Only One Slice, Thank You

I wrote an undergraduate paper about two years ago entitled, "Fit vs. Fat: the Potato vs. the French Fry". Did you know organic food costs about 60% more on average than 'regular' food? And you can buy miniature cinnamon nut rolls--probably more delectable--three packages for a dollar at the right grocery store.

I don't believe there is anything tricky about the state of health in America these days. In fact, I think those who cannot understand the interdependency of the Fast Food Industry and the Health and Beauty industry are simply not thinking logically enough. The later detests obesity, deformation, and over-indulgence; the former has Dollar Menu's that all but rally for them.

But what better way to make a buck than to make people crave intensely unhealthy foods and then ostracize them for the affects? It's a well-oiled bipolarity. You can stuff your face with all the crap you'd like and then guiltily work it off with a membership to your favorite gym. Who knew life could be so fulfilling?

And while we struggle with self-image, personal economics, and our palate's desires, it rains gold coins on the men and women who stand at the helms of the two industries. It' a winning situation for everyone--unless your one of the unfortunate millions caught in the middle. Yet as the customer, we are the only way these places stay in business...so how do we pull the plug on them?

Here are a few simple rules that that will improve the quality of life for the average individual without the funds to eat raw and spend weekends detoxing at the spa:

• Avoid high fructose corn syrup like the plague. Nothing about it is natural--it should never be anywhere near the human body!
• Sodas, even the diet ones, contain outrageous amounts of sodium, which makes us appear larger by causing us to retain water. Try to make them treats, not habits.
• Eat more vegetables--when we were hunters and gatherers we ate nuts, vegetables, fruits, and lean meats. And look where it brought us!
• Just say, "wheat"--the health benefits are undeniably better than white bread, with a lot more flavor.
• Drink more water; your skin, body and mind will love you for it.
• Give in to a serious craving--one piece of cake now is better than a whole one later.
• Moderation! My Swedes know what I mean...
• Find something, anything physical that you enjoy, whether it be walking, boxing, or Dance Dance Revolution-ing, and do it regularly; exercise is a natural mood-booster, and you'll see better results the longer you stick with it.
• Take stairs two at a time. You're climbing them all day, might as well have the ass to prove it.

And for Heaven's sake, don't put so much stock in the opinion's of airbrushed magazine covers with models and celebrities, or in the photos of lose-weight-quick gurus and their human experiments; nobody's bodies look like that without the help of a computer--not even theirs.