You hear it everywhere. “I can’t afford to eat healthy”. You see it everywhere, “healthy” foods being priced higher, but is it really more expensive to eat healthy and live a healthier lifestyle?
I didn’t want to think so.
Yet, I continued to justify my unhealthy food choices, because it was all we could afford. Our family was living on one income as my husband launched his new business. We unexpectedly took on 6 new mouths to feed, the garbage pail kits, when I already had two cats, and I was a long term pet sitter for another cat and mini poodle (I’ll have to tell you all about that another time). And so, I became a crazy coupon lady and saved tons of money and managed to keep our bellies full, all 13 of us.
Oddly enough, I didn’t start eating healthier myself. I actually decided to test out my theory using my pets. That theory being that “we consume MORE unhealthy foods for a couple of reasons”. One, because there is little nutritious value to what we consume so our bodies need more, and two, the sugar added to these foods to make them taste good, can be more addicting than cocaine and heroine !
My cats were eating an inexpensive store brand. They ate lots of it and were the most flatulent cats I had ever met! The gas was actually what threw me over the edge! Something had to be done. Anyway, I switched them to a healthier, yes, more expensive per pound, cat food and saw a huge difference almost immediately! They eat less food, they are at healthier weights (my older cats were considered overweight by the vet) and the best thing of all, I could pet them without them launching their stink bombs on me. Their coats are shinier and they appear content overall.
When I realized that my cats were eating better than I was, things changed. It was time to confirm the theory and see if I, too, was going to eat less, feel better, and stop farting…..just kidding! (Women don’t fart, we decompress.). I’ve started off small by doing the obvious; eliminating processed and packaged foods. I shopped the outer perimeter of the grocery store, buying more fruits and veggies, chicken and eggs. Most of all, I was going to attack sugar! I kept telling myself ” Sugar is the devil!” and that if I wanted to finally lose my midsection and finally get more of that hourglass figure, lose the muffin top, say farewell to the dunlap, then I had to eliminate sugar and fast!!
You hear it all the time. People with larger waists are at higher risk for Diabetes and heart disease. That’s because all of those calories from sugar go straight to your waist!* Well, I had already been diagnosed with Reactive hypoglycemia, many years ago, and have a family history of Diabetes and heart disease, so it was high time I did something about it.
The fact that this year I was turning 45 gave me a deadline or goal, if you will. I’d get fit or as I have been hash tagging I’d get a #badassbodyby45.
But I digress…
While my trips to the grocery store have become more frequent (you can’t buy lots of produce at one time as it has a short shelf life, which is a good thing), I’ve discovered that I’m not eating a lot overall. My plates are full of veggies. My proteins come from beans, chicken, cheese, eggs, nuts, and seeds. If I’m hungry between meals, or get a sweet tooth which doesn’t happen very often anymore (when you stop eating sugar, you will, with time, stop craving it) I eat a piece of fruit, preferably something high in antioxidants, like berries. The antioxidants deactivate free radicals responsible for healthy cell damage that can lead to cancer, heart disease, damaged immune systems and more! (More on that in another post). I’ve got more energy and lastly, I lost 10 pounds in less than 2 months!
In summary, and long story short, because this post’s title lead you to believe that I was just going to give you a tidy little list of reasons, but that’s just not my style. (Sorry?)
Eating healthier is not expensive because:
- You will eat less of it because your body is able to extract more nutrients from the healthier food.
- You will lose weight, especially because you’ve eliminated added sugars from your diet which may lead to not needing to take expensive medications and visiting your doctor as often (I think this is a good place to state this post is not intended to replace your physician’s care and medical advice. Be sure to check with your physician before discontinuing any of your medications).
- By eliminating added sugars from your diet, you won’t have those addictive cravings for more of that sweet junk.
- You’ll want to know what’s in your food so you’ll eat out less, especially from fast food joints and restaurant chains where foods are produced in mass quantities and not the freshest.
- Your quality of life is worth every penny! So spend it wisely! (Okay, that doesn’t necessarily mean it will cost you less to have a better quality of life, but honestly, you can’t put a price on that!)
I hope you enjoyed this post. Be sure to share it with your loved ones.
I’ll be following up with tips on ways to save money while still eating healthier, as well as what foods you really want to add to your diet, to help you get well with elle!
