Get Off of Fast Food and Onto the Right Path

Cleaning up your nutritional routine is daunting if you've been living off of fast food and convenience store snacks, but it can be done. Growing up as a latch key kid, I was forced to eat Mc Donald's and Burger King more than I was ever prompted to
 eat my vegetables, but with enough research and education I have turned my diet into one that few mothers would complain about.

The first thing to do is to stop thinking of food as comfort. It is nutrition, and it is not supposed to cake your arteries with grease - it is supposed to fill your blood with good things like anti-oxidants. When you have begun to rethink the reasons you are eating, you may start to wonder how it would feel to eat healthier foods. Try getting a drink from a juice bar that is full of freshly squeezed fruit like orange juice or get brave and try carrot apple. Drink this quickly because the nutrients will be oxidized within about fifteen minutes - that will make them lose potency. You should notice some sort of jolt to your system when you drink freshly squeezed juice. It should be a pleasant feeling, but it may be somewhat alarming if your body is really dying for real nutrition. Use this experience with the first taste of something healthy as a starting point and a reference for why you should eat better. This will provide an insight for you to how food should make you feel rather than what it should taste like.

When it comes to changing the way things work in the kitchen, realize that you may have to take small steps. You could start by introducing one healthy item a day. Healthy doesn't mean not yummy. Healthy means you have to put a little more thought into what you are eating, but it does not mean you don't get to enjoy your food anymore. You might have to retrain your taste buds to get them used to the more healthy stuff. Try introducing several servings of fruit into your diet. Make sandwiches with turkey or tuna. You can put alfalfa sprouts on a sandwich instead of lettuce or nothing at all. Alfalfa sprouts are loaded with nutrients and taste delicious on a sandwich or in a salad.

 
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Yep, just had a salad, after a whole summer of bbq's and drive-up food with the kids. . . . feeling better already! (Maybe that's not the food at all. School has started. Hmm....)

Posted on 09/04/2007 at 6:09:00 PM

Thanks for the tips. I will try to follow some of them. But I know it will be hard. I have a sweet tooth and I love convenience foods. I have a very hard battle on my hands.

Posted on 08/31/2007 at 12:08:00 PM

Sensible and smart.

Posted on 04/09/2007 at 12:04:00 PM

Great article!

Posted on 04/07/2007 at 8:04:00 PM

I have just started the six week body makeover, and boy has not having any fast food or pop, well any junk food made a difference. I am making the food for my whole family and my kids absolutly love most of the food. Which is really surprising, but helpful to my goals as well.

Posted on 04/07/2007 at 1:04:00 AM

LOL Aly, I know what you mean. A friend of mine is always tempting me with chocolate and fried foods, but I want that body too!

Posted on 04/06/2007 at 6:04:00 PM

Wow, JJ - thanks for the great article. If I follow this (now hanging on my refrigerator as support)then, I can go back to your swimsuit article and pick the right one! I still want that body in your other article!

Posted on 04/06/2007 at 2:04:00 PM

I try to stay away from fast food. You gave great advice.

Posted on 04/06/2007 at 7:04:00 AM

Excellent topic!

Posted on 04/05/2007 at 11:04:00 PM

Yes, indeed this is a problem especially with our childhood obesity rates sky rocketing in this country. I for one am quite guilty of having Wendy's fairly often.

Posted on 04/05/2007 at 1:04:00 PM

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