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Healthy Fridays: From Fastfood To Health Food



So you think that only growing children have a need for better meals and snacks? Well, not really. Adults also need to make better choices with their food. More so for the reason that the modern environment is getting more and more polluted, modern lifestyles are getting unhealthier, and the food choices that most make are getting more and more questionable. With the demands of full time jobs, families to take care of, not to mention social lives to keep up, there's no wondering why people are choosing to just grab more convenient food. And by "convenient food," we usually mean unhealthy, carb, sugar, sodium and fat-laden fastfood.

That is why there is a need to start shifting from a fastfood diet to a healthier one. One big problem is that most road warriors don't have the time to actually cook their own food. That is why most just grab anything that McDonald's or 7-11 can offer. Despite that, there still are healthier, no-cook, even eat-out alternatives that a health-conscious individual can have.

Salads and healthy cuisine like mediterranean food and light pastas are served at a good number of restaurants in the metro. Also, supermarkets now pre-package fresh fruit and vegetables. So if you like salads, all you need is to grab a small styro square (or rectangle) of pre-packaged salad greens, another square of pre-packaged fruits, the low-fat salad dressing and low-fat cream of your choice, and you have a full, healthy, all-fresh meal.

Being Filipino, most of us cannot live without consuming rice at every meal. However, white rice is a sneaky source of pure, unadulterated sugar. After your body breaks down white rice, it shoots up your veins much like candy.



Click Chart To View Full Size

Chart Source: Rice Nutrition - Comparison of Different Rice Types


That's why it's better to switch to brown or red rice. Either variety has more protein, more fiber, and more vitamins and minerals than red rice. If you look at this chart, it would be evident that white rice is basically empty calories; that's why eating it only makes one fatter. Switching to brown, red, even purple or black rice will give your body more nutrients and make you healthier in the long run.

Aside from switching the rice you consume, also make it a point to have more vegetables, eat at least 6 eggs a week (Choline in eggs helps ward off breast cancer), as well as eating adequate portions of fresh-cooked fish, chicken, and even red meat. Just choose cuts that have less fat, and you're good to go.

A healthier lifestyle is made up of making conscious choices in the food you eat. While fast food is definitely convenient, all the sodium and the oil will add up in the long run. Choose healthier fare, and it will add up in the long run, as well. Fast food leads to a shorter lifespan and more health problems, while fresh, healthy food choices will lead to a longer, healthier life. Choose your food wisely.

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