People Don't Get Slimmer in A Recession

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by Ryan Parker

Many people know that even if they haven't felt the pinch of the looming recession that they will have to tighten their purse strings if they are going to get through it. The problem is that most people will unknowingly neglect the quality of the foods that they take in simply to get their dollar further. It is alright to save on other unnecessary things but you should never skimp out on the dietary needs of your family.

A recent article in a popular weight loss magazine states that the American society is the most obese in the world and has some of the highest rates of heart disease that can be directly attributed to being obese. This is even before the public knew of the pending recession. Strangely enough, with the looming recession and people cutting back on their spending for food, initial reports have indicated that even more people are graduating to the obese category and more people are suffering from heart disease. This is in sharp contrast to what normally happens to less developed nations. When suffering from financial distress they normally would suffer from malnutrition and instead start losing weight.

The main reason for this is the pricing of foods in the U.S is quite different to the normal pricing structure of foods in less developed countries. Foods that contain protein and fats are actually priced cheaper than greens and common vegetables. In most farming societies and third world countries vegetables and normal carbohydrate foods are much cheaper than proteins from animals. The U.S imbalance of food pricing has stemmed from the industrial farming practices over the many years of access that has led to great savings from the scale increases in farming over the years. Demand for animal protein was so great that somewhere in the 1970s the price of meats became cheaper than the price of vegetables and common stables like bread and potatoes.

The main problem is that Americans who are trying to save on the costs of food are still going about purchasing their food items at the same places they are used too, namely supermarkets. Supermarkets simply do not provide for people who are looking for quality foods at a bargain basement price. The cheaper meats are normally low in digestible protein and high in fat. The cheap carbohydrate products have some of the highest G.Is and the cheap drinks are almost always filled to the brim with sugar to make them taste better. This is a perfect combination for heart disease and diabetes.

This is made even worst with the abundance of fast food restaurants and diners which offer foods at very cheap prices. Although suitably cheap for those in distress the long term affects of eating foods like these are a very sharp deterioration of health and a much higher incidence of heart disease. In addition to the over abundance of animal fats and proteins in their diet they also suffer from a lack of important fresh green vegetables which can provide very important nutrients, vitamins and anti-oxidants.

Although it may seem at first that you have to make the choice between either maintaining your health of keeping your wallet happy, the decision doesnt have to be like that. You can get foods that are good for your health while still keeping your wallet happy. The only down-side is that you have to put extra effort in looking for quality foods. For the best health you should aim for freshness, leanness and fiber in your diet. You can get very fresh vegetables from farmer markets at extremely competitive prices. Cheap cuts of meat that are still lean can be obtained from your small-time butchers at very decent price too. It is all just a matter of looking around and finding foods that are nutritional and not simply relying on what supermarkets are able to provide.

The trick to getting a good diet in even if you are in financial distress is to shop carefully and not simply find easy solutions by choosing food that is of lower quality. You should never look at canned foods as alternatives to properly cooked fresh foods. The problem is that you just have to spend just a bit more time in sourcing for your foods that you can cook yourself.

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