Economics of Healthy Living

[aimeecc]

Most of the fast food chains have a fruit cup option. That's if you can subsist until lunch on just a fruit cup. If you get to work. Eating the fruit cup while driving is hazardous. Not as hazardous as trying to eat cole slaw while driving, but still hazardous.

[Shawnee123]

There goes all your healthful benefits right out the window (pun intended.)

"He was a good man. Kept a nice yard. Was healthy, well until he slammed into that semi while he was trying to eat his fruit cup."

[Clodfobble]

Originally Posted by aimeecc

I was listening to NPR the other day and they were talking about how in DC (and I'm sure a lot of other inner cities), the poor really only have unhealthy options. There's not an abundance of grocery stores, so if you're poor, without a car, its much more cost effective to go to MacDonalds than to try to get to a grocery store, and pay high prices for healthy food.

I've heard this argument before, and I just don't believe it. Sure, fresh vegetables are expensive, and organic food is even moreso--but your basic beans and rice is both healthier and cheaper than McDonald's. And they can be bought in bulk, so you're not going to the grocery store as often. Same with oatmeal, pancake mix, vegetable oil, pasta, potatoes, Velveeta, evaporated milk... it won't be the healthiest diet, but it'll still be better than McDonald's. Fast food will easily cost you $5 per person per meal, and conscientious shopping will cost much less, even if you have to add in bus/taxi fare to get to the store every 2-3 weeks.

[limey]

Originally Posted by aimeecc

... My mom's visiting in 2 weeks and will only eat ALL organic. Its going to be a pain. Oatmeal has to be organic slow cook - no quick cooking Quaker Oats...

Originally Posted by SteveDallas

The unspoken part of my quote was "what kind of healthy breakfast that I can leave my house and quickly pick up at or on the way to work without any prior preparation or planning on my part."

That's just it, though, isn't it. You have to put a little effort in yourself, like get up five minutes earlier in order to put a bowl of "organic slow cook" oatmeal in milk in the microwave for 2 minutes, stir, two minutes, eat, leave the house five minutes later because you don't have to stop for donuts ...

(no I don't do it every morning, but I try to do it some mornings )

Isn't a healthy diet all about variety - we range from Pot Noodle (Ramen equivalent, I suppose) to locally bred organically grown butcher meat in this house.

[monster]

Originally Posted by aimeecc

1/2 gallon of soy milk.

Apparently, too much soy is now indicated in breast, cervical, ovarian and uterine cancers, so my medical friends were saying. Haven't had time to research this yet (conversation was yesterday, in no hurry because we don't use soy substitutes)

[aimeecc]

Originally Posted by limey

That's just it, though, isn't it. You have to put a little effort in yourself, like get up five minutes earlier in order to put a bowl of "organic slow cook" oatmeal in milk in the microwave for 2 minutes, stir, two minutes, eat, leave the house five minutes later because you don't have to stop for donuts ...

(no I don't do it every morning, but I try to do it some mornings )

Isn't a healthy diet all about variety - we range from Pot Noodle (Ramen equivalent, I suppose) to locally bred organically grown butcher meat in this house.

Its more that I already have the Quaker Oats, and now I have to go buy the organic oats. In fact, we have 3 bug tubs of quaker oats - and we don't eat it that often. We're more of a bowl of cheerios in the morning family. I'm always late out the door. Always. I haven't been on time for anything since little one.

My mom's organic only has alienated the family. But only because the sisters/sisters-in-law would ask before she visited "anything special I can get for you?" and she would answer no, then she would refuse to eat anything served and insist on being driven to the local organic market so she could go shopping. I am in the position of already knowing she'll do this, so I'm going to go ahead and stock up ahead of time. And she'll still want to go grocery shopping. But since I know this already, its ok.

[aimeecc]

Originally Posted by monster

Apparently, too much soy is now indicated in breast, cervical, ovarian and uterine cancers, so my medical friends were saying. Haven't had time to research this yet (conversation was yesterday, in no hurry because we don't use soy substitutes)

I did a quick google...

