The Healthy Poser

After giving much thought, I have come to the unfortunate conclusion that I am a poser. I may be the worst kind of poser, a "Healthy Poser".

You may ask yourself what is a "Healthy Poser". Well, let me explain it to you this way. The kind of poser is one who works out to stay fit. Drinks water to stay hydrated. Gets 7-8 hours of sleep a night to keep the body refreshed. But, they eat like crap. Yep, that's me.

I honestly like healthy food. I enjoy my vegetables and fruit. I actually try to eat some fruit or vegetable every day. Since having a child, I have made a conscious effort to make sure each meal has some sort of healthy part to it. I like corn, peas, carrots, apples, bananas and more.

However, today I realized I was just a poser. I went shopping at one of the local supermarkets this afternoon. I really try to do my best, reading labels, looking for discounts and thinking about what is best for me and the family. There are some things that I love and have to get (see the Coca Cola section of my blog). As my cart fills up and I head to the checkout, I am feeling pretty good about my shopping skilz.

Then it happens. As I empty my cart, I see what I really picked out. I become glassy eyed, wondering what I have done. I have good stuff: apples, bananas, turkey, boneless chicken, some light yogurt, orange juice. Then the "other" food comes through: coke, sweet & tasty chex mix, Bubba Burgers, taco mix, chocolate chip cookie dough. Now I know this doesn't sound all that bad, but today was a "light" day of shopping.

I am not a full fledged junk food junkie but the current state of the economy is pushing me that way. Think about it. It may only cost .99 cents to buy a 2 liter of soda but water cost $1.25 for 20 ounces. $2.99 for a huge bag of chips but $4.99 for a little quart of fruit. It makes no sense and we wonder why our kids are getting fat. Is it too expensive to eat healthy?

I believe I have been tricked by the food industry as well. I had no idea granola was not that healthy for you (I guess it has a lot of fat). Then the put in this fake sugar making it seem that they are healthy, but they can cause other issues to our own health. It is an ongoing battle that I am losing every day. They keep sucking me in and I can't seem to get completely out.

Eating healthy is a chore. Finding healthy food at reasonable prices is near impossible. It seems every time we buy fresh fruit, or homemade bread or healthy snacks from local growers, it goes bad before we can even eat it. It seems I am throwing food faster than we have time to eat. Processed food will last days, weeks, months and even years (think of a twinkie).

Anyway, as I try to improve my eating habits, I am hopeful it will improve my endurance and fitness level. I think I know what is good for me (cookie dough is not on the new food pyramid?) and at some point will have to make a better effort to improve my eating and show everyone I that I am not, in fact, a poser.

Who's with me?