I was watching Losing It With Jillian the other night and Jillian Michaels (one of the trainers from The Biggest Loser) moved in with an Arizona family to help them change their unhealthy lifestyle. She talked with a young woman of 21, who happened to have a 4 year-old son, and could not understand how, as a parent, this young woman could continue eating foods that were essentially killing her. When Jillian asked her why she would do this, the girl finally broke down and said she just didn't know how to be healthy. She had never been taught the skills to cook and eat wholesome foods and was simply continuing the unhealthy cycle with her son because she didn't know any other way...
The next night, I happened to see a commercial for Lucky Charms and Trix cereals. In the commercial, they tout these cereals (which are incredibly junkie) as having "8 serving of whole grains in every box" and claim that they are a "good source of calcium." Are you kidding me?!?!? I thought to myself (and out loud--my poor husband!). Who believes that these cereals are good for their kids? And then I thought back to the previous night when the young mother on Jillian's show said she did not know how to eat healthfully. These commercials prey on (that's right I said it!) people who just want to do what is best for their children but don't know much about good nutrition. I'm sure the young mother would be one of the people who looks at that commercial and thinks, "Oh, that sounds good. And look, my kids are getting some calcium for their bones." Too bad the broccoli industry doesn't market like General Mills.
So what can we do to get a good education in nutrition? Like all educational processes, learning about good foods to eat is continuous. I feel like I am learning more every day about foods that are healthy. Here are some steps you can take:
1. Turn off your TV more! And for heaven's sake, that Food Network will ruin any thoughts you have of eating healthy in a day. :)
2. Read the books on my "Must Read" list. In particular, The Food Revolution and The China Study.
3. Become a critical consumer of advertising. Remember, food companies simply want to sell their products. They want your money. Period. Don't just accept what they say as the ultimate truth in nutrition.
4. Eat foods that nature made. Fruits and vegetables were designed with all natural ingredients. You can't go wrong with that!
I was yelling during that show also. That young woman did not know why she was choosing the wrong things to eat. Hopefully Jillian was really able to teach them some healthier choices. Traditions and habits can be changed if there are others options put into place. A little knowledge goes a long way.
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