March is National Nutrition Month, sponsored by the American Dietetic Association. Every theme has a catch phrase and this year the theme is “Eat Right with Color”. That seems curious, but the more colorful your diet, from fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, lean meat, beans, (not Lifesavers or Starbursts…), the healthier your overall diet would be. There is the constant droan that America’s eating habits have completely fallen off the track and into the pits which has caused multiple health epidemics. But what is such a head scratcher is that we simultaneously have a plethora of help and advice at our fingertips 24/7, telling us how to eat right. You would think with all the books, magazines, zillions of websites, facebook pages, twitter, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, wellness centers, physicians, Biggest Loser, lipo, incentive plans with work, incentive plans with insurance companies, bariatric surgeons, “hormone therapy,” supplements, etc…that there would be no food related health issues. But it seems like the more we have the less we know. I have been a registered dietitian for 27 years and I have seen and heard the frustrations, the tears, and the confusion, from all walks of life asking ” HOW DO I EAT RIGHT?”. If only I could wave a magic wand and create a magic kingdom I think I would call it Delicious Nutritious Food Land. This is not a fairy tale kingdom where people are rich, or fly around, or have servants. This is a real kingdom where people still have to go to work, and pay bills but they eat well in the land of living. Come for a visit to this magic kingdom to see what it would look like!
1. Everyone would know how to cook. Not gourmet mind you, that would be an extra treat! But everyone would know how to pull a quick easy meal together with little to no sweat and tears. (Boil in a bag brown rice, baked chicken breast with some herbs, frozen veggies, fresh fruit for dessert…) It’s not that hard…
2. When eating out, everyone would only splurge on special occasions. Splurging includes not only eating “whatever you want” but also would include eating everything on your plate because restaurant meals today could feed part of this small kingdom..!
3. Everyone would grocery shop on a regular basis and know what to buy in timely manner. By having delicious nutritious food available for healthy snacks and meals one is able to actually eat delicious and nutritious food! You can’t eat it if you don’t have it.
4. Everyone would stop comparing their bodies to some unattainable air brushed silly magazine. So we all have parts of our body that are not our favorite. Ok, so accept it and make peace with your thighs, stomach, elbow, whatever….move on! Live your life.
5. Food companies and restaurants would make foods with no artificial flavors, or colors or unnecessary ingredients. Less would be more.
6. All of this healthy food would be attainable and affordable. This one will take a lot of waving of my magic wand…! Maybe their could be some tax breaks on healthy foods. Instead of taxing unhealthy foods, offer some discounts for healthy eating.
7. Everyone would tune in to their body and recognize feelings of hunger or feelings of being full. By doing this, everyone would not follow any more rules with rigid requirements about when to eat or when not to eat.
8. Food would taste good, all of it, the sweet treats and the delicious nutritious food. Everyone would learn to prepare easy simple foods in ways that taste great.
9. Everyone would exercise 5-6 days a week as long as they are breathing. Exercise would cease to be part of your life when breathing is no longer part of your life.
10. Lastly, everyone would be allowed to eat cookies or ice cream or candy, sometimes, as a treat. Treats would be enjoyed, not eaten to replace tears, fights, frustrations, stress, guilt, or happiness.
And Registered Dietitians might just be in the unemployment lines…..
Happy, Healthy National Nutrition Month to you and yours!
