It’s all beige… Could I have some leafy greens with my meal, please??

Do you eat fast food and lots of processed food? If you do, I challenge you to look closely at the visual aspect of what you’re eating the next time you chow down on a “McSomething” meal. Do you see any leafy greens?

I think in our fast paced world, we don’t slow down and take the time to really see and acknowledge some of the things we do so automatically during the day. This includes being truly aware of what we are eating. So…before you dig into your McFries and your fried chicken something, try taking a minute and looking at what’s on your plate or in your bucket or bag. Again, do you see any leafy greens?

Is there any color, or is it all beige? There’s been an ad on TV for a while now that features a lovely, friendly woman touting the pleasures of her food. Her Southern drawl is charming, and the food sounds delicious, but when they pan the camera to the actual meal, what I notice is that it’s all beige; nothing green or red…no color in sight!

The fried chicken is beige, the mashed potatoes are beige and the biscuits and gravy are beige. I’m sure it tastes delicious; after all, it is “comfort food” and it’s designed in the processed food labs to grab us with its pleasure inducing ingredients…but it’s all beige.

What about the texture of beige processed food? Notice that the next time you eat it. Is there any fiber or pulp, anything that requires some serious chewing? Or is it food that is, except for the fried coating on the chicken or fish, pretty much in pre-chewed form and consistency, ready for you to gum down and swallow?

How does beige resonate with your body? Is it a positive or a negative dietary characteristic and why should it matter to you? What does all this beige stuff contain? Well, it contains lots of salt, sugar and bad fats for starters. It was once whole food…that is until the big food companies removed all the good.

If your diet consists of this beige “food”, then your intestines are no doubt lined with a toxic paste that will ultimately cause them to become permeable, giving you leaky gut which will eventually lead you down the path to ever increasing inflammation in your body. This inflammation causes chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, depression, arthritis, cancer, etc. And that’s not even mentioning the premature aging inflammation causes. In a world where youth is so valued, wouldn’t you rather learn to eat to stay younger inside and out?

I assure you it’s in your best interest to, at the very least, add some leafy greens, add some color to your meals in the form of fresh vegetables and fruits, an interesting salad, lightly steamed or oven-roasted brussels sprouts, asparagus, beets, etc. to whatever it is that composes your current diet.

Even if you don’t want to make drastic changes to your diet, I hope you’ll begin by making it a goal to have one real food item with some color whenever you have a meal. It’s a good way to start!

Helping You Achieve Major Wellness in Your Life!

Cheryl A Major

Cheryl A Major lives in Westford and is a Certified Nutrition and Wellness Consultant. Her TV show, Thin Strong Healthy, airs on WestfordCat and is an offshoot of her blog http://ThinStrongHealthy.com Cheryl offers ongoing information, live and online courses and personal health coaching to help you feel better and be healthier. Follow Cheryl on Twitter @CherylAMajor. She is also a full time residential Realtor with Coldwell Banker with more than 25 years experience.

Her new book, “Eat Your Blues Away” in which she chronicles her recovery from depression is now available on Amazon in both Kindle and paperback!