As you probably have seen from previous articles, the Canton Fitness Center promotes a diet rich in whole, nutritious foods while minimizing processed foods. While this is ideal, it is not always realistic or feasible because of our location and resources available.
So you may wonder if it is even worth trying to improve my health because I can’t get organic, grass-fed bison or non-GMO vegetables. The answer is yes! The “perfect” diet is the ideal, but the “real” diet is making the best choices you can within the means you have. Think of choices on a continuum.
There is the ideal – organic, non-GMO, whole food – on one end. On the other end is the junk – totally processed, chemically enhanced, sugar and fat laden non-food. Everything else is somewhere in between. The balance and reality in all of this is choosing as close to the “ideal” side as you can afford and find.
Here are some examples of what is Ideal, Good and Good Enough when it comes to trying to make a healthy shopping list.
When it comes to protein the best or “ideal” is organic, grass-fed or free-range beef, bison, chicken, etc. Also in the “ideal” category is organic, cage-free eggs and wild caught fish. Next on the continuum is “good”. Here you could choose lean cuts on conventionally raised beef, bison, pork or chicken, cage-free or regular eggs, and sustainably raised fish. If the “good” isn’t possible, then “good enough” is conventionally raised meats and poultry, regular eggs and minimally processed fresh or frozen fish.
A few tips for choosing meats. Conventionally raised meats are typically given hormones and antibiotics. These chemicals tend to be concentrated more in the fat, so buying leaner cuts or trimming excess fat can reduce some of the toxins that might be transferred to you through the meat. Try to avoid highly processed meat products such as chicken nuggets, processed lunch meats and meats that have been cured with nitrates.
The same standards apply to produce. Ideally you would want to buy organic fresh or frozen vegetables and fruits, especially the ones that tend to be highly treated with pesticides in conventional farms. These would include leafy greens, peppers, apples, strawberries, grapes and celery. The “good” choices would be to buy conventional fruits and vegetables, but particularly those with thick peels. These kinds of fruits and vegetables aren’t as likely to be sprayed with chemicals. Finally, the “good enough” would be minimally processed fresh or frozen vegetables and fruits. The “junk” end is the vegetable chips which are promoted as healthy.
Try buying fruits and vegetables in season from local growers and freezing them yourself. Also, grow what you can in a small garden of your own. Many items don’t take much space or care and then you know they are fresh.
Try applying this principle to anything you are planning on buying. The organic, whole food variety is always the ideal, but not accessible or within budget of most people. Conventionally grown whole foods are good and generally within reach of most budgets. Sometimes the good enough is all that you can do for some items, which is fine, and still better than highly processed.
Make it your goal to see what your budget will allow in the higher quality food range. Also, try to find some recipes to make a few things from scratch that you might usually buy, like bread, cookies, or breaded fish and chicken. Just making a few small changes will help reduce the chemicals you are eating and help you improve your diet.
If you need help with diet or exercise suggestions, stop in or call 570-673-5813 for an appointment at the Canton Fitness Center. I can help you get on your way to a better you. Remember, Believe in Your Health; We Do!