With so many diet related diseases and ailments, it makes you wonder why doesn’t everyone eat healthy. But what is eating healthy? Is it following the food pyramid guide that was introduced by the USDA in 1992? But wait, that may not be wise seeing as how in 2001 the USDA lost a lawsuit against them because of their financial ties to the food industry (meat&dairy). Wow and they were telling everyone to eat 2-3 servings of meat, 2-3 servings of dairy and 6-11 servings of bread, cereal and pasta! I’m pretty sure that if anyone followed the food Pyramid exactly from 1992-2001, that they are overweight. 
The food Pyramid didn’t get updated til 2005 and then replaced in 2011.
There has been evidence linking dairy to breast cancer, asthma and allergies. Beef to colon cancer and Pork to high blood pressure. These are just to name a very small few.
As a personal trainer and a citizen of One of the most overweight countries in the world, I realized that there is a lack of knowledge regarding to what is healthy. There is also a food addiction epidemic.
What does America and some of the other top overweight countries have in common? Processed foods are for one. Just to clear clear, if it is not how it originally grows, or you didn’t kill and prepare it yourself, it’s more than likely processed.
What If an angel told you that you are going to suffer from health problems in your late 40s -60s. What would you do? That you will be overweight and too tired to enjoy your life to the fullest at 45. That you will develop low self-esteem because of your illness and weight issues. That you will die before the age of 75 or if you do live beyond that you will suffer. What would you do?
What if that the angel said oh wait, I’m looking at your book of life and it looks like you have an alternate path you may take. If you cut down your processed food intake by 50-100%, eat more vegetables than anything, stop drinking sodas, don’t fry your food, don’t eat any meat from a fast food restaurant, if you must have “junk” only 10% of the time, if you must eat meat don’t have it everyday and only have lean small portions that have been baked or grilled. Cut out as much sugar as possible, limit your salt and exercise 3 times a week. Would you do it?
Then The angel says, “Here is what your life may look like if you do this: You will have a great body weight. You will have the energy to do the things you’ve always wanted to do. You will enjoy life, meet fun and interesting people. Your self-esteem will be good because you feel good about yourself. You will not suffer because of health and you will live long enough to see you children grow up as well as your grandchildren. 
You will still be able to move around freely at 80.”
Now before anybody gets offended, I am aware that anything in life may happen and just because you eat right and exercise doesn’t mean a person won’t die young or have health problems. So many other things can effect health like environment, genetics and mental state. Also I am not implying that people overweight are less happy than people who are not. Although I do believe that you feel good about yourself when you have made a conscious effort to take care of your body inside and out and you follow through. Also it have been proven that you decrease your chance of developing certain ailments when you eat healthy and exercise.
I would like to suggest this challenge to you:
Map out your life over the next 20 years and see what it may look like if you continue the path you’re own. If you continue to eat the way you do whether it’s healthy or not. How many pounds have you gained or lost over the past year? Now times that by 20. Then look up the statistic of that weight as it pertains to health. Draw a picture in your mind of how you will look. How will you feel? What are the things you will be able to do? What are the things you wont? If you don’t like the picture, take action now! There is no magic pill to take to change your life. Don’t trust everything that is advised to you by the USDA, media or doctors. Be your own health detective. Research vitamins, foods, herbs, medicine and holistic healing.
I believe God gave us everything we need here on this earth as well as free will. So its up to you to decide the life you want. Map out what your life will look like if you make positive changes.
What do you want your life to be like in the future? May you be blessed with the better life.
~Lady A
calivegans 