What did you have for dinner last night? There is a one in three chance you ate out last night and it was fast food. There is also a 9 out of 10 chance you did not get the adequate amount of fruits and veggies for your body to maintain a healthy status over time. That’s ok though. You may also be in the nearly half of all Americans that are taking some kind of medication to help their high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or type 2 diabetes. So no worries…you’ve got it covered.

If you are one of these people, well, you probably don’t want to read this. You need to though. It’s always the stuff we don’t want to hear, we don’t want to change, that’s really the best for us. I know it sucks when your parents were right or your spouse was right or maybe even your doctor was right. If you want to keep reading, then pay attention, close attention. FOOD IS A DRUG. Food will nourish our bodies and make us far healthier, give us more energy, help us sleep better, taste better, and help us to think better! This is just for starters! Food can also make us unhealthy, obese, give us cardiovascular disease, set us up for being prime candidates for certain types of cancers, make us sleep horribly, make our joints ache, give us brain fog, make us bloated, and a number of other things detrimental to our health.

Since history has known anything about humans, food was used as a drug. Certain foods could fix ailments. This isn’t new age voodoo. There are foods today that offer these effects if we choose to make different choices. Just like anything in your life, it’s up to you. I love my ice cream. I won’t hide it. I also prefer my calories to be from ice cream that was made from the fewest and freshest ingredients. Your taste buds know the difference. Trust me. When I have had really good, fresh ice cream for months in the summer, the half gallons of any flavor at the grocery store are disappointing to my taste buds to say the least! So I am not saying never eat the foods you love. I’m just saying to be aware of what is going into your body and make better choices.

Organic foods, fruits, vegetables and farmer’s markets all seem to be priced higher than what we can buy processed and in a box or can. However, we all pay our health insurance premiums. If you do not pay anything, that’s awesome. I’m happy for you. You are in the minority. When we pay for prescription drugs, we usually have some out of pocket co pay as well. Imagine having to pay for medications each month for high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and something to help you sleep better. Perhaps you could take that money and buy some apples and some spinach. Just a thought and yes, I realize I am simplifying. I’m not out to write a book on the subject. At least not today. Who is benefitting from you eating crap? It’s not you. It’s not your family. It’s not even your doctor who prescribed it. Hey, if you are sitting there working for a pharmaceutical company, then congrats! This money IS for you! If you’re the CEO, well then, bravo! You can afford that yummy, healthy food.

Listen there are plenty of necessary medicines that help people every day. I am not saying all medicine is bad. I just want people to realize that there is a way out of being constantly drugged up and feeling like crap for most people. Change is hard. We can all start by making one healthy change at a time. Just one. When it becomes a habit, make another one. My family is CONSTANTLY in a rush. I do not stop all day and into the night as well. I am raising 4 kids by myself for Pete’s sake! I need groceries though. So I try to buy 90% healthier food. I do buy them treats. I also grocery shop a big trip every 2 weeks, normally. When the treat is gone, it’s gone. If it’s not spread out and savored, they wait for more and have no choice, but to make the better choices. That is what is available to them. Cooking isn’t always an option either, but if I can manage it most nights, then you definitely can! There are lots of ways to get around your excuses. If you want to keep making them, then that’s up to you. If you decide to make a change and need support or help, hit me up. I love seeing people take the reins and make their futures better than they ever dreamed. I am all for you reaching your goals. You’ve got this. Maybe you aren’t ready for change. There will be a time when your body tells you loud and clear that change is inevitable. Don’t wait until then. As someone very wise said (and I can’t remember who at this moment in my ramblings) “Do your best until you know better. Then do better.” That might not be the exact quote, but you get my point. One day at a time, make your own life better. Change happens with you first, always with you.