No One Should Be Surprised by This One

Honestly, I feel like I have written this blog a hundred times before, but here I go again. I recently read two articles that sent my blood pressure soaring.

And before you ask, I have no answers except the obvious ones. But I am getting ahead of myself.

In Axios, I read that 73% of America’s food supply is made up of ultra-processed foods, our culturally appropriate term for junk food. Chips, candy, soda and snack treats…you know the stuff. I don’t really need to list them, do I?

Junk food; oh, sorry, ‘ultra-processed foods’ make up 60% of the diet of a typical American adult and 66% of our children’s diets.

Yikes!

Linked to just about every lifestyle disease we can now recite like a nursery rhyme: diabetes, obesity, heart disease, stroke and cancer, junk food is now also linked to depression, dementia and other cognitive disorders.

There’s a shock, she said, her voice dripping in sarcasm.

Experts tell us that there’s no way to reduce our consumption of junk foods because they’re everywhere, from convenience stores to supermarkets to coffee shops, so we should not denounce them, but instead, try to focus on the bigger things, like avoiding excess added sugar and salt, which we know aren’t good for us. We should, instead try adding more fruits and vegetables to our diet, fresh or frozen.

How often have we heard that advice?

And here’s how well that advice works. A new study reveals that three-quarters of Americans are overweight or obese.

A striking rise in obesity rates since 1990, with younger and younger people affected is a major concern for the implications for our medical care costs, our ability to function and our planet.

Obesity and its related illnesses can and will shorten life expectancy if we don’t get a handle on this epidemic. Calling for more intense intervention and investment, experts now say that the disease of obesity is no one’s fault. And that is true in some cases. It’s true that genetics play a role as does our environment. People who live in “food deserts” suffer a much greater risk of obesity and its related issues than people with easy access to a supermarket and fresh food.

That makes it sound as though we are powerless in the fight to maintain a healthy weight (which is not to say skinny; just healthy). If, along with access to junk food, one culprit of our rise in obesity is our more sedentary lifestyle, are we powerless to change that? I think not.

The experts will continue to do what they do. They will examine and study (and spent millions in grant money) to try and discover the impact of micro-plastics, pollution, etc on obesity. As endocrine disruptors, there certainly is an impact, but should anything our experts “discover” might be the ultimate culprit causing us to grow bigger each year stop us from taking whatever action we can to create wellness? I think you know my answer is no.

Look, bailing on junk food is hard. The companies who manufacture them create flavor profiles designed to make them addictive. I remember giving up white sugar when I faced a health crisis. I felt like an addict in withdrawal. It was awful, almost worse than the disease I was fighting. But I did it.

I refuse to believe, as experts would have it, that we are powerless in the face of this. Aren’t you tired of some expert, politician or doctor telling you that you have no power over this body that you inhabit? I know that I am.

Here’s an idea. What if, the next time you are shopping for food, you try an experiment. Use your budgeted money to buy real food, like rice, beans, vegetables and fruit (even frozen ones so there is no waste if you can’t or don’t cook and eat the fresh versions). Buy a loaf of bread, a bag of pasta, some oil and salt. It’s affordable for many of us and you’re in business.

And to make it even easier, there’s this thing called the internet, where you can find recipes for just about any ingredient and style of cooking, including cooking on a budget.

Oh, and there’s another thing we can all do. It’s called walking; no gym required. Moving our bodies is as essential to wellness and a healthy weight as what we eat. And I am guessing that most of us can move somehow, walking, climbing stairs, chasing kids or grandkids, gardening, etc.

I’m tired, my loves, truly tired of giving the same advice, I feel like I spend my life tilting at windmills, fighting dragons, trying to help us make better food choices and move.

Advice from experts (including me) can only go so far. At some point, we have to collectively say, “enough.” We have to just do it. We have to make choices that serve the purpose of our lives and stop using our hard-earned money to line the pockets of greedy food manufacturers who care absolutely not one iota for you or your health. We need to get it together and eat real food, simple food and move, move, move.

Maybe it’s the interminable election season; maybe it’s our new junk food eater in chief about to take office (regardless of politics, his diet is horrendous), but before you harass me about politics, hold on. This love of junk goes way back. Remember Ronald Reagan called ketchup his idea of a vegetable; George HW Bush publicly declared his hatred of broccoli; Bill Clinton jogged to McDonalds; Obama ran away from arugula when criticized and moved to corn dogs; Biden eats ice cream like it’s a food group.

I am tired of reading the same articles, telling us the same things…and experts are always stymied with no ideas as to how to change the tide. We have to change our thinking. Trickle down from the top has never worked; not for people and certainly not as examples of how to live healthy lives.

But before you think this is simply a lecture and you’re left with no solutions, I have your back. I would never leave you thinking, “now what?” Here are a few ideas to help move your snacking from junk to healthier options without breaking a sweat. I would never venture to advise that we stop snacking because who doesn’t love a good snack now and then?

Of course, we can start with the obvious: fresh fruit. I find that a bowl of fresh fruit, with its vibrant colors and promise of sweet vitality is one of my go-to snacks. Add to that a small plastic container in the freezer of frozen grapes (in the summer and fall) and I am good to go. Try it!

I also keep dark chocolate bars (70%) around for when my sweet tooth gets the better of me. And since I am a baker, there are often healthy vegan cookies on hand for a quick sweet pick-me-up.

My husband loves nuts, so there is always a bowl of roasted nuts in the shell on our island counter as well for a savory, protein-packed snack break and since we have to crack open the shells, which takes time, we don’t eat a ton of calorically-dense nuts at one time.

Try keeping a container of hummus in the fridge with some pre-cut veggies like cucumber or carrot, or pre-cut pita bread triangles in a plastic bag so you can grab a quick protein-rich snack (and the more protein-rich your snacks, the less drawn to sweets you are).

I also love to make homemade granola to munch on when we crave crunchy texture and sweet flavor. By making it in our house, we control the ingredients and know exactly what we are eating. Here is my recipe:

Hippie Granola

4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (gluten-free if you need that)

1 cup raw pecans or walnuts, coarsely chopped

½ cup pumpkin or sunflower seeds

1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

½ cup maple or brown rice syrup

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

⅔ cup mixed dried fruit; I use cranberries and golden raisins

Optional: 1/2 cup dark, non-dairy chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Mix the oats, nuts, seeds, salt and cinnamon together in a mixing bowl and stir well to combine.

Stir in the oil, syrup and vanilla. Mix well, until all ingredients are well coated. Spoon onto your prepared pan and using a spatula spread into an even layer, pressing lightly (this will help create chunks of granola).

Bake about 21 to 24 minutes, until the oats lightly golden, stirring halfway through the baking. The granola will further crisp up as it cools.

Let the granola cool completely, usually about 35 minutes. Mix in dried fruit and chocolate chips (if using), gently breaking the granola into pieces with your hands.

Store the granola in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 to 2 weeks, or in a sealed freezer bag in the freezer for up to 3 months (although in my house it never makes it to the freezer). I love to keep a large glass jar on the kitchen island to be enjoyed as we like.

There are a million little hacks for homemade snacks so check them out online and read well to be sure they are healthy options.

And walk…walk…walk. Everyone can afford to do it and the benefits are without measure. You’ll feel better about life; create heart health; manage your weight; open your mind to creative thinking and re-discover just how beautiful our fragile planet is. Start with 10 minutes and build up to whatever time your schedule allows.

There is only one way back to wellness. I’m sorry, but it’s time for a little tough love. We have to stop eating like children and get back into the kitchen and cook real food. If you have the budget for junk food, you have the budget for real food…and only cooking real food and regular exercise can save our butts now.