Common Sense Changes

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Do something Friday Posted: 17 Aug 2012 02:50 AM PDT A hospital in Massachusetts color -coded its offerings in the cafeteria.  Red, yellow, green -- least to most healthy options.  What happened? "About six months after the changes were made, the purchases of "red" label food decreased by more than 15 percent, and "red" beverages dropped by 39 percent. "Green" food and drink purchases increased, according to the study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine." -Katherine Harmon Could it be that in our effort to educate ourselves about food choices we have overburdened ourselves with so much information that now we're stuck? Is that why a simple formula (red, yellow, and green) works so well?  It doesn't require a lot of thought and if we  make more green choices than red ones we know we're all set?  If you're one of those people who is continually up to date on the newest and best "super food" and find that you're still stressed out because you're not seeing the changes in your pant size you're hoping for, maybe it's time to stop reading about foods. "Good" foods and "bad" foods change sides....all the time!  Remember when iceberg lettuce had no redeeming qualities so we were all encouraged to eat spinach or some other form of leafy green?  Well, shock of the world! Scientist isolated a compound in iceberg lettuce that promotes brain health -- so! It's off the bad list. Those lists are arbitrary!  Get over it!!  Its time to go back to the basics.  Eat foods that your great grandma would consider food -- things that grow. (she would recognize milk -- she would not recognize protein powder!)   Eat those foods in a manner your great grandmother would approve(sitting down with a napkin on your lap).  Eat in portions your great grandma would serve you.  (Have you looked at the size of a dinner plate from that era?  I have salad plates bigger than that! -- we need to get back to that size plate not the jumbo platters, at home and when we eat out, we're routinely served on). If you want to manage your weight, you're going to have to change your behaviors -- forever.  But we don't need to complicate it with lots of scientific research.  God gave you a brain capable of understanding common sense....and that's all weight management is.  Don't over think, don't over-research.  Just start making your common sense changes.

Good morning Debbie....I love the red, yellow, green idea. I think more places should use that system. However, a lot of places like fast food wouldn't do so well!  It sure is a simple idea and would make choosing so much easier.

I agree, back to the basics is the way to go. Keep it healthy and use common sense!

Love ya....hugs....connie d

Have you noticed when restaurants list cals/carbs/protein it's also easier to make that decision? Okay...if you are absolutely craving something special then go for i****ch portions and then the next day go easy on your food choices.

Yep, common sense makes the play here!

I love your posts, Debbie. So much common sense. A couple of weeks ago I purchased some whole wheat pita bread to take to a friend's house with some hummus. I had read the label at the store and was surprised that this big Pita bread had only 68 calories! After eating one which was very filling I re-read the label and saw that one pita served 2 people???? Yikes, who splits their pita bread? Stupid me for not reading the entire label but that's just one more way we're tricked.

Thanks again for always posting interesting concepts like the red/yellow/green labeling. It certainly would help children who are most vulnerable to obesity these days.

Kathie, I think kids today have so many food choices and most not good.
On top of that most parents are afraid to let their kids out to play. The world has changed in so many ways. I remember my mom telling me to go outside and play until the street lights came on. We rode our bikes all day long, played hide and seek, kick the can, baseball, basketball, roller skating and playing in a near by creek.

Kids today play video games and are content to stay inside. I have one grandson that is an inside kid, he tells me his half sister is "an outside kid". Guess what? When he's with his sister he is an outside kid, when he stays with his dad every other week he reverts to being an inside kid cuz his dad is always on the computer and playing games.

Of course our kids are going to be obese if they aren't active. And most kids crave fast foods too. As a child we were poor and we never ate at McDonald's or went out to eat in a restaurant.

I too like the concept of labeling all foods, it's easy smeasy and red should me "stop", yellow "caution" and green "go, this food will be good for you."!