Eating healthy *is* more expensive - but it's so worth it.

I read this post today with interest:

Americans Aren’t Fat Because They Lack Willpower; They’re Fat Because They’re Broke

I have no doubt that there is some truth to this: travel to an Indian reservation that is not well off financially, and you'll see it. Many overweight people, few grocery stores and tons of McDonalds. It's a vicious circle- the poor have to work more, and so have less time to prepare healthy foods. Even if they do have the time, healthy foods are more expensive. However, they're not THAT much more expensive. In the article, she says it'll cost $30 to buy the fixings for a salad, and $5 to eat at McDonalds. She must make some awesome salads- I just spent $35 on groceries that will make up the bulk of my husband and my food for the week, and that's including salad. She also says that veggies only last  for two or three days in the fridge. Mine always last longer (lettuce I have chopped and spun in the salad spinner will last a week and a half, usually.) She also ignores the relative cheapness of frozen vegetables.

I don't think you need to spend $900 a month as she says to be healthy. You also don't need to spend all your waking hours in an organic garden (although growing your own herbs goes a long way towards making better food)- you just need to be creative.

It helps to live somewhere warm, but not miserably warm, year round. You're more likely to want to go outside and exercise if it's not 0 or 100 degrees. It helps to have a partner that has the same goals as you and will push you when you're bad, and won't be mad if you push them. It helps to have a job that requires some activity.

Making your lunch does help a lot. After a while, you get so efficient, it only take 20 minutes or so, which saves you time the next day so you can do something fun on your lunch break (read, take a walk, play a video game). I hate it when I'm lazy and don't make my lunch anymore- I either throw something together in the morning, which invariably is no good, or I run out and grab something, which is usually not much better. When I take a little time the night before, I can make something I look forward to eating all day and have some time to relax during lunch. Or time to do homework.

I've been slipping lately- not making my lunch, running out and grabbing dinner. All the holiday food doesn't help (our fridge is full of crap, I need to go through and throw it all out). The post reminded me that when I put a little effort into it, I love eating, and I eat better.

I'm still working on the exercise thing. Lately I've been dancing like a maniac - no one's allowed to watch me, I look like an idiot, but it's FUN. I would love to take a class or two - now that I have paid off my undergrad student loans (just did it today- woo!) I might splurge and enroll in something. I miss the nice weather- Geoff and I were riding our bikes, walking, occasionally even roller blading until it got too fucking cold. I'm not walking to work anymore (currently it'd be difficult, the sidewalks are still ice in the morning) so I'm not getting even that exercise. I wonder if I'll ever be able to live somewhere with nice weather and live within walking distance to work? Probably not, that's the trade off. Damn.