 

If your answer was A,  You might want to read The China Study by Dr. T. Colin Campbell for research on the connection between what we eat and disease.  I found it very interesting and I wondered as I read it why I'd never heard this stuff before!  Another one that's an easier read is the Culprit and the Cure by Steven Aldana.

If you answered B, you should read Dr. Joel Fuhrman's Eat For Health or Eat To Live.  His focus is on eating the most nutrient dense foods possible and he tells you which foods those are.  I also follow his blog diseaseproof.com

If you answered C, there are a bunch of people who blog about following a healthy diet and they have some great recipes.  Some that I follow: are Green Smoothie Girl, My Green Diet, Unconventional Kitchen, Super Healthy Kids, and WHOLEmade.  It's not hard to eat healthy.  It's kind of fun trying new recipes and using new ingredients.  It also makes it easier knowing you're not the only one.  Healthy eating means different things to different people.  I take what I want from these blogs and ignore the rest.  You do what's right for you, right?

If you're answer was D (like mine) you've got a lot of reading to do!

 

Green Smoothie Girl

        Last week I attended a free class by the Green Smoothie Girl, Robyn Openshaw.  I thought it was good info.  I'm already in the Green Smoothie habit, but she inspired me to try some different greens in my smoothie.  This week I added kale.  It's going to take some getting used to!  But today I threw a golden kiwi into my regular recipe and it was really good.

  

        I also purchased her children's book "The Adventures of Junk Food Dude".  It's a cute book to use to teach your kids about eating good real food.  Maybe there's a free Green Smoothie Girl class near you.  Click on the link then the "events" tab to find out.

       You could also win a free BlendTec Blender and some other fun things at her class. 
        Happy Blog Anniversary to me.  My first post on this blog was one year ago today!

Teaching Kids About Healthy Eating

       Last Sunday the lesson for the kids was all about what we should put into our bodies.  The teacher would hold up a picture of something (for example, carrots or a cigarette) and the kids had to decide whether it was good or bad for our bodies.   Carrots and cigarettes were easy enough.  But when she held up the pictures of chicken nuggets and macaroni & cheese, there was definitely some confusion among the kids and even the adults.

  

       This Sunday lesson got me thinking how greatly opinions vary on what healthy food is.  Some of the more common things I've heard people disagree over: artificial sweeteners, sugar vs HFCS, dairy, meat and preservatives.

       Some families might consider baked potato chips, cottage cheese or packaged granola bars as health foods.  I admit that a couple years ago, I ate them thinking I was doing something healthy.  I will still buy them for my children OCCASIONALLY if they want them.  I try to teach them why certain things are better choices and show them by example and then hope that they will choose wisely for themselves as they get older. 

       My kids have a wonderful preschool teacher.  She teaches a lesson on healthy eating.  She gives the children a paper plate and some pictures of different foods cut from magazines.  The kids get to paste the pictures on the front of the plate if they're "Healthy Foods" and on the back if they are "Sometimes Foods".  They really enjoy this activity and talk about healthy food and sometimes food for weeks after.  I only wish they'd remember it when they get to Jr. High!