WHAT-THE ACTUAL FOOD ARE YOU BUYING?
Let’s talk a little bit about MARKETING for a minute before we actually talk about what you are buying, namely regarding food. Anyone that has something to sell, is in some way marketing it to you. Even if it’s a rustic stand on the side of the road selling $2 pumpkins, or a big billboard in the middle of the city, advertising is a form of marketing which is designed to make you purchase the product being sold. If the person selling the product wants to sell more or grow their business to make even more money, then there are a variety of methods they can use to do this. Outsourcing, purchasing cheaper ingredients/ products, automating are just some of the ways a business can make even more money when looking to expand. This is where the consumer has to know what is and isn’t advertising so we can make our own decision rather than a choice we make because we have been manipulated to think something is more than what it actually is.
I’m not just going to point this out and leave you in the lurch. . Instead I share simple recipes with Real Food and how to make better choices each week. I will continue to show you some simple food swaps that are great for your health just like the recipes in the first cookbook: It’s a piece of Healthy Cake.
One step at a time is the best way to create positive change. Our life is a journey, not a sprint & we might as well enjoy it on the way! Choosing to eat foods with less chemicals and ingredients we don’t even know, is one of the most beneficial ways to improve your health now and in the future.
The way foods are made, the way ingredients are made, the way foods are packaged and the actual ingredients in everything we consume has an impact on our body. It seems that with marketing, this concept of getting sick from food or an illness from food is not often considered, nor is eating good foods to get better. There’s a lot to say about this as there is so much information out there in the ‘world wide web’ that sometimes it be so exhausting just trying to find out the truth. When I learned more about Marketing in relation to food, I became more aware and able to make great choices more often. The era we live in is a fast paced, technologically savvy environment and this also is true for the businesses that make the foods we consume. This includes fruit and vegetables and meat, not just items presented in packaging.
I have eliminated dairy and gluten from the majority of my diet, however I truly believe we are only ‘cured’ from ’emotional eating’ when no foods are restricted, and when we can effectively navigate our way around the foods we have available and still make a balanced move.
Among all of the health information out in the world wide web, the right information is also out there, you just need to know where to look and how to manage emotional triggers.
Think about if you own a really ‘flash’ car, it is your pride and joy. Would you fill this incredible vehicle with standard or cheap petrol? You just couldn’t right? I believe in living a balanced life and my definition of having a great relationship with food is by being in complete control of the addictive mind that sometimes tries to take over. It still shows up every now and then, but these days I just tell it to leave me alone and I get on with my day!
In Australia: The ingredients list is essential on all packaging. It also requires the business to list the ingredients in order from the most to least for their product. There are no rules (to my knowledge) about the front advertising on packaging, and this is where many consumers can be ‘tricked’ into thinking they are eating something good for them, when it may not actually be.
Here’s a challenge for you! When you next visit your local grocery store & return home check the ingredients on every single product you have purchased, if you don’t know what one of the ingredients is, google it and write it down creating a list of all the ingredients you aren’t sure of. This is something EVERYONE can do and it is a task that will help teach you about the relationship between your health and the foods you consume. When you google the ingredients you can see if they have any associated risks or ailments that you may not have known about. If you have any current health issues, some of the ingredients in foods you consume could be making your health issues worse or preventing you from getting better. When you take charge of everything that you consume (including all drinks) you can really start to change the way you consume food by going from eating what you ‘feel’ like to eating what ‘fuels’ you like nothing else!
My choice to remove gluten and dairy from the majority of my diet was based on years of research and self -experimentation when becoming my healthier version, and this information is freely available to everyone that has access to the internet which can really help you continue to become better.
I love to hear how this one simple task of learning the ingredients you are consuming has changed many lives, so feel free to share your experiences and ‘shocking’ discoveries with us!
