Yes, a double negative to make my point! Illness is very costly, every which way we look at it, and wellness doesn’t have to be expensive. Starting on a very small scale, let’s take potatoes. A pound of potatoes costs $0.69. A pound of potato chips costs $4.50. So we can buy four and a half pounds of potatoes for the same price as one pound of chips. Although it takes about four pounds of raw potatoes to make one pound of potato chips, we are not getting four times the nutrition. As a matter of fact:
One ounce of potatoes has 28 calories, 0 grams of fat, and 6 grams of carbohydrates. One ounce is considered mildly inflammatory (-17). Regarding inflammation, “Sears calls inflammation a silent epidemic that triggers chronic diseases over the years.”
One ounce of potato chips has 153 calories (5.5 times our spud bud), 10 grams of fat, and at 14 grams, more than double the carbohydrates. They are considered mildly inflammatory (-73). According to the Nutritional Target Map and Caloric Ratio Pyramid: Potato chips are less filling, less nutritious, and the caloric ratio has moved from mostly carbohydrates to mostly fats. But I must ask… Who eats only one ounce of potato chips?!
When we move to a serving size of 8 ounces of chips (which I feel is generously underrating how much we actually eat), the Inflammation Factor shoots to strongly inflammatory at -594, with a whopping 1,242 calories, 85 grams of fat, and 1192 mg of sodium! The Inflammation Factor of a large potato (70 grams more than the bag of chips) comes in at moderately inflammatory (-179), 278 calories, 0 grams of fat, and 30 mg of sodium.
The potato is just one example of how healthier whole food is often much less expensive than its processed counterpart. Remember, nutrient density is so important in not only how we spend our money, but how we spend it wisely on nutrient-rich foods. In addition, if we are consuming (and over-consuming) the chips and many other convenience foods that are high in fats, sugars, calories, and inflammatory effect, we are greatly increasing our chances of disease. Diabetes is just one of the lifestyle diseases that is currently plaguing us. “People with diagnosed diabetes incur average medical expenditures of about $13,700 per year,” and that does not include loss of productivity, income, etc. I don’t know about you, but I can’t afford medical bills like that! Besides, I would much rather spend my money on food, shelter, and doing fun things with my daughter when we can… “A sane diet alone would save us hundreds of billions of dollars and maybe more.” –Mark Bittman.
An Internet search for ‘eating healthy on a budget’ will bring up a lot of information. One comprehensive resource is Eating Well. Like anything else, it takes some practice to plan ahead and prepare the foods. We can do it! If we don’t have time during the week, we can prepare ahead of time and stock the refrigerator and freezer.
Exercise is another component of a healthy lifestyle. There are so many free or inexpensive options. Arnold Schwarzenegger said: “I’ve never paid for a push-up or a sit-up in my life – and I’ve done millions.” We can lace up our shoes and go for a nice brisk walk with friends. How about dancing? That’s a personal favorite! The secret is to do what we enjoy, and to make it a habit. A couple of resources: 100 Free (or Cheap) Ways to Exercise, and Six Ways to Build a Better Body on a Budget.
There are many other components to a healthy lifestyle and improved quality of life, including our mental and emotional states. Diet and exercise play such a big role that I will leave off now with a reminder: Balance, moderation, and variety… In all things.
One Person's Ripple Effect 