Bad Food Friends

 

Ever been in a toxic relationship? Maybe with a boss, friend, family member, spouse? Hopefully, you’ve also experienced the relief of getting out of that relationship. And once out, you probably wondered why in the world you put up with it to begin with!

But right now, you may be involved in another toxic relationship that’s so subtle you may not recognize it.

The packaged food industry desperately wants to be your friend. It “talks” to you all the time with colorful, clever ads. It offers you all sorts of friendly-looking packaged “gifts” that taste really yummy and are really cheap. You can conveniently find these goodies everywhere–and they are so grab ‘n go handy!

But this behemoth industry is not your friend!

And if you could extract yourself from its insidious clutches, you’d look back and wonder why in the world you ever got you ever got sucked into it in the first place.

Check out these “10 Signs of a Toxic Relationship” from Psychology Today(1):

1. How does this person make you feel?
Bloated, tired, and undernourished? Drained of energy? Headaches, heartburn, colds and flus?

2. Do you feel safe in the presence of the person?
Not if they are causing you to suffer chronic diseases that are life-destroying or even life threatening!

3. Do you feel your children, partners, or others are safe?
Will they be saddened and denied your love and care by sickness and disease? Are they getting sucked into the same bad friendship with the packaged food industry?

4. Have you ever felt emotional or psychological distress when interacting with the person?
What about the guilt and depression when you give in to eating packaged foods laced with addictive levels of sugar, salt, flavorings and fat?

5. Do you feel that you are on guard around this individual?
Are you constantly stressing out about how to avoid eating unhealthy packaged foods?

6. Have you ever been caught in the web of their triangulation and are they manipulative or conniving?
It’s hard not to get caught in the industry’s manipulative marketing games–they are so pervasive. And it’s harder still to ignore them. Do you get lured by their ads, jingles, expertly crafted messages and foods scientifically formulated to tempt and addict?

8. Have you ever felt the person may push moral, ethical, or legal boundaries?
Question why any company would knowingly market you products to generate profits without concern for your well-being?

9. Do you ever feel as though the person adds unnecessary challenges to your life?
Unhealthy weight gain, short-term sickness, long-term chronic disease, medications with nasty side effects, time consuming doctor visits, lost productivity . . . .

10. Do you feel emotionally drained after dealing with the person?
Maybe you give up, stop fighting and just eat the highly processed cookie, chips, snack foods, coffee drink, pizza, frozen meal . . . .

What do you think? Has the packaged food industry weaseled its way into your life, disguised as a friend? If so, realize right now it’s a bad friend.

It doesn’t care about you or your well-being. It is taking advantage of your vulnerabilities to enrich itself. It certainly won’t be around to help when your health takes a dive. Instead, it will be smiling all the way to the bank.

So what would your mother tell you if a “friend” was being mean (and destructive)?

“Find new friends,” she would surely say.

And who are your true friends when it comes to food? Real, whole foods, like vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, clean proteins, whole grains . . . .

Granted, they aren’t as popular, don’t wear cool clothes, don’t know anything about makeup and, well, seem pretty dowdy. Oh, and they take some time and know-how to make–you can’t just pop them in your mouth mindlessly.

But they’re true blue. They will support your well-being for life. They will make your body feel great. And they will nourish you clear down to your soul.

Ready to ditch your pseudo-friends in the packaged foods industry?  All my classes are designed to help you transition to real, whole foods–what are they, how to prepare them, how to make them taste good, how to cook them on a crazy-busy schedule, and much more.  Join me and see if you don’t make a whole bunch of food friends who will stick by you and serve you–for life!

1. From: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/towards-recovery/201709/toxic-relationships

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