Behind West Virginia, in order, you will find Mississippi in
second followed by Alabama, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, then South
Dakota. Followed by #10 Tennessee. We’ve been closer to the top in the past.
I’m from the South and proud of it. Yet, I have to admit
that I’m disappointed with certain aspects of our part of the country. I
suppose I should look at it within the context of America as a whole. The problem isn’t confined to one part of the
country. But in too many important factors, we’re way down the list. Smoking.
Education.
What we can’t ignore is that obesity is the source of many
of the health problems that we encounter in our senior years. Rather than beat
ourselves up about it, let’s look at what can be done. It really is a complex
problem.
Some will say that it is the tendency for cooks in the South
to fry everything. They blame it on southerners trying to make lesser foods
tastier. I’ve never seen blackened catfish but I know that I prefer my catfish
fried with tarter sauce.
And it’s not necessarily a southern thing. I once dined at a
relative’s table well north of the Mason-Dixon Line and literally everything
served was fried. Admittedly, they had southern roots, but they had lived in
the north a lot longer than they had lived in the south.
It’s hard to ignore portion sizes, all-you-can-eat buffets,
and food choices, wherever you live.
No doubt, part of it is lifestyle. In my opinion (and
remember that this is all my opinion), it isn’t that we’re just lazy. I don’t
think that’s it at all. Most of the people that I know never stop. Long days,
packed schedules, and trying to do everything is more the norm than not.
When I’m behind and don’t have time to eat good food, I’ll
eat whatever I can grab. More often than not, it is something that isn’t good
for me.
It’s especially bad if I push it, allowing my hunger to
grow. If I miss a meal or extend my limits, I’ll end up eating anything put in
front of me. And probably more than my body needs, as I attempt (physically or
mentally) to catch up.
I think that’s true for a lot of folks. Scarfing down a bag
of chips and a couple of hot dogs is the easy way sometimes and yes, I do that.
The solution for me is to brown bag my lunch. I eat almost
the same thing every day at work. But that takes some preparation and sometimes
I forget or don’t have time to prepare adequately. It only works if you work at
it. It does take some effort.
Snacks are also important. And not candy bars or cookies.
Foods that are more complex, lower in sugar, and have some kind of healthier
ingredients. My personal favorite is nuts.
Eating late at night is also a huge problem. Sometimes I eat
way too early, as the evening schedule is so full that I know I won’t get any
time to eat. Then, when I finally get home, I’m starved. I have to fight the
urge to eat anything and everything in the fridge.
It takes willpower to eat a reasonable amount if you’re
eating closer to bedtime but it’s hugely important. I’m not much of an advocate
for counting calories but at bedtime, it helps.
And just so you know that I haven’t forgotten who I am, yes,
exercise is essential. You need to do something every day that gets your heart
rate up.
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