Although there is some evidence to suggest consumption of soy reduces breast cancer risk in premenopausal women...
A new study shows soy protein may prevent prostate cancer, even male baldness...
Among Asian populations, the association between higher consumption of soy foods and decreased risk of breast cancer is well documented...
Two senior FDA scientists have revealed that chemicals in soy could increase the risk of breast cancer, brain damage, and abnormalities in infants.
Soy's Cancer Prevention Properties in Doubt, Study Review Finds ...

So the verdict is still out. But the American Institute for Cancer Research is all for soy. But are these the folks from "Thank you for Smoking"?
http://www.aicr.org/site/PageServer?...e=dc_foods_soy

Foods That Fight Cancer
Soy
Soybeans are a type of legume, or bean. Foods made from soybeans include tofu, soymilk, soybeans, soynuts, miso (soy paste), tempeh, soy burgers and soynut butter.

Scientists believe that several active ingredients in soy may have anti-cancer effects. These include: isoflavones (which have been studied most), saponins, phenolic acids, phytic acid, phytosterols, and protein kinase inhibitors.

Soy appears to contain some components that resemble very weak forms of the body’s natural hormones. As a result, soy foods can mimic the actions of hormones under certain conditions and counteract these hormonal actions at other times. Because of such complexities, most of the studies that have investigated soy’s role in cancer development have dealt with hormone-related cancers such as those of the breast and prostate.

Soy has been shown to inhibit the growth of prostate cancer cells in a variety of laboratory conditions. Soy has also been associated with the inhibition of breast cancer cells in some, but not all, laboratory experiments. Diets rich soy have been shown to alter the metabolism of breast tissue in animal subjects in ways that may translate into added anti-cancer protection.

Several human and laboratory studies have suggested that consumption of soy early in life may help protect against breast cancer later in life. Results are less encouraging for a post-menopausal role.

As a general rule of thumb, soy seems to be a good food to include in your diet (along with other beans) as a source of protein and nutrients. For now there is little evidence supporting earlier hopes that soy foods might offer special protection against breast cancer.

One exception to the general safety of soy consumption may be for women who are taking anti-estrogen medications such as tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors. Researchers suggest that these patients limit or avoid soy until more is known.

We are a soy family. I've always disliked milk. I only like skim milk, which my husband hates. And I like soy milk and so does my hubby. So the choice was easy.

[TheMercenary]

I just ate a completely un-healthy breakfast.

[aimeecc]

Good old multi-grain cheerios in soy milk for my family this morning.
I am looking forward to this weekend. Probably a blueberry pancake and sausage weekend. I really love breakfast. In particular, big, unhealthy breakfast's.

[classicman]

Bran freakin muffin....again - gotta get my cholesterol down

[shina]

Oatmeal

[busterb]

Oat meal, bberrys, oj, prunes. Beer.

[Cloud]

I think the trick is to not buy expensive organic produce on top of all the other stuff you buy, just adding to the cost--it's to replace processed food, which is more expensive, with more healthful stuff.

If you buy mostly produce, organic or not, and less processed food, you will still save money.

[BigV]

Originally Posted by busterb

Oat meal, bberrys, oj, prunes. Beer.

Speaking of prunes.... I saw the intersection of this thread and the WTF thread in the store the other day.

Individually wrapped prunes.

I shit you not. Haw haw. A cylinder of single prunes, each in their own little wrapper. What a load of packaging.

[Cloud]

Originally Posted by BigV

Speaking of prunes.... I saw the intersection of this thread and the WTF thread in the store the other day.

Individually wrapped prunes.

I shit you not. Haw haw. A cylinder of single prunes, each in their own little wrapper. What a load of packaging.

oh, but you left out the best part. They're packaged for kid's lunches . . . and made to look like candy.