Fat Free. Sugar Free. Organic. Whole Grain. Gluten Free. We have all heard them before - the buzz words that the food industry latches onto to boost sales. The cleaver little tag lines that get stamped onto every product, hoping to hook you into thinking you are eating healthier. But, are these ways of eating actually helping us to become healthier, or is it all just a ploy to get you to eat a certain food and pad the pockets of the food manufacturer? Here is my soap box on the issue.
I was at a friends house a while back, and we were having a Mexican night. If it is true you are what you eat, then I should start speaking fluent Spanish very soon now - I love the stuff! As we were sitting down to eat, said friend plopped a bag of corn chips down in front of me: "Try these new corn chips I found! They are awesome, and they're gluten free!"...............two things immediately popped into my head. 1. Um, of course they are gluten free, they're made from corn. Corn doesn't have any gluten. 2. Why do you not eat gluten? Did your doctor tell you you shouldn't eat it for some reason?
Head back about 25 years ago now - mid 1980's - 1990's to another well known food craze "fat-free". Everything was "fat-free" and "low-fat". People thought that if they were eating something low fat, then they were doing something good for themselves. The problem was, everything that fell into this category was laden with sugar to make up for the lack of taste taking the fat out created, and just because something was low-fat, did not mean it was low calorie. I had known people to eat a whole box of crackers thinking it was okay "because they are low-fat!".
Organic is another buzz word that just kills me. Now, don't get me wrong, I eat as natural and organic as my pocketbook will allow me, but just because something is organic does not mean it is necessarily good for you. Cyanide is organic: I wouldn't have a hearty helping! And, the parameters that are laid out for someone to be able to slap an "organic" label on their product are very loose. (I will write a whole article on this topic at a later time, because I feel it is important)
And, don't even get me started on Whole-Grain! Lucky Charms ARE NOT good for you people, I don't care how many whole-grain labels they put on that package.
Here is the point of this rant. Use your brain. Don't fall for the marketing manipulation that most manufactures will use to trick you into thinking that their product is good for you. Don't follow the latest buzz word crazes that are being thrown around society in an attempt to "boost your health". It's all a ploy to get you to spend your hard earned dollars on a product that isn't going to do anything for you or help you reach your goals. Do your research, and find out what's best for you. Nutrition is not a one size fits all. What is good for one person will make another sick. There are certain people out there that cannot eat gluten, it is extremely bad for their health. But, for most of us, our bodies need it as a critical part of function.
Don't be the lemming that will fall for all of the crazy ideas out there and jump on every bandwagon that comes along. Use that space on top of your shoulders for more than keeping your hair in place and really find out what's best for your health. I will be writing many posts on this topic, as time goes on, to help you along your journey. Nutrition is confusing, and everyone is excited about a new diet or craze. Let's stick with the basics and we'll be just fine.
