Invest in a Wealth of Health
“Survey data from 2,000 people showed a wide range of food attitudes based on weight, with 44% of those at a healthy weight saying health and nutrition was a top concern when purchasing food, compared with a third of those who were obese.”- HealthyDay News (6/20)
One of the top reasons I hear as to why people do not eat healthy, especially when dining out, is the cost of healthier food. As someone who travels quite often, I can attest to this being true (for the most part). However, there comes a point when you realize that you are essentially investing in your own health insurance by being proactive with your wellness habits. When dining out becomes a necessity on a regular basis, you begin to realize that you cannot dine like you are on vacation (temporary); you must dine as if you were eating at home (long-term, sustainable). Though investing in your health may be a bit more costly in the moment, I can all but guarantee you that it will save you some big bucks further down the road. Think about it this way- if you were searching for a surgeon to perform a life-altering heart operation, would you make a decision based on which doctor will perform the surgery for the lowest cost OR would you make a decision based on which doctor will do the best job, thus saving your life? The same may be said of food. When ordering a meal, should you make a decision based on which item presents the lowest financial cost (but might culminate to negative health effects long-term) or based on which item presents the lowest cost to your health (which will add up to having a protective effect against negative health effects long-term)? Don’t get me wrong, everything within reason. You do not need to order the most expensive item on the menu for it to be considered healthy. But I would urge to do a more thorough cost vs. benefit analysis when making menu decisions in the future in order to best invest in your long-term health!
For anyone who lives in the Sarasota area, the dish featured here is from Mike and I’s favorite restaurant: “Shore”. They have tons of DELICIOUS healthy options that I would highly recommend!
- WHAT: This is a loaded bullet (point)! The MBM "Meal Manual" includes the following:
- Collection of healthy recipes offering suggestions for how to eat a balanced variety of delicious foods.
- Sample daily menus that illustrate how these recipes might fit into your daily dietary intake.
- "Smart Swaps": Lighter alternatives for traditionally less-healthy food favorites.
- "Restaurant Reviews": Reviews of menus from various dining establishments focused on which items are more beneficial to order in terms of nutritional value.
- WHY: Many of us find it easier to have explicit instruction guiding our dietary decisions (sample daily menus), yet appreciate variety in our meals (recipes). It is important not to completely give up some of your less-healthy favorite foods, but rather find a way to enjoy them in a healthier manner ("Smart Swaps"). Finally, life happens- we dine out! And that is a-okay. As long as we order wisely, dining out does not have to be a dietary disaster.
- HOW: Rather than sending out a one-time finished document, I have decided to house this information in a Google drive document to which you will receive a link upon purchase. This will enable you to receive updates to the document as they are added, such as new recipes, new "Restaurant Reviews", new "Smart Swaps", etc. The Google Drive app will allow you to access the google document from your phone from at anytime, allowing you to refer back to recipes while at the grocery store, "Restaurant Recommendations" while deciding on a dinner date, etc.
