Don't let rising food prices destroy your healthy habits
Soaring food prices are putting the squeeze on household budgets from Maine to California.
And while economic theories abound on every TV news program—the cold hard facts are: We don't care. We just want to be able to feed our families and ourselves well without having to cut out the essentials.
What burns me up is hearing about people feeling forced to make unhealthy substitutions—just because they're perceived as cheaper. The cheap-o food items most certainly are produced from the heavily subsidized crops such as corn and soy. These crops bring us such health-destroying products as hydrogenated oils and overly-processed mimic-meats.
As a doctor, I know well that some of you—especially if you're on fixed incomes—may feel like you have to make a choice between eating well and paying for your doctor visits, medications, etc. But I promise you that if you start skimping on what you put into your body, your medical care is going to get even more expensive down the road.
Healthy eating doesn't have to cost you a second mortgage. It will take weekly planning, and being conscious of what you buy—and making sure you don't let it go to waste. This isn't such a bad thing, and may even be more health promoting as you dig out your cookbooks to search for another way to use up those carrots, cabbage and apples in the fridge. A healthy—and inexpensive meal—is simply rice and beans, which is filling as well as nutritious.
Try shopping local at a farmer's market. Cutting out the middleman can help cut your food bill—and you're guaranteed the freshest of the fresh. And if you have a small plot of land or even a balcony, consider growing your own herbs, which will be one less thing you have to purchase.
