Some Food for Thought

I have never really given a second thought to what I eat. This assignment really opened my eyes to what I ingest on a daily basis. People, including myself, live very poor lifestyles because we are all so busy and want everything immediately. Fast food is very convenient but it is killing us and making us very unhealthy.

This is similar to the food journal I created for myself.

(https://www.vitalsignswellness.com/07/lessons-learned-by-a-recovering-foodaholic-part-2/food-journal/

For my assignment, I kept a food journal over the course of six days. One of my observations was that I skipped at least one meal everyday. This isn't for "dieting" purposes or anything, I just never have time to eat because I am always on the go. Skipping meals can be very unhealthy because it deprives the body of essential nutrients. It can lead to serious health issues like type two diabetes and gastro-esophageal disease, also known as GERD, just to name a few of many possibly life threatening diseases. Type two diabetes is common to get when skipping meals because their insulin levels are high and they can't lower their blood sugar levels. GERD is also common to get because skipping meals decreases formation rate in digestive enzymes. Many people just do not have the time to prepare a healthy meal and actually sit down to enjoy it.

These are a few effects of skipping meals.

(http://www.buzzle.com/articles/why-skipping-meals-make-you-gain-weight.html)

Another observation from my food journal was that I tend to eat more fast food than usual with school and my busy everyday life because it is fast, cheap and convenient. Little to no effort is needed to grab a bite from fast food chain restaurants. It may be more convenient, but it is extremely unhealthy. We knowingly feed ourselves chemicals, make ourselves sick and give ourselves chronic diseases. Another observation that ties into the last is that, I tend to eat a lot of processed foods. The only fresh foods I mainly consume are fruits and vegetables because even meats and everyday foods are processed. Even though these fruits and veggies are fresh, they still contain GMO's, genetically modified foods.

Fast food is the main cause of obesity.

(https://www.theodysseyonline.com/fast-food-secrets)

To sum it all up, I don't consider myself a healthy eater but I would love to change that about myself.
Some days will be harder than others but it will all be worth it in the long run. At, home I mostly eat Mexican food and fast food. Being Mexican doesn't really make eating healthy easier because many things are fried and/or greasy. I find myself mostly eating processed foods because many healthy, organic alternatives are more on the pricey side. Products with GMO's and preservatives are cheaper to produce than natural products because natural products take more time and energy to grow than genetically modified crops. My mom mainly prepares our meals but I cook thirty percent of the time by myself and for myself. Cooking is somewhat challenging for me but I like the outcome of it and providing for others. Grocery shopping is okay to me but the challenging part is sticking to a meal plan and not buying a lot of junk that you are more tempted to buy because they look more appetizing. Our meals are not very planned the only planning that takes place is in the stores when deciding what to prepare on what day and the in-betweens. My eating habits are motivated and determined by what is cheap and what is fast to prepare. I would love to change what I eat and my proportions because I think that would make me feel more energized throughout my day and in the long run, my life.