Friday, May 8, 2015

Living a Healthy Lifestyle in America

Ashley Diamond
College Student

Eating healthy and living a healthy and clean lifestyle may be tough in America today because of the high demand for healthy foods. However, what is not tough is making the decision and committing to a healthy lifestyle.  The “HealthyLifestyle” meme uses the words from Lindsay S. Nixon, author of the book The Happy Herbivore Guide to Plant-Based Living, expresses that there are no set rules to a healthy lifestyle because it is about having a strong connection, and sense of motivation to be healthy.  With the different types of foods in the world, it makes it easy to start making healthier choices, and to be cooking with fresher ingredients that will help a person to live longer and be more content.  This primary source depicts the discourse of healthy living in America by addressing the use of natural products and emphasizing healthy choices.  This is one of my favorite pictures because it sends its message though pictures.  The vegetables in the background really catch the reader’s eye and makes them think about what kind of food they have been eating lately.  Most may remember eating at a fast food restaurant last, which does not surprise me.  That is because most Americans nowadays eat at fast food restaurants because of the price.  However, I am here to tell you that you can make better choices with food, but also keep a budget.  All it takes is motivation, compassion, and commitment to making healthy choices.

The food and health industry play a major role when it comes to keeping out body in a nutritious state.  Both industries have an objective to provide the human body with the supplements they have in order for us to live.  This does not mean that both industries provide humans with high quality care.  Wendell Berry, a poet and novelist, writes about both of these industries that gets a person to think a little bit.  Berry says that, “People are fed by the food industry, which pays no attention to health…and are treated by the health industry, which pays no attention to food.”  The food industry nowadays could care less about the health of humans.  I believe that a lot of people are relying on processed foods because of the price and convenience.  Processed foods contain many different ingredients that most people cannot pronounce.  This proves that the food industry provides the minimal support for our health.  This makes it hard for humans to commit to a healthy lifestyle because of the costs of healthier foods.  The health industry cares solely on a person’s health, and not what is being ingested.  These two industries clash with each other very often, making it difficult for humans to live with content and satisfaction of their health state.

It’s interesting to think about the differences between healthy, organic food and processed fatty foods.  Most foods nowadays are processed in factories, and shipped to their specific destination.  Those foods contain a lot of different chemicals and preservatives which hurt our bodies.  Organic foods, however, are either grown naturally (produce, fruit, raised or without antibiotics (chickens, cows).  These foods will help Americans to maintain a weight or physique they are content with.  Recently, there have been signs saying “farewell to GMO’s (genetically modified organisms).”  This means they are using organic ingredients to make their food and not chemicals to clone their food.  If you are eating foods with that sign on them, you are going in the right direction to living a healthy lifestyle.

 

 

